• ℹ️ Heads up...

    This is a popular topic that is fast moving Guest - before posting, please ensure that you check out the first post in the topic for a quick reminder of guidelines, and importantly a summary of the known facts and information so far. Thanks.

Ride Availability 2017

Rick said:
Let's pick an alternative word to "good" if we're going to have a meaningful debate.
Click to expand...

I've always based this on what JW once said - you can build the biggest, fastest ride in the world, but it may not be any good when you actually ride it. What makes a ride good is that feeling you get when you come off and think, wow, I wanna do that again right now!

There is only 1 ride in Alton I have ever had that feeling from and thats Nemesis. On the opposite side of the scale is The Smiler where I come off and think (1) I need a bucket and (2) I need headache pills!

As for BPB, Wild Mouse always makes me want to get straight back on (bruises excluded), as does Valhalla (in a wetsuit), oh and Grand National!
 
Can we get back on topic, please.

The debate about which park is better is personal preference.

Thanks.
 
GalactiVR will vanish but the theme will stay and the videos will be changed to not mention VR

Hopefully some crowds will make them operate Oblivion on 2 stations, Smiler on 4 trains and non-VR Galactica will be back to decent throughput.
 
Last edited:
It's a real poor show from Alton, I can't remember ever seeing such a sad state of affairs when it comes to ride availability and choice.

Galactica has been nothing but trouble since it opened and when it is open it's throughput is dire. Go Jetters was just a stupid choice, buying an untested ride design from an unheard of manufacturer, subsequently it's closed more than it is open. Sub-Terra, Charlie and Twirling Toadstool are SBNO and with the removal of Ripsaw and Submission Alton's line up is dwindling year-upon-year. :(
 
With go jetters now open, we have The Smiler closed all day today following yesterday's breakdown. Hopefully it won't be closed for long!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
The Smiler is back open today and along with Spinball they have an 80min queue o_O

Edit - Go Jetters is also back open as well
 
Last edited:
My sister is there today,first time in 20 years.

Rita not working, Galactica not working, cable car not working, card machine and till not working at coffee place.

Cant say they will go again!
 
djtruefitt said:
With go jetters now open, we have The Smiler closed all day today following yesterday's breakdown. Hopefully it won't be closed for long!
Click to expand...
I believe it opened this morning and then closed earlier this afternoon and has yet to reopen.
 
Anyone on park able to confirm the accuracy of Ridetimes? Was very hit and miss last weekend.
 
Lots of unhappy visitors have posted on trip adviser about poor ride availability and they wonder why they are getting poor attendance. If I hadn't been before and read those comments I would think twice before spending £50 to get in. Perhaps Merlin should take note rather than bang on about terrorism and the smiler crash.

Sent from my SM-J320FN using Tapatalk
 
The only thing not running was Galatica, mind you the guy on the gates that they'd errected to stop people walking down there probably didn't help with his responses to questions, as posted elsewehere even if you make something up like "it's awaiting a part from Germany and won't be running today" is better than snapping "it's closed, I don't know why, and I don't know when it'll reopen" back at people.

Mind you, given some of the behavour I saw over the weekend, I can't blame some of the staff for being just as rude to the uggs as they were to them, I should think being a ride host can be a very stressful job sometimes.
 
Ops were pretty good yesterday. Galactica aside, i felt they were running rides pretty well.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk
 
Agreed. It was far busier today (Sunday) than it was Saturday too and ops were good, the only complaint I had was how hot it got in the smiler indoor queue during the breakdown just after lunchtime but the group singing took your mind off the heat, kinda.

Boy does the smiler run faster (or seem to) once it's had an hour to cool down too, was on the first car when it reopened and it seemed much faster than the previous runs we'd had.
 
Last edited:
I can easily tell you when Alton (and other parks) close their rides for routine maintenance.....

.....7th November to around Mid March ;)

The only rides that they advertise on the website closed for maintenance are the rides that are SBNO, waiting for removal or being refurbish under the guise of Alton TLC program

And as for any ride that unexpectedly breaks down and awaiting parts/repairs, I don't think that they have a clue
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top