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Toyland Tours

Ted

Ted

TS Member
Favourite Ride
Kondaa
Ah yes it's Toyland Tours, one of the most talked about defunct Alton rides since its closure in 2005. It's often talked about how it's superior to Charlie. The ride opened on the same day as Nemesis in 1994 and was regarded a classic and magical ride back in Alton's "Magic" era in the 90's :)

So what does everyone think about it? I've never ridden it so I can't comment. But I presume many TSTers have, so they can share their memories here! :)
 
Toyland Tours, just, argh! I loved it! It's one of the first dark rides I've ridden and I've never looked back on the experience being poor or run down, anything like that. I recall all the scenes pretty damn well (You can thank various remaining POVs and promotional material for that) with a particular memory for this dazzling BUSTY creature.

It was a very silly ride, like the little sister to Professor Burp's Bubbleworks at Chessington, and it just charmed children really since the ride was just a different experience to what you'd normally have at a theme park.
 
Toyland Tours was one of my first rides at Alton Towers (along with the Black Hole and Bone Shaker), and I do have some quite vivid memories of riding it. Unfortunately there were only minimal queues on the few times I did get to go on it as a 13 year old, and once was walk on - however with it being so hidden away and under-promoted in relation to Towers' other attractions, it was perhaps rather unfortunate these would lead to it's demise.

The ride itself was rather marvellous and much better than Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in my opinion. It has something for everyone really; the kids had the colourful characters and toys to look at, the teenagers had a 'tunnel of love'-esque experience (if they did actually ride it against the likes of Nemesis and Oblivion), and adults could have a giggle at the puns and rather erotic hippo.

It's a real shame it's gone, however I'm glad there are still bits and pieces such as markings for each scene and the tugboat left to remember a classic British dark ride by. If I remember rightly, there's even sections left that pre-date Toyland Tours, so it is a rather novel building to look around if you get the opportunity.
 
To this day i am still deeply upset about the removal of Toyland Tours.

the ride was part of my childhood! i remember going on it all the time as a child and every time i loved it! ok so it was a little worn out towards the end, but it was still a lot more interesting to ride then Charlie is today!

going behind the scenes last month was so sad! really got me feeling a bit emotional stepping onto the SS Toyland Tours again :-(
 
Toyland Tours was my favourite ride as a child. It really summed-up what the Alton Towers magic really was. Everything about it was funny and colourful and well-presented. It didn't rely on a high-tech simulator and it didn't have to either. It was such a shame to see it in such a state in its final years and even more saddening when it was replaced with the insult that is Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

No doubt I'll get attacked by a youngster for that last comment, but I really don't care.

I walked past Charlie and the Chocolate Factory today and pictured it as Toyland Tours before sighing and walking away whilst humming the Toyland Tours tune. :(
 
Forgot about this some how it was an amazing ride really enjoyed it as a child
 
May as well link my pictures of Toyland Tours in its opening year onto here:

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I was only one when these were taken! :p
 
It really was a magical ride! I remember it well as a child and the grand station with the big boat. It did bring alot of memories back last month when we got to see the boat which is all still there, just stuck behind a wall.

Everything about Toyland was great, it had bright lights, funky music, humour for the adults and it was a decent long ride. Every where you looked there was something moving or to look at, unlike Charlie which has more empty space than things to look at!

I just wish I had gone to towers when it was leaving so I could have had a proper ride on it when I was an adult. But at least I have many happy memories of it as a child.
 
I know I rode it a few times as a child, but all I can remember is the boats, none of the themeing :(
 
I used to love riding Toyland Tours for years and ever since my first visit back in 2001. The scenery was colourful and you had a catchy soundtrack to go with the flow, it had some unique gimmicks and gags to enjoy. Right at the end of the ride there's a busty hippo who looks ridiculous while balancing ontop of a cupcake. I've ridden toyland tours from 2001-2005 *its final and end season*. I nearly lost my camera case on the ride in 2005, but i got it back in the end. I left it on one of the colourful canal boats.
 
It was a great ride but as the years went on I did not get the attention it deserved. It was a running joke among staff 'they would say lets go and see how its slowly rotting. But it was a much better ride than Charlie.
 
Toyland Tours for me was the epicentre of 'Magic' at Alton Towers - Even at the age of 16 i would always ride on every visit, A journey around Toyland Tours was paramount for every visit. I feel deeply sorry for those that never got to ride it, it was truly a staple part to the parks 'magical heritage' - I'm still shocked to this day that they decided to replace it with the morbidly terrible Charlie and The Chocolate Factory. Whether it was the music, the station or the theming, the ride had something about it that the park now lacks, ahhh thats it, authentic atmospheric magic :)
 
Samwise said:
Whether it was the music, the station or the theming, the ride had something about it that the park now lacks, ahhh thats it, authentic atmospheric magic :)
Click to expand...

Well said! :)

Does anyone remember that you could actually buy the cassette/CD of the music? I remember seeing them on sale in a small kiosk shop near the corkscrew!

Also, does anyone know if the ideas and theming were an in-house job by Tussauds?
 
BigAl said:
I was only one when these were taken! :p
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I was minus 1 month!
Toyland Tours was a great ride!

Currently possess a Toyland Tours keyring in my room from the 90's (Forgot the specific year) !
 
KingNemesis said:
BigAl said:
I was only one when these were taken! :p
Click to expand...

I was minus 1 month!
Toyland Tours was a great ride!

Currently possess a Toyland Tours keyring in my room from the 90's (Forgot the specific year) !
Click to expand...
Do you have a photo of it? I never got any Toyland Tours merchandise, though I do have an old beaker with various attractions on which does include an image of the pink elephant from Toyland Tours.
 
Does anyone have any construction pictures of Toyland Tours? I know it was a retheme not a new ride, but it must be about the only Alton Towers development for which none exist.

Also, strangely Toyland Tours is the only one of John Wardley's creations that he has never talked about.
 
1994 was a rather immense year for Tussaudes: Toyland Tours, Terror Tomb and Nemesis, all of which were big investments that produced great rides. I doubt John Wardley was involved in all of them to equal extent, however.

Strangely I never rode Toyland Tours, despite having plenty of opportunity to ride it, because it always looked too... offputting. All the 'happiness' and colour in the facade came across wrong, and I never saw anybody ride it. In fact it looked so depressing down in that forgotten corner of Cred Street, which itself was a tired, worn out area at the time.

Such a shame really, along with Nemesis it was the park's joint flagship ride for a few years. I definitely would have gone inside if I had known it would be changed.
 
It's been gone more than 7 years?! Still can't get the tune out of my head! It was genuinely a great ride, no one could go round it without cracking a smile and a trip to Alton wasn't complete without it...and perhaps still isn't.

I do have a soft spot for Charlie though, I really enjoyed working on there...but its a terrible ride of course.
 
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