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Which major coaster will be the next to go?

Which major coaster will be the next to go?

  • Total voters
    174
NuttySquirrel said:
I find Rita one of the most uncomfortable and unpleasant rides in the country. More so than Smiler, Saw or Grand National. Not sure if it's a height thing (I'm just over 1.5m) but every time I ride I'm constantly trying to keep my head from smashing into the OTSR and always come off with a banging headache. It's a torture device. Surprised more people don't experience this, like I said maybe a height thing.
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I have the same experience, although not worse than saw for me.

I'd rather they removed rita than galactica or oblivion because those 2 I can't hit my head on the restraints! So they're 2 of my favourite rides at the park. But like others have said, I don't think any of them are going anytime soon.
 
NuttySquirrel said:
I find Rita one of the most uncomfortable and unpleasant rides in the country. More so than Smiler, Saw or Grand National. Not sure if it's a height thing (I'm just over 1.5m) but every time I ride I'm constantly trying to keep my head from smashing into the OTSR and always come off with a banging headache. It's a torture device. Surprised more people don't experience this, like I said maybe a height thing.

An LSM in its place would be a dream, but in its existing form it doesn't have a layout good enough to be worthy of an upgrade. It just needs to go.
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Personally never had a problem with Rita being uncomfortable, in all my experience riding it I've been too pinned into my seat to go anywhere lol. Then again I'm well above 1.5m haha
 
Shaggy_Dog_ said:
Rita isn’t bad but it’s running on old tech, hydraulic launches are a dying breed. We are lucky that we have three of them in the UK but I don’t think that will be the case in half a decade’s time. If Rita was replaced with an Abyssus style Vekoma multi launcher or a Taron style Intamin Blitz I don’t think too many would miss it.
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Three hydraulic launches in the UK? Only two as far as I know. Rita and Stealth. Or did I miss one?
 
Has to be Rita for me.

Ageing technology.
Terrible throughput.
Not unique to the UK.
Barely themed.

It stands out for me as arguably the weakest “themed” coaster in the park. If I was the park, following project horizon there really is a long list of things to put right. One of them is replacing Rita and adding an “Alton standard” coaster in there.

Something on the level or exceeding Wickerman or NR. A Mack or Intamin multi launch would be a great start. Along with maybe a dark ride akin to Danse Macabre at Efteling it would fit.
 
Sorry, but...where is the other one in the UK?
Acceptable technology, very fast start that is still top notch...and very popular with punters, just not thoosies.
Throughput is acceptable when it is staffed properly, blame Merlin, not the ride.
Alton Towers crap at themeing?
Well yes, but add in most of the other rides...all around the park.
 
rob666 said:
Sorry, but...where is the other one in the UK?
Acceptable technology, very fast start that is still top notch...and very popular with punters, just not thoosies.
Throughput is acceptable when it is staffed properly, blame Merlin, not the ride.
Alton Towers crap at themeing?
Well yes, but add in most of the other rides...all around the park.
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The “other one in the UK” is Stealth at Thorpe Park, which goes 80mph versus Rita’s 61mph.

I do actually quite like Rita, and if it were based purely on personal preference, it’s not the big 7 coaster I’d vote to remove first (it would be Galactica for me, as I don’t particularly rate the ride experience of that one).

However, the ride has always felt like a bit of an outlier in terms of theming and identity at Alton Towers. It has pretty much zero theming and has a pretty weak brand identity compared to the other coasters in the big 7. Also, while Rita itself hasn’t been particularly affected, hydraulic launch technology is also getting older and seemingly starting to reach the end of its life, with a number of the Accelerator Coasters either having their hydraulic launches replaced by LSM launches (Top Thrill Dragster, Senzafiato) or experiencing lengthy technical problems (Formula Rossa).
 
No sorry Matt, one is a one trick launch and single hill, the other is a combination of three airhills and three hard flat hairpin bends.
Rita is unique in the UK, in my humble opinion.
Very popular with the service users/general public/punters/happy clappers.
Fix or update the launch when required.
Run it properly.
Done.
 
My issue with Rita isn’t the actual layout.

The ride itself is fun, yeh could do with another airtime pop but it’s a solid attraction.

The issue is where it is, how it looks and that damn queue ! Oh that damn queue. What a bloody evil thing it is.
 
Jb85 said:
The issue is where it is, how it looks and that damn queue ! Oh that damn queue. What a bloody evil thing it is.
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Do people not like Ritas queue? I suppose it’s a lot of cattle pen but I’m not personally offended by any of the coaster queues. I understand people disliking Smilers queue it is a bit of a cage at points. I just love it for the unreal views it’s got to be the most aesthetically pleasing ride I’ve ever seen in person
 
Ethan said:
Do people not like Ritas queue? I suppose it’s a lot of cattle pen but I’m not personally offended by any of the coaster queues. I understand people disliking Smilers queue it is a bit of a cage at points. I just love it for the unreal views it’s got to be the most aesthetically pleasing ride I’ve ever seen in person
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It might just be me. But the queue is so boring, doesn’t move fast, has nothing interesting to look at and on a hot day literally cooks you
 
Galactica’s queue is the absolute worst for me, filled with steep up and downs taking you into the furthest corners of the park, generally slow moving, nothing to look at, when it’s on its full extension I cry.
 
I must say, if a coaster has more than a half hour queue, I stroll on by these days.
I can always find something else to do...hunt out the stepping stones or find a seat in a bar, if I have remembered the plastic card.
 
Rita's queue is pretty depressing. High wooden fences covered in obscene scribbles, slow moving and meandering, with a not great ride at the end. Can't be arsed to queue more than 15 mins for it nowadays.

I've never minded the Galactica queue, especially now they've enhanced the audio. It seems nicer to wait in and does give you some views of the ride. Still though my limit is 30-40 mins, anything more and I'll happily sack it off.
 
Rita's queue is one that I swear was made by someone at Tussauds who was a sadist who wanted to inflict pain for stupid customers and who's influence would later inspire the theme for Smiler and...

Wait What GIF by Bounce


So that's where the idea for Smiler's queue design came from, Rita's torture pen. Huh, it all connects, I'll be damned. Towers Cinematic Universe confirmed.
 
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