Marshal-B33J
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The Magic Never Ends - An Alternate History of Alton Towers
- Thread starter QTXAdsy
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QTXAdsy
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- Favourite Ride
- Black Hole
Now then, we get onto 2011 and a rather infamous year for some if you remember what happened regarding a green ogre that was supposed to turn up in Storybook Land. Anyway, this is a chapter which is quite a different 2011 though one you might not have been expecting...let's begin!
There is an old saying that anyone or any country that forgets their past has no future and in some ways that very saying would apply to Alton Towers in which while they had always been looking to future of what could be done with coasters such as their secret weapon program, they had for the most part seemed in ways willing to brush the memory of previous rides that once existed at the park. The exception being had been Corkscrew in which given how that was the ride that started it all, it at the very least had not only gotten proper send off and would make something of a return to the park in the 2010 season in which its two famous Corkscrew elements would be painted up and moved to the main entrance of the park to welcome guests and have a small sign on the bottom explaining to guests what this ride meant for the park [1].
It was during the planning of rebuilding the two Corkscrew elements at the front gate had led to a discussion among the Alpha and Delta teams about adding an attraction that would celebrate the park's past and really add to the park become more of a resort that Merlin were aiming for that would make it more than just a theme park and that idea would happen sooner than most thought though perhaps in not the way some would imagine. After the high of 2010 in which had gone down as the park's most successful year since 1994, it was clear that 2011 was always going to difficult to top that so the park would have to go on the smaller scale though it had become clear that opening and promoting multiply attractions as what 2010 had done with three so it was decided that 2011 would do the same with two though nowhere near the big budget as what Thirteen, The Haunted House and some would say even Sonic Spinball had gotten.
It had been decided that the two attractions to open would be 'The Alton Towers Museum' and a new 4D film to go inside the now disused ice tent which was to be none other than 'Shrek 4D', a then at the time eight-year short 4D film that had already been shown at the Universal Parks across the world, Movie Park in Germany and Warner Bros. Movie World in Australia, the latter having just ended its run the previous year. As it turned, the latter was supposed to be getting most of the attention during the closed season though as it turned out for all the wrong reasons in what would be a rather embarrassing affair for the park and Merlin as a whole. It is unclear what was to happen exactly as much of the story is something that Merlin would rather forget though it turns out that the company had gotten into an agreement with DreamWorks films to licence out not only the short film but also have Storybook Land rethemed into Far Far Away land as seen in the films [2].
Among fans of the park, this news wasn't exactly well received. The fact that the park would be bringing in not only an IP, or Intellectual Property as to say in its full term, which for any theme park fan is always a tetchy subject as some see it as a cheap cash grab to try and bank on the latest hip craze rather than try and go for an original theme unless you happen to be either Disney or Universal who happened to own the IP but what made this irk more for some was that this whole deal meant that it was to replace the whole of the Storybook Land area of the park, arguably the most beautiful area of the park into some hip IP, though even then the Shrek franchise by 2010 was nowhere near its hight as of the mid 2000's with the fourth and final film having come out the previous year. Why exactly Merlin would think of trying to cash in on something that was some years past its peak as a popular franchise has been questioned a lot though whatever they might have thought, they seemed keen to bring Shrek to Alton Towers.
The ice tent, seen in the background of the picture, as to where the Shrek 4D film was to be shown in (C) TowersStreet.com
To go on a brief tangent on where the 4D film was to be shown in, the ice tent had itself had a long history at the park. Previously from right from the early days of the park that there had always been a tent on site in which at first it had been the 'Big Top' circus show in 1983 which would remain there until 1988 in which the inside would be converted into an ice-skating arena in which would show several shows over the years such as an ice show dedicated the park's long since retired Henry Hound mascot though it was in 1994 in which the tent became best known to perhaps arguably the best loved show that the park has ever presented to the public - 'Peter Rabbit on Ice'. An ice show based off the beloved books by Beatrix Potter in which was such a hit with the public that it would run each season at the park until 2001 until it would be replaced by the shows 'Webmaster' in 2002 which would only last until 2003 before that would be replaced by 'Circus of Illusion' in 2004 which would be the last show to be shown in the tent with it being left disused in 2006.
Neither of those two latter shows ever matching the charm of Peter Rabbit with Webmaster in practically being quite a dark show aimed at an older audience in which seem to be played in the wrong area of the park which was clearly aimed at young children and even though many had, at best, lukewarm feelings to IP's being used at Alton Towers, Peter Rabbit on Ice is widely considered by some as perhaps the best use of an IP. It must be said though that Peter Rabbit was very much the exception and for good reason if one is to look at the history of the use of IPs on the park. There was of course Charlie and the Chocolate Factory dark ride which was not proving to be something of a disappointment as lacking that certain something with park visitors while enthusiasts hated for replacing the beloved Toyland Tours ride end even then it was nothing compared to the infamous ill-fated 'Nickelodeon: Outta Control' funhouse attraction, named from the kids TV channel, in which opened in 1997 and only lasted a whole season before closing in which its low throughput, negative guest reviews and running costs saw that ride come to an end and is now nothing more than just a mere footnote in the park's history.
Some fans felt that Shrek and the rumoured Far Far Away retheme for Storybook Land would be far from satisfying, even if by this point Storybook Land was looking tired and starting to look grotty which was sadly best reflected with the beloved Storybook Land Bookworm animatronic which would always greet guests and now was barely able to work and part of the rubber skin was starting to peel off. However, things by December 2010 would throw all those plans out of the winter when whispers had been revealed that the plans to bring Shrek to Alton Towers had been cancelled despite the plans being quite mature by this point. To this day it is unknown what happened for the deal to fall through though the most likely answer is that DreamWorks had been left deeply unimpressed by what Merlin had proposed in which it would seem that the company had thought they could do the whole thing on the cheap in which meant just putting the 3D show within the ice tent and allegedly plaster vinal stickers around Storybook Land and consider that was all they needed to do [3].
When compared to what the other Shrek 4D films had with them such as spending millions of dollars' worth on not just a theatre but a whole land that could be immersive and treat their famous franchise with dignity; Alton Towers and pretty much Merlin's 'on-the-cheap' approach in contrast by shoving the film inside a now aging tent would be consider utterly laughably and somewhat even disrespectful for what DreamWorks wanted and it was perhaps no surprise they pulled out of the deal and suddenly Merlin were left with their pants down with no one to blame but themselves. Storybook Land may had been spared a major change, but its future was by no means certain but that would be another story. The Question now for Alton Towers was 'now what?'
The entrance of Storybook Land which had things gone differently might have changed for the 2011 season, note the bookworm in the background (C) TowersTimes.co.uk
For Alton Towers, the failure to bring Shrek 4D to the park had been an embarrassment for the upper management with many fingers being pointed over who was to blame for this, but even more scary for park management that not only was the attraction supposed to be the main addition for the 2011 season and suddenly with it no longer now coming to the park, but there was also now a real fear that 2011 would be the first ever year that the park would have no new attraction opening in which every year without fail from 1980 onwards they had always brought something new to the park; Shrek looked set to be the one that shattered that perfect record [4]. However, that might had well been the case had Merlin not decided to have the idea to install at least two additions at the park following the success of what 2010 had brought with marketing three new attractions and thus they would decide to replicate this though now they were down to one.
The attraction that now suddenly had all the attention focused on was now 'The Alton Towers Museum', once just the secondary attraction was now given the task to help spare the park's blushes. The idea of the museum had something first considered when Merlin first took over the park in 2007 when the two new teams to help with concepts in while they both had different views of what should come to the park, they agreed that a museum would be a worthwhile investment to help celebrate the park's long history and add a unique type of attraction for any UK theme park and something that would help bolster the Resort credibility in which what the park was now aiming. The first stage of preserving the past of the park had been prior to when the now disused Black Hole ride was sold in 2007 that one of the ride cars would be retained for further use [5] though while this happened the ride car in question would remain in the park's backstage area gathering dust though back then it was only being kept as something that could only be seen on backstage tours.
It would only be in 2008 that the idea of a museum starting to catch some attention in which following Corkscrew's closure that not only would the two iconic Corkscrew elements would be kept but also one of the front ride cars kept for future use with the rest either being sold for charity or heading overseas as spare parts for other Vekoma coasters [6] and it was only then that quite a number of ride cars, props, costumes and even some long disused props, most notably from Toyland Tours [7] which all had been kept by several members of staff who had gained something of hording reputation and now they had to get rid of much of that stuff. It was in 2009 that the idea of a museum was then agreed upon, yet no one had any idea of where it would go with some speculating that Cloud Cuckoo Land might be one or even X-Sector being another by reusing the Black Hole tent...all of which were soon discarded over the planning application for Thirteen and how that came about. While Thirteen's planning approval hadn't been quite another disastrous 'Woodiegate' affair much like the Cross Valley Coaster, it had only barely passed planning and had left many dissatisfied over where the ride would be built but there was a clause in the approval in which if they would build it then in turn, they would have to make the ruins of Alton Towers more accessible for the public which had gotten English Heritage involved saying that this would have to happen if the park was serious in about persevering or restore the heritage of the towers.
Once the deal was accepted, the question for park management was what would be best course of action to make the ruins more accessible for the public. It wouldn't be the first time that the park had done anything with the ruins for the last time they had done anything major with it was the opening of 'Hex' in 2000, a Vekoma Madhouse attraction tastefully built by using the ruins as a setting though it did back then cause some anger from certain conservationists over what they felt was ruining the ruins yet nonetheless that ride was approved with the deal being that when the attraction is finally closed that it must be removed from that area without leaving any evidence and not to build anything in that area ever again. It was soon agreed that during the 2010 season that the Towers themselves would see the building of a new museum yet the question was where it should go while trying to respect the building itself. It was then someone on the design team would suggest of why not restore the Talbot Gallery in the east wing of the Towers and use that for the museum...a perfect choice as it would turn out.
The Alton Towers ruins from the air, note the Talbot Gallery on the left of the picture where the new museum was to be built within with much of the roof missing and the show building for the Hex attraction in the bottom left of the picture (C) TowersStreet.com
The Talbot Gallery is located in the west side of the Towers like the rest of the ruins had suffered by falling into decay though perhaps far worse off than the rest in which it no longer had a roof, and the inside was now overgrowing with plant life and was perhaps an area of the towers that required more work than most though the space inside would be perfect for a museum to go in there. However, like with all things, planning applications were put in place in November 2010 for what was to be the first big restoration the Towers had seen in years, if not decades. In contrast to the lukewarm reception for Thirteen's plans and the negative reception for the Cross Valley Coaster, the plans for the restoration of the Talbot Gallery and West Tower were actually given almost universal approval by planners.
It was quite staggering at being accepted so easily as this might have been seen as a way of sorting out some strained relations between the planners and the park over what had come before and with the help of English Heritage also helping Merlin with the restoration, work would start just before Christmas that year. The main stage of the project was undoubtedly to rebuild the roof though there was one major condition that had to be agreed upon before going ahead with the restoration and that was to rebuild the wooden roof supports to their original gothic look which would require a specialist job that required help from outside the park. It would be a challenging restoration but not too impossible and though it was a new attraction that did raise the eyebrows of several members of the public who likely were thinking some big fancy new big ride but nonetheless it was quite a novelty of an attraction compared to the rest of the park line up.
It was during right at the start of the rebuilding of the roof that the news had come through that the Shrek attraction had been cancelled and now suddenly the museum which had been thought as nothing more than a filler attraction would actually have to become the main attraction for 2011 and the pressure was on to try and make the best out of a rather embarrassing situation for the park. To add more to the situation following the cancellation of the Shrek 4D attraction had even left some to point out that had they not wasted their time on trying to bring Shrek to the park, the museum could have gone into that ice tent and the park could have quite honestly spent very little, if anything, to get the tent ready for its new role.
The Inside of the Talbot Gallery during the Towers' heyday, note the gothic roof supports that the planners wanted for the restoration (C) Unknown
That plan was actually almost a certainty to happen, but it was just at the same time work had begun on the restoration and since a partly restoration of the Towers was a golden way of rebuilding trust with the local council and conservationists alike, pulling out would have caused much anger and made any future planning for attractions more difficult and thus Merlin had no choice but commit to getting the work on the Talbot Gallery done. The roofing would all be completed by late January 2011 while between then and the park's opening in March, the inside of the gallery was cleared off greenery that had taken hold of that part of the Towers as well as a new varnished wooden flooring as what it was when first built and the walls brought back to a presentable condition. The transformation of the Talbot Gallery was nothing sort of stunning and the final act was to fit the place with the new items for display.
The irony if the ice tent being perhaps a late replacement of where the museum would go did actually happen in a way as prior to most of the many items moving into their new home, they would be kept undercover within the ice tent to allow any work needed before being put on show for the public and for those who had access to the tent would have been left stunned to see nearly 30 years of park history within there. When opening day came round and after some media build up was done, albeit nowhere near the levels that had come with Thirteen, the Alton Towers Museum was ready to open its doors and a new section of the towers that had never been accessed by the public other than perhaps specially invited tours. After guests turn off from where they'd normally head straight to X-Sector, they instead head down a path towards the went west of the Towers until they arrive by the West Tower where the entrance to the museum is located.
As guests enter through the entrance when right in the centre of the room is none other than the sole surviving Corkscrew front car planted on one of the remaining pieces of bits of Corkscrew track (from the brake run) which all in all would welcome guests into the museum which in many ways was a fitting way to start of the attraction giving how that was the ride that started it all. After that on both sides of the now restored gallery would be on display so many ride cars, costumes and theming from many years of history which of course including one of the sole remaining Black Hole cars, a Swan boat that the park had kept for many years backstage [8], a ride car from Charlie that was specially repainted into its Toyland Tours colours to go with a display of surviving props from that former attraction as well as some of the now removed props from Duel such as the zombies and other features that once were part of that ride before it would return as the Haunted House. It really was quite a staggering display in which there was information of the history of the rides and rare photos and even some footage of the ride either being constructed or during its working days which all added to the experience and add that with many former mascot character costumes that had not been seen in many years such as Henry Hound, the Count, the Bears and others just to name a few, it really was a blast from the past for many.
One of the ride cars that would be sold for charity following the ride's closure, the other would end up in the museum (C) BBC News
But of course, just having items on display wasn't really just what the public wanted, on the far end of the Gallery towards the Octogen room there was a small theatre that would play a 20-minute film on a loop that would tell the story of the Towers chronically its rise and fall as a stately home prior to the theme park arriving all in far greater detail than what the average member of the public knew about the ruins. All of which actually in a way made it almost feel separate from the theme park in itself which actually won quite a lot of goodwill from many saying it that was good that the park was looking towards than just a theme park or rather some fairground in the woods as stated from the early days which was all needed if the park was to become a true resort.
A strange feature that some noticed that the metal railings themselves looking rather temporary, almost looking like the queue railings for Hex on the other side of the Towers, almost as if they could be moved at any time and this was actually for good reason. With many rides expected to leave over the next few years, the railings had been designed to be easily dismantled and rearranged around so that they could welcome in new items which as it would turn would be more than frequent from ride cars and theming to boot and in some ways over the years the museum would actually get something of curious following in which it would always look different on the inside with so much change and by the time the attraction reached its 10th anniversary in 2021, the layout on the inside is vastly different to how it looked when it first opened.
All in all, The Alton Towers Museum has since become a welcome filler addition for the park in which for guests not interested on any of the rides could at least relax in the settings of the museum and admire the gothic design of the Talbot Gallery and would often he a go-to for whenever it rained proving itself as a vital indoor attraction. While on the face of it the 2011 may had been a quiet year compared to the previous year, some would say that all went well for the park though one negative to some was that the park's attendance would just dip below 3 million but then again given how this was a quiet year it perhaps wasn't really surprising. Of course, that museum itself pretty much saved the park's blushes over the Shrek debacle and it is something that no one at Merlin would like to be reminded off. 2012 loomed at it was going to be a year focused on Forbidding Valley in which the theme of straddling between heaven and hell would be very fitting as what was to come...
[1] Forgot to mention this in the last update, yes, the Corkscrew are moved to the front of the gate much like with OTL.
[2] Yes actually nearly happened and the this was the alleged plan for the area had the deal gone through.
[3] Admittedly this is debatable, but this is considered the reason as to why the deal fell through with Merlin trying to be cheap and ended up looking foolish.
[4] As it turned IOTL, there were no new attractions for 2011 and the first time this would happen. Not so here at least.
[5] Little POD for Black Hole, the whole ride is still sold off to Sweden and refurbed like OTL yet Towers keeps one of the ride cars here.
[6] This all happens like with OTL, only difference is one of the front ride cars remain.
[7] Now this is a bit of stretch here...it is said the majority of TT props were scrapped though it is likely that some actually still remain the Towers boneyard so we're going with that thought there.
[8] This is actually true, one of the swan cars are actually backstage so here the sole remaining one is now placed in the museum here.
There we are, a less shambolic 2011 for Alton Towers year and the whole Shrek story is actually all true though not much is said about it though as information is hard to come by. I'll admit the idea of having a museum in the Towers does on paper sound nice but at the same time I had to think carefully it would be built and the Talbot Gallery is a likely spot for it though my knowledge of the ruins is a little bit sketchy as I don't have the best idea of the layout of the ruins so if there are some details that might be wrong such as access via the West Tower I apologise.
So then 2012 is next and this one will be a fun update and we will be carrying on the theme of heaven and hell, what does that mean? Have a guess and what are some of your favourite changes so far in this alternate Alton Towers? I always love to hear what you have to say, always makes me feel good about what I do in giving people some joy reading this!
Until then, see you soon!
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Looking Back on The Past
Looking Back on The Past
There is an old saying that anyone or any country that forgets their past has no future and in some ways that very saying would apply to Alton Towers in which while they had always been looking to future of what could be done with coasters such as their secret weapon program, they had for the most part seemed in ways willing to brush the memory of previous rides that once existed at the park. The exception being had been Corkscrew in which given how that was the ride that started it all, it at the very least had not only gotten proper send off and would make something of a return to the park in the 2010 season in which its two famous Corkscrew elements would be painted up and moved to the main entrance of the park to welcome guests and have a small sign on the bottom explaining to guests what this ride meant for the park [1].
It was during the planning of rebuilding the two Corkscrew elements at the front gate had led to a discussion among the Alpha and Delta teams about adding an attraction that would celebrate the park's past and really add to the park become more of a resort that Merlin were aiming for that would make it more than just a theme park and that idea would happen sooner than most thought though perhaps in not the way some would imagine. After the high of 2010 in which had gone down as the park's most successful year since 1994, it was clear that 2011 was always going to difficult to top that so the park would have to go on the smaller scale though it had become clear that opening and promoting multiply attractions as what 2010 had done with three so it was decided that 2011 would do the same with two though nowhere near the big budget as what Thirteen, The Haunted House and some would say even Sonic Spinball had gotten.
It had been decided that the two attractions to open would be 'The Alton Towers Museum' and a new 4D film to go inside the now disused ice tent which was to be none other than 'Shrek 4D', a then at the time eight-year short 4D film that had already been shown at the Universal Parks across the world, Movie Park in Germany and Warner Bros. Movie World in Australia, the latter having just ended its run the previous year. As it turned, the latter was supposed to be getting most of the attention during the closed season though as it turned out for all the wrong reasons in what would be a rather embarrassing affair for the park and Merlin as a whole. It is unclear what was to happen exactly as much of the story is something that Merlin would rather forget though it turns out that the company had gotten into an agreement with DreamWorks films to licence out not only the short film but also have Storybook Land rethemed into Far Far Away land as seen in the films [2].
Among fans of the park, this news wasn't exactly well received. The fact that the park would be bringing in not only an IP, or Intellectual Property as to say in its full term, which for any theme park fan is always a tetchy subject as some see it as a cheap cash grab to try and bank on the latest hip craze rather than try and go for an original theme unless you happen to be either Disney or Universal who happened to own the IP but what made this irk more for some was that this whole deal meant that it was to replace the whole of the Storybook Land area of the park, arguably the most beautiful area of the park into some hip IP, though even then the Shrek franchise by 2010 was nowhere near its hight as of the mid 2000's with the fourth and final film having come out the previous year. Why exactly Merlin would think of trying to cash in on something that was some years past its peak as a popular franchise has been questioned a lot though whatever they might have thought, they seemed keen to bring Shrek to Alton Towers.
The ice tent, seen in the background of the picture, as to where the Shrek 4D film was to be shown in (C) TowersStreet.com
To go on a brief tangent on where the 4D film was to be shown in, the ice tent had itself had a long history at the park. Previously from right from the early days of the park that there had always been a tent on site in which at first it had been the 'Big Top' circus show in 1983 which would remain there until 1988 in which the inside would be converted into an ice-skating arena in which would show several shows over the years such as an ice show dedicated the park's long since retired Henry Hound mascot though it was in 1994 in which the tent became best known to perhaps arguably the best loved show that the park has ever presented to the public - 'Peter Rabbit on Ice'. An ice show based off the beloved books by Beatrix Potter in which was such a hit with the public that it would run each season at the park until 2001 until it would be replaced by the shows 'Webmaster' in 2002 which would only last until 2003 before that would be replaced by 'Circus of Illusion' in 2004 which would be the last show to be shown in the tent with it being left disused in 2006.
Neither of those two latter shows ever matching the charm of Peter Rabbit with Webmaster in practically being quite a dark show aimed at an older audience in which seem to be played in the wrong area of the park which was clearly aimed at young children and even though many had, at best, lukewarm feelings to IP's being used at Alton Towers, Peter Rabbit on Ice is widely considered by some as perhaps the best use of an IP. It must be said though that Peter Rabbit was very much the exception and for good reason if one is to look at the history of the use of IPs on the park. There was of course Charlie and the Chocolate Factory dark ride which was not proving to be something of a disappointment as lacking that certain something with park visitors while enthusiasts hated for replacing the beloved Toyland Tours ride end even then it was nothing compared to the infamous ill-fated 'Nickelodeon: Outta Control' funhouse attraction, named from the kids TV channel, in which opened in 1997 and only lasted a whole season before closing in which its low throughput, negative guest reviews and running costs saw that ride come to an end and is now nothing more than just a mere footnote in the park's history.
Some fans felt that Shrek and the rumoured Far Far Away retheme for Storybook Land would be far from satisfying, even if by this point Storybook Land was looking tired and starting to look grotty which was sadly best reflected with the beloved Storybook Land Bookworm animatronic which would always greet guests and now was barely able to work and part of the rubber skin was starting to peel off. However, things by December 2010 would throw all those plans out of the winter when whispers had been revealed that the plans to bring Shrek to Alton Towers had been cancelled despite the plans being quite mature by this point. To this day it is unknown what happened for the deal to fall through though the most likely answer is that DreamWorks had been left deeply unimpressed by what Merlin had proposed in which it would seem that the company had thought they could do the whole thing on the cheap in which meant just putting the 3D show within the ice tent and allegedly plaster vinal stickers around Storybook Land and consider that was all they needed to do [3].
When compared to what the other Shrek 4D films had with them such as spending millions of dollars' worth on not just a theatre but a whole land that could be immersive and treat their famous franchise with dignity; Alton Towers and pretty much Merlin's 'on-the-cheap' approach in contrast by shoving the film inside a now aging tent would be consider utterly laughably and somewhat even disrespectful for what DreamWorks wanted and it was perhaps no surprise they pulled out of the deal and suddenly Merlin were left with their pants down with no one to blame but themselves. Storybook Land may had been spared a major change, but its future was by no means certain but that would be another story. The Question now for Alton Towers was 'now what?'
The entrance of Storybook Land which had things gone differently might have changed for the 2011 season, note the bookworm in the background (C) TowersTimes.co.uk
For Alton Towers, the failure to bring Shrek 4D to the park had been an embarrassment for the upper management with many fingers being pointed over who was to blame for this, but even more scary for park management that not only was the attraction supposed to be the main addition for the 2011 season and suddenly with it no longer now coming to the park, but there was also now a real fear that 2011 would be the first ever year that the park would have no new attraction opening in which every year without fail from 1980 onwards they had always brought something new to the park; Shrek looked set to be the one that shattered that perfect record [4]. However, that might had well been the case had Merlin not decided to have the idea to install at least two additions at the park following the success of what 2010 had brought with marketing three new attractions and thus they would decide to replicate this though now they were down to one.
The attraction that now suddenly had all the attention focused on was now 'The Alton Towers Museum', once just the secondary attraction was now given the task to help spare the park's blushes. The idea of the museum had something first considered when Merlin first took over the park in 2007 when the two new teams to help with concepts in while they both had different views of what should come to the park, they agreed that a museum would be a worthwhile investment to help celebrate the park's long history and add a unique type of attraction for any UK theme park and something that would help bolster the Resort credibility in which what the park was now aiming. The first stage of preserving the past of the park had been prior to when the now disused Black Hole ride was sold in 2007 that one of the ride cars would be retained for further use [5] though while this happened the ride car in question would remain in the park's backstage area gathering dust though back then it was only being kept as something that could only be seen on backstage tours.
It would only be in 2008 that the idea of a museum starting to catch some attention in which following Corkscrew's closure that not only would the two iconic Corkscrew elements would be kept but also one of the front ride cars kept for future use with the rest either being sold for charity or heading overseas as spare parts for other Vekoma coasters [6] and it was only then that quite a number of ride cars, props, costumes and even some long disused props, most notably from Toyland Tours [7] which all had been kept by several members of staff who had gained something of hording reputation and now they had to get rid of much of that stuff. It was in 2009 that the idea of a museum was then agreed upon, yet no one had any idea of where it would go with some speculating that Cloud Cuckoo Land might be one or even X-Sector being another by reusing the Black Hole tent...all of which were soon discarded over the planning application for Thirteen and how that came about. While Thirteen's planning approval hadn't been quite another disastrous 'Woodiegate' affair much like the Cross Valley Coaster, it had only barely passed planning and had left many dissatisfied over where the ride would be built but there was a clause in the approval in which if they would build it then in turn, they would have to make the ruins of Alton Towers more accessible for the public which had gotten English Heritage involved saying that this would have to happen if the park was serious in about persevering or restore the heritage of the towers.
Once the deal was accepted, the question for park management was what would be best course of action to make the ruins more accessible for the public. It wouldn't be the first time that the park had done anything with the ruins for the last time they had done anything major with it was the opening of 'Hex' in 2000, a Vekoma Madhouse attraction tastefully built by using the ruins as a setting though it did back then cause some anger from certain conservationists over what they felt was ruining the ruins yet nonetheless that ride was approved with the deal being that when the attraction is finally closed that it must be removed from that area without leaving any evidence and not to build anything in that area ever again. It was soon agreed that during the 2010 season that the Towers themselves would see the building of a new museum yet the question was where it should go while trying to respect the building itself. It was then someone on the design team would suggest of why not restore the Talbot Gallery in the east wing of the Towers and use that for the museum...a perfect choice as it would turn out.
The Alton Towers ruins from the air, note the Talbot Gallery on the left of the picture where the new museum was to be built within with much of the roof missing and the show building for the Hex attraction in the bottom left of the picture (C) TowersStreet.com
The Talbot Gallery is located in the west side of the Towers like the rest of the ruins had suffered by falling into decay though perhaps far worse off than the rest in which it no longer had a roof, and the inside was now overgrowing with plant life and was perhaps an area of the towers that required more work than most though the space inside would be perfect for a museum to go in there. However, like with all things, planning applications were put in place in November 2010 for what was to be the first big restoration the Towers had seen in years, if not decades. In contrast to the lukewarm reception for Thirteen's plans and the negative reception for the Cross Valley Coaster, the plans for the restoration of the Talbot Gallery and West Tower were actually given almost universal approval by planners.
It was quite staggering at being accepted so easily as this might have been seen as a way of sorting out some strained relations between the planners and the park over what had come before and with the help of English Heritage also helping Merlin with the restoration, work would start just before Christmas that year. The main stage of the project was undoubtedly to rebuild the roof though there was one major condition that had to be agreed upon before going ahead with the restoration and that was to rebuild the wooden roof supports to their original gothic look which would require a specialist job that required help from outside the park. It would be a challenging restoration but not too impossible and though it was a new attraction that did raise the eyebrows of several members of the public who likely were thinking some big fancy new big ride but nonetheless it was quite a novelty of an attraction compared to the rest of the park line up.
It was during right at the start of the rebuilding of the roof that the news had come through that the Shrek attraction had been cancelled and now suddenly the museum which had been thought as nothing more than a filler attraction would actually have to become the main attraction for 2011 and the pressure was on to try and make the best out of a rather embarrassing situation for the park. To add more to the situation following the cancellation of the Shrek 4D attraction had even left some to point out that had they not wasted their time on trying to bring Shrek to the park, the museum could have gone into that ice tent and the park could have quite honestly spent very little, if anything, to get the tent ready for its new role.
The Inside of the Talbot Gallery during the Towers' heyday, note the gothic roof supports that the planners wanted for the restoration (C) Unknown
That plan was actually almost a certainty to happen, but it was just at the same time work had begun on the restoration and since a partly restoration of the Towers was a golden way of rebuilding trust with the local council and conservationists alike, pulling out would have caused much anger and made any future planning for attractions more difficult and thus Merlin had no choice but commit to getting the work on the Talbot Gallery done. The roofing would all be completed by late January 2011 while between then and the park's opening in March, the inside of the gallery was cleared off greenery that had taken hold of that part of the Towers as well as a new varnished wooden flooring as what it was when first built and the walls brought back to a presentable condition. The transformation of the Talbot Gallery was nothing sort of stunning and the final act was to fit the place with the new items for display.
The irony if the ice tent being perhaps a late replacement of where the museum would go did actually happen in a way as prior to most of the many items moving into their new home, they would be kept undercover within the ice tent to allow any work needed before being put on show for the public and for those who had access to the tent would have been left stunned to see nearly 30 years of park history within there. When opening day came round and after some media build up was done, albeit nowhere near the levels that had come with Thirteen, the Alton Towers Museum was ready to open its doors and a new section of the towers that had never been accessed by the public other than perhaps specially invited tours. After guests turn off from where they'd normally head straight to X-Sector, they instead head down a path towards the went west of the Towers until they arrive by the West Tower where the entrance to the museum is located.
As guests enter through the entrance when right in the centre of the room is none other than the sole surviving Corkscrew front car planted on one of the remaining pieces of bits of Corkscrew track (from the brake run) which all in all would welcome guests into the museum which in many ways was a fitting way to start of the attraction giving how that was the ride that started it all. After that on both sides of the now restored gallery would be on display so many ride cars, costumes and theming from many years of history which of course including one of the sole remaining Black Hole cars, a Swan boat that the park had kept for many years backstage [8], a ride car from Charlie that was specially repainted into its Toyland Tours colours to go with a display of surviving props from that former attraction as well as some of the now removed props from Duel such as the zombies and other features that once were part of that ride before it would return as the Haunted House. It really was quite a staggering display in which there was information of the history of the rides and rare photos and even some footage of the ride either being constructed or during its working days which all added to the experience and add that with many former mascot character costumes that had not been seen in many years such as Henry Hound, the Count, the Bears and others just to name a few, it really was a blast from the past for many.
One of the ride cars that would be sold for charity following the ride's closure, the other would end up in the museum (C) BBC News
But of course, just having items on display wasn't really just what the public wanted, on the far end of the Gallery towards the Octogen room there was a small theatre that would play a 20-minute film on a loop that would tell the story of the Towers chronically its rise and fall as a stately home prior to the theme park arriving all in far greater detail than what the average member of the public knew about the ruins. All of which actually in a way made it almost feel separate from the theme park in itself which actually won quite a lot of goodwill from many saying it that was good that the park was looking towards than just a theme park or rather some fairground in the woods as stated from the early days which was all needed if the park was to become a true resort.
A strange feature that some noticed that the metal railings themselves looking rather temporary, almost looking like the queue railings for Hex on the other side of the Towers, almost as if they could be moved at any time and this was actually for good reason. With many rides expected to leave over the next few years, the railings had been designed to be easily dismantled and rearranged around so that they could welcome in new items which as it would turn would be more than frequent from ride cars and theming to boot and in some ways over the years the museum would actually get something of curious following in which it would always look different on the inside with so much change and by the time the attraction reached its 10th anniversary in 2021, the layout on the inside is vastly different to how it looked when it first opened.
All in all, The Alton Towers Museum has since become a welcome filler addition for the park in which for guests not interested on any of the rides could at least relax in the settings of the museum and admire the gothic design of the Talbot Gallery and would often he a go-to for whenever it rained proving itself as a vital indoor attraction. While on the face of it the 2011 may had been a quiet year compared to the previous year, some would say that all went well for the park though one negative to some was that the park's attendance would just dip below 3 million but then again given how this was a quiet year it perhaps wasn't really surprising. Of course, that museum itself pretty much saved the park's blushes over the Shrek debacle and it is something that no one at Merlin would like to be reminded off. 2012 loomed at it was going to be a year focused on Forbidding Valley in which the theme of straddling between heaven and hell would be very fitting as what was to come...
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[1] Forgot to mention this in the last update, yes, the Corkscrew are moved to the front of the gate much like with OTL.
[2] Yes actually nearly happened and the this was the alleged plan for the area had the deal gone through.
[3] Admittedly this is debatable, but this is considered the reason as to why the deal fell through with Merlin trying to be cheap and ended up looking foolish.
[4] As it turned IOTL, there were no new attractions for 2011 and the first time this would happen. Not so here at least.
[5] Little POD for Black Hole, the whole ride is still sold off to Sweden and refurbed like OTL yet Towers keeps one of the ride cars here.
[6] This all happens like with OTL, only difference is one of the front ride cars remain.
[7] Now this is a bit of stretch here...it is said the majority of TT props were scrapped though it is likely that some actually still remain the Towers boneyard so we're going with that thought there.
[8] This is actually true, one of the swan cars are actually backstage so here the sole remaining one is now placed in the museum here.
There we are, a less shambolic 2011 for Alton Towers year and the whole Shrek story is actually all true though not much is said about it though as information is hard to come by. I'll admit the idea of having a museum in the Towers does on paper sound nice but at the same time I had to think carefully it would be built and the Talbot Gallery is a likely spot for it though my knowledge of the ruins is a little bit sketchy as I don't have the best idea of the layout of the ruins so if there are some details that might be wrong such as access via the West Tower I apologise.
So then 2012 is next and this one will be a fun update and we will be carrying on the theme of heaven and hell, what does that mean? Have a guess and what are some of your favourite changes so far in this alternate Alton Towers? I always love to hear what you have to say, always makes me feel good about what I do in giving people some joy reading this!
Until then, see you soon!
Trooper Looper
TS Member
Do I even need to tell you my favourite change XD.
Anyway, great stuff you've done here!
Anyway, great stuff you've done here!
QTXAdsy
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Black Hole
...As well as any others you might have!
Trooper Looper
TS Member
QTXAdsy
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Black Hole
Thanks bud! Love the detail of using the Vekoma design type train there in the image which adds the subtle yet epic little details that see the park change in this timeline.
Trooper Looper
TS Member
Thank you for noticing it! I know it's a subtle detail, but I did my best for it to suit your timelineThanks bud! Love the detail of using the Vekoma design type train there in the image which adds the subtle yet epic little details that see the park change in this timeline.
QTXAdsy
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Black Hole
Aye, anyone, will be looking forward to seeing what else you have to show, and the next update will be a lot of fun to try and visualise so watch out for that!Thank you for noticing it! I know it's a subtle detail, but I did my best for it to suit your timeline
Trooper Looper
TS Member
Trooper Looper
TS Member
QTXAdsy
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Black Hole
Great as always bud! Would be interested to see the design of the trains here.
Trooper Looper
TS Member
Great as always bud! Would be interested to see the design of the trains here.
Attachments
QTXAdsy
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Black Hole
Great stuff! Love the little detail with the logo on the grill although I wonder what the registration plate stands for? Maybe the other cars have their own that have little Easter egg meanings to them?
But yeah, I'll have to get the next update up hopefully by Friday once I have some other commitments to deal with.
Maybe the other cars have their own that have little Easter egg meanings to them? But yeah, I'll have to get the next update up hopefully by Friday once I have some other commitments to deal with.
Trooper Looper
TS Member
The registration stands for "Too slow".Great stuff! Love the little detail with the logo on the grill although I wonder what the registration plate stands for?
But yeah, I'll have to get the next update up hopefully by Friday once I have some other commitments to deal with.
She is the Queen of speed after all, everyone's just too slow to catch up with her
Anyway, glad you like your Thunder Rock Ralley art! Hope it's explains your description as you anticipated in your head
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QTXAdsy
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Black Hole
Hello all again! It's time for another update and one that will be the same yet different from OTL. Anyway, thank you all for the support as it all helps make this timeline to keep going! So then it's time for a different kind of Sub Terra and a Remastered Air...
When the Haunted House returned in 2010, many enthusiasts were delighted that the ride was back to its former glory and while members of the public seemed to like it, mostly acting as a great help to ease the major queues that often would build up for Thirteen nearby, some guests weren't as fond of it as some might think as their main argument was that with the loss of the blaster system for the ride during its Duel overlay was what many missed and what some said made the ride for them and it was clear some guests wanted an interactive dark ride. Shrewdly, upper Alton Towers management and Merlin had expected this reaction to come about, and it was obvious that a new interactive dark ride would be needed for the park which given the British climate and the need more indoor attractions, it was actually quickly accepted and plans on where this new dark ride would go would start almost right from the moment the first guests left the Haunted House.
It must be noted that the park hadn't installed a new dark ride since Hex in 2000 and an actual tracked ride since 1992 which wasn't including any refurbs such as Toyland Tours into Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or the recent return of the Haunted House which used existing buildings so this was actually a first to build something from scratch. Only question was where to build it? The previous year, the park had done a PR event for guests in which they would vote for their best ever Alton Towers ride which would include Nemesis, Oblivion, Air, Rita and Thirteen and in the end to perhaps no one's surprise, Nemesis would run away with the vote [1] and it seemed certain that a dark ride based around the Nemesis story seemed like a good idea.
In late 2011, construction work would start on the site of the old Dynamo attraction (the park's former breakdance flat ride) and at park goers walking into Forbidding Valley could only notice a giant warehouse structure being built that seemed to go all the way towards near the location of the Monorail depot yet from the air had a triangle shape to it heading towards Gloomy Wood which actually a design feature so that very little trees could be cut down while trying to use up much of the space as possible as well. Despite trying to maximize its space as possible, the actually building itself would only be half the size of the show building used for the Haunted House so whatever dark ride was going to be built in there would have to use much of the space as possible and at last at the start of 2012, a name would be revealed...'Nemesis Sub-Terra'. A clever play on the words 'sub terror' which seemed to indicate that this would be a sequel to Nemesis but that it was going to have a horror vibe to it with an underground theme to it.
The new indoor attraction during the final days of construction in February 2012
While to some the idea of having it must be said this had not been the only location that had been chosen. When it was being planned on where this new dark ride would be, some plans were thought about and the other than actually did come close was with the Delta team using the now disused tent formally belonging to that of Black Hole (Altha team getting the honour of working on Nemesis Sub Terra) and had remained out of use for so long yet though did see itself used as part of Scarefest in 2011 and for the upcoming event in 2012, though it was seriously a deep possibility of using that tent from as far back as when Thirteen was being planned. This was a robo arm concept known as 'Duelling Deadstars' which would have been part of a major makeover of X-Sector [2] before it was decided to go for Gloomy Wood instead.
The plan was put on the shelve and when the idea of having a new dark ride concept for the park became a plan, the Delta team dusted off those plans and got quite far to examine the space and groundwork needed before eventually the news came that the Forbidding Valley site was chosen and the robo arm concept was finally scrapped and that during the 2012 season, the famous blue tent that had by this for so many years had become part of the scenery of the park would finally be taking down any thought of ever reusing it for anything new died along with it. From some reports on the ground, some in the Delta team weren't quite happy of being overlooked though as it turned out, some of their initial work would not go to waste and instead they would end up working in Forbidding Valley on what would be the other attraction for the 2012 season but more on that later.
Meanwhile, the main attention was being focused on Nemesis Sub-Terra to get ready to open for the public in March, though a month prior to this, the park would conduct test runs with members of staff to see if it worked. The ride system itself was of the standard interactive shooter dark ride system which the ride cars, five per train, were able to spin to allow for more interaction and bared a similar look to 'Tomb Blaster' down at Chessington and while the ride did work, everything else about it quite unnerved those first test riders at what they had experience. If the revamped Haunted House had been scary for some though still used John Wardley's desire of keeping the 'laff in the dark' concept for at least have a sense of fun about it; Nemesis Sub Terra would make the Haunted House look tame in comparison though perhaps not for the right reasons.
What might've been for the Black Hole tent had things gone a little different from these rare plans (C) Merlin Studios
It would be the first true dark ride system that the new team at Merlin team would design for the park and without Wardley's advice and the joke that Merlin only cares about make dark and sinister themes for their rides would really reach their peak with this ride and for good reason [3]. The ride's backstory is fairly simple, guests queuing in the outside area are kept busy by learning about the organisation known as 'Phalanx', an organisation that have been across the globe examining strange locations and the Nemesis site is one of them though it turns out they were the ones who had managed to pin down the Nemesis monster from escaping from its pit where it remains to this day which did retcon some of the Nemesis backstory which to some fans wasn't all that received [4].
As guests get nearer to the main entrance to the inside of the building, more information is that recently, Phalanx have discovered an underground cavern in which as it turns out is filled with Nemesis eggs and with the area being secure, Phalanx are allowing guests to have an up-close view of the eggs in sharing their recent findings. After leaving their loose belongings in the baggage holding area, guests enter a rather large elevator which takes them underground (which isn't one but actually is just a mere room with various effects which give the illusion that they are going many miles underground. But as with any dark ride plot ever since Disney started with them decades ago, things don't go to plan here as during the final preshow film during the descent, a 'live' broadcast of a Phalanx member of staff from somewhere within the caverns below is explaining to guests what to expect is interrupted when not only have the eggs hatched but are causing chaos.
With this going on, the Phalanx staff members down there trying to fight back the newly hatched Nemesis babies are quickly being overwhelmed are to make matters worse, some of the Nemesis babies are trying to escape up the hatch and reach the surface in which would bring a catastrophe to the public at large. With most of the armed forces down below nearly wiped out, the Phalanx staff member explaining to the guests over what to expect now tells them that plans have obviously changed and now they need all the help they can get to try and take down all the creatures they can see and will be assisted in the Phalanx armed cars which have been down there in case the worse should happen and now this is the moment and guests have now been roped into what is a nightmarish situation.
Phalanx themed actors outside the ride just prior to opening in March 2012 (C) TowersTimes.co.uk
After the lift opens up, guests move forward into the loading area which is themed round a cavern in which their ride car awaits them in which each car can hold up to five passengers (baring a weird similar pattern to what Duel had with 5 seats before it returned to its original 6 seat layout) with each passenger having their own blaster to try and take down as much Nemesis babies as possible before they can reach the surface. What follows next goes down in history as one of the most infamous and darkest ride experience ever seen on a UK theme park. The ride itself is relentless with various Nemesis baby animatronics popping out from little caves, behind rocks and such to scare the riders with some truly demonic cries which only ramps out further the more the ride nears its climax though perhaps it is known for some quite graphic looking scenes with some infamous ones being of killed Phalanx guards being eaten by the Nemesis babies and with it going dark at times, water effects splash at the riders as if blood is being splattered on them.
It is until the finale in which a larger Nemesis baby, hinted at already been hatched much earlier than all the others and is likely is the lynchpin for causing the others to hatch and the riders have to shoot at it before the train enters a final room in which thanks to several effects gives the illusion of the ride cars heading up to the surface before guests arrive into the offload station and exit to the right and head into another room (the train itself then moves off towards the loading platform where the awaiting passengers are about and the two stations are around the corner from each other which helps keeps the illusion that they are in separate areas) which is the post show room in which the surviving Phalanx members congratulate the riders for their help in preventing a major disaster though hint that there might be still more work needed which is pretty much saying 'please re-ride' before the front doors open and the guests return to the outside.
Even though it was a shorter ride than that of the Haunted House, it did feature an experience that very few would forget at just how dark it was. YouTube vlogger and former Alton Towers staff member Shawn Sanbrooke, best known of 'Theme Park Worldwide' fame, would say that he was one of the test riders to experience the ride and would admit that he was shocked at how dark it was and admitted that this was perhaps a little too extreme [5] and this was shared by several others who experienced it though that wasn't what the park saw it as. Prior to the ride opening, the media team got into their usual marketing stunt in which as the ride boasting that it was so scary that it needed a 12A rated from the British Board of Film Classification while billing it as your worst nightmare underground [6].
Another view of the building prior to opening with the poster giving a strong hint of the horrors that lie within (C) TowersTimes.co.uk
Some would say that the rating system seemed ridiculous, though when those first members of the public would experience it for the first time, it would turn out that the rating was not only needed - actually some claimed that it wasn't high enough. Nemesis Sub-Terra would open without any issues on its opening day though public reception was mixed to say the least in which while many were glad to have an interactive dark ride system again and the plot seemed easy enough to understand while expanding on the Nemesis backstory, the ride itself was considered far too terrifying due to some of the graphic nature of certain scenes such as the guards being eaten (fun fact, which were actually the zombies from Duel which repurposed as devoured guards and moved to the Sub Terra building) and that it was just relentless.
Scenes of young children coming off the ride in tears was sadly something that wasn't uncommon, and the 12A rating PR stunt now didn't seem like some cheap attention grab but rather a legit reason to have it there - it did prove to be a thrilling and mature dark ride though some had to ask if they had gone a little too far and that the build-up for the ride was too perfect. Despite a shaky opening, the ride itself has gained a following as Alton Towers most sinister ride and if Haunted House and Hex could be considered a dark ride that are family thrill attractions then Nemesis Sub Terra is a step up in the more 'adult' market. To this day, it proves itself as a useful filler attraction and is often considered something a rite of passage for many local teenagers to experience something scary and prove themselves and the less said about the even more terrifying Scarefest overlay of the ride the better. Why it was that dark is apparently down to the Alpha team wanting to go further with the horror that they couldn't do during the revamped Haunted House due to John Wardley keeping an eye on how things would go and make sure that it wouldn't end up like Duel which was all done without his consent. With what they had learnt from the Haunted House, the team would try to go all out to make the scariest possible ride and it would seem to have succeeded in doing that though was it worth it?
While Nemesis Sub Terra had technically been a success, its graphic nature and very non-family theme was certain to scare away the lucrative family market audience away from the resort and this would be where the second attraction for 2012 would come into play...just over a hundred meters away south from Sub Terra. Almost as to make up for the Delta team not getting the chance to build something on that piece of land, they'd end up getting the chance to work on the other addition for 2012. In keeping with the idea of having two attractions opened for a season following how well 2010 had gone down, they would actually get the chance on working on something that wasn't a new ride, actually one that by chance was celebrating its 10th anniversary would be 'Air' - the world first's flying coaster and it was perhaps a good time to celebrate its birthday in a special way but how? As it turned out...Remastering it.
Air during its construction in 2001
When it first opened in 2002, Air was a hit with the public and quite ground-breaking with its technology of allowing riders to fly, it had all come at quite literally at a cost. As the ride proved to have a lot of technological issues to deal with, not to mention the infamous budget cuts the park was suffering from during the latter years of Tussauds, it is that most of the money that would have been used to build the theming would have to be diverted into fixing the issues it was having [7]. As of a result, the remaining theming left over that did get built was, to be bluntly honest, wasn't really a theme but rather a slick looking style which thankfully didn't clash too heavily with the hellscape theming of Forbidding Valley. Perhaps the most infamous of the theming cuts was a tunnel approaching the lift that was to have various effects but were all cut and instead was nothing more than a concrete tunnel that would have looked no different to those in a multistorey carpark. It would become a long running joke in the theme park community about the so-called tunnel, so much that this did not go unnoticed by John Wardley himself who at one fan meeting would address the tunnel and jokily tell those to 'get a life'[8].
That said though, many did say that it could have been improved upon. Air was indeed a good ride and one that was more a 'heroic' and relaxing theme in contrast to the evil of Nemesis next to it though it did seem at first when first built that it was going to be themed to that a bombing raid that was to fly over Nemesis and take it down though this was dropped earlier on, stated to be due to the events of 9/11. In the end what was decided upon was to be that of a tropical oasis which was to contrast to that of Forbidding Valley yet when budget cuts happened this was left on the cutting room floor, yet it was hoped by some that the theme would be brought back at a later date, yet no one knew when. When it came round to the Delta team wanting to do something with Air and bringing back not only the planned Oasis theming was decided but rather than just copy those plans, make them even better for a fuller themed experience that would improve the ride even more.
This was where the idea of 'Remastered' came about in which was nothing more than a glorified way of saying refurb for a ride as brought up by the marketing team and this the only thing they had done, they had even come up with the term 'Towers Loving Care' was an obvious play on the term 'Tender Loving Care' which that in itself was just a fancy way of saying general maintenance and upkeep [9]. It must be said that management were actually reluctant to try go ahead with the idea down to the fact was that they didn't know if it would really work but it was soon, albeit reluctantly, agreed upon to go ahead and complete the theming job for Air and not only, the idea of creating its own themed land, the first actually new bit of expansion for the park in many years, seemed like a an idea to market as the second new attraction for the park and several Delta members would take heavy inspiration of the 'Lost Continent' themed area in Islands of Adventure in Orlando in which they'd used for Air.
The theming of 'Lost Continent' at Islands of Adventure in which became the inspiration for Air's new theming (C) OrlandoInformer.com
Air and the surrounding land next to it would close in October 2011 for work to begin and while some guests were gutted at not getting the chance to ride it, a large temporary wall was put with banners on them stating that 'Prepare for Air as you've never seen it before' which at it would turn out would be a great understatement as what was to follow. While the park was busy putting out its advertising for Nemesis Sub Terra, so too would for Air as the first in the 'Remastered' series in which did get some attention, but what did raise a few eyebrows was the promoting of a new land called 'Forgotten Oasis' in which for any long-time fan of Alton Towers fan knew meant one thing...Air would finally get its lost theming for its birthday but also some were quite worried of how much it would clash with Forbidding Valley just next to it.
What did they do to split the new separate areas? A long 10ft tall wall stretching from just south of the Refresh@Ripsaw food outlet towards over to the right running alongside the lift hill for Air and the theme on the Forbidding Valley side of the wall was of a rustic metal Phalanx type theme with only one entrance through the gate that led into Forgotten Oasis and the wall itself has been joke by enthusiasts as Alton Towers' answer to the Berlin Wall. It was though on the other side of the wall was the new area of Forgotten Oasis and to say that the transformation was remarkable as in any long-time visitors to the park were left stunned at how different everything looked. What had happened was that it was an area that looked like a true oasis that saw some of the pine trees in that are replaced with that of palm trees and the Air shop had been transformed in what can best be described as an ancient Greek temple such and the ride station itself being turned into a rocky cave which was themed as the hidden domain of the spirt known as Air - the protector of the Oasis.
The theming was obviously based heavily of Lost Continent in Orlando and while not as detailed as that area, compared to the rest of Alton Towers however, it really was a step up from the rest but there was more to the area. The queue line for Air was rerouted to move away from its current location to allow for the public path to open up towards the final helix of the ride which not only would be a great location of seeing trains fly past that would have only been seen by those in the queue, but that the area in question would also see some landscaping in which not were more interactive structures the ride would fly through but also a small lake that the final helix would fly around which along with some small fountains around the ride all added to a truly epic surrounding area that wasn't even including the ride itself.
The surrounding area of Air when first built and would look very different when Forgotten Oasis came along (C) TowersTimes.co.uk
The ride itself had seen a new paint job with its cyan track get a fresh look but its supports were repainted from a dark grey to a dark blue to help give it a more 'friendly' image compared the other rides on the park. The ride had a new backstory in which the Forgotten Oasis was actually what the whole of Forbidding Valley looked like before Nemesis destroyed much of the area and thus this area is the last remaining location in which has never been harmed by Nemesis yet is eyed upon by the monster to destroy it once and for all. To protect the land, the spirt known as Air has long since been worshipped by the surviving tribe unaffected by Forbidding Valley who see it as their savour to protect them from evil and in some ways is a mirror image of the backstory of Nemesis back in the day in which there would be cult sacrifices to please the monster.
As riders enter, they soon see that they have discovered that they are to be welcomed into the tribe by taking a test to prove their loyalty which is obviously a ride on Air. While the ride remains the same as ever, its break run, now covered by a themed tunnel and of course that tunnel near the lift hill would finally see a theming job...rockface, nothing special but certainly better than nothing and when John Wardley is asked about the retheme, is said to have been happy with what happened with Air now looking 'complete' as he would put it but more important, that he not have to put up with any more jokes about the tunnel. While it might not have been thought of highly by upper management, Air Remastered and the new land were a surprise hit, actually being more liked than Sub Terra in some ways for being more relaxing and safer than that hellish theme.
Infact, the retheme was so well done and utterly transformed the area and Air so much that some members of the public were convinced that it was a new ride such how different it looked from before. The Remastered program proven its worth and showed what could be done and now had begun with many enthusiasts could hardly wait to see what might come next and with two very different themes that year, 2012 would be marked as a year of being between heaven and hell. Meanwhile as this was going on, work was taking place on the Black Hole site in which the tent had gone down and the news became apparent...SW7 was coming! However, it would turn out that the early groundwork from the Delta team would actually be very useful as before even a hole had been dugged, the groundwork had proven more troublesome than imagined and work would have to stop to make the area suitable. Tedious it might have been but would prove to be vital for what was to come next...[10]. 2013 would be a major year for sure.
[2] This actually was a plan, only difference here is that it gets a little further on in production here.
[3] Some things never change!
[4] Same as OTL
[5] Yes, that man gets a cameo here and he did actually ride the OTL version during a staff test ride and his views were not good on the ride then.
[6] All the same still happens here as with OTL.
[7] Yes, Air still has the problem ITTL.
[8] Yes, JW does still say that!
[9] As with OTL too.
[10] Things to say that things building wise will be quite different for SW7 here...
There we are, 2012 done and dusted and now we see more differences here! Not much to say other than Air finally got its theme, and that Sub Terra isn't a disaster much like OTL, or perhaps just as bad depending on how you look at it. Main thing to say is that yes, Galactica never happens here and the RCR is never built where the shop was though that's not to say we will see it soon...Anyway, stay tuned for the next update as I think you all know what happens in 2013 though I hint that there will be subtle things there, but it'll all make a big difference long term. Until then, stay tune and tell me what you liked about it and how would you have liked both versions here!
EDIT: I have once again used @Trooper Looper for the concept art of Air here and its lake design and I'd like to thank him again for letting him use his artwork for this timeline.
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Between Heaven and Hell
Between Heaven and Hell
When the Haunted House returned in 2010, many enthusiasts were delighted that the ride was back to its former glory and while members of the public seemed to like it, mostly acting as a great help to ease the major queues that often would build up for Thirteen nearby, some guests weren't as fond of it as some might think as their main argument was that with the loss of the blaster system for the ride during its Duel overlay was what many missed and what some said made the ride for them and it was clear some guests wanted an interactive dark ride. Shrewdly, upper Alton Towers management and Merlin had expected this reaction to come about, and it was obvious that a new interactive dark ride would be needed for the park which given the British climate and the need more indoor attractions, it was actually quickly accepted and plans on where this new dark ride would go would start almost right from the moment the first guests left the Haunted House.
It must be noted that the park hadn't installed a new dark ride since Hex in 2000 and an actual tracked ride since 1992 which wasn't including any refurbs such as Toyland Tours into Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or the recent return of the Haunted House which used existing buildings so this was actually a first to build something from scratch. Only question was where to build it? The previous year, the park had done a PR event for guests in which they would vote for their best ever Alton Towers ride which would include Nemesis, Oblivion, Air, Rita and Thirteen and in the end to perhaps no one's surprise, Nemesis would run away with the vote [1] and it seemed certain that a dark ride based around the Nemesis story seemed like a good idea.
In late 2011, construction work would start on the site of the old Dynamo attraction (the park's former breakdance flat ride) and at park goers walking into Forbidding Valley could only notice a giant warehouse structure being built that seemed to go all the way towards near the location of the Monorail depot yet from the air had a triangle shape to it heading towards Gloomy Wood which actually a design feature so that very little trees could be cut down while trying to use up much of the space as possible as well. Despite trying to maximize its space as possible, the actually building itself would only be half the size of the show building used for the Haunted House so whatever dark ride was going to be built in there would have to use much of the space as possible and at last at the start of 2012, a name would be revealed...'Nemesis Sub-Terra'. A clever play on the words 'sub terror' which seemed to indicate that this would be a sequel to Nemesis but that it was going to have a horror vibe to it with an underground theme to it.
The new indoor attraction during the final days of construction in February 2012
While to some the idea of having it must be said this had not been the only location that had been chosen. When it was being planned on where this new dark ride would be, some plans were thought about and the other than actually did come close was with the Delta team using the now disused tent formally belonging to that of Black Hole (Altha team getting the honour of working on Nemesis Sub Terra) and had remained out of use for so long yet though did see itself used as part of Scarefest in 2011 and for the upcoming event in 2012, though it was seriously a deep possibility of using that tent from as far back as when Thirteen was being planned. This was a robo arm concept known as 'Duelling Deadstars' which would have been part of a major makeover of X-Sector [2] before it was decided to go for Gloomy Wood instead.
The plan was put on the shelve and when the idea of having a new dark ride concept for the park became a plan, the Delta team dusted off those plans and got quite far to examine the space and groundwork needed before eventually the news came that the Forbidding Valley site was chosen and the robo arm concept was finally scrapped and that during the 2012 season, the famous blue tent that had by this for so many years had become part of the scenery of the park would finally be taking down any thought of ever reusing it for anything new died along with it. From some reports on the ground, some in the Delta team weren't quite happy of being overlooked though as it turned out, some of their initial work would not go to waste and instead they would end up working in Forbidding Valley on what would be the other attraction for the 2012 season but more on that later.
Meanwhile, the main attention was being focused on Nemesis Sub-Terra to get ready to open for the public in March, though a month prior to this, the park would conduct test runs with members of staff to see if it worked. The ride system itself was of the standard interactive shooter dark ride system which the ride cars, five per train, were able to spin to allow for more interaction and bared a similar look to 'Tomb Blaster' down at Chessington and while the ride did work, everything else about it quite unnerved those first test riders at what they had experience. If the revamped Haunted House had been scary for some though still used John Wardley's desire of keeping the 'laff in the dark' concept for at least have a sense of fun about it; Nemesis Sub Terra would make the Haunted House look tame in comparison though perhaps not for the right reasons.
What might've been for the Black Hole tent had things gone a little different from these rare plans (C) Merlin Studios
It would be the first true dark ride system that the new team at Merlin team would design for the park and without Wardley's advice and the joke that Merlin only cares about make dark and sinister themes for their rides would really reach their peak with this ride and for good reason [3]. The ride's backstory is fairly simple, guests queuing in the outside area are kept busy by learning about the organisation known as 'Phalanx', an organisation that have been across the globe examining strange locations and the Nemesis site is one of them though it turns out they were the ones who had managed to pin down the Nemesis monster from escaping from its pit where it remains to this day which did retcon some of the Nemesis backstory which to some fans wasn't all that received [4].
As guests get nearer to the main entrance to the inside of the building, more information is that recently, Phalanx have discovered an underground cavern in which as it turns out is filled with Nemesis eggs and with the area being secure, Phalanx are allowing guests to have an up-close view of the eggs in sharing their recent findings. After leaving their loose belongings in the baggage holding area, guests enter a rather large elevator which takes them underground (which isn't one but actually is just a mere room with various effects which give the illusion that they are going many miles underground. But as with any dark ride plot ever since Disney started with them decades ago, things don't go to plan here as during the final preshow film during the descent, a 'live' broadcast of a Phalanx member of staff from somewhere within the caverns below is explaining to guests what to expect is interrupted when not only have the eggs hatched but are causing chaos.
With this going on, the Phalanx staff members down there trying to fight back the newly hatched Nemesis babies are quickly being overwhelmed are to make matters worse, some of the Nemesis babies are trying to escape up the hatch and reach the surface in which would bring a catastrophe to the public at large. With most of the armed forces down below nearly wiped out, the Phalanx staff member explaining to the guests over what to expect now tells them that plans have obviously changed and now they need all the help they can get to try and take down all the creatures they can see and will be assisted in the Phalanx armed cars which have been down there in case the worse should happen and now this is the moment and guests have now been roped into what is a nightmarish situation.
Phalanx themed actors outside the ride just prior to opening in March 2012 (C) TowersTimes.co.uk
After the lift opens up, guests move forward into the loading area which is themed round a cavern in which their ride car awaits them in which each car can hold up to five passengers (baring a weird similar pattern to what Duel had with 5 seats before it returned to its original 6 seat layout) with each passenger having their own blaster to try and take down as much Nemesis babies as possible before they can reach the surface. What follows next goes down in history as one of the most infamous and darkest ride experience ever seen on a UK theme park. The ride itself is relentless with various Nemesis baby animatronics popping out from little caves, behind rocks and such to scare the riders with some truly demonic cries which only ramps out further the more the ride nears its climax though perhaps it is known for some quite graphic looking scenes with some infamous ones being of killed Phalanx guards being eaten by the Nemesis babies and with it going dark at times, water effects splash at the riders as if blood is being splattered on them.
It is until the finale in which a larger Nemesis baby, hinted at already been hatched much earlier than all the others and is likely is the lynchpin for causing the others to hatch and the riders have to shoot at it before the train enters a final room in which thanks to several effects gives the illusion of the ride cars heading up to the surface before guests arrive into the offload station and exit to the right and head into another room (the train itself then moves off towards the loading platform where the awaiting passengers are about and the two stations are around the corner from each other which helps keeps the illusion that they are in separate areas) which is the post show room in which the surviving Phalanx members congratulate the riders for their help in preventing a major disaster though hint that there might be still more work needed which is pretty much saying 'please re-ride' before the front doors open and the guests return to the outside.
Even though it was a shorter ride than that of the Haunted House, it did feature an experience that very few would forget at just how dark it was. YouTube vlogger and former Alton Towers staff member Shawn Sanbrooke, best known of 'Theme Park Worldwide' fame, would say that he was one of the test riders to experience the ride and would admit that he was shocked at how dark it was and admitted that this was perhaps a little too extreme [5] and this was shared by several others who experienced it though that wasn't what the park saw it as. Prior to the ride opening, the media team got into their usual marketing stunt in which as the ride boasting that it was so scary that it needed a 12A rated from the British Board of Film Classification while billing it as your worst nightmare underground [6].
Another view of the building prior to opening with the poster giving a strong hint of the horrors that lie within (C) TowersTimes.co.uk
Some would say that the rating system seemed ridiculous, though when those first members of the public would experience it for the first time, it would turn out that the rating was not only needed - actually some claimed that it wasn't high enough. Nemesis Sub-Terra would open without any issues on its opening day though public reception was mixed to say the least in which while many were glad to have an interactive dark ride system again and the plot seemed easy enough to understand while expanding on the Nemesis backstory, the ride itself was considered far too terrifying due to some of the graphic nature of certain scenes such as the guards being eaten (fun fact, which were actually the zombies from Duel which repurposed as devoured guards and moved to the Sub Terra building) and that it was just relentless.
Scenes of young children coming off the ride in tears was sadly something that wasn't uncommon, and the 12A rating PR stunt now didn't seem like some cheap attention grab but rather a legit reason to have it there - it did prove to be a thrilling and mature dark ride though some had to ask if they had gone a little too far and that the build-up for the ride was too perfect. Despite a shaky opening, the ride itself has gained a following as Alton Towers most sinister ride and if Haunted House and Hex could be considered a dark ride that are family thrill attractions then Nemesis Sub Terra is a step up in the more 'adult' market. To this day, it proves itself as a useful filler attraction and is often considered something a rite of passage for many local teenagers to experience something scary and prove themselves and the less said about the even more terrifying Scarefest overlay of the ride the better. Why it was that dark is apparently down to the Alpha team wanting to go further with the horror that they couldn't do during the revamped Haunted House due to John Wardley keeping an eye on how things would go and make sure that it wouldn't end up like Duel which was all done without his consent. With what they had learnt from the Haunted House, the team would try to go all out to make the scariest possible ride and it would seem to have succeeded in doing that though was it worth it?
While Nemesis Sub Terra had technically been a success, its graphic nature and very non-family theme was certain to scare away the lucrative family market audience away from the resort and this would be where the second attraction for 2012 would come into play...just over a hundred meters away south from Sub Terra. Almost as to make up for the Delta team not getting the chance to build something on that piece of land, they'd end up getting the chance to work on the other addition for 2012. In keeping with the idea of having two attractions opened for a season following how well 2010 had gone down, they would actually get the chance on working on something that wasn't a new ride, actually one that by chance was celebrating its 10th anniversary would be 'Air' - the world first's flying coaster and it was perhaps a good time to celebrate its birthday in a special way but how? As it turned out...Remastering it.
Air during its construction in 2001
That said though, many did say that it could have been improved upon. Air was indeed a good ride and one that was more a 'heroic' and relaxing theme in contrast to the evil of Nemesis next to it though it did seem at first when first built that it was going to be themed to that a bombing raid that was to fly over Nemesis and take it down though this was dropped earlier on, stated to be due to the events of 9/11. In the end what was decided upon was to be that of a tropical oasis which was to contrast to that of Forbidding Valley yet when budget cuts happened this was left on the cutting room floor, yet it was hoped by some that the theme would be brought back at a later date, yet no one knew when. When it came round to the Delta team wanting to do something with Air and bringing back not only the planned Oasis theming was decided but rather than just copy those plans, make them even better for a fuller themed experience that would improve the ride even more.
This was where the idea of 'Remastered' came about in which was nothing more than a glorified way of saying refurb for a ride as brought up by the marketing team and this the only thing they had done, they had even come up with the term 'Towers Loving Care' was an obvious play on the term 'Tender Loving Care' which that in itself was just a fancy way of saying general maintenance and upkeep [9]. It must be said that management were actually reluctant to try go ahead with the idea down to the fact was that they didn't know if it would really work but it was soon, albeit reluctantly, agreed upon to go ahead and complete the theming job for Air and not only, the idea of creating its own themed land, the first actually new bit of expansion for the park in many years, seemed like a an idea to market as the second new attraction for the park and several Delta members would take heavy inspiration of the 'Lost Continent' themed area in Islands of Adventure in Orlando in which they'd used for Air.
The theming of 'Lost Continent' at Islands of Adventure in which became the inspiration for Air's new theming (C) OrlandoInformer.com
What did they do to split the new separate areas? A long 10ft tall wall stretching from just south of the Refresh@Ripsaw food outlet towards over to the right running alongside the lift hill for Air and the theme on the Forbidding Valley side of the wall was of a rustic metal Phalanx type theme with only one entrance through the gate that led into Forgotten Oasis and the wall itself has been joke by enthusiasts as Alton Towers' answer to the Berlin Wall. It was though on the other side of the wall was the new area of Forgotten Oasis and to say that the transformation was remarkable as in any long-time visitors to the park were left stunned at how different everything looked. What had happened was that it was an area that looked like a true oasis that saw some of the pine trees in that are replaced with that of palm trees and the Air shop had been transformed in what can best be described as an ancient Greek temple such and the ride station itself being turned into a rocky cave which was themed as the hidden domain of the spirt known as Air - the protector of the Oasis.
The theming was obviously based heavily of Lost Continent in Orlando and while not as detailed as that area, compared to the rest of Alton Towers however, it really was a step up from the rest but there was more to the area. The queue line for Air was rerouted to move away from its current location to allow for the public path to open up towards the final helix of the ride which not only would be a great location of seeing trains fly past that would have only been seen by those in the queue, but that the area in question would also see some landscaping in which not were more interactive structures the ride would fly through but also a small lake that the final helix would fly around which along with some small fountains around the ride all added to a truly epic surrounding area that wasn't even including the ride itself.
The surrounding area of Air when first built and would look very different when Forgotten Oasis came along (C) TowersTimes.co.uk
As riders enter, they soon see that they have discovered that they are to be welcomed into the tribe by taking a test to prove their loyalty which is obviously a ride on Air. While the ride remains the same as ever, its break run, now covered by a themed tunnel and of course that tunnel near the lift hill would finally see a theming job...rockface, nothing special but certainly better than nothing and when John Wardley is asked about the retheme, is said to have been happy with what happened with Air now looking 'complete' as he would put it but more important, that he not have to put up with any more jokes about the tunnel. While it might not have been thought of highly by upper management, Air Remastered and the new land were a surprise hit, actually being more liked than Sub Terra in some ways for being more relaxing and safer than that hellish theme.
Infact, the retheme was so well done and utterly transformed the area and Air so much that some members of the public were convinced that it was a new ride such how different it looked from before. The Remastered program proven its worth and showed what could be done and now had begun with many enthusiasts could hardly wait to see what might come next and with two very different themes that year, 2012 would be marked as a year of being between heaven and hell. Meanwhile as this was going on, work was taking place on the Black Hole site in which the tent had gone down and the news became apparent...SW7 was coming! However, it would turn out that the early groundwork from the Delta team would actually be very useful as before even a hole had been dugged, the groundwork had proven more troublesome than imagined and work would have to stop to make the area suitable. Tedious it might have been but would prove to be vital for what was to come next...[10]. 2013 would be a major year for sure.
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[1] That contest still happens ITTL.[2] This actually was a plan, only difference here is that it gets a little further on in production here.
[3] Some things never change!
[4] Same as OTL
[5] Yes, that man gets a cameo here and he did actually ride the OTL version during a staff test ride and his views were not good on the ride then.
[6] All the same still happens here as with OTL.
[7] Yes, Air still has the problem ITTL.
[8] Yes, JW does still say that!
[9] As with OTL too.
[10] Things to say that things building wise will be quite different for SW7 here...
There we are, 2012 done and dusted and now we see more differences here! Not much to say other than Air finally got its theme, and that Sub Terra isn't a disaster much like OTL, or perhaps just as bad depending on how you look at it. Main thing to say is that yes, Galactica never happens here and the RCR is never built where the shop was though that's not to say we will see it soon...Anyway, stay tuned for the next update as I think you all know what happens in 2013 though I hint that there will be subtle things there, but it'll all make a big difference long term. Until then, stay tune and tell me what you liked about it and how would you have liked both versions here!
EDIT: I have once again used @Trooper Looper for the concept art of Air here and its lake design and I'd like to thank him again for letting him use his artwork for this timeline.
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QTXAdsy
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Black Hole
Well then, a little bit awkward putting this up on a day that Nemesis closes and is about its 'rival' but I had to get this up and out of the way otherwise I would have lost my creative juices there. Plus, wee bit disappointed that no one commented on the last update which I thought it might have gotten some interested but hey, just one of those things. Anyway, here we go with 2013 and slightly altered Smiler...
Whenever it comes time for Alton Towers to start work on the next of their Secret Weapon program, there is always a great deal of anticipation and pressure to make it the best it can be and to see what kind of 'World's first' element this would have. While Thirteen might have left some divided that it wasn't a high thrill ride like the others before it, not the mention that the misleading marketing didn't help matters either that leaves some fans divided if it should be considered a success or not in the long term. When it came time for SW7 to begin development, it was clear that this time it was time for a major thrill ride and John Wardley himself would be back to help with its design and what he would mention be the final ride he'd help with before he'd retire from the industry. If this was to be the last of the Secret Weapon program that he was to be part of then he would likely to go out on a high note and both the Alpha and Delta teams agreed with making this the best possible ride.
The location of this ride would be in X-Sector on the site of the long disused Black Hole site which had always been debated on what to do with it and there had been several developments that nearly happened perhaps much notably the 'Duelling Deadstars' ride concept which the Delta team had made some work in bringing it to life before Nemesis Sub Terra was decided upon instead and instead the Delta team were roped in to work on Air's 'remaster'. It was no secret that a few of the Delta team felt rather angry over being pulled of a project they were all keen to do, especially after they had already made some groundworks in place. However, as it turns out, their work wasn't to go to waste as of a matter of fact, their findings on the area would all make for a real blessing in disguise and for good reason.
Following the long-standing tent being removed in May 2012, groundworks for the new ride were to begin but as it turns out before construction could begin, the Delta team alerted the higher-ups about the uneven groundwork that they had discovered during their own brief works there which would to the frustration of many would halt construction for a month just so that the workers could find solid ground for the supports to stand on [1]. Once this tedious job had been achieved, construction began again and much of SW7's construction would move out without further incident other than the work briefly being halted due to heavy snowfall which sadly despite the best work of many meant that the ride would miss a March opening and instead would aim for an April opening just in time for the Easter holidays [2].
Some of the new track arriving in December 2012 (C) TowersTimes.co.uk
To build up the ride during that year's Scarefest, a scare maze called 'The Sanctuary' would open which in many ways act as something of a prelude of what was to come in which its plot being that the mysterious Dr Kelman (played by Gerry Cannell) would explain that The Sanctuary provided 'social compliance' treatment at the facility and how would revealed further details of the therapies that take place in the facility, also mentioning briefly some of the controversies surrounding The Sanctuary and how they were previously closed down [3]. The maze itself would prove to be a hit and several elements of its plot would end up on SW7 and speaking of which, promotion on the new attraction starting to ramp it up as a world's first with it not given much away other than a now iconic creepy smiling face graphic which would pop a lot across the resort and even as part of some nationwide PR stunts.
That being said, plans of the new ride were left nothing much to give other than German manufacture Gerstlauer would build it and the plans of what was in store of this new attraction looked insane. It was going to be a large multi-looping ride with what some saw as eight inversions though later it was up to twelve according to some and that wasn't bringing up the topic of how on earth Alton Towers were going to build such a beast on that small plot of land that seemed impossible yet as it would turn out as the ride began to emerge from its own pit (not unlike Nemesis' own pit) the twisted steel black structure of this ride emerged which in itself was a marvel of construction. When it came to the theming, it was something in its own ride as perhaps the most notable being the build of a giant spider like structure in the middle of the ride known as 'The Marmiliser' which would have five legs on in, each leg being named 'The Inoculator', 'The Tickler', 'The Flasher', 'The Giggler' and 'The Hypnotiser', all of which the ride would pass under or around it a few times and was a pretty impressive structure in its own right.
It wasn't until January 2013 that SW7's name would be revealed...'The Smiler'. A name that seemed bizarre to many but would actually fit into the final theme of the ride being something of a mental hospital in which was designed to help 'correct' patients into become smiling advocates. It would've looked slightly out of place in X-Sector had it not been for the strong campaigning by the Alpha and Delta teams who for the first time were united on working on the same program of doing two for a season as The Smiler was to be the only new attraction for 2013. Even when the ride was being build, the idea of the theming of the ride was still up in the air with what looked like from concept art plans showing the station building resembling that a creepy looking abounded mental hospital which indicated of if being themed to act as a sequel to that of The Sanctuary scare maze which would have themed well into that and actually if the detailed concept artwork for the ride were to go by as one of the best the park had seen yet but at the same time would have looked out of place in in the clean and slick theme of X-Sector [4].
It would turn out that both the Alpha and Delta teams didn't want this sort of theme for the ride as not only did they seem aware of how out of place it would have looked but that also that by this point, both teams were fed up with doing yet another dark or grimy theme for a ride such as Thirteen, Sub Terra, Haunted House return and even Munity Bay's gritty pirate theme to some extent with Air's retheme being a great exception to the rule. It has been a joke within theme park enthusiasts circles that Merlin seem to be rather fond of having their major rides have some sort of dark theme or ride that has black track and supports, and it seemed that The Smiler was going to be no exception to the rule had it not been for the two teams. In a rare bit of unity that was finally starting to be forged between the two after some difficulties on agreement such as the location of where Thirteen was built and about the Duelling Deadstar plan was cancelled, they now could agree on one thing that they were getting long in the tooth over the dark themes and wanted The Smiler's theme to blend in much better with the surroundings of X-Sector.
What might have been for The Smiler's main station building which would have resembled that of an evil mental hospital (C) Merlin Studios
Thankfully, this argument was taking place at the same time in which the actually structure of the building had not been accepted yet way back as far as late 2011 so this gave much time for the two teams to plan up a new version of the station building in which was the main point on contention in which would see the biggest redesign of all. Though it would ultimately be a compromise for Merlin wanting a dark theme for the ride though it would have a more 'cleaner' look to it now. It looked very different in which now it was a large silver curved structure which to put it simply was pretty much identical to Oblivion's station design from across on the other side of X-Sector as well as the maintenance bay of the trains getting this secret military theme too. Pretty much the surrounding area would have a clean look to put it simply and the station area itself would have this clean look to it which compared to the detail and really immersive plans from before did look rather lacklustre in the final design though many argued that it fitted in far better than what might've been.
Even without the theme, the two teams debated Merlin with as the coaster itself had two issues the Alpha and Delta teams. At the time no one knew it from the plans then but that the ride was going to be a record breaking in which its World's First element would be the first coaster with 14 inversions (the 'Infinity Coaster' design it was to be known as), yet some had some concerns about it and that was the comfort issue. For some, Gerstlauer had gained a reputation among those for building coasters that with rough riders which would result in many head bashing onto the restraints; the thought of having someone bashing their head on 14 inversions was a disturbing thought to say the least. Thankfully, Gerstlauer were aware of this and had one idea as part of this new breed of coaster they would build in which the ride cars would have lap bars to prevent head bashing though the ride did have the option to still have the over the shoulder restraints - imagine the shock in the two teams had when Merlin wanted the latter type [5].
This caused further strains between the two teams and Merlin in which the former two knew that if Merlin wanted the best ride possible, even for Gerstlauer's sake of shaking of their rough image, then having lap bars would add an extra edge to the ride in the thrill department and that wasn't including it would eliminate any head bashing that would be expected. Merlin though remained stubborn, and this was so late on into the game that over in Germany, Gerstlauer were on the verge of making the ride cars of Merlin's request, though it was only thanks to the support of John Wardley who, apparently according to several sources, had a 'word in the ear' with Merlin for his support for having the trains having lap bars instead and how better it would be not to mention he was getting fed up with the constant infighting over choices for the ride. Stubborn as Merlin were, even they couldn't ignore Wardley's request not because of his status in the industry but as this was his last major ride and wanted the best note to bow out on.
That wasn't meant to say relations were strained as Merlin did agree to some requests for the ride in which one of them was for the loading station in which had space for a double loading area much like with Oblivion yet oddly enough the actual design was only going to have one loading area [6]. This idea at first didn't seem that had at first but when it was noted that each train was going to have four cars' pair train, throughput issues looked problematic and giving the park's problems with long queues, that was the last thing that was needed. Thankfully, Merlin would take this advice from the Alpha and Delta teams on board and would build in the double loading bay to help with the capacity issues [7] which in theory would boost its throughput level to 1,200 persons per hour.
The Marmiliser in what its final design would be (C) Merlin Studios
As the ride was taking its final shape, the skyline of X-Sector was utterly changed either for the better or worse depending on how you looked on it. The ride would miss the March opening day as had been expected though the April opening there for the taking to miss out on the lucrative Easter holiday season would have been disastrous in terms of getting guests through the gate and only the media hype began with various fun PR stunts such as the now famous Smiler image being seen on the side of Big Ben and even a field of sheep with the image painted on their wool was another mad stunt but nonetheless it was all getting the attention and its record breaking 14 inversions was sure to get everyone talking about it - all that was needed was to get it opened on time.
The final piece of theming was a late edition to be planted on the second vertical lift hill in which a large black tube called the 'Laughing Gas Tube' in which pretty much meant what it sent on the tin in which the inside was filled with SFX smoke and a yellow spiral going downward in which both elements not only made the effect of going upwards look more faster but also as if the train was spinning which all added to the many crazy effects added to the ride. With the ride finished and ready to open to the public just in time for its April opening, The Smiler was ready, and its reception was of near universal approval by all guests [7] with many commenting for its outlandish nature of a layout, less rough ride thanks to it having lap bars its strong theming and how it fitted into the existing area. Even some praise was aimed its own pre-ride films which seemed to be pretty much to copy Oblivion's queue line videos [8] in which instead would have Gerry Cannell reprise his role as Dr Kelman in which the videos would be about how guests would be chosen to take part to make their lives happier.
The videos themselves were pretty much full of black comedy in which despite the cheery nature of them had very sinister undertones the close guests got to the loading station got more demented until Dr Kelman wasn't hiding anything anymore and flat-out states that those about to ride will forever never be the same again and honesty after riding such a madcap ride, he might have a point. After all the many clashes behind the scenes of various elements with the ride that had to be changed, the final result was well worth the wait, and some would make the bold claim that it was finally the successor for Nemesis, always a bold thing to state given how much even many years after opening that ride still stood the test of time and how many rides at the park often never really topped the legendary ride - now there was finally a legit rival that could give Nemesis a run for its money.
To this day, a rather infamous debate among Alton Towers fans is 'Nemesis vs Smiler' [8] in which is pretty much down to what is the ride that can be considered the most iconic ride with both sides having their own reasons for it though in truth it is just yet another internet debate which is up there with 'Maradona vs Pele' if you're a football fan or 'Subs vs Dubs' if you're an anime fan and so on. Whatever the reason, 2013 was another successful year for the park in which Smiler was a welcomed addition for the park's line up and while the park would just miss out on hitting the 3 million guest mark, attendance had kept to a constant level in which meant that holding a 3 million guest figure on average was within the park's grasp, all it needed was an extra touch that some felt the park was failing to tap into...one that for next year would need to be addressed and all eyes would be focused on Storybook Land...
[1] A small but HUGE POD for Smiler in which thanks to early work on the site discovers the problem earlier than OTL which made the construction difficult.
[2] Unlike OTL it which missed even that and would instead open in May.
[3] That scare maze is pretty much the same as OTL.
[4] A difference to Smiler's station building in which is like Oblivion's if you're trying to imagine it.
[5] As we know, Merlin would go for the more painful OTSR for OTL - not so here thankfully.
[6] To this day, Smiler has only one loading area though does have the space to have another in place which honestly would help it for capacity sake.
[7] Smiler here is far better received with the ride being a bit more smoother and theming more complete for having a little bit more spent on it as it would have not gone to Chessie here.
[8] This still happens IOTL though it more like Nemesis gets this better, here though, it is more even.
So there we are then, Smiler opens and as I write this, Nemesis is about to close down for a whole season to get overhauled, so it is a little awkward to write up about its 'rival' here, but I guess timing is just one of those things. So, to bring up a few things, the ride is pretty much the same layout as OTL though there are a few but mostly crucial changes that make the ride even better than OTL. Now then, yes, we go over to that area of the park for 2014 and some of us will know what happened there and we will see the same here for TTL 2014 though not in the way you expect.
So as I write this, goodnight, Nemesis - see you back in 2024 and please comment on what you think about this version of Smiler.
---------
Smile Away
Smile Away
Whenever it comes time for Alton Towers to start work on the next of their Secret Weapon program, there is always a great deal of anticipation and pressure to make it the best it can be and to see what kind of 'World's first' element this would have. While Thirteen might have left some divided that it wasn't a high thrill ride like the others before it, not the mention that the misleading marketing didn't help matters either that leaves some fans divided if it should be considered a success or not in the long term. When it came time for SW7 to begin development, it was clear that this time it was time for a major thrill ride and John Wardley himself would be back to help with its design and what he would mention be the final ride he'd help with before he'd retire from the industry. If this was to be the last of the Secret Weapon program that he was to be part of then he would likely to go out on a high note and both the Alpha and Delta teams agreed with making this the best possible ride.
The location of this ride would be in X-Sector on the site of the long disused Black Hole site which had always been debated on what to do with it and there had been several developments that nearly happened perhaps much notably the 'Duelling Deadstars' ride concept which the Delta team had made some work in bringing it to life before Nemesis Sub Terra was decided upon instead and instead the Delta team were roped in to work on Air's 'remaster'. It was no secret that a few of the Delta team felt rather angry over being pulled of a project they were all keen to do, especially after they had already made some groundworks in place. However, as it turns out, their work wasn't to go to waste as of a matter of fact, their findings on the area would all make for a real blessing in disguise and for good reason.
Following the long-standing tent being removed in May 2012, groundworks for the new ride were to begin but as it turns out before construction could begin, the Delta team alerted the higher-ups about the uneven groundwork that they had discovered during their own brief works there which would to the frustration of many would halt construction for a month just so that the workers could find solid ground for the supports to stand on [1]. Once this tedious job had been achieved, construction began again and much of SW7's construction would move out without further incident other than the work briefly being halted due to heavy snowfall which sadly despite the best work of many meant that the ride would miss a March opening and instead would aim for an April opening just in time for the Easter holidays [2].
Some of the new track arriving in December 2012 (C) TowersTimes.co.uk
To build up the ride during that year's Scarefest, a scare maze called 'The Sanctuary' would open which in many ways act as something of a prelude of what was to come in which its plot being that the mysterious Dr Kelman (played by Gerry Cannell) would explain that The Sanctuary provided 'social compliance' treatment at the facility and how would revealed further details of the therapies that take place in the facility, also mentioning briefly some of the controversies surrounding The Sanctuary and how they were previously closed down [3]. The maze itself would prove to be a hit and several elements of its plot would end up on SW7 and speaking of which, promotion on the new attraction starting to ramp it up as a world's first with it not given much away other than a now iconic creepy smiling face graphic which would pop a lot across the resort and even as part of some nationwide PR stunts.
That being said, plans of the new ride were left nothing much to give other than German manufacture Gerstlauer would build it and the plans of what was in store of this new attraction looked insane. It was going to be a large multi-looping ride with what some saw as eight inversions though later it was up to twelve according to some and that wasn't bringing up the topic of how on earth Alton Towers were going to build such a beast on that small plot of land that seemed impossible yet as it would turn out as the ride began to emerge from its own pit (not unlike Nemesis' own pit) the twisted steel black structure of this ride emerged which in itself was a marvel of construction. When it came to the theming, it was something in its own ride as perhaps the most notable being the build of a giant spider like structure in the middle of the ride known as 'The Marmiliser' which would have five legs on in, each leg being named 'The Inoculator', 'The Tickler', 'The Flasher', 'The Giggler' and 'The Hypnotiser', all of which the ride would pass under or around it a few times and was a pretty impressive structure in its own right.
It wasn't until January 2013 that SW7's name would be revealed...'The Smiler'. A name that seemed bizarre to many but would actually fit into the final theme of the ride being something of a mental hospital in which was designed to help 'correct' patients into become smiling advocates. It would've looked slightly out of place in X-Sector had it not been for the strong campaigning by the Alpha and Delta teams who for the first time were united on working on the same program of doing two for a season as The Smiler was to be the only new attraction for 2013. Even when the ride was being build, the idea of the theming of the ride was still up in the air with what looked like from concept art plans showing the station building resembling that a creepy looking abounded mental hospital which indicated of if being themed to act as a sequel to that of The Sanctuary scare maze which would have themed well into that and actually if the detailed concept artwork for the ride were to go by as one of the best the park had seen yet but at the same time would have looked out of place in in the clean and slick theme of X-Sector [4].
It would turn out that both the Alpha and Delta teams didn't want this sort of theme for the ride as not only did they seem aware of how out of place it would have looked but that also that by this point, both teams were fed up with doing yet another dark or grimy theme for a ride such as Thirteen, Sub Terra, Haunted House return and even Munity Bay's gritty pirate theme to some extent with Air's retheme being a great exception to the rule. It has been a joke within theme park enthusiasts circles that Merlin seem to be rather fond of having their major rides have some sort of dark theme or ride that has black track and supports, and it seemed that The Smiler was going to be no exception to the rule had it not been for the two teams. In a rare bit of unity that was finally starting to be forged between the two after some difficulties on agreement such as the location of where Thirteen was built and about the Duelling Deadstar plan was cancelled, they now could agree on one thing that they were getting long in the tooth over the dark themes and wanted The Smiler's theme to blend in much better with the surroundings of X-Sector.
What might have been for The Smiler's main station building which would have resembled that of an evil mental hospital (C) Merlin Studios
Thankfully, this argument was taking place at the same time in which the actually structure of the building had not been accepted yet way back as far as late 2011 so this gave much time for the two teams to plan up a new version of the station building in which was the main point on contention in which would see the biggest redesign of all. Though it would ultimately be a compromise for Merlin wanting a dark theme for the ride though it would have a more 'cleaner' look to it now. It looked very different in which now it was a large silver curved structure which to put it simply was pretty much identical to Oblivion's station design from across on the other side of X-Sector as well as the maintenance bay of the trains getting this secret military theme too. Pretty much the surrounding area would have a clean look to put it simply and the station area itself would have this clean look to it which compared to the detail and really immersive plans from before did look rather lacklustre in the final design though many argued that it fitted in far better than what might've been.
Even without the theme, the two teams debated Merlin with as the coaster itself had two issues the Alpha and Delta teams. At the time no one knew it from the plans then but that the ride was going to be a record breaking in which its World's First element would be the first coaster with 14 inversions (the 'Infinity Coaster' design it was to be known as), yet some had some concerns about it and that was the comfort issue. For some, Gerstlauer had gained a reputation among those for building coasters that with rough riders which would result in many head bashing onto the restraints; the thought of having someone bashing their head on 14 inversions was a disturbing thought to say the least. Thankfully, Gerstlauer were aware of this and had one idea as part of this new breed of coaster they would build in which the ride cars would have lap bars to prevent head bashing though the ride did have the option to still have the over the shoulder restraints - imagine the shock in the two teams had when Merlin wanted the latter type [5].
This caused further strains between the two teams and Merlin in which the former two knew that if Merlin wanted the best ride possible, even for Gerstlauer's sake of shaking of their rough image, then having lap bars would add an extra edge to the ride in the thrill department and that wasn't including it would eliminate any head bashing that would be expected. Merlin though remained stubborn, and this was so late on into the game that over in Germany, Gerstlauer were on the verge of making the ride cars of Merlin's request, though it was only thanks to the support of John Wardley who, apparently according to several sources, had a 'word in the ear' with Merlin for his support for having the trains having lap bars instead and how better it would be not to mention he was getting fed up with the constant infighting over choices for the ride. Stubborn as Merlin were, even they couldn't ignore Wardley's request not because of his status in the industry but as this was his last major ride and wanted the best note to bow out on.
That wasn't meant to say relations were strained as Merlin did agree to some requests for the ride in which one of them was for the loading station in which had space for a double loading area much like with Oblivion yet oddly enough the actual design was only going to have one loading area [6]. This idea at first didn't seem that had at first but when it was noted that each train was going to have four cars' pair train, throughput issues looked problematic and giving the park's problems with long queues, that was the last thing that was needed. Thankfully, Merlin would take this advice from the Alpha and Delta teams on board and would build in the double loading bay to help with the capacity issues [7] which in theory would boost its throughput level to 1,200 persons per hour.
The Marmiliser in what its final design would be (C) Merlin Studios
As the ride was taking its final shape, the skyline of X-Sector was utterly changed either for the better or worse depending on how you looked on it. The ride would miss the March opening day as had been expected though the April opening there for the taking to miss out on the lucrative Easter holiday season would have been disastrous in terms of getting guests through the gate and only the media hype began with various fun PR stunts such as the now famous Smiler image being seen on the side of Big Ben and even a field of sheep with the image painted on their wool was another mad stunt but nonetheless it was all getting the attention and its record breaking 14 inversions was sure to get everyone talking about it - all that was needed was to get it opened on time.
The final piece of theming was a late edition to be planted on the second vertical lift hill in which a large black tube called the 'Laughing Gas Tube' in which pretty much meant what it sent on the tin in which the inside was filled with SFX smoke and a yellow spiral going downward in which both elements not only made the effect of going upwards look more faster but also as if the train was spinning which all added to the many crazy effects added to the ride. With the ride finished and ready to open to the public just in time for its April opening, The Smiler was ready, and its reception was of near universal approval by all guests [7] with many commenting for its outlandish nature of a layout, less rough ride thanks to it having lap bars its strong theming and how it fitted into the existing area. Even some praise was aimed its own pre-ride films which seemed to be pretty much to copy Oblivion's queue line videos [8] in which instead would have Gerry Cannell reprise his role as Dr Kelman in which the videos would be about how guests would be chosen to take part to make their lives happier.
The videos themselves were pretty much full of black comedy in which despite the cheery nature of them had very sinister undertones the close guests got to the loading station got more demented until Dr Kelman wasn't hiding anything anymore and flat-out states that those about to ride will forever never be the same again and honesty after riding such a madcap ride, he might have a point. After all the many clashes behind the scenes of various elements with the ride that had to be changed, the final result was well worth the wait, and some would make the bold claim that it was finally the successor for Nemesis, always a bold thing to state given how much even many years after opening that ride still stood the test of time and how many rides at the park often never really topped the legendary ride - now there was finally a legit rival that could give Nemesis a run for its money.
To this day, a rather infamous debate among Alton Towers fans is 'Nemesis vs Smiler' [8] in which is pretty much down to what is the ride that can be considered the most iconic ride with both sides having their own reasons for it though in truth it is just yet another internet debate which is up there with 'Maradona vs Pele' if you're a football fan or 'Subs vs Dubs' if you're an anime fan and so on. Whatever the reason, 2013 was another successful year for the park in which Smiler was a welcomed addition for the park's line up and while the park would just miss out on hitting the 3 million guest mark, attendance had kept to a constant level in which meant that holding a 3 million guest figure on average was within the park's grasp, all it needed was an extra touch that some felt the park was failing to tap into...one that for next year would need to be addressed and all eyes would be focused on Storybook Land...
-----------
[1] A small but HUGE POD for Smiler in which thanks to early work on the site discovers the problem earlier than OTL which made the construction difficult.
[2] Unlike OTL it which missed even that and would instead open in May.
[3] That scare maze is pretty much the same as OTL.
[4] A difference to Smiler's station building in which is like Oblivion's if you're trying to imagine it.
[5] As we know, Merlin would go for the more painful OTSR for OTL - not so here thankfully.
[6] To this day, Smiler has only one loading area though does have the space to have another in place which honestly would help it for capacity sake.
[7] Smiler here is far better received with the ride being a bit more smoother and theming more complete for having a little bit more spent on it as it would have not gone to Chessie here.
[8] This still happens IOTL though it more like Nemesis gets this better, here though, it is more even.
So there we are then, Smiler opens and as I write this, Nemesis is about to close down for a whole season to get overhauled, so it is a little awkward to write up about its 'rival' here, but I guess timing is just one of those things. So, to bring up a few things, the ride is pretty much the same layout as OTL though there are a few but mostly crucial changes that make the ride even better than OTL. Now then, yes, we go over to that area of the park for 2014 and some of us will know what happened there and we will see the same here for TTL 2014 though not in the way you expect.
So as I write this, goodnight, Nemesis - see you back in 2024 and please comment on what you think about this version of Smiler.
Trooper Looper
TS Member
QTXAdsy
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Black Hole
Interesting stuff mate! Would be interested to see more of it and if you'd like to try out on the design of the Smiler station here.I've done the brand and plaza entrance for the Oblivion style flat ride, decided to call it 'Diffusion'
More of the ride will come later in the week if possible. Let me know your thoughts on it
Trooper Looper
TS Member
Sure! Exterior or interior?Interesting stuff mate! Would be interested to see more of it and if you'd like to try out on the design of the Smiler station here.
QTXAdsy
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Black Hole
Both if you like though mostly the exterior personally...something nicer than a concrete block design that Smiler has is always welcomed!