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TH13TEEN - Was It Worth It?

We've had the discussion a billion times before. Regardless of what we think of the ride experience, Thirteen was a very successful investment. It increased the gate by 400,000 people in its opening year and still retains huge popularity. I don't think it will have the same staying power as the park's B&Ms, but as an investment the ride AND its marketing WAS a success!
 
It depends on how you measure success.....

If a high attendance year gained through misleading the public over the nature of the new attraction counts as a success then yes.

Th13teen is good fun, unique and very re-rideable but it simply cannot justify a 15 million quid price tag. Not when for around the same price you could build another Nemesis or Oblivion.

:)
 
Yes. Every time I've been on it, its been a good laugh. Not exactly a thrill for me, but still a really fun ride. Especailly the time I went on and a full grown man sitting next to me (a 12 year old) was squeezing my hand all the way through! No one I've been on with has said a bad word about it, and now the marketing etc is in the past, and there is nothing really saying its a big thrill ride, its perfect!
 
Nemmychick said:
So, a few weeks ago I went on TH13TEEN for the first time, as previous times I went, the queues were ridiculous.My opinion is that the theming was very good indeed, as is the music. The ride itself is slightly tame, although I guess it is a family coaster.
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Some of the best rides out there are family rollercoasters. I don't accept that calling something a family roller coaster means it should be a poor roller coaster.
 
I have to hold my hands up here and say that I never liked Corkscrew. It was old, rickety and it blinking well hurt! During later visits to AT I wouldn't bother with it.

Now Th13teen, to me, is the ride that keeps on giving! I admit, the first couple of times I rode I was a bit underwhelmed, but the more I ride it the more I love it, and I can't really explain why! Maybe it is the reaction of other riders, the fact that you see younger children enjoying their first rollercoaster, maybe it's because it is something just a little bit different...I'm not sure but it is definitely one of my top 'must do's when I go to Alton, and I love it being in the ERT line up ;D
 
First year, I absolutely loved it - slightly against the grain of disappointment largely felt! One of the only times I ventured from Lurker to poster to defend the ride.

It hard charm, was unique, wasn't bereft of a thrill and the inside was brilliant!

I loved it!

LOVED. Now, after a mere sprinkling of rides, it's lost it's charm already for me. Vamp, Nemmy, Blivvy, Stealth I can do over and over again - and if I get bored of it, I know it's because I've ridden them too much and my own fault, much like going that biscuit or pint too far ;D

This ride, does not have that excuse. The outdoor section is boring, I said before it feels like it was meant to weave around stuff, the indoor bit is still clever - it's a real marvel of technology, and it's designed and engineered exceptionally well.

The marketing was annoying, we all know that, which is why I find it odd that the first year it was open, was also the year I loved it most.

The theming inside reminds me of Rattlesnake at Chessie (flickering lights etc) - I kinda feels the same.

I rode Rattlesnake 10 times on the trot last season just before park close. I went on this one twice, with virtually no queues on it last week.

Maybe this will be a vilified as much as my initial defense of this ride was.

I just don't like it now and I'd take corky back all day long.
 
I adore thirteen, majority of the public seemingly enjoy it and that's generally what matters. It's a special coaster, you don't see another in the UK, and therefore another secret weapon against the competition - it keeps people coming back to Alton Towers for its uniqueness.

Therefore is it worth it in my eyes? Yes, yes it is.

(PS: You hear a few coming off nemmy saying it's utter crap - so I don't listen to comments without reasoning behind it ;)).
 
*Th13teen Fanboy here*

It's a superb ride, mainly for the drop & music.

I love the feeling of free falling it's a rush like no other for me, hence my love of Apocalypse, Sub-Tera & Th13teen.
 
I'm not really much for Th13teen. There are a few points which are good, but it's mostly bad for me.

The queue is hideous and the outside of the station looks like it's themed to some scaffolding. It gets better inside (though a recent lack of Tesla Coil has been disappointing) and the exit from the station is great as it builds speed quite rapidly and sweeps past the Rita queue nicely.

Onto the main coaster section now. It's utterly meh. The first drop and turn are the only highlights, then in meanders around, looses speed quickly and eventually heaves itself onto the next lift. I also think the bulky lift and supports completely ruin the beautifully slim Intamin track for me.

Inside the crypt is better and the effects and drop are excellent. It looses some of its effectiveness after you've been on it a couple of times, but it's still decent. The backwards helix is good too, although if it snapped the trains backwards slightly quicker and there was some ghostly sound effects to give the impression that you're being dragged backwards by some angry, unearthly force as opposed to feeling like you've slid backwards accidentally.

The sudden stop outside for the run back to the station is all good and I like how you get rushed towards the station.

Then we exit and get greeted by a shipping container shop. Great!

What makes the whole experience worse, besides the fact that they marketed it incorrectly and allowed the secret element to be revealed on GMTV is the fact that the ride, besides the sweep past the Rita queue, doesn't interact with anyone off-ride whatsoever. It just doesn't tempt you to ride it at all. Seeing people riding is always effective as it will impress and/or make people slightly afraid of what they're about to do. Rides like Nemesis and Vampire let you get up close with the ride. You can see all the details and you can see everyone's reactions. You also can't see every part of the ride from one spot, just sections. Th13teen reveals absolutely nothing at all.

Then we have the rest of the Dark Forest. The theming is dire and the faux vines are sun faded and now look blue rather than a mossy green. At least the ride has lots of theming as the coaster twists around the forest... oh wait....

But does anyone ask themselves why they are there? What is the point of the ride? What do you achieve? What are the cars supposed to be? Why is there an, albeit, very cool, Tesla Coil stood in the queue? Why does the floor in the station collapse?

You can probably make up your own reasons for a lot of it, but I feel that more should have been done to explain some aspects of the ride. For instance, they could have stated that you're part of some kind of ghost hunt to banish a demon inside the crypt, you enter the special scientific Arcus vehicles and head out into the forest to chase demons before turning to face the spirit in the crypt. The riled demon of the dark forest attacks you and floor collapses before another demon drags you out and away from the bottom of the crypt and the next load of riders have to try again, each failing. :p

Obviously that's still no exceptional story, but I came up with it all in a few minutes. This had months and months of planning and it still doesn't really hit the mark.


Overall, it's still a good family coaster, but it could have been so, so much better. I'm probably being a little harsh, but there shouldn't have been so many negative points for what was the first Secret Weapon coaster to open in a number of years. There are very few people who find themselves questioning how good rides like Nemesis, the Runaway Mine Train, Oblivion, Vampire are because they do everything they should do exceptionally well. I don't think we'll ever see rides like any of those ever again.


Feel free to tell me I'm too critical, but those are my opinions and I stand by them.

:)
 
Got to pretty much agree 100% with you again BigAl.

Station exit is brilliant, I have NEVER queued when the Tesla has worked, the forest bit is like.... what? Always feels like I'm supposed to be avoiding stuff that isn't there.

Station, I like that, drop - that too, I like the way you sit with a smile on your face waiting for it, specially as I did last time with people who didn't know what it does.

The backwards bit,

Y U NO THEME?

Pitch black is pointless! It's going backwards, you cannot see what it is doing, so why not add some atmosphere to it. Of course. This is Alton Towers and Tunnels we are talking about here.

Switchback is funny, as is waiting for it. It feels like a mish mash of themes/bits of rides and ideas. For me it does not come together into one concept. The novelty of the ride takes away from this at first, I just got on it, immersed my self in the experience and loved it!

The longer it goes on though, the less sense it makes. The station almost feels out of place in Alton Towers, it's got more of Chessie theme to it for me.

With the technology they had on offer here, this could have been a world class, flagship thrilling family attraction.

Why do they insist on not finishing these things off properly? There will always be improvements to be made, but this concept is just not cohesive enough, and like Al said, the queue is just awful! I still looked when I went and couldn't tell what was the Rita queue, and what was this queue.

Nothing wrong with the actual coaster in my opinion, just what was done with it.
 
Went to the Towers again yesterday.
I had a chance to ride TH13TEEN both during the day and night.
I have to say, riding it in the night does make it a lot better. The theming is more intense, the atmosphere etc.
When I rode in the day, a lad around 8 or 9 sat next to me. I asked him if he had been on it before, and he hadn't. He wanted to know what happened, but I didn't tell him.
I was fixed on his face the whole time, and by golly he was having a blast! Being honest, he enjoyed it more than me!
I had a lot of time to appreciate TH13TEEN. I have realised it is a fabulous family coaster. My opinion has changed, therefore I know believe TH13TEEN is great.
 
One thing is for clearly obvious - after all this time, and now for completely different reasons, it still fiercely divides opinion.

I can understand why people like it.

I also find it strange I've moved from the camp that defended it, to the other side lol!!

I'm interested now, did those who first enjoyed, and defended the ride like I did, are they now in the opposite camp?

Seriously, I like RMT better! I still go on that a ludicrous amount of times when there is no queues.

Why is this?? I don't even know!
 
Really echoing what others have said.

The queue, well what a waste of space. The themeing that is there is poor. Could have done something special with that. It used to be interesting when the wraiths were there but they have long gone.

Now, the station, and actual ride / drop / crypt are fine. Its the lack of near misses in the forest area that annoys me. Even now, what, nearly 3 years on, it still looks barren. If they finished of Krake i cant see why the wont finish this off.........unless this was meant to be it?
 
Unfortunately What you see is what you get and would always get. I seam to remember John Wardley saying everything was finished and everything that was planned for the coaster was Implemented, when he was asked at the Th13teen presentation evening. As for the Queueline, I agree it is rather disappointing but from what I gather it was left to the last minute and was only built the night before but i'm not sure if it was built the same as on the original plan.

The ride It's self I can't fault as I've liked it since I first rode it on opening day. The circuit before the drop sequence isn't fantastic but it's still a rather fun coaster that all the family can enjoy whatever their age even if they are intimidated by the big 4.

I think now that we're almost 3 years on the original marketing has faded out of the memory of most of the general public and people accept the ride for what it is and are enjoying it more.

As for was it worth it as far as financially ? I'm not quite sure what cost what and what the budget consisted of eg is the cost of shipping,Import tax, construction crew included in that £15 million. The other thing that comes into this question is inflation, as £15 million in 2010 would not be worth the same as it did 10 years ago and so on. Using the Bank of England Inflation Calculator I've worked out the inflation of Nemesis's 1994 price compared to what it would have cost if built in 2010. According to the calculator Nemesis in 2010 would have cost £15,512,752. Compared to Nemesis, Th13teen was cheaper but not by much. In my opinion was the coaster worth it's hefty price tag ? No, I believe it wasn't as you could afford a superior ride for just a tad more.
 
I did the same, imagine if they built Nemmy now, for 15 million, with the same impact it had then?

No coaster in recent years, has had that same impact and held its position in the way she does.

And in 2014, she'll be a royal 20 years old - and if you take away the fact she isn't brilliantly looked after, make up wise, right now, she still flies round that track not much different to the first day she opened.

Imagine that.

Now remember, this ride cost the same.

I also must add I just don't think the potential was fulfilled, and the incredible technology really given a setting it deserves.
 
When you put it that way, Th13teen was an absolute rip-off in my opinion! XD
 
The ride may well be a family coaster, but that in no way excuses the outdoor section from being shockingly bad. I mean, it is utter tosh. I rode it without the trims and it was kind of OK, just creeping towards acceptable. Now with the rubbish feeling of the drag pulling you forwards on the first drop followed by a the cars weaving around stuff that isn't there not quite fast enough, the outdoor section may as well not exist.

The crypt is technically brilliant, I do love the drop itself, the speed it aligns then 'launches' you back and the backwards helix shows how nicely the coaster can run when it is not trimmed to hell and designed badly, it really whips through there and smoothly too. The theatrics around that drop though are pathetic. One static mildly creepy looking room into another static mildly creepy looking room which you rush out of backwards to get away from ...... nothing. It would have so easy to put some sort of effect in that crypt, with a strobe light and slow moving wraiths moving towards you they could have created the feeling of being chased out so that section made some sense. That would have cost a few thousand to implement, against a multi million pound budget that is nothing.

As for was it worth it, I'd say as a lump of hardware no, it is nowhere near offering value for money. The ride feels to me like something that has been set up as a technical demonstration, like a shell of a ride, not a finished product with a story and effects. It clearly should have outdoor track theming of props to avoid whatever JW says, and I would bet at some point down the line something was planned for the crypt but dropped.

We don't know the details of hardware cost, we also don't know if there was a financial penalty for the thing not working and being 'fixed' by mounting ride destroying trims at a crucial point. I would like to think that as what Intiman sold them was so poorly designed it could not run and the fix they implemented is so bad it makes half the ride pathetic there would be a fairly hefty penalty against them. I still can't believe that trim is the best / only fix possible, why not take the speed off right near the end if there was a timing or overspeed on the second lift problem? As it is it sucks.

The other side of 'was it worth it' is going to be the value it has created for the park. In these terms at first glance it should look like a massive yes, it has pulled the punters in. But as I seem to keep saying that is only a success in the short term. How many people have fallen for the marketing bull, turned up for the 'ultimate rollercoaster', found that instead and left thoroughly disappointed? These people will not want to return and importantly will not believe the marketing crap they come out with in the future. Alton then have to work harder and harder (and pay more and more) to persuade people to return, in the long term with stuff like this (see also: car park charges, opening hour reductions, fast track sales etc) the value will look incredibly poor as it is brand destroying and creates quite serious long term problems. Short term money making strategies at the expense of long term brand loyalty are always a bad idea.
 
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Yes it was :)
 
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