Nemesis: Sub-Terra

[Themeparksandy1981]

If it’s taking 10 mins per ride circle couldn’t the staff at the entrance sort out where guests sit on the ride ie the bigger guests on each end.
I doubt it will change much to next week after the kids go back to school so it can be tweaked.

 

[James]

Do the Dungeons towers have such an issue with the restraints? If not, then maybe Sub-Terra’s restraints need to be modified to remove this ongoing issue. It's a bit odd they haven't bothered rectifying this before reopening.

Regarding lack of reviews, most enthusiasts have already ridden Sub-Terra (it's not ‘new’). It was always a bit of a marmite ride, and it's a filler ride that people aren't going to flock to ride.

I'm chunkier than I was when I last rode it, so not particularly excited to go back on it to play a game of musical chairs.

I enjoy Sub-Terra, but if nothing is done about the restraints, its second life may be relatively short-lived.

 

[Danscott22]

I think with all the other stuff they’ve done they plan to have it around for longer than last time, particularly the lab the ending part n longer requires actors really because it’s just a decontamination lab essentially, but they should really look into the restraint issue. I know a lot of people preferred the old ending also, but it scared my cousin too much that he wouldn’t go back in, so now it’s changed he probably will, as that was the only part that scared him

 

[Josh555]

The ride closed when it did because of cuts following the Smiler incident, the park then clearly enacted a plan over the next 10 years as to how to move forward with future ride investments which included the construction of Wickerman, the TLC for Hex and the retracking of Nemesis, you would hope that it also eventually includes new permanent flat rides which will replace the retro squad.

Given the fact that Nemesis was going to be retracked and out of action for a season and the park only has a finite budget to spend each year, it seems to me that Nemesis Sub Terra’s reopening was always decided to coincide with Nemesis’s retrack.

The idea that the park would leave a ride SBNO for 8 years which would have presumably required semi-regular maintenance to keep it functional for future use, then spend a year carrying out work on the site to bring it up to scratch and into a guest ready state, to then intend on removing it again a year or two later whilst the park continues to lack non-coaster adult attractions is such a bizarre take. If the goal was temporary capacity to deal with Nemesis’s absence we’ll they already have the retro squad rides, even with Nemesis’s absence there are still more rides in the park with the retro squad rides (and without NST) as there were prior to the retro squad rides but with Nemesis.

The ride has been brought back as it likely was always intended that it would be, it’s a decent filler attraction without being anything mind blowing, which is fine, all works need rides like that and it serves it’s intended purpose. It’s arguable that if Alton had their time again that they’d have put the 2012 budget to better use, but they don’t, so it’s making the best of the situation.

As to why they haven’t sorted the restraints out, who knows? Perhaps a fix is en route, perhaps the decision was made that it isn’t enough of an issue to justify the expenditure, perhaps their isn’t a solution in keeping with their health and safety aims. I’ll tell you what it won’t be though, it won’t be because they’ve spent a year bringing back a 10 year old ride to mothball it again in a year or two’s time as that would be a massive waste of a budget.

 

[Danscott22]

The ride closed when it did because of cuts following the Smiler incident, the park then clearly enacted a plan over the next 10 years as to how to move forward with future ride investments which included the construction of Wickerman, the TLC for Hex and the retracking of Nemesis, you would hope that it also eventually includes new permanent flat rides which will replace the retro squad.

Given the fact that Nemesis was going to be retracked and out of action for a season and the park only has a finite budget to spend each year, it seems to me that Nemesis Sub Terra’s reopening was always decided to coincide with Nemesis’s retrack.

The idea that the park would leave a ride SBNO for 8 years which would have presumably required semi-regular maintenance to keep it functional for future use, then spend a year carrying out work on the site to bring it up to scratch and into a guest ready state, to then intend on removing it again a year or two later whilst the park continues to lack non-coaster adult attractions is such a bizarre take. If the goal was temporary capacity to deal with Nemesis’s absence we’ll they already have the retro squad rides, even with Nemesis’s absence there are still more rides in the park with the retro squad rides (and without NST) as there were prior to the retro squad rides but with Nemesis.

The ride has been brought back as it likely was always intended that it would be, it’s a decent filler attraction without being anything mind blowing, which is fine, all works need rides like that and it serves it’s intended purpose. It’s arguable that if Alton had their time again that they’d have put the 2012 budget to better use, but they don’t, so it’s making the best of the situation.

As to why they haven’t sorted the restraints out, who knows? Perhaps a fix is en route, perhaps the decision was made that it isn’t enough of an issue to justify the expenditure, perhaps their isn’t a solution in keeping with their health and safety aims. I’ll tell you what it won’t be though, it won’t be because they’ve spent a year bringing back a 10 year old ride to mothball it again in a year or two’s time as that would be a massive waste of a budget.

I do agree, I don't really understand why anyone thinks its just temporary to be honest. Too much money has gone into it, it's just a bit sad to see it still plagued with the same issues it closed with.

 

[venny]

The batching yesterday was painfully slow, even worse when you take into account fastrack and RAP queues all being let in before the main queue, so you’re lucky to get 20 from the main queue. Then it broke down when were stood in the lift. After waiting another 25 minutes, the entire queue was then cleared.

Even though we were actually in the attraction when it broke, no one was offered fastrack for another ride.

 

[Rob]

Slightly concerning to hear that the restraint issues from when it was open last time round remain, I'd have thought they'd look to address this. H&S probably didn't allow for much manoeuvre though.

I really like what they did with the opening ceremony, very effective. Looking forward to experiencing it again for myself on Saturday, I did always quite enjoy Sub-Terra.

 

[QTXAdsy]

Now then, with this year being branded as the year of the UK dark ride and with now Alton Manor, Valhalla, Ghost Train and now Sub Terra having all open, do we have a 'winner' from the list?

Quite worrying to hear that reviews for all four have either ranged from mixed to negative for various reasons, then again this is in a echo chamber among other enthusiasts so it might have a bias to how they'd see things compared to the GP who might seem either of them in a better light?

Was this great battle more of a draw between all four? Kind of anticlimactic when you think of it.

 

[JAperson]

Has anybody got any idea how many staff members they're cut with the reopening? We were all under the impression they'd want to cut staff, and I'm interested to see how they've done that now.

 

[Josh555]

Has anybody got any idea how many staff members they're cut with the reopening? We were all under the impression they'd want to cut staff, and I'm interested to see how they've done that now.

I believe they’ve changed the ending to mean that there aren’t actors standing in cages as there previously were.

 

[rob666]

I do agree, I don't really understand why anyone thinks its just temporary to be honest. Too much money has gone into it, it's just a bit sad to see it still plagued with the same issues it closed with.

I think it is temporary.
Too much money...on what though?
It has had a general scrub up...they didn't fix the actual problem with the restraints, they surely would have if it was being kept.
Working on it for a year?
Nope, working on it in bits over a year, a few days at a time.
It isn't a decent bit of filler in my eyes, it was not decent in my wife's (non thoosie but regular attender) eyes either...she described it as poor, only useful when it is raining.
I think it will last a couple of seasons at most, then maybe peak days and scarefest only.
I'm not knocking them for doing it, but it isn't worth waiting for in my humble opinion, and it will not last long, or they would have fixed it.

 

[TroySmith1]

If they added projecting mapping, fixed the restraints, Allowed the ride system to go up and down a few times and completed the final maze part with some simple and cheap animatronics for some jump scares (as it’s dark you won’t see them really) They would honestly have a winner flat ride for sustainability!

Doesn’t need much but I’m pretty sure the curse would of taken majority to the budget for this year. So come to think if it we’re lucky to have 2 attractions open and refurbished in one year! Maybe in time they can update the parts in both rides that are lacking with more of a budget allocated for them.

I feel the outside should be all painted black and just needs a little more to catch the eye, like a few red tentacles coming out the vents etc. I feel when the Ques go down it’s still easy to pass the building, then again so many still pass Hex and ask “is that’s a ride?”

 

[Josh555]

The reality is that if there were to be any substantial improvements to the ride they would have been done prior to its reopening. They weren’t so we’re left with an, in my opinion, decent indoor ride but something which fall as well short of what it could have been, which is a shame but it is what it is and it’s much better than nothing.

 

[Matt N]

Now then, with this year being branded as the year of the UK dark ride and with now Alton Manor, Valhalla, Ghost Train and now Sub Terra having all open, do we have a 'winner' from the list?

Quite worrying to hear that reviews for all four have either ranged from mixed to negative for various reasons, then again this is in a echo chamber among other enthusiasts so it might have a bias to how they'd see things compared to the GP who might seem either of them in a better light?

Was this great battle more of a draw between all four? Kind of anticlimactic when you think of it.

I think describing Alton Manor as a ride that has had “mixed to negative” reviews is quite harsh. The general consensus on that ride has overall been very positive, from what I gather.

If I had to declare any of those four a “winner”, I’d probably go for Alton Manor, as the overall consensus has been quite positive, from what I can see.

It is hard to tell, though, because opinions on these rides are very subjective.

 

[Trooper Looper]

I think describing Alton Manor as a ride that has had “mixed to negative” reviews is quite harsh. The general consensus on that ride has overall been very positive, from what I gather.

If I had to declare any of those four a “winner”, I’d probably go for Alton Manor, as the overall consensus has been quite positive, from what I can see.

It is hard to tell, though, because opinions on these rides are very subjective.

I went with my family yesterday, and they had mixed feelings overall, ranging from not being appropriate for families, to being a bit too dark (physically and literally). I think most of the positive reviews are coming from older people and enthusiasts who are into themes like that.

Anyway, this threads about Sub Terra.

 

[Matt N]

I went with my family yesterday, and they had mixed feelings overall, ranging from not being appropriate for families, to being a bit too dark (physically and literally). I think most of the positive reviews are coming from older people and enthusiasts who are into themes like that.

Anyway, this threads about Sub Terra.

I would say that your family alone is a very small sample size with which to assess a ride’s popularity. My parents actually weren’t that impressed with it themselves, but their reasoning was more because “they’ve basically taken it back to how it was before”, and this didn’t especially impress them because they had done the original Haunted House. They did say that it was definitely preferable to Duel, though.

I’m aware that you are not a big fan of the ride yourself, you imply that your family aren’t either, and there are certainly other people who weren’t as impressed by it, but if you look around the internet, I’d argue that the overall consensus is pretty positive.

That is just from what I’ve seen and my own personal sample, though; your sample and other people’s sample may be completely different, which arguably makes “popularity” very hard to pin down, particularly with a relatively new ride like Alton Manor. Our two groups alone are nowhere near being a wide enough sample to assess the ride’s overall popularity with.

And yes, I should probably get back to Sub-Terra… on a Sub-Terra related note, why is it that they suddenly started suffering from problems with the restraints 3 years in? Has it not had the same restraints from day 1?

 

[John]

No, they were modified in 2015 to be more restrictive

 

[Spug558]

So is sub terra going to be a lot more linked to the new nemesis??

 

[Blackhole_Sun]

Perhaps the size of people is increasing. Although I am not sure what the issue was a former member of staff claimed the reason was someone was able to wriggle out of the restraints so it was altered for that reason.

I always thought it was closed for cost related reasons rather than safety.

 

[rob666]

The average waist has gone up four inches in the last sixty years.