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.
