Can't think of a batter answer than this!
- News all the latest
- Theme Park explore the park
- Resort tour the resort
- Future looking forward
- History looking back
- Community and meetups
-
ℹ️ Heads up...
This is a popular topic that is fast moving Guest - before posting, please ensure that you check out the first post in the topic for a quick reminder of guidelines, and importantly a summary of the known facts and information so far. Thanks. - Thread starter Hid
- Start date
- Favourite Ride
- POTC Disneyland Paris
What year has Alton been at its best
This thread meant to be opposite of the worst era to what is the best year of TowersSurely this question should go in the other inane "which season" thread?
Which ‘worst’ era of Alton Towers do you think is better than the other?
Ok who’s **** is worse, Merlin’s or DIC’s?towersstreet.com
Why do we have two of these? Does title of this thread hurt anybody else's eyes and head?
Only 100 more days of closed season left.
DistortAMG
TS Member
Personally, a few years after the end of the Persons Tussauds era, just before the changes at the top caused noticeable changes on the ground. So 2002 / 2003 ish.
The park had a large entertainment line up including shows in the big top, and Cred Street, the big selection of rides gave the park a large capacity and they ran well. Park hours were 5PM minimum, routinely 7 to 8PM in the summer. F&B was decent and well priced with high street fast food vendors on site. Fast track actually served to alleviate queues for guests and was free. It wasn't there as a money making exercise but to improve guest experience.
Overall the park accepted a much larger influx of visitors than it did now, but the park did not feel as busy. The whole operation from hotels to theme park ran like a well oiled machine and it was well priced with great customer service and you felt like you actually got your moneys worth.
Objectively speaking, not subjectively speaking, the park has not offered such a great overall product since those days. It has come close but it has not quite hit the same high notes.
The park had a large entertainment line up including shows in the big top, and Cred Street, the big selection of rides gave the park a large capacity and they ran well. Park hours were 5PM minimum, routinely 7 to 8PM in the summer. F&B was decent and well priced with high street fast food vendors on site. Fast track actually served to alleviate queues for guests and was free. It wasn't there as a money making exercise but to improve guest experience.
Overall the park accepted a much larger influx of visitors than it did now, but the park did not feel as busy. The whole operation from hotels to theme park ran like a well oiled machine and it was well priced with great customer service and you felt like you actually got your moneys worth.
Objectively speaking, not subjectively speaking, the park has not offered such a great overall product since those days. It has come close but it has not quite hit the same high notes.
Last edited:
Secret Weapon
TS Member
I first visited Alton Towers in 1994 (when Nemesis opened), and I didn't go again until 2001 - mainly due to the heavy queues (I much preferred Drayton Manor, and even Safari Park, back then). I sadly never got to ride Thunder Looper for this reason, but at least I eventually got to ride Corkscrew and The Black Hole (in later years) before they both closed!
There were also no single-rider queues back then, and so - even though AT hit its record attendance in 1994 - I personally don't remember 1994 as being all that great of a year (I may be alone in that thinking, though).
There were also no single-rider queues back then, and so - even though AT hit its record attendance in 1994 - I personally don't remember 1994 as being all that great of a year (I may be alone in that thinking, though).