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Rides you miss/wish you could have ridden?

WickerwomanH

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Not 100% sure if Talbot Street is the right area for this thread so apologies if it's not, but as a younger member there are plenty of long gone AT rides I never got to experience and I was wondering, if you could go back in time and experience previous ride from AT, what would it be? Whether you've been on it or not.

For me I'd have to say Thunder Looper, although Black Hole is up there too, because Revolution is one of my fave rides at BPB and Thunder Looper looks to me like a much more thrilling and intense version.
 
There are many, but absolutely Thunder Looper overall, such a good ride. Riding a clone at KBF more recently confirmed it's not a skewed memory, it was excellent.

Gravitron I have no clear memory of but know I loved it, would love to find one of those again.
 
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I still weep for the Reel...
Sorry, wrong park.
Missed most Black Hole, Thunderlooper a close second.
Using a rainy day off, midweek, as an excuse to take one of the kids at work to the Towers for the day, then riding the Black Hole for shelter from the wet, for about three hours.
 
My first memory of Alton towers was seeing the thunder looper and being in awe at it so would love to ride that. As a kid I was in love with the Mini Apple in coaster corner which I am led to believe is still operating at Great Yarmouth?

Would also love to ride the black hole again - I remember it being such a big moment in my childhood when my Dad finally took me on it along with the Corkscrew. My first “big ride” day!
 
For me, it has to be the original Haunted House. Really wish I could've experienced it.
I've got the book (Smoke and Mirrors: The Haunted House of Alton Towers) and every time I read it and look at the photos I feel more gutted that I never got to ride it in it's original form. :(
 
For me, it has to be the original Haunted House. Really wish I could've experienced it.
I've got the book (Smoke and Mirrors: The Haunted House of Alton Towers) and every time I read it and look at the photos I feel more gutted that I never got to ride it in it's original form. :(
I've been wanting to read that! As well as Creating My Own Nemesis by John Wardley. Is there any other AT books people would recommend?
 
I've been wanting to read that! As well as Creating My Own Nemesis by John Wardley. Is there any other AT books people would recommend?

Tales from the Towers by Nick Sim has been on my Amazon wish list for ages, but don't have it yet.

In answer to the opening question though. Probably Thunder Looper, I was scared of coasters back then so didn't do any of them but it seems unique and shuttle loops seem to be rare nowadays.

I think I did all the others people have mentioned, although my memory of Toyland Tours from 1994 is fuzzy and I didn't go back to it as an adult in the 2000s. I think more recent memories of Duel have erased the Haunted House a little too.
Black Hole was good fun but I would happily take a replacement indoor coaster. It wasn't overly unique (although spiral lift hill isn't that common I guess) but a fun indoor coaster. SW9 should be an indoor coaster.
 
I've been wanting to read that! As well as Creating My Own Nemesis by John Wardley. Is there any other AT books people would recommend?

Alton Towers: Past and Present is an essential if you're into Heritage, but if you're looking for anything ride related then it'll probably be pretty boring!

Smoke and Mirrors is a fun little read about The Haunted House as well.

Which is a good segway of, would love to have ridden Haunted House and see how spooky it all was before it got gun'd. Black Hole looked pretty fun as well, old school indoor coasters are always a bit naff and that's why they're brilliant.
 
Tales from the Towers and Creating my own Nemesis are absolutely excellent reads if you’re even remotely into Alton Towers and the wider history of the Merlin estate, in my opinion!

If you’re interested in books to do with some of the other UK Merlin parks, then I must say that Making Thorpe Park by Chris Atkinson is also excellent! It was also only published in 2020, so it covers Thorpe Park’s history right up to the present day (ish)!
 
SW9 should be an indoor coaster.
Agreed. Or water ride.
If you’re interested in books to do with some of the other UK Merlin parks, then I must say that Making Thorpe Park by Chris Atkinson is also excellent! It was also only published in 2020, so it covers Thorpe Park’s history right up to the present day (ish)!
Call me a fake enthusiast, but I've never been able to go to Thorpe :sob: I'll check it out once I finally go though!
 
The original Haunted House for me, I'd love to have experienced it. Along with Black Hole and Toyland Tours. Annoylingly I did go to Alton Towers when the latter two were still operational but never went on them!
 
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Well I am lucky enough (or unlucky enough) to be at an age where I have been able to ride every coaster that towers have had.

I will add to the votes for Thunderlooper as one of the better coasters.

I also really liked the Alton Mouse - obviously not a patch on another ride of a similar name - but it was fun and a shame it only lasted a couple of seasons.

As for non coaster attractions. Bring back the Rowing Boats, Doom & Son's haunted house, Cine2000,
Alpine Bobsleigh and the model railway (loved it when they turned the lights off for the night scene) . I also had many a game of hide and seek in the towers ruins. :)

Edit - Never done a flying theatre but Cine2000 was fantastic, especially the end bit where the woman pushed her pram into the middle of the road and the car you were supposedly viewing from had to break suddenly. Everyone took a step forward from the perception of momentum !
 
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