Theme park alternate histories; what would you have done?

[Matt N]

Hi guys. Many times, threads are made about future wishlists for parks, and people declare their hopes and dreams for that park's future. History is also talked about a lot. But one thing that's often neglected is alternate history. The discussion of "what could have been", and the hypothetical wishes for the past made with hindsight. With that in mind, I thought I'd make a thread discussing the alternate histories of theme parks, so that we can all go wild with planning out our dream version of the past. I encourage you to pick a park and make up an alternate history for it that goes up to the present day (or further, if you wish!), and choose what you would have done to the park in a given year instead of what they actually did.

I'll get the ball rolling with an alternate history I've made up.

Personally, I've got an alternate history in mind for Thorpe Park. I'm not actually going to start from 2022; I'm actually going to start in 2008, just after Merlin purchased the park, and go up to the present day (2022). Everything major up to about Stealth, and everything up to Merlin's acquisition in 2007, is fine, but I'm going to change things after that. My ideas are:

• 2008: The park would have built a Bertazzon Dodgems named Amity Speedway Test Track in the area beneath Stealth's top hat. It would have been themed to the Amity Speedway, and would have been billed as a "test drive" in preparation for Stealth. I think this would have been a valuable family addition for a minor year, but also befitting of Stealth theme-wise.
• 2009: Instead of building Saw, the park would have built a GCI Wooden Coaster named Splinter, similar to the one originally designed by Tussauds for the same site. This ride would have been the tallest, fastest and longest wooden roller coaster in the UK, sitting at over 100ft tall, reaching over 50mph and containing more than 3,000ft of track, and it would have been a ride on par with the likes of Troy at Toverland. It would have had a Canadian theme similar to Logger's Leap to fit in with the (then) Canada Creek area of the park. I feel that this would have been a great addition; it would still have been thrilling, but it would have offered a non-inverting thrill coaster, and it would also have offered a more accessible thrill coaster with a 1.2m height restriction to complement the park's existing 1.4m thrills.
• 2010: The park would have entered the new decade by building a new entrance area named Port Discovery containing shops and restaurants, as well as multiple family rides, on the combined site of Amity Beach, Depth Charge and Wet Wet Wet. The area would have had a beach/seaside theme with a nautical edge, and rides would have included a Mack Twist'n'Splash, an ETF Panorama Pedal (similar to Volo da Vinci at Europa Park), a Zamperla Aero Top Jet, and an ETF Mystic Mover (small scale trackless dark ride) themed to discovering an underwater city. I think this would have been a great addition because it would have both given the park a cohesive entrance and put some family rides into the lineup.
• 2011: Instead of building Storm Surge, the park would have built a Mack Rides Spinning Coaster, similar to Storm Chaser at Paultons Park or D'wervelwind at Toverland, upon the same site. It would have been named Cataclysm and would been themed to another natural disaster hitting Amity. I feel that this would have been a terrific addition to appeal to all ages; it would have been thrilling enough to be a great thrill for the thrill-seeking audience, but not so intense or terrifying that the kids can't access it.
• 2012: Instead of building The Swarm, the park would have built a B&M Hyper Coaster named Emperor starting from the same island. Its lift hill would have gone up from the back of the island and along the right edge of the park towards what is currently the Thorpe Shark Hotel site. The ride would have dropped down over the water, gone over the entrance bridge, and headed into a series of camelbacks over the park admissions area and along the car park. The ride would have turned around on the car park and headed back into another series of airtime hills over the water, interacting with the bridge once again, hit an MCBR and gone into a series of airtime hills heading back towards its entrance island (what is now Swarm Island). The ride would have ended with a twisty section similar to what Mako has located on the entrance island, although perhaps a bit faster and more airtime-focused than that, and headed into the brake run. The ride would have been the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the UK, standing at around 250ft tall and hitting around 80-85mph, and would have been themed to a mythical water beast "guarding" Thorpe Park. The park would have had a revamped admissions area to facilitate Emperor's addition and emphasise the ride to guests as they enter. I feel that this would have been a great addition because it would have given Thorpe and the UK a pure airtime machine, as well as a non-inverting thrill coaster and a true crowd pleaser, and the record breaking status would really have put Thorpe on the map. This would also have honoured B&M and John Wardley's original wish for a B&M Hyper to be built at Thorpe rather than a Wing Coaster.
• 2013: The park would have rethemed X into the Lost City section of the park. The entrance would have moved onto the other side of the pyramid, the pyramid would have been painted golden brown and had bricks and themed details added on the side, and the ride would have been rethemed to exploring an Aztec temple. The new name would have been Azteca Adventure, and the ride would have effectively become a budget Revenge of the Mummy of sorts with an Aztec theme; the trains would have been turned forwards, the height restriction would have been lowered to make the ride more family-friendly, the brake runs would have had various "traps", including spikes and air cannons, put on them, the ride would have had various mummies and other scares adorning the track, and there would have been a "fire in the ceiling" style effect in there somewhere similar to what Revenge of the Mummy has. The queue would also have been heavily themed to a temple, with various details and effects in there to tell the ride's new story. I think this would have been a great addition because it would have made the ride appeal to the family market while also giving it a more lasting, immersive theme that fits in with a park area, as well as giving it a theme with adult appeal that isn't too scary for the kids.
• 2014: The park would have built a Zierer Star Shape named BuzzSaw in Canada Creek on the site of what is now Saw Alive. As the name implies, this would have been themed to a saw blade, and it would have had some effects fitted to it such as sparks flying out of it to simulate the ride cutting a piece of wood. I think this would have been a great flat ride addition for a minor year, personally.
• 2015: The park would have rethemed Rumba Rapids into Calypso River Expedition. The ride would have been themed to a journey through the Calypso jungle to meet a monkey king and retrieve its treasure, with various residents of the jungle being placed along the route to tell the story, the battle with the monkey king being situated in the indoor cave section of the ride, and the final run of rapids after that being an escape from the jungle. The ride would also have had various water effects added to spice up the journey, the channel would have been themed in with rocks added on the side, and the boats would have been replaced with new high-sided boats to allow for more ambitious water effects without compromising safety. I think this would have been a good way to spice up Rumba Rapids, which has long been maligned by many.
• 2016: Instead of building Derren Brown's Ghost Train, the park would have built an Oceaneering EVO-6 (motion base dark ride similar to Spider-Man/Justice League) named The Shrieking Shack of Amity on the same site. The ride would have been themed to a house on the outskirts of Amity that had been long suspected to be haunted, and the ride would have entailed guests travelling through the different rooms of the house and meeting its residents. It would have been a haunted house ride with some scares, but it would also have had a nice Amity-style sense of whimsy about it. I think this would have plugged the gap of a large scale family dark ride at Thorpe nicely, and would have had wider appeal than Derren Brown's Ghost Train, in my opinion.
• 2017: A Gerstlauer Sky Roller named Azteca Flyers would have been built upon the site of Slammer. It would have been themed to flying machines mounted onto a totem pole to give guests a panoramic view of Lost City. I think this would have been a nice way to plug the flat ride gap left by the unreliability and ultimate demise of Slammer, personally, and it would also have offered a nice variability in ride experience to offer wide appeal.
• 2018: A Huss 2nd gen Condor (similar to Fatamorgana at Tivoli Gardens) named Water Tower Wipeout would have been installed on the site of Samurai within Canada Creek. It would have been themed to a toppling water tower, and it would have been supplemented with the addition of water effects. This would have been a nice family thrill flat ride for the park, in my view.
• 2019: For its 40th anniversary, the park would have made its biggest expansion in years by building a pirate themed land named Treasure Island on the site of the former Treasure Island from the 1980s. The main attraction would have been Tempest, an enclosed Intamin Multi Dimensional Coaster themed to a pirate voyage through a stormy ocean. The ride would have contained various trick tracks, including drop tracks, backwards sections and turntables, as well as controlled spinning Guardians-style in some sections, and there would have been a good blend of dark ride sections to set the scene and coaster sections. The main coaster element of the ride would have been a launched family thrill ride similar to Juvelen/Hagrid's. The land would also have contained Voyager, an Intamin Bounty, and Blackbeard vs Redbeard: The Battle, two duelling ETF Trackless Multi Movers (large scale trackless dark rides similar to Symbolica, but containing interactivity using guns) themed to a battle between Blackbeard and Redbeard; one track would be named Blackbeard and the other track would be named Redbeard, and two cars (one from each track) would have gone up against each other in an interactive battle. At the end of the ride, each track would have gone down a different route dependent on whether their side won or lost. I think this land would have been a nice addition for all ages, with it tackling many different ride types to satisfy all the family.
• 2020: Mr Monkey's Banana Ride would have been removed in favour of Calypso Crush, a Huss Suspended Top Spin with water effects. The ride would also have had an upbeat soundtrack synchronised alongside it, and I think it would have been a nice flat ride to add some variety to Thorpe Park's flat ride lineup. It would also have replaced Mr Monkey's Banana Ride with a less redundant flat, as the pirate ship void would have been filled by Voyager, the larger pirate ship within Treasure Island, in 2019.
• 2021: Colossus would have been retracked and given new trains with lap bars similar to Sik at Flamingo Land, and the ride would have been reprofiled to match the newer Rev. B 10 inversion layout from Intamin. The ride would also have been fitted with a suspenseful onboard soundtrack from IMAScore, and the water would have been reinstated below the ride, with some triggered water jets added for good measure. I think that this would have improved Colossus immeasurably, and made it a smoother and more enjoyable ride for years to come, and also ensured the longevity of the Lost City area in general.
• 2022: A Mack Hyper Coaster named Exodus, very similar to the ride that we now know as Project Exodus, would have been built on the second island between Emperor Island and Treasure Island. To ensure that it wouldn't make Emperor redundant, the ride would have stuck at the 230ft level that it is currently so as not to steal Emperor's height and speed records, and it would have focused more on its quirky inversions and intense pacing than straight airtime so as to sufficiently differentiate itself from the B&M Hyper ride experience; the selling point would have been Europe's tallest inversion. However, many of the fan favourite elements of the current Exodus, such as the intense twisted drop and the overbank into an inversion, would have still been present. The ride would have been themed to escaping an alien invasion, with various bits of space theming strewn around the area. I think that this would have worked well because it would still have provided the park with the intense hyper looper that they are building now, but it wouldn't have treaded upon the toes of Emperor built 10 years earlier due to it not being as tall and being a completely different ride experience.

I apologise, as that sort of became more of a "pie in the sky alternative history wishlist" than a particularly feasible alternative history, but I do genuinely believe that many of the ideas would have worked well at Thorpe Park; I particularly believe that had the GCI been built instead of Saw in 2009 and had the B&M Hyper been built instead of Swarm in 2012, the park would have really benefitted.

I hope you all like my ideas, though!

But what alternate histories will you come up with? I can't wait to hear some of your ideas!

 

[JAperson]

Funnily enough me and @QTXAdsy were discussing a thread similar to this last week. Can here his excitement already.

 

[QTXAdsy]

Shall I copy and paste my alternative Alton Towers here?

I have been seriously thinking about posting the full length story on the Alternative History forums though I'm unsure if anyone wanted the full thing for here and I'm willing to tweak my current TL if anyone has ideas to try and make it realistic as possible such as using the POD being that Merlin doesn't acquire Chessington leaving just Towers and Thorpe being the big two Merlin parks while Chessie goes down its own path or how various 'lost' concept ideas for Towers never made it.

If anyone wants to hear more before I decide to start uploading the whole TL for anything that might be useful for adding be my guest, for example, I'm thinking of starting it all off in 2004 in which Towers are somewhat more screwed over than IOTL on which Rita isn't just some Intermin launcher but actually a bog standard Vekoma LSM which is plausible to have happened given how the lack of money things were and how the plan for a Vekoma LSM nearly happened for Thorpe Park before Nemesis Inferno took its place.

Yeah, I like alternative history.

 

[QTXAdsy]

Sorry, double post here as no one would reply but I think it's time to put my alternate history of Alton Towers on here. Some of you might remember what I did before but there will be a few tweaks with two points of diversions which starts just before the Merlin buy out and I have been planning to put up this alternate timeline for the Alternate History forums which I'm on there and the only theme park timelines you get there are all about Disney; something has to change!

So, we begin in 2004 in which I do the opposite and screw Alton Towers further than even our own TL. Below are some internet codes to follow:

OTL = Our timeline
ITTL = In this timeline

So anyway, as something of a spoiler summery of the timeline I plan to upload in full in two parts due to the length, let's begin...

• 2004
  • Spinball Wizzer opens the same much like OTL to start off with, however...
  • During the difficult planning stages of the proposed Cross Valley Wooden coaster which ultimately fail to strong opposition, main POD here is that the planning stages last a little longer which ends having some consequences later on as Towers/Tussauds suddenly realised they had nothing planned for the 2005 season and they need a new coaster of some description but haven't the time to landscape a ride to fit with Towers' infamous height restrictions never mind what kind of ride it'll be.
  • At first, Tussauds opts for getting an Intamin launch coaster much like they are planning for Thorpe Park for the 2006 season, however the long and ultimately doomed planning stage has given the park very little time to build a fully custom coaster and as of a result, Towers are forced to have to build a cloned coaster in which in this case turns out to be nothing more than a bog-standard Vekoma LSM coaster with a layout that is the same as Rock 'n' Roller Coaster in the Disney Parks though incidentally, this was a type of coaster that was almost planned to be built for Thorpe Park before Nemesis Inferno would be built in its place; Tussauds would simply dust off the plans and install it at Towers instead.
• 2005
  • Built over a remarkable short period in the run up to the 2005 season, the new coaster would be built in Ug Land (the area being closed off in October to allow the speedy construction) with the surrounding area being flattened to allow the ride to be fit under the tree height. The ride, now known as Rita - Queen of Speed, opens in April 2005 and has a very mixed reception among many. Most guests love the fast 0-60mph launch (which much like OTL, Towers marks as 0-100 in advertisements), many enthusiasts are very divisive over the new ride in which most complaints are how its loose drag racing theme that clashes with the dinosaur theme, infamous Cattlepen queue (both of which were victims of the fast construction time) and of how it is nothing more than just another clone which many feel is a downgrade for the park in which is just another clone and how having two Vekoma cloned coasters, the other being Corkscrew, next to each other gives that area of the park the nickname of Vekoma corner if you were to include Hex into the mix. The ride is still in the same red and brown colour scheme as OTL encase you are wondering.
  • Despite these problems, the ride itself is like in general by most of the public though 2005 ends up being a pretty rough year for the park in which two classic attractions, Toyland Tours and Black Hole, would both close during the year much like OTL.
• 2006
  • Pretty much the same as OTL in which Charlie and the Chocolate Factory opens though does suffer the same budget cut problems regarding its theming becomes pretty much a disappointment in the eyes of enthusiasts and the GP alike.
• 2007
  • While park wise is pretty much the same as OTL such as the opening of Haunted Hallow, it is during this year that the buyout from Merlin takes place however this is where the second point of diversion takes place in which while the likes of Towers and Thorpe will become part of the Merlin brand, it is decided that Chessington will not be part of the merger in which Tussauds will survive as a company thanks to the sale of its two major theme parks though it does mean that Tussauds is vastly reduced in size with only Chessington and several Waxworks museums still under their ownership.
  • With Chessington not becoming part of the merger, this means that Merlin can focus purely focus on making both Towers and Thorpe their main theme parks appealing to both families and thrill seekers alike and Chessington not part of the merger means that regarding Thorpe, Merlin doesn't need to worry other trying to make sure both parks don't tiptoe around each other so that they don't cause problems in chasing the same market. This means that any and all Chessington developments from Merlin never happen ITTL and the park will look very different as of 2022 but it means that with more funds freed up, this allows for better investment for Towers and Thorpe (LLW pretty much remains the same in case you were wondering).
• 2008:
  • Pretty much the same as with OTL in which Mutiny Bay opening up and Corkscrew closes though it is here that things start to change the following year...
• 2009:
  • SW6 is not being built in Ug Land but rather in Gloomy Wood in the area in which some years ago was the site of an April fools Vekoma bike model, this does mean however that the new coaster will have to be carefully built into the area as not to ruin the surrounding of the area and the ride barley passes through the planning stages and many fans are left angry of how this coaster will ruin the surroundings of GW.
  • Ug Swinger is still moved to Cred Street which still gains its Cloud Cuckoo Land theming much like with OTL and Ug Land as of a result still carries on though is more of a shell of its former self than before.
• 2010:
  • SW6, now known as Thirteen opens in GW that while still has the freefall drop element though ITTL it has a different outside layout due to surrounding area however it has a bit more airtime and more importantly, it is marketed correctly not as a high thrill ride but rather as a mystery to keep guests guessing at what lies within the building (the whole GMTV live thing doesn't blow the reveal but keeps it hidden). As of a result, the ride opens to a somewhat more positive reception though some fans are still disappointed that it is more for families.
  • The theme of Thirteen is somewhat the same of being an abounded crypt though the main difference is that it is themed to an excavation site with scaffolding around the attraction and thankfully blends into that of nearby Duel. Speaking of which...
  • At the same time that Thirteen opens, the money that in our timeline that would have gone to retheme Ug land instead is poured into Duel in which reopens for 2010 as The Haunted House and brought back to its former glory to bring up to line with Thirteen, much to the joy of fans though some guests are left disappointed that the shooting element is gone. That said, rather tediously AT mark the revised Haunted House as a 'new' attraction for 2010. The retheme was actually a sweetener for John Wardley, acting as much like IOTL as the ride consultancy for Thirteen, in which he was given the chance to help overhaul Duel in which he didn't need asking twice. It would also mean that Keith Sparks, one of the original designers of the HH, would be brought back to bring back to life some lost concepts that never make the original and on bittersweet note, this would be the latter's final involvement before his death the following year. Nonetheless, the return of the HH is highly welcomed and thanks to its impressive high throughput queue line, it acts as a very useful filler ride to help soak up the large crowds that gather that year to ride Thirteen and that dark ride itself would actually undergo something of an unlikely renaissance in the eyes of many.
  • Finally, much like with our timeline, Spinball is still rethemed to Sonic Spinball (still being classed as 'new') and Corkscrew's elements are still there at the entrance to the park.
• 2011:
  • As we all know, this is the year that the Shrek 3D show was supposed to be opened but fell apart meaning that Towers would for the first time there would be no new rides or attractions then...not so here. Thanks to a far greater 2010 and without having to throw money at Chessington, Merlin decides to spend a little more money into the place such as more entertainment for park guests though Towers do save some money for the long-term all thanks to their new attraction...
  • Opening for 2011 is something very different is opened to the public...The Alton Towers Museum. As it is, this is a museum built inside the Towers (the first attraction to open in there since Hex) and would be based towards the eastern end of the Towers near X-Sector and would likely be built inside the large area on the other side of Hex's queue. It would be based on not just many of the past rides being represented such as a ride car from Corkscrew, one of the Swan boats, some theming from Toyland Tours etc (ITTL, I'd like to think that in Towers boneyard they have had some of theme remaining in storage in which they are instead brought out, given some final TLC before finally going on display) but also giving a history of the park and of the Towers themselves for guests who have no knowledge about the place. All of which is despite being something of a strange type of attraction actually becomes quite liked for not only seeing more of the Towers but actually helpful to go there on wet days at the park.
  • Not all is perfect however in which in one of the most infamous chapters of the park's history as part of a sponsorship with Fanta, Oblivion would be covered with cheap and nasty vinal stickers of the drink around the attraction which caused much anger and were quickly removed afterwards. No TL can ever be really perfect...
  • Beastie would still be announced as never to open again and one of the ride cars goes into the museum with the ride still being sold off much like OTL.
  • As the season ends, Towers manages to hold a steady 3 million guests for 2011 that it gives the indication to Merlin that all they have to do is keep the momentum going and not screw it up which leads us into a very different 2012...
• 2012:
  • The main thing to point out is that Nemesis Sub-Terra is very different to OTL in which instead of being a drop tower ride is in fact a Mack dark ride system that has the shooting element in place (this would built as a way of appeasing guests who were disappointed in 2010 that HH never had the blasters anymore) and the ride building is about twice the size of the OTL NST building which can just about fit in a dark ride system.
  • The plot of the ride is somewhat different in which while guests are still going many miles down (with no shouting staff), the difference is that rather than going to see an egg, it turns out that Nemesis eggs have not only been found but have hatched after being discovered by workers down there and the danger is that many of them are heading to the surface and guests find themselves being roped in to shoot and the hatched Nemesis babies to make sure they don't reach the surface and cause widespread destruction. Perhaps not surprisingly, the ride opens to a far better reception than compared to OTL for sure. However, NST is not the only thing that is happening in FV.
  • At the same time as NST opens, FV is seeing a major change regarding Air for thanks to a lot more spare funds out there, Air would see a major transformation not just with some tweaks from B&M to bring the technology up to date, but as part of the ride's 10th anniversary, the ride would be fully rethemed into its original 'Oasis' concept, something that Towers would call the 'Remastered' events in which much of that area of the park goes under such a major change that it actually sees itself become its own separate area from FV being called Forgotten Oasis that is themed to a relaxing paradise that is themed to what FV looked before Nemesis transformed it all into a hellscape and that Air is themed to a spirt that is there to not only protect that area but battle Nemesis...a classic battle of good vs evil there. Air's show building is cosmetically changed to be that of a an ancient temple that is themed to how an ancient tribe of the Oasis treated Air as their Goddess to battle evil that may harm them. After queing on the outside, guests enter a cave system to take their ride and yes, the tunnel finally gets some theming to blend into the temple. The queue line area is rerouted slightly to up via the hill in which the queue area near the final helix is cleared back as part of future development while the area near the break run is not only giving some theming touch ups from palm trees and waterfalls but also has that are turned into a viewing area for guests just wanting to see the coaster without riding. The ride itself also undergoes a long awaited repaint in which the track colour remains in its teal colour, yet the supporters are now painted dark blue. So yeah, that certain retheming years later involving VR never happens here and thus, Air is here to stay!
  • Following the success of the 'Remastered' events, this gives the idea that other attractions could get it next.
  • Ice Age 4D never happens for the CCL theatre for with entertainment still a thing at Towers and as of a result, shows will still play out of there though would see not the same show each season.
  • At this same time, SW7 begins work over in X-Sector...
• 2013:
  • SW7, The Smiler, still opens much like with OTL though there are some key differences ITTL.
  • Construction is not as shambolic like in OTL thanks to some more proper planning of the surrounding area and the ride does open earlier than OTL though only by just a week after the 2013 season starts. The ride's queue line now has a set of preshow videos much like Oblivion in which here they do come off as a parody of Oblivion's intimidating build-up with a lot of black humour thrown in in which themed to resemble that of those cheerful 1960's adverts, they are telling guests of how to make themselves feel better and not act like those other poor fellows...anyway, the ride itself has two small but major differences; the ride cars have lap bars (which makes it a far smoother and better experience for many) and the loading bay has two platforms instead of one with a system like that with Oblivion which does help Smiler's capacity problems for sure and all in all, the ride is ofc a success with no real trouble at all building it.
  • Perhaps the main thing to notice is that Smiler's main building looks very different in which is now themed to blend in with the rest of X-Sector in which it follows the curved structure of Oblivion's station but there are more theming upgrades such as the second lift hill is built within a giant 'laughing gas tube' in which the inside is given more SFX smoke and a spiral lighting up the tube which gives a more madcap feeling.
  • Finally, X-Sector does get the TLC needed much like with OTL so no change there.
• 2014:
  • Now then, this is where things get different in which for starts, CBeebies Land never happens. Yes, big change there, though with Thorpe Park by this point still having a family market here, Merlin would go instead have it built at Thorpe with the IP likely to have bigger success being close to the capital and this does mean that several IP's that would have ended up at Towers end up going to Thorpe (yeah, IP's still affect Thorpe much like OL I'm afraid to say).
  • That said, Alton Towers has now actually started to see the benefit of exploiting more of the brand of their attractions and perhaps more cheaper than using an IP to get attention, it is decided that Storybook Land is to undergo a major change for the 2014 season in which it and Adventureland and both grouped together to create a new larger themed area enchanted wood area called Fantasy Forrest (acting as a mirror image to GW) in which not only has much of the rides and theming refurbished such as Squirrel Nutty Ride and The Bookworm are all restored to their former glory with the latter having a new voice audio for the new area. Old MacDonald's Farm is never part of the change so as of a result it remains as is though does see some TLC for the 2014 season.
  • With Adventureland now part of the new area, there are some changes in which the biggest is that on the site of the now long-gone Beastie is a new Mack YoungSTAR coaster called Woody Rocket which is a typical standard YoungSTAR clone coaster and the first on the park since 2005 and is lightly themed to mad invention from Squirrel Nutty himself attempting to creating a rocket from logs. Speaking of which, Squirrel Nutty is much more seen as a walkabout character and the ice show tent is taken down and replaced by a more permeant ice show building in which a new ice show is put in place to help bolster the park's entertainment line-up.
  • Sonic Spinball is not themed into the new surrounding area which does mean it sticks out badly from the rest of the area and rumours are there that its time is coming to an end on several forum sites...
• 2015:
  • Now then, to get the elephant in the room out of the way, no, the Smiler crash never happens here though the Enchanted Wood accommodation still opens much like with OTL though here it is part of the wider Fantasy Forrest theme from the following year.
  • This season instead becomes the year of the 'Remasters' in which Ripsaw, Enterprise and Blade (all Huss rides no less) are all dismantled during the 2014 closed season and are replaced with the newer models of each version with the 'new' Ripsaw being built as one of the suspended Top Spin rides with some new effects and theming and the new Enterprise is based on the newer generation of the model and is given a new black and teal colour scheme to match in with X-Sector.
  • This is also the year that many old favourite characters return such as Henry and Henriette Hound returning to the park after many years and Merlin have actually started to make comic adventures of the characters with some plans even going for a possible TV series in the future to really market the Towers brand though like all best laid plans, this idea is delayed many times over the next few years.
  • Charlie and the Chocolate Factory finally closes to little or no fanfare with some actually happy that it has gone, though the site would remain SBNO for some time afterwards.
  • The Enchanted Village still opens much like with OTL with only a few changes.
  • During this time, serious building work is going on in Ug Land on the site of where Corkscrew was, and area of that park that has seen next to nothing since the famous old Vekoma left the park many years ago and has been a prime spot for a future ride for many years.
  • To end the year on a shock, Sonic Spinball is confirmed to leaving at the end of the season with the ride being sold off to another UK park while one of the ride cars will stay at the Resort to be placed in the museum and finally, it is also announced that Ug Land will close at the end of the year too and that the Flume will also make way for future developments the later ride coming to the end of its working life. The loss of Spinball is marked with little fanfare and instead most are happy that the area will no longer be spoiled by that site of that coaster or any future coaster though it is clear that something will be going in that area in the not-too-distant future...

Still tuned for Part 2 and (Sorry! Tripple post)...

 

[QTXAdsy]

And now onto Part 2!

• 2016:
  • Thanks to the rather wise investment, many good attractions and with Towers now having attendance that is touching towards the 4 million mark, it is fair to say that things are on a roll here with Towers still having some loose change in their pocket and for 2016, Ug Land is given a new retheme to become Thunder Rock Valley, the theme that was somewhat with Rita on opening but here it is now part of the new look of the area in which now the previous dinosaur theme is now all themed to a 1950's style American racing circuit. The new area is one that has a rather mixed opinion in which while many will say that at least finally Rita fits into the area built around its theme of racing, many though miss the dinosaur theming and say that the new Thunder Rock Valley theme feels a little bit blander with its 1950's Americana feel being more straight compared to the previous whacky theme.
  • The main standout for what would be on the site of Corkscrew would be none other than a Mack Spinning Coaster called Drifter in which is themed to, OFC, cars drifting corners much like how Rita is themed to drag racing and almost in tribute to Corkscrew, it also is painted with yellow track though has purple supports. It becomes clear as to why Spinball left the previous year as the new ride does take many elements of that ride and improves on it greatly and soon enough, almost everyone says it is a far better attraction in comparison to Spinball.
  • During this time, Rita itself had during the closed season a refurb or 'Remastered' as Merlin's media team would like to call it, in which the ride would have not only a fresh lick of paint of red track and now dark blue supporters, but also a rebuilt station to cover riders and is themed better which is very welcomed (the original not having any protection from the elements owing to the fast building of the ride) and done is a rebuilt queue line which is no longer the infamous cattle pen system as before in which everyone hated and is much better themed than before. To top it all off, the ride is also given brand new themed drag racing car trains with the new vest restraint design from Vekoma to help with the smooth riding.
• 2017:
  • Hex returns fully refurbished like in OTL, however with no Smiler crash ITTL, the attraction wasn't shut for much of 2016 as was the case with many other rides.
  • The main attraction for 2017 is regarding on expanding the resort complex. What would have Cbeebies Hotel here is instead the park's third themed hotel named Legends of History is a hotel themed to the many famous myths and legends that have been part of British culture for generations such as the Headless Horseman, Loch Ness Monster and even the Chained Oak is mentioned with several rooms having their own theme for each myth much like how the ATH has the same for several rides on the park.
  • The year is pretty major for the resort as a whole as Splash Landings finally receives a major update for the waterpark in which there is extension for such as a wave machine and a new major slide which are not only built undercover but help boost the capacity of the waterpark far better.
  • While most of the investment goes into the resort for a chance, that doesn't mean the park gets nothing in which there is a new attraction that replaces Submission which closed to little fanfare at the end of the 2016 season, to be replaced by a brand new Intamin Suspended Twin Hammer ride which strangely still calls itself as Submission II, though much like how there was the case of calling Black Hole as Black Hole II following a refurb, Submission does get called as Submission MK2 for some before eventually the park drops this name and instead just calls it as Submission as always.
  • On the site of the Flume attraction, the area is cleared for the construction of SW8. Plans were for the new SW to be built in FV nearby Blade however following the closure of the Flume, it was decided at the last minute to use that site instead.
• 2018:
  • SW8 opens on the site of the long-closed Flume attraction, and it is though not called Wicker Man but instead called Kraken which themes itself more closely with Mutiny Bay than the current OTL theme. The ride itself is pretty much the same though with a different story regarding the great sea monster the ride is named after. Big Bob is still there though this time is themed to a giant sea monster that still has, oddly, fire elements on the ride.
  • As part of its 20th anniversary, Oblivion is also giving a long-awaited refurb such as fresh paint job (with Smiler getting some too as to make sure one or the other don't look groggy compared to the other) and some changes to the queue line such as much covered areas which as the riders in darkness with some orange tinted lights and of course the ride preshow films playing out with the old TVs removed. The theme itself is pretty much similar to its Italian cousin of the same name in Gardaland though is quite more up to date and doesn't ruin the original intense theme but instead actually enhances far greater.
  • The station did gain a small extension onto the exit section in which the on-ride photo collection point is now relocated there with a small shop being built there too. This means that the X-Sell building is now just used for the game machines on the inside however it is clear that future attraction is to be built within there.
• 2019:
  • Stargazing Pods never are built though instead we see an expansion of the Enchanted Village. The park would however some of its biggest investment in years for multiply rides (lack of Chessie to spend money for and the lack of Smiler crashing causing so many problems for Towers gives them more freedom to spend) in which in Fantasy Wood, two S&S Frog Hoppers are built called Wood Hoppers. If you haven't already guessed, this is pretty much OTL Peter Rabbit ride.
  • CCL however is undergoing a major change in which as part of a three stage rebuilding job that will that area as well as the building for Charlie and finally reopening Coaster Corner into an all new larger area to be called Port Discovery, an steampunk concept that many years ago had been proposed for X-Sector and as such the new steampunk area will act as a more happier mirror image of the future instead of the more sinsiter one found for X-Sector. The first major change in the area is that Twirling Toadstools is gone and in its place is a Garmendale Quadstar Aerial Roundabout flat ride called Steel Hawks which has all the steampunk theming of flying machines in action, pretty much OTL Vroomster ITTL. The other new attraction in the area and headline one too is inside the Wobble World building is a Spin master dark ride called The Time Machine which is themed to novel of the same name by H.G Wells and if you haven't guessed then yes, this is pretty much OTL's GG ride though themed to H.G Wells in which here guests go on a wild journey through time.
  • Finally, the Cuckoo Cars Driving School is also giving a steampunk retheme and renamed as Discovery Speedway which despite its grand name is pretty much the same as before.
  • Much like OTL, the Swiss Cottage gets work done on it.
• 2020:
  • Yeah, pretty much everything the same from OTL happens ITTL too, however the new attraction for PD is within the Charlie building which in none other than a rebuilt Around the World In 80 Days attraction in the same area not is based on the novel by Jules Verne but actually also sees a full circle moment in which the ride that was originally there when first built finally returns much to the delight of several older fans of the park who would barely remember it. That said though, though it would not open until the following year all due to Covid.
• 2021:
  • Around the World In 80 Days does open for the 2021 season, completing stage two of Port Discovery, though one key difference here is that with a number of flat rides around Towers, far more so than OTL, there is no need for the Retrosquad to be there though is one flat ride added for Fantasy Wood being a Zamperla Lolly Swing built on the site of Spinball, and is called Treetop Swingers.
• 2022:
  • A fairly quiet year for the park though it does see the HH and even Thirteen gain an overhaul with JW returning to update the theming as such as the ride system being overhauled by Mack to bring it up to date all as part of the ride's 30th anniversary (pretty much what is happening right now IOTL but a year earlier). Thirteen also has some theming 'upgrades' with that being loosely applied in which what it is nothing that that just the whole lift hill being covered with wooden planks going up the hill which is pretty much the same as what happened with Rita IOTL following the launch cable snapping and the wooden walls being built around the launch area. However, the reason for it being built is to help the ride's downtime during rainy days which often has seen the lift hill fail to work and this has been done as a way to fix the problem to make it more reliable. As crude as it is despite some little theming adding to try and blend in better with the theme with it becoming something of a joke among enthusiasts, it actually does fix the problem and Thirteen is now reliable as ever and by this point, many trees have grown up around the ride that have made the area ae far better than before.
  • A new attraction for 2022 is built which turns out to be a maze attraction within the X-Sell building which is now called X-Scape which is themed to being invited into what is said to be the behind-the-scenes area for the Ministry of Joy within X-Sector is shown of the inner workings of the area. However, it turns out that the whole inviting message turns out to be nothing more than a trap in which the many victims of Oblivion and Smiler such as those who fell into the hole and never seen again, or the overly happy victims of the latter have been kept hidden away from the public eye and you the guest are next for a newer experiment and through the maze guests must e(x)scape, as the name suggests, from the building before you can be captured. The attraction becomes quite controversial for its heavily adult mature tones in something in what the former Alien Encounter at WDW would have been like but still the attraction is considered as worthwhile edition for the park and some enthusiasts even dub it as the 'final boss' battle in X-Sector considering how it combines the themes of Smiler and Oblivion into the mix.
  • The end of the season see's the end of Nemesis, although just for the 2023 season for it will undergo a major overhaul with a full track replacement program to open it ready in time for its 30th anniversary in 2024.
  • It also sees what is planning application for the third and final major expansion for Port Discovery in which a new large structure is to be built, known simply as Project Horizon, on the long since abandoned Coaster Corner area of the park and who knows what will follow there...

Phew, there we are, the revamped Alton Towers alternate history TL! Anyone else want to try and top that? All serious though, I did take some criticisms from the original such as the coaster in Coaster Corner and improved it for being not only better but plausible for the park too with several things happen for real such as Project Horizon and Nemesis retrack taking place. This is what I have planned to put in full for the alternate history forums on there, though after seeing the other alternate TL's that the likes of @Matt N and @Trooper Looper had for the likes of Thorpe and Chessie respectively, the latter going for the WI if Chessie was never part of the Merlin buyout, I have thought of making it an even bigger crossover TL than I would have thought possible for the UK theme park industry as we know it and given our grumblings on how we feel the parks are run, now is the chance to try this out!

This is revised version I did before, but I'd only want to do Chessie and Thorpe with this TL if I can get your permission to try it out though I might need to tweak a few things such as having Port Discovery at Towers and not at Thorpe as said above. So yeah, tell if you liked this TL and what are some of your favourite bits to it and what ride would you liked to have done here?

 

[Zeock]

Basically for Alton, most areas using IPs would not exist, and would have an original theme. TWODW would have stayed as Cloud Cuckoo Land but CBeebies Land would probably still exist. Also, Oblivion and Smiler would both have the Port Discovery theme that area was proposed to become in 1998.

 

[John_P]

Simple, following the success of The Big One, and PlayStation The Ride I'd have told Geoffrey Thompson building a ridiculously expensive indoor water dark ride at the same time the park was looking at transitioning to a wristband system would be an absolute folly for the park and to build another rollercoaster instead.

 

[Zeock]

Over the past couple of weeks, I created my own Alton Towers alternate history. @QTXAdsy has already seen this via PM.
Introduction: 1980-89
In 1980, Alton Towers was converted into a true theme park under the leadership of entrepreneur John Broome. He built Corkscrew in 1980. It included two corkscrews, and was designed by Werner Stengel and built by Vekoma. It was very well-received, and paved the way for Alton Towers to become the amazing theme park we know today.
In 1981, Wild Water Flume opened as the longest log flume attraction in the world at the time of opening at 886m long. It was built by Mack Rides. In the same year, Around the World in 80 Days.
In 1984, The Black Hole opened. It was a Schwarzkopf JetStar II and was situated in a tent. In the same year, Wild Water Flume became The Log Flume. In 1985, the drop was reprofiled.
From 1987 onwards, there was a decline at Alton Towers because John Broome was putting all his time and money into unsuccessfully covering the Battersea Power Station into a mini-amusement park which was inspired by EPCOT.
Part 1: 1990-99
In 1990, Alton Towers built a Schwarzkopf Shuttle Loop called Thunder Looper in an area called Thunder Valley. It had a very large capacity for a shuttle coaster of 1400pph, which meant that the lines were usually short. It was a very successful ride for the GP, but not with the locals. It made a lot of noise and was viewable above the treeline at 53m tall. It was also not very visually appealing, with John Wardley later saying that it had ‘the elegance of an ugly oil refinery’.
Nothing opened in 1991, but a lot would happen the next year. Doom and Sons closed.
For the 1992 season, to compete with the opening of Euro Disney, Alton Towers planned something special. A new African-themed land called Katanga Canyon was created, which included two rides. One of these was Congo River Rapids, which was a rename and retheme of the old Grand Canyon Rapids, which opened in 1986. It was made a lot more viewable, as John Wardley insisted that people should be able to enjoy viewing the ride as much as riding it. The second attraction was a Mack Rides rollercoaster, called Runaway Mine Train. This sent people twisting and turning across the layout and shared a tunnel with Congo River Rapids. The real jewel in the crown of the 1992 season was The Haunted House. This was a ‘laff-in-the-dark' ghost train on a scale not seen before in the UK. From start to finish, this was a completely immersive experience. The outdoor queue consisted of a graveyard with humorous epitaphs. The indoor queue began with the drawing room. This was immaculately themed with many portraits, some children’s toys and a book whose pages mysteriously turned, which worked using a gear wheel attached to a motor via a belt. The floor also used a ‘Casa Magnetica’ effect, where the floor is at an angle, creating a sense of uneasiness. There was also a projection of ‘Sir Henry Alton’ in the fireplace, which was acted by Keith Sparks, who oversaw Sparks Creatives, and created many of the effects in the attraction. The ride vehicles were state-of-the-art, which required an onboard computer to control. The Haunted House was quite a traditional ride, with old Victorian techniques such as mirrors and the Pepper’s Ghost effect were used. However, one technique used in the ride was very innovative. The Ghost Corridor used a very advanced effect for the time, which had a ghost which required a track of its own like a roller coaster. The lights blink out and suddenly a ghost swoops down over your head before crashing into the wall at the end of the corridor. This effect worked perfectly and was most people’s favourite part of the attraction. The finale was a sensory overload, in which monsters came from all directions, including a technically advanced ‘bridge troll’ and a ‘swamp monster’. All the 1992 attractions had very smooth openings, even the advanced Haunted House, which became an instant classic among guests.
In 1993, Around the World in 80 Days closed. The next year would perhaps be the greatest year in Alton Towers history.
In 1994, two major rides would be opened. One of them would be called ‘Toyland Tours’. This would replace Around the World in 80 Days. This was a boat ride which was themed around a toy factory. One of the most memorable parts of the ride was a giant elevated platform near the end with many different toys from popular culture e.g., Sonic and Mario, but there were much more effects and animatronics than just that. This ride was inspired by ‘It’s a small world’, but it was different enough to distinguish itself from the Disney ride. This was well-received by children and adults alike, but some people wished that it was more story-based, rather than just a collection of scenes. However, the major ride that was coming to Towers in 1994 would blow anything previous out of the water. There was a particular site in Thunder Valley earmarked for construction. In 1990, a Schwarzkopf rollercoaster was planned there. It was going to have three lift-hills, with two running parallel. This was soon scrapped. After this, an Arrow Pipeline attraction was planned, and would be the first Secret Weapon. This was also not built because John Wardley did not think an Arrow Pipeline would be a good fit for Alton Towers. Another Arrow Pipeline, codenamed SW2, would be planned but also dropped. Then John Wardley discovered that Bolliger and Mabillard, or B&M for short, were creating a new type of coaster, a suspended coaster that could invert, called the Inverting Coaster. Wardley tested this and thought that it would be a perfect fit for Alton Towers. A pit was dug to accommodate the new coaster, and the rock blasted was used as theming for Katanga Canyon, which would allow it to have many near-misses with the landscape. It was 13m high, and didn’t have any sort of drop, but the rest of the layout made up for it. By far the best part of the attraction was an incredible helix, which provided enough G-Force (at 3.5G) for people to grey out. It was only 50mph, but the interaction with the terrain made it feel much faster. It was themed to a monster, which a secret military organisation had chained up and converted the chains into a rollercoaster. The track was red, to represent the blood from the monster that stained the chains when it was being chained up. After a long discussion over a bottle of Southern Comfort, Wardley and the then marketing director Nick Varney came up with the name ‘Nemesis’. It was very intricately themed, with a lot of military equipment dotted around the attraction. The new land ‘Forbidden Valley’ was just as well-themed. A pirate ship that was already at the park was relocated and called ‘The Blade’, which was themed to the havoc caused by the monster. Thunder Looper was rethemed to ‘Debris Discombobulation’, which was also themed to wreckage. The 1994 additions were an incredible addition to Alton Towers, especially Nemesis, which was unanimously considered the best ride in the park, although some criticised the lack of imagination in its storyline. This was a turning point in the history of Alton Towers, and 1994 is often considered the year that Alton Towers became a world-class theme park.
In 1995, Energizer opened at the park. It was a filler attraction and was a Mondial Supernova flat ride. Old McDonald’s Farm opened, which was a rethemed Britannia Farm.
In 1996, Alton Towers’ first hotel was built. It was called ‘Algenon’s Adventures Hotel’. It was themed to a great explorer called Sir Algenon whose adventures were painted as murals on the walls. There were many big physical props in the hotel, such as a crashed hot air balloon. Storybook Land also opened in 1996, with the ‘Bookworm’ as the face of the land. This was a nicely presented land for children. Black Hole had a station retheme, which had been changed to steampunk, and was considered the best station at Alton Towers at the time of opening. Unfortunately, Debris Discombobulation had to close after more resident complaints.
The only major ride to open in 1997 was Ripsaw. This was a Huss TopSpin that was aimed at the same audience as Debris Discombobulation and had a lot of theming. It had a very well-themed queue, which snaked around a bunch of military equipment, and the area around the ride was covered in wreckage and surrounded by military vehicles. It was a ‘spectacle ride’, which was as much fun to watch as to ride. The next year would be a very good one for the park.
Another Secret Weapon was planned soon after Nemesis for the year 1998. Tussauds wanted a ‘world’s first’ to entice the public into coming back. The ‘Nemesis effect’ was waning. Bolliger & Mabillard was approached, and they came up with a radical new design: The Dive Coaster. This had trains that had not been seen before at a theme park, with 8 by 2 seating. It was able to have a drop of completely 90 degrees, thanks to spring-loaded wheels. The drop is what Tussauds would market; calling it ‘The World’s First Vertical Drop Rollercoaster’. The premise behind the ride would have seen passengers boarding an industrial grade steampunk themed mining drill which would be set to descend into the earth to drill for precious materials within the ground below. Theming would have seen the inclusion of a giant drill bit attached to the front of all shuttles, a heavy use of bronze and other traditionally industrial colours and an overall outward appearance to that of Black Hole, which was the new ride’s major neighbour. The area would be called ‘Port Discovery’ and the Dive Coaster would be called ‘Gold Digger’. The area would absolutely be teeming with industrial equipment, and had a 5m wall around the perimeter, allowing for 360-degree immersion. Both Enterprise and Energizer were relocated to Port Discovery and given a suitable bronze paint job. This was by far the best themed land Alton Towers had created, with many comparing it to the themed areas at the Disney parks. Gold Digger was very well-received, and rivalled Nemesis for the best rollercoaster at the park for many, despite being just a drop, helix and airtime hill before a rise into the station. Alton Towers received over 3.5 million visitors that year, mostly thanks to Port Discovery.
In 1999, not a single ride opened. However, this was because of a massive investment the park would put into a new ride the very next year.
Part 2: 2000-09
Alton Towers wanted to celebrate the millennium in style. They wanted something that would be comparable to Disney dark rides. A problem was where to put it. This would be a ride on a grand scale. Of course, the Towers ruins themselves were large, and needed upkeep of millions of pounds every year. An attraction in the ruins would give Tussauds a capitalistic excuse for maintaining it. The theme of the ride would be easy. It would be loosely set around a legend that dates to the nineteenth century, where the Earl was travelling to the Towers, when a beggar woman approached the carriage, begging for money. After being disregarded by the Earl, the beggar placed a curse on the Earl, saying that every time a branch fell from the old oak tree, a member of his family would die. Later that night, during the opening of the new banqueting hall, a freak storm rolled over the Towers. Lightning struck the oak tree, and a branch fell. Soon afterwards, a member of the Earls family suffered an abrupt and inexplicable death. There would be two preshows on the attraction. The first one would use projection mapping to make you feel like you were in the Towers in its prime and it took place in the banqueting hall. The Earl, which was created via a Pepper’s Ghost effect, made a speech and laughed about an encounter with an old lady and a ‘phoney curse’ put on him. However, immediately after, a massive storm started. After about 30 seconds of lightning and thunder effects, a sound of a tree branch hitting the ground could be heard. The first preshow ended here. Then, guests walk into the Octagon, where a narrator would tell guests about how one of the Earl’s family died in the morning after the tree fell. Then, some lights flickered, a curse was incantated, and effects were used all around the Octagon, such as the neighing from a horse, a mini cave in, and once again using the Pepper’s Ghost effect, the ‘beggar woman’ would appear. After this, it was said that the Earl had kept the branch in a vault, for unexplained reasons. He had also chained up the rest of the tree, so this tragedy to not happen again. This is where the second preshow ended. Guests then walked into a ‘vault’, which was a show building for the main ride, which was a Vekoma Madhouse. The branch was situated in the middle, and as you boarded the ride, riders would spot many scrawled pieces of writing by the Earl, of which one stated, ‘Anyone that sees the fallen branch will die. I cannot stop this.’ Once everyone is seated, the lap bars come down. The first thing guests experience is quite strange. They would get a distinct feeling of movement, yet nothing in the room is moving. Soon, the entire seating area begins to swing back and forth, in a Blade fashion, though not to the same height. The disorientation occurs at this stage. Your brain is tricked into thinking you are upside down, as the entire room revolved in the opposite direction. This really upsets your senses, as your sense of balance tells you, you are not upside down, but your eyes are telling you that you are. The ride settles down after a minute or so, and you then leave the ride through more passages, before emerging into the conservatory, and into the gardens in the Towers grounds. Many effects were used in the show building, such as lightning and strobe lights. The ride would be called ‘Memento Mori’, and would cost £8 million, similar to the budget of a Secret Weapon. It was not as well-received as Tussauds would have wanted, but it gained a cult status amongst many.
In 2001, nothing new would open as another major investment would open in the next year.
Tussauds wanted another ‘world’s first’ to open in 2002. A flying coaster was considered as the major new ride for 1998 instead of Gold Digger. The flying coaster plans were put on hold as it was considered too difficult and expensive. However, the plans were revived. By this time, many flying coasters had been built worldwide so once again the plans were dropped as it would not be unique enough. Instead, Alton Towers would go with something different. The hydraulically launched roller coaster. In a hydraulic system, a sled connects to the roller coaster train via a cable. As the hydraulic motor functions, the cable winds around a drum, which pulls the sled. The sled then releases the train, slows down and heads back to its starting spot. Intamin were contracted to make this ride, and by 2001 construction had begun. It would be around 20m tall, and themed to an attack on Nemesis, with the trains being themed to either military vehicles or aircraft, depending on which train you chose. It started with a launch at over 100 km/h over the highest point of the ride. It then curved downwards, and then there was an airtime hill above the walkway. After this, it carried on into a ‘twister’ layout, with many bends and a couple of flojector airtime hills. It opened on the 18th of March 2002 as Operation Rocket, over three months before the second hydraulically launched roller coaster, which is called Xcelerator. It was another well-received attraction, but some people found it rough from Day 1, due to the OTSR’s. The theming was also not as detailed as some hoped it to be.
In 2003, the Splash Landings Hotel opened. It was meant to be a cheaper place to stay than Algenon’s Adventures Hotel, and included a waterpark, called Cariba Creek. It would be completely indoors, with the standout attraction being a water coaster called Banana Blaster. It would run around the entirety of the waterpark, providing a sense of speed and some good pops of airtime. The hotel was open on time and was a major success, especially with people who previously could not afford to stay overnight at Alton Towers.
In 2004, The Haunted House was becoming a little tired. The Eastwick scene was scrapped, and zombies were put in place of the fingers. The giant’s head was replaced with lightning effects. It also received extra maintenance, and the sound system was upgraded.
For 2005, a ‘Cross-Valley’ roller coaster was envisaged. It would use the terrain to its advantage, featuring drops of over 200 feet. After exiting the station, the trains would climb a 22-metre (72 feet) lift hill up the top of the tree line, before plunging down into the valley below, racing past trees on either side of the track and likely hitting speeds of well in excess of 70 miles per hour. After rising up the other side and emerging close to Operation Rocket, the train would perform several turns, climb another lift hill and plummet down a second drop parallel to the first. After turning a final time, it would return to the station. However, it was faced with serious opposition. Many people thought that the noise would ruin the beauty of the Churnet Valley, and the fact that it ran through a Grade 1 forested area meant that it also sparked conservation anger, although the trees which would need to be chopped down to make way for the ride were mostly diseased. Faced with this opposition, Alton Towers backed down. Panicking as they had been focusing on the cross-valley coaster, Towers moved Black Hole to a vacant spot between Storybook Land and Port Discovery, and marketed it as new. It lost the steampunk theme, but gained some more effects with a space theme. The land it was in would be called ‘Adventure Land'.
In 2006, nothing opened. With nothing major planned for 2007 either, people wondered if Alton Towers was undergoing a downwards spiral.
In 2007, Alton Towers opened the ‘There’s Something in the Dung Heap' playground, and the walkthrough Haunted Hollow. Toyland Tours received a refurbishment, and would be closed for the last few months of the season.
In 2008, Merlin took over Alton Towers. It was considered that the Corkscrew could be removed to make way for new developments. However, it was considered too iconic to remove. Mutiny Bay replaced Merrie England, and opened with a new attraction, called Battle Galleons. The Flume received a retheme to fit in with the new land, and was renamed to Shipwreck Adventure. It featured a good amount of theming, such as a few wrecked boats, and some simple pirate animatronics.
2009 was a bigger year for Alton Towers. Another world's first was wanted. This time Alton Towers would want the inversion record. The site that was chosen was the former area where Black Hole resided in Port Discovery. It would be called ‘The Marmaliser', which would also be the name of the main theming structure. The train will then begin to ascend the lift hill, offering views of what is to come. Upon arrival at the top of the first lift hill, riders are presented with a picturesque view of the Towers, the lawns, the lake and Towers Street. Then, you drop quickly to the right over the toilet block at the top of Port Discovery, before being dragged through the second inversion, an inverted drop. After reaching the floor of the concrete pit below, riders are then thrown back into the sky upside down, before twisting over to drop back down to the floor, and then mirroring this element again, forming a pretzel loop inversion. After a brief pop of ejector air time as you pass under The Tickler and The Flasher legs of The Marmaliser, riders are thrown back down into an even deeper pit before encountering a batwing. After exiting the batwing, a corkscrew awaits riders as you pass within inches of The Giggler leg. Riders will most likely be sprayed by a light mist at this point, before coming to a halt on a block break section. A vertical lift hill towers over riders, but not for long as you soon begin to ascend it up to the sky above. At the peak of this lift hill, you will be presented with a similar view from atop the first lift hill. However just like last time, you aren’t given very long to admire it as you drop to the left over the toilet block again, encountering a second inverted drop. Once reaching the bottom, riders are then thrown up, around and down through a sea serpent roll. Then, you’re once again lifted from your seats over another air time hill. This time, The Inoculator lies waiting to shock guests with a light jet spray of water, before riders are sent flying head over heels through an intense cobra roll. After exiting this cobra roll, a final set of a barrel roll/corkscrew combination await you, with the latter providing an excellent burst of hang time. Riders pass over the half way point before turning to the left and back into the station. It was the first ‘Infinity Coaster', and was also Alton Towers’ most expensive investment ever, at £18 million. Despite having 14 inversions, it would feature lap bars. The Marmaliser would become an icon of the park and many people’s favourite ride at the park.
Part 3: 2010-2019
Not much happened in 2010, with no new rides.
In 2011, Alton Towers would build something fairly unique. The high-speed slot car dark ride had been ultilised in 3 attractions to date, but nothing in the UK. The new ride would be themed to Nemesis. Guests would begin the experience with a preshow, telling you that the Phalanx had given you access to a secret facility. You boarded the attraction, and saw the facility, but as you approached the egg which Nemesis had laid, you saw that it already had hatched. The ride increased speed, and after a while of hearing noises, as if the baby was stalking you, it appeared. The monster itself was around as advanced as the average A100 animatronic with pneumatic actuators. It would be around 1m high, and was very impressive for a non-Disney park. The cars then sped up to a top speed of 50 mph, and after around 20 seconds, ground to a halt and the experience finished. It was very well received, and cost around £13 million.
In 2012, Ripsaw would be updated, and would become floorless. Memento Mori closed to make way for a new attraction for 2014, as its lifespan was only meant to be a maximum of 12 years.
In 2013, a family rollercoaster was planned. It would have a dark theme and would be an Intamin Mine Train model. Themed to the woods taking control of Alton Towers, it would featured a 60ft drop and a number of mild floater airtime hills. Called TH13TEEN, the marketing would be scary, but not scary enough to deter the target audience of 7-12. It was brilliantly received, with over 4 million people visiting Alton Towers for the first time ever.
In 2014, the replacement for Memento Mori arrived, called Memento Mori? Yes, the name would not be changed for the new attraction. Even the storyline would stay the same. Instead of being a walkthrough/madhouse attraction, it would be a trackless dark ride manufactured by ETF. A trackless dark ride was chosen as the Towers would be a suitable place for one as the 'theming’ was already 360 degrees. The ride would use the same layout as the old attraction, and would have its climax in the old Madhouse show building, with the vehicles circling around the ‘branch', with thunder and wind effects. It was poorly received, and was labelled as many as ‘Towers' greatest mistake’, especially as it cost a sizeable amount (10 million), and that the name was not changed.
In 2015, some new accommodation opened. It was called ‘The Enchanted Village’ and consisted of 155 accommodation units, made up of four types of building – lodges, huts, tree houses and holes. Lodges would sleep up to 5 people on a double bed, bunk beds and a pull-out extra bed. Huts would sleep up to 4 people on a double bed and bunk beds. Treehouses would sleep up to 8 people, include a hot tub and be the most luxurious accommodation found at the Resort. Holes would contain the same features as a hut, but are slightly smaller in size and are ‘underground’. All accommodation options would provide a kitchenette as well as a veranda to its front with table and seating. It was well received, as the Enchanted Village catered to all budgets. Also in 2015, Corkscrew received vest restraints to make the ride smoother for guests.
In 2016, a new rollercoaster debuted in Storybook Land. Manufactured by Zamperla, it would be called ‘Squirrel Nutty's Madcap Madness'.
In 2017, a major development was planned for Alton Towers. It was considered what ride Alton Towers should have. They decided on a drop tower on the site of the car park near Operation Rocket. This ride would take major inspiration from a forgotten Disney concept, which would have been called Geyser Mountain. The ride that Alton Towers would get, called Vulcania, would be 100ft tall, but the half of that height would be underground in the mountain. The ride itself would be a clone of Mystery Castle at Phantasialand, but the theme would be very similar to the old Disney attraction. Old mining elevators would descend through the mountain, opening to reveal crystal caverns and steaming subterranean chambers before the mountain’s geyser would erupt, launching riders sky-high for park-wide views. A new land would be created for this new attraction, called Geyser Springs, and would be littered with details on a scale not seen since Port Discovery opened.
In 2018, Alton Towers introduced lap bars onto Operation Rocket, which made the ride much smoother, and added new effects onto Congo River Rapids, including making the water much choppier, and adding new theming. Memento Mori would gain more effects, but although it was a very good attraction, it still did not attract the general public due to the lack of thrills, and the lack of storyline change.
In 2019, The Haunted House would receive a small makeover, with the lighting improving in places, and the trommel was repainted to the ‘fire' look it had before opening, but was changed.
Part 4: 2020-2022
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, reducing attendance from 4.3 million in 2019 to under a million. No new rides opened in this period, but The Flume received new boats. The Blade closed in this year, but its site wouldn’t be empty for 2021.
In 2021, another pirate ship arrived at Alton Towers. Learning from their mistakes with Memento Mori, it was named simply Wreckage. Gold Digger received new 3x6 floorless trains, increasing its capacity to over 1900 pph. 2022 would be a big year though.
Alton Towers planned for a world-class ride so they could recover from COVID-19 fully. The Cross-Valley concept was revived. Technology had moved on since when it was first proposed, so Alton Towers decided to turn to Rocky Mountain Construction to build it. It would be sand-filled to reduce noise. Residents were up in arms about it, but a compromise was achieved. Alton Towers would build a ‘relief road' for the residents of Alton. Appeased, the project was approved. The ride would be themed to an emergency escape route that people could take if Nemesis were to escape. The ride started with a launch into a banked turn. It then went through an airtime hill and a corkscrew before its main drop into the valley at over 200 ft. There would then be a double up into a zero g stall. There would be an off axis airtime hill into an wave turn. Then, there would be a double down and then another off axis airtime hill into a second launch uphill. This would be followed be an over banked turn and then a ‘death roll' first used in Iron Gwazi. It would then have a triple up into the brake run. Marketed as ‘the first hybrid coaster in the UK' and ‘the largest drop in the UK’, it was a total success. It was almost everyone’s favourite ride in the park and ranked in the top 5 coasters on Earth on Captain Coaster in December 2022. This propelled Alton Towers to over 5 million visitors, marking a complete recovery from the pandemic.

 

[Benzin]

Taught the ride staff to actually check visually if the ride is safe to override.

 

[Zeock]

I thought that I would do a mini alternate history for Forbidden Valley post-2022.

The Nemesis Observation Platform does not happen due to obstruction from the Monorail track, but Nemesis: Sub Terra opens at the same time as it did in real life, in order to increase the hype for the retrack.

In this alternate history, the track for Nemesis would be the same black and red colour that we see today, and the adjustments to Nemesis’ station would remain, both interior and exterior. People still mourned the loss of the front-row queue, but many felt that the extra station theming compensated for the loss. However, Nemesis would not gain a ‘Reborn’ moniker; it would simply be called ‘Nemesis’.

The entrance sign would remain the same as it is in real life, with tentacles spelling out ‘Forbidden Valley’.

The Blade would keep its rustic aesthetic. The seats would be repainted in brown. This might seem at odds with the rest of the area, but Alton Towers decided to keep the pathway down to the former Ripsaw site as it was before the retrack, with Nemices Donuts and The Generator keeping their rustic feel. This was intentionally done to provide an area of nostalgia for those who missed the original look of Forbidden Valley when it opened in 1994. This pathway would be themed as an area high in radiation, therefore explaining why all of the buildings are rusty, whereas the rest of the area is sleek and modern. As a final touch of nostalgia, in the queue for The Blade, the original Nemesis soundtrack would be played at a low volume. However, throughout the rest of the area, the IMAscore soundtrack would be playing, like in real life.

Going back to the rest of the area, the Ripsaw truck would not arrive at Chessington but would stay at Towers, and it would also be repainted in black to fit with the Phalanx theme, with the chevrons removed and replaced with a white Phalanx logo. This truck would be overturned, and placed in the Nemesis queue line. The Stag would retain its original khaki colours, rather than being painted black, and it would be placed in the queue line where the Nemesis gun is in real life. Like the Nemesis gun, it would emit a shooting sound when the ride went over the first corkscrew. The Nemesis gun itself would not make an appearance.

The shipping container lab would remain, but there would be no Nemesis track coming out of it, as it was decided that it looked too fake. However, there would be some old Nemesis track dotted around the area, which would be stuck in the ground, like in real life.
Also, like in real life, red tentacles would be dotted around the area, such as on the entrance, and on the Bunker 94 shop.

The drill would be removed from its old place and moved to the site of Ripsaw, as Project Ocean would be under construction in X Sector, not, like in real life, in Forbidden Valley. It would be cordoned off, and the storyline would be that, since the original Nemesis flesh was still on the drill, the Phalanx was extracting the Nemesis creature’s DNA from there, as it was much safer than extracting DNA from the monster itself, in order to make Nemesis the weapon that the Phalanx wanted.

The Mushroom Cloud Tours Bus would remain the same as in real life, but there would be a new double-decker bus on the site of Nemesis Nosh, which would look surprisingly similar, and retain the original name.

The fencing around the ride itself would retain the same design from 2022, but it would become black, like in real life. However, the queue line’s fencing would be the same as what we see today.

The telescopes in the queue line in real life would not be present.

The helicopter on the site of the drill would remain, accompanied by theming dotted around, like in real life, but the smaller helicopter on top of the fake rocks would not be added.

Like in real life, the Nemesis kitchen/camp would be removed.

Finally, the waterfalls would return, but not in their original form. They would be clear, and represent bile oozing from the monster.

 

[QTXAdsy]

Wee question that is slightly off topic but one interesting point of division of history has been IMO what if during the Merlin buyout that Chessington was never included in the deal with both Towers and Thorpe?

Given the state Chessie was in then being done dirty by Tussauds over how much they invested in Thorpe, it was literally a hair's breath away from being dropped from Merlin that few seem to realise how close it was from happening and either its fate was to run independently or sold off before at the last minute being included in the deal.

Maybe Tussauds could have still been in operation in which they sell off Towers and Thorpe and pretty much anything they owed to Towers, other than the waxworks attractions being the family silver and all, off to Merlin in which pretty much clears all of Tussauds' debts and puts them in the black and Chessington is now treated as an only child and Thorpe could end up going down a family focus too instead of becoming a pure thrill park as there would not be live awkwardly with Chessie nearby. Any ideas how the UK theme park scene might have changed here?