Alton Towers has a roller coaster problem

Alton Towers is the UK’s biggest theme park, attracting roughly 2.3 million visitors in 2021, despite restrictions. The park has a series of bespoke rides; none more unique than Nemesis and Oblivion. These rides make use of the terrain, but they're getting old - roller coasters don't last forever. What happens when they want to replace these rides? Hence, Alton Towers has a roller coaster problem.

00:00 Introduction
01:19 Nemesis and Oblivion
04:52 Roller coasters don't last forever
09:30 Alton Towers is running out of space
11:43 What's next to go?

VIDEOS:

[coasterbot]

If you enjoyed this video, consider subscribing - that'd be awesome 😎

[twiggyvlogs]

Alton towers is such a good example of restrictions actually forcing designers to do something that ultimately resulted in a better outcome. Having to dig down and work around restrictions results in rides that feel much more immersive and embedded in their environment.

[clowescoasters]

The most impressive thing about Towers for me is how they managed to build such groundbreaking coasters with the harsh restrictions they have been forced to oblige by

[carjaveri]

The idea of such iconic roller coasters getting old and being removed makes me feel very sad.

[Vim-Wolf]

Glad to see they’re refurbing Nemesis, I love that ride and it’s not one you get tired of. Did it on the front. In the dark. That was something. I can see Oblivion being an issue though, while it is great fun, it’s a short ride and once you’ve done it a few times … Although an unexpectedly fun thing about Oblivion is sitting in the cafe next to it, and every few minutes <SCREAMS>

[MadMovieMakers]

They should build a hyper coaster that goes directly to the Bed and Breakfast pub we stayed at in Alton

[Twmpa]

Nemesis might be approaching 30 years old but it is still probably the best roller coaster I have ever ridden both for smoothness and intensity and it would be a tragedy if it was removed or changed too much. Glad to see it is getting a major refurbishment. Of the others, I would miss Galactica the least.

[samuelworthington]

I reckon Rita will be the next big coaster to go due to the size of the space it takes up and the cost of its operations compared to other coasters on the park.

[belvedere]

Always thought that Alton Towers could do a tunnel-based horizontal launch coaster really well. Using a tunnel they could go under protected elements and 'pop-up' in the non-protected spaces. With the tunnel they could simulate hyperspace, or something akin to the star-wars trench run with projected displays and a matt black track that all but vanishes with brighter side displays. Epic.

[belleetlabete]

I remember when Air (now Galactica) opened. It was the best rollercoaster I’d ever been on. It was smooth, fast, I didn’t bang my head (like I did constantly on Nemesis) and I loved the corner where for a second you couldn’t see any track or anything. “Prepare for AIR.”

[TayWoode]

Alton towers has always held the title of “first coaster that....” then a year later America makes a bigger version without height limits

[linuxbasics]

we went to alton towers during covid, we were able to walk on a ride with out a queue, get off and walk straight back around and get straight back on. we did this 5-6 times per ride. it was like having the park to ourselves. Nemesis is by far my favourite

[ReiReiFoxy]

I think it has to be said that there's two sets of rollercoasters in alton towers. There's the regular ones, and then there's the secret weapons. The secret weapons are without fail, record breaking coasters. Oblivion was the first dive coaster in the world, Th13teen was the first freefall drop, Smiler has the most inversions, etc. The non secret weapons are much more often either smaller in scale, mass produced, branded, or have been replaced already. Due to the significance of some of these records, I think they've got much more interest in keeping the secret weapons around in the park, and putting them through rebuilds or redesigns, like Air being turned into Galactica and fitted with VR (albeit only temporarily for the VR). Because of this, I'd suspect the next one on the chopping block to most likely be Rita, simply due to it not having the same status as Nemesis (SW3), Oblivion (SW4) or Air/Galactica (SW5), and not really being tied to the environment like the rapid rafts, or the smaller footprint of spinball. The other possibility would be the runaway mine train, as that is the oldest thing in the entire park, has a very low RPH value due to doing multiple loops, and as such only accomadating one train at a time, but the mine train also dips in and out of the ground similar to nemesis, though not on quite the same level.

[boiledelephant]

I love how Alton Towers has this split personality with the towers themselves open for the public to explore unsupervised (you can even go on the roof). Parts of the building are really old and of historical significance and this kind of access to a historical site is really rare, normally they become closed-off preserved spaces you look at through glass or they fall into ruin. There are preservation and restoration efforts ongoing with the towers, which are made possible by the revenue of the park - it's a real win-win. Boring geezers like me get to explore a historic building (without British Heritage staff telling you off for walking out of bounds), and park fans get to enjoy their rides in a beautiful setting rather than a parking lot full of kitsch fiberglass sculptures.

[junickfilms]

Your subtle traditions from 16:9 to 4:3 aspect ratios is a great small detail from someone that puts a lot of time into their editing. Well done!

[KidarWolf]

I first went to Alton Towers when I was very much not a fan of coasters. Despite that, my friends did cajole me into getting onto Nemesis, which I still rate highly now as one of the best flowing coasters and most thrilling experiences. The year I went was the year Oblivion opened, and that too I was cajoled into riding. I'm terrified of heights, and for that, Alton Towers' approach of digging down to build coasters actually makes it somewhat friendly to those afraid of heights.

[sarahmichie]

There was something so satisfying about the way you expanded and reduced the screensize for the older clips!

[johnaziz]

Nemesis works fine as a refurb. Oblivion needs extending. Maybe 3 or 4 inversions. How about a launch? The drop is amazing, just give it some more elements. Replace Rita with a new generational Intamin launch like Velocicoaster. Also build a cross valley RMC.

[MosesJD]

Galactica has a lot of potential to be reimagined...perhaps as B&Ms first launched flying coaster. Also, Oblivion' s short duration makes it a strong candidate to be reimagined too. At least 4 unique elements ie a spike, switch track, launch or even a show room would do wonders for it.
AT's restrictions is "a problem" that could continue to birth some amazing rides.

[SupermarketSweep]

Can't build above tree height.
Alton Towers: Hey USA, how much does it cost to transfer a Redwood?