In an attempt to fuel some positive closed season discussion, where in your opinion can you still find magic within the park?
The Towers (providing they're open) and in a few areas of the Gardens (that haven't been decimated by unnecessary fencing).
The thrill of riding Wickerman for the first time. Toddlers meeting Iggle Piggle. The moment Nemesis enters the first corkscrew. Watching the fireworks. Taking a friend on Hex/Thirteen for the first time and seeing reactions. Riding the lift at Alton Towers Hotel.
Faults aside I always feel "magic" when I visit, and anyone who is friends with Wayne will see some pics he has put u today walking around the park and without any guests there and all the rides closed you can see why. The house, gardens, history of the place creates its own magic. All the memories I have there since 1993 when I first visited add to this magic.
Im Autistic so the magic of the towers for me is the fact that Alton is one of the very very few places I am comfortable talking to strangers and approaching people to ask if they need help etc...
There is definitely still some magic there, the place makes your money disappear... ...your are sure to come away with less money than that of what you have arrived with
Considering I managed to spend more then £1k on a THORPE PARK Resort trip I think they have Alton beat for that...
Isn't that true of almost any day out? I went out shopping on Sunday and had a carvery lunch. Came home with less money than I arrived with. Went to the seaside last summer and bought an ice cream on the pier, came home with less money than I arrived with. Went to the cinema and got some popcorn, cam home with less money than I arrived with. Went to the theatre and got a drink at the interval, came home with less money than I arrived with. Other than the price of entry, no-one is forcing you to buy anything else at Alton Towers, the cinema, the theatre or anywhere else. For those who are finding it hard to find the magic I strongly suggest making fewer visits to the park. You'll appreciate it much more when you go back.
I know that , either my post went over your head or you just like nit picking my posts You surely have never visited the park back in the golden days
Not really nit-picking, just that there are too many people making out everything is doom and gloom, when there still actually a lot of good things. What are your golden days? First visit was 1994, but my family preferred Drayton Manor. Then I visited several times a year from 2000-2010 and then have at least annually from 2010 to now. For me they are all golden days, yes some years have been worse than others but I had just as many bad days on park years back as I did now. I think the addition of paid Fast Track around 2005/6 did make things worse, but I have definitely found fewer visits to the park made me appreciate it a lot more. Oh and my best day on park, probably was following the Nemesis 10th birthday event in 2004.
That warm fuzzy feeling when you’ve had a couple of drinks in the tavern and you have coasters right near you.
Never had a bad day at towers. It's rained all day on a few occasions and we've still had a brilliant time. We keep going back so there must be some magic of sorts. Staying away on really busy days is a good trick though.
On a serious note, I have always said, if you take away all the rides and attractions, Alton Towers is still a beautiful place and is a very enchanted place
Still plenty of magic if you look hard enough. It's hard to ignore all the bad points though. I think they kind of erase some of the magic for people. Magic parts for me: 1. The View when you visit enter the park of the Towers. Still gets me all these years later. 2. Nemmy. Goes without saying. This is the main reason I keep coming back. Simply the BEAST. 3. Hex - Still one of the best Dark Rides / Attractions in Europe. My Favourite mad house I have done purely because of it's location and backstory.
The magic in the pricing of season tickets is still there. Only had to pay £65 for premium and even the original price of £75 is a bargain. Includes scarefest and parking so really is great value.
When you first hear the Nemesis theme music when approaching the ride. Hotel lift. Hex. That's about it. There's still plenty of good stuff about Alton Towers, but the 'magic' is pretty much dead now.
because like most of us we became fans way before the decline? And remain passionate about what it was and the memories we had? These time’s we talk about were probably before you were even born/ visiting the park. It’s hard to describe if you weren’t there