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Talbot Street Lock In

Hex would have taken years of planning and consultation. Duel was more or less a copy and paste of the 'upgrade' done at Chessington the previous season.
Im not sure... same team behind both and same timeframe really, why would it have taken years to plan a madhouse and a few simple effects? Especially when the version we know today was planned as a last minute replacement. Hex only happened because of the restorations which were planned in 98 I think. (I dont have Michael Fisher's book with me to check)

Duel still showed a pretty bad drop from Hex
 
2002 also saw a new show come to the park after the old Big Top departed at the end of the previous season, along with Peter Rabbit, and in its place a new purpose built Ice Arena opened.

It's debut show was Webmaster: An Adventure on Ice, a cyber adventure that followed a young coding mastermind into a world of illusion. The show marked a bold and stylish but ultimately ill-fated new direction for the park's ice show, closing after just a season and a half.

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See, I think that the park is still world-class and providing fantastic days out now. In spite of what many may say about Alton Towers, I think we still have something pretty special, and it’s still my 2nd favourite theme park I’ve been to all these years on (my favourite is Universal’s Islands of Adventure, for clarity). I’ve never had a bad day there, and I think that Merlin are still making some brilliant investments (Wicker Man was fantastic, and The World of David Williams should really revitalise an area that needed work, amongst others).

I would argue that we have half a world class park wrapped in all the other nonsense. The core of the park that was built during the 80s and 90s was such a strong offering it is still very much propping up quite a long meandering period of missed opportunities and poor decisions (though admittedly with an occasional gem or two).
 
It was a short-lived show for two years Webmaster as I remember watching it with my step-dad in 2003, and it was enjoyable for those who like computers and technology or even the latest tech back then in 2000s.
 
We have another peek into one of your photo albums this Wednesday. Mark dug out his album from when he worked at the park and shared these amazing shots of a Skyride evacuation back in 1991.

Skyride evacuations are one of the most demanding jobs you can have in the park, so it is fascinating to get to see the process up close.
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That's when they had the old gondolas as well. That must have been a challenging day for them!
 
The resort had a huge expansion in 2003 when Splashing Landings opened along with Cariba Creek waterpark and Conference Centre in June, followed by the Alton Towers Spa later in the year.

Meanwhile over in the park the much-loved Ribena Berry Bish Bash opened in the farm and The Haunted House received its controversial upgrade to become Duel.
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What was Crux? I’ve heard about it, but I’ve never been sure what exactly it was, or ever seen any pictures of it.
 
What was Crux? I’ve heard about it, but I’ve never been sure what exactly it was, or ever seen any pictures of it.
I visited it at least twice and I don't think I could tell you.

All I can remember is a massive room, and at one end they had a 'diary room' type set up where you'd answer a question.

It was something to do with a church but I'm not sure I recall anything was obliquely Christian.
 
I visited it at least twice and I don't think I could tell you.

All I can remember is a massive room, and at one end they had a 'diary room' type set up where you'd answer a question.

It was something to do with a church but I'm not sure I recall anything was obliquely Christian.
Ah right; thanks @WillPS! I must admit; a Christian attraction does seem slightly odd for a park like Alton Towers; was it an external company touring it round the country or something?
 
Quiet space for contemplation.
Mellow bits of sound and light, but not a show.
I lasted about 30 seconds.
Edit.
Run by a youth cristianity group attached to Staffordshire University.
 
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It was a good year though for 2003 as I remember staying in the magical ATH for the first time in the themed Nemesis Room, I went with my mother, step-father, step-sisters at the time, I braved the Haunted House and got a score of 16,000. I tried go in Hex but it frightened me so I waited outside with one of my step-sisters; Black Hole had two years left as I went on that in 2004, I gave it a miss in 2003 as I didn't want to go on it.
The Log Flume featuring my sisters.
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Duel:
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Splash Landings and Cariba Creek brought a slice of the Caribbean to the resort in 2003, but it is fair to say the road to the tropical retreat was less then smooth - not least due to a false start, which saw the complex open before it was finished.

Originally named Calypso Springs, this name had to be dropped due to copyright issues, and instead the hotel became known as Splash Landings (the name intended for the waterpark).
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