The Future of Dark Forest

[RIPCorky]

Gloomy Wood by Alton Manor works fine I think, with the random gravestones, sculptures and so on.

Dark Forest I just don't really understand. Rita and 13 seem completely at odds with each other theme-wise and the path down there is just a chokepoint as next to no one goes the back way out of it along the walls.

I think they could stick with some kind of forest theme if they wanted but lean heavily into the fairytale aspect of it - an Enchanted Forest with toadstools and gnomes etc all over the place or like something out of The Legend of Zelda. something bright and fun but mysterious at the same time, but without the tackiness of David Walliams

Wasn't really any different when they slapped Rita in Ug land though, it didn't fit then either.

Was a great part of the park in the Corkscrew days. Now it's home to two broken rides one of which doesn't like getting it's hair wet

 

[dave___]

I agree, I like the curse at Alton Manors area, I got them a bit mixed up as I've only been to towers once (although I'm visiting again this week!). Love your idea for the dark forest, it sounds like a magical place to visit.

To be fair the actual woodland bit that 13's queue goes through is proper damp and miserable.

Doesn't mean they couldn't fairytale it up a bit with some festoon lights and so on though, they shoved an old camper van in it after all.

 

[TheDuke]

Ug Land was exceptional for me. We haven’t seen this high level of themeing since, we likely never will again.

Pulling Corkscrew out was a mistake. I would happily sell Rita and 13 and start again from scratch.

I mean its themeing level isnt more than new FV or X sector.
Regarding Corkscrew it was at the end of its life and showing it and was a standard layout coaster hardly that special compared to likes of thirteen which is a unique family coaster with a decent themeing

 

[RIPCorky]

I mean its themeing level isnt more than new FV or X sector.
Regarding Corkscrew it was at the end of its life and showing it and was a standard layout coaster hardly that special compared to likes of thirteen which is a unique family coaster with a decent themeing

But Thirteen doesn't work

 

[Blackhole_Sun]

I mean its themeing level isnt more than new FV or X sector.
Regarding Corkscrew it was at the end of its life and showing it and was a standard layout coaster hardly that special compared to likes of thirteen which is a unique family coaster with a decent themeing

I feel the Ug land theming was more than what is offered in both FV and X sector.





All buildings, rides themed in as one. As good as Nemesis is this year, adding in a helicopter and painting everything black doesn’t really match what we had previously.

Thirteen is unique to this country, but Wickerman is the king of the 1.2’s now.

 

[Mick]

Could you possibly keep Thirteen, put another coaster around the part where Roller Disco was, extending to where Rita currently is, and then that could open up the whole of the front and middle part of the land for a flat ride or two, and better themed foods and set pieces?

 

[Blackhole_Sun]

Could you possibly keep Thirteen, put another coaster around the part where Roller Disco was, extending to where Rita currently is, and then that could open up the whole of the front and middle part of the land for a flat ride or two, and better themed foods and set pieces?

An option for sure, issue is that the area was built around Corkscrew, then Rita was built around Corkscrew, in which 13 was built into and around Rita. I don’t feel like keeping both rides will utilise what space is available in dark forest.

Realistically I can’t see 13 going at any point but it’s not the most reliable.

 

[delta79]

Dark forest needs something doing to it.
The launch cable protection of slapping up wood slates and calling it theming was a mistake.
With the right themed covering on rita, enlarging the walkway under it would open the area up.
There is a large unused area the other side that could be used and make the area by 13 more welcoming.

 

[Ash]

Remove Rita. Add in an Intamin multi launch themed around escaping the forest. Add in a “Danse macabre” type attraction and indoor quick service. Create second entrance to the land on the garden side.

Knock down all the existing buildings and start again

 

[Jb85]

Rita and the buildings must go, but a launch coaster of sorts will need to replace it. Refurb thirteen - keep the theme as it’s actually a good idea.

The whole area needs cohesion which it doesn’t have currently

 

[Josh555]

Each to their own but I just find it stunning that people long for Corkscrew.

A theme less, big standard double corkscrew coaster which was well past its sell by date and extremely uncomfortable to ride, I remember, more than once, hearing people slag it off as they left the ride.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s got its place in Alton’s history, was hugely important for the park’s development and was my first ever inverting rollercoaster; but it had more than had its day.

 

[rob666]

The people who long for the Corkscrew rarely rode the thing.
Shaky, rattly, but fun when there were few decent alternatives.

 

[delta79]

The people who long for the Corkscrew rarely rode the thing.
Shaky, rattly, but fun when there were few decent alternatives.

Or have serious rosie tinted glasses.

 

[Josh555]

Or have serious rosie tinted glasses.

Massively so, Thirteen is a massive improvement even if it does seem to only work for half a day.

I’d also argue Smiler is a considerable improvement on the Black Hole, and I loved the Black Hole. At the end of the day it also was an indoor aging bog standard ride with fairly sparse theming other than in the station; Alton have needed an indoor coaster since which thankfully they now look like getting.

Again, I look back on these rides fondly but the issue wasn’t the decision to replace them; or even what they replaced them with; but rather decisions affecting the park as a whole which contributed to a decline in the product over the years.

 

[havaska]

The people who long for the Corkscrew rarely rode the thing.
Shaky, rattly, but fun when there were few decent alternatives.

The Corkscrew was awful. So rattly and uncomfortable. It gives Infusion and the Nash a run for its money.

Python, it was not.

 

[Benjsh]

The Corkscrew was awful. So rattly and uncomfortable. It gives Infusion and the Nash a run for its money.

Python, it was not.

Now look what you've done.....you've mentioned Nashy. Get your shield ready....they are coming for you now.

You're bang on though about Corkscrew and this further backs up the point I was making about Nashy. Corkscrew was also an icon of the UK Theme Park Industry and loved by many. It was in fact the first looping coaster I did too shortly followed by Tower of Terror at Camelot.
However as you rightly say.....it didn't ride well at all. It was always uncomfortable and shaky through the corkscrews I felt.

I wasn't a huge fan of Python either though quite frankly. Definitely better than Corky but still not great.

 

[Blackhole_Sun]

Massively so, Thirteen is a massive improvement even if it does seem to only work for half a day.

I’d also argue Smiler is a considerable improvement on the Black Hole, and I loved the Black Hole. At the end of the day it also was an indoor aging bog standard ride with fairly sparse theming other than in the station; Alton have needed an indoor coaster since which thankfully they now look like getting.

Again, I look back on these rides fondly but the issue wasn’t the decision to replace them; or even what they replaced them with; but rather decisions affecting the park as a whole which contributed to a decline in the product over the years.

 

[Benjsh]

The Smiler is definitely a better coaster purely from a technical point of view. But I have much fonder memories from Black Hole for sure and for an older style ride, which it was before it was removed, I never really felt uncomfortable on it either. I do miss it.

The park is definitely missing a trick without a solid indoor coaster so I can see why Project Horizon was/still is a real possibility. A new take on the black hole with modern effects etc could easily become my favourite ride after Nemmy at the park.

 

[Josh555]

Well yeah, hence why I said ‘I’d also argue’.

The point is that the coaster it replaced was an again off the shelf Schwarzoff model with minimal theming other than in the station.

It was a fun ride and I really enjoyed it but it doesn’t change the point that it was in desperate need of replacement and it was never going to be replaced like for like. The Smiler wouldn’t have been my first choice for its replacement either but I think it could have been far worse.

It looks like we’re getting an indoor coaster now anyway.

 

[RIPCorky]

The people who long for the Corkscrew rarely rode the thing.
Shaky, rattly, but fun when there were few decent alternatives.

It was more of a thrill than Thirteen is. Was a good starter coaster for first inversion too. Bit of a headbanger on the curve to the double corkscrew but not that bad. Was always cool to sit further back and watch the train go through the corkscrew before you as well.