Alton Towers is arguably the UK's most popular theme park. Opened in 1980, the theme park has seen many changes since it's inception in terms of rides, finding new ways to create roller coasters and rides to guarantee that people who visit this park will have a day they will never forget.
Now like I said before, the theme park has changed a lot since it opened and the rides that occupy the park are faster, thrilling and adrenaline pumping than ever before. Even though the park has been in the news for all the wrong reasons due to the recent crash on The Smiler, Visitors still enjoy the many rides that the park has to offer. And so these are my 10 personal favourite rides at Alton Towers.
10) The Flume (Opened in 1981)
The Flume was one of the very first rides to open at Alton Towers, opening just 1 year after the theme park. It was renamed in 2004 to tie in with it's sponsorship with Imperial Leather which seems an appropriate sponsor for the ride. In terms of the actual ride itself, it is quite long lasting around 6 minutes and it starts by going up the first lift hill. The car then drops giving visitors their first splash of water and entering a building that drops down in the dark, getting the visitors even more wet. Although The Flume is relatively basic in comparison to other rides, it is still a fun ride to go on and is fun for the whole family.
9) Enterprise (Opened in 1984)
Much like The Flume, Enterprise is another old ride from the early days Alton Towers. The ride has the design of a Ferris Wheel but it turns out that it's much more thrilling than it looks. Once strapped in, the ride spins around in circles then it turns you on it's side and inverts you upside down. The ride lasts around 3 minutes, but if you love rides that go upside down and provide you with lots of thrills then you will absolutely adore this ride.
8) Sonic Spinball (Opened in 2004, Renamed in 2010)
Originally named Spinball Whizzer, Sonic Spinball is definitely one of those rides that kids would want to go on over and over again. The ride cart and layout is similar to what you expect from a Tea Cups ride only this one is on a roller coaster track and spins you around like crazy. What I like about this ride is how it includes songs from the Sonic the Hedgehog games on the ride and since the music is really catchy in my opinion. It definitely gives off a sense of nostalgia. Some parents may hate this ride due to how vomit-inducing it is, but Sonic Spinball is a really fun ride that kids will love and the fact that it is tied in with Sonic the Hedgehog makes it all the more better.
7) Ripsaw (Opened in 1997)
In many cases, Ripsaw is quite similar to Enterprise in terms of how many spins and how many times it goes upside down. The ride can seat 40 people per turn with 2 rows of 20 people and once strapped in, it immediately rocks you back and forth and flips you upside down backwards. There is also a fountain which sprays water although thankfully this only happens when you're high up in the air. The ride does a full 360 degree turn clockwise which means it is definitely not a ride that you want to take children on but with all this being said, Ripsaw is great fun and if you are a thrill seeker that likes the more insane rides then you'll absolutely love this one.
6) Thirteen (Th13teen) (Opened in 2010)
One of the more recent rides at Alton Towers. Th13teen boasts itself as the world's first vertical free fall drop roller coaster and there were great expectations of this ride when it first opened due to it replacing an iconic ride, the Corkscrew. Th13teen starts off by taking you up a lift hill before speeding across tracks through a forest, fitting in with the theme of a dark and creepy forest. Once done it then enters a dark room where it does a mini drop then a massive drop into a different room. Bear in mind that this all happens in the dark so people riding this ride for the first time will not know what to expect. After the drop, the ride goes backwards for a brief period of time before returning to the gate. The ride is quite basic in comparison to the other roller coasters at Alton Towers and I wish the backwards section lasted longer, but Th13teen is still a fun ride to go on and it is a very well made ride from the theme park.
5) Rita (Opened in 2005)
Rita (previously known as Rita: Queen of Speed) is a fast paced, adrenaline pumping roller coaster with a G-force of 4.7. What's interesting about this ride in comparison to the other big roller coasters at Alton Towers is how it doesn't follow the Secret Weapon line which is what each roller coaster is codenamed (e.g Th13teen = SW6) although this may be due to the roller coaster having a different designer than usual. In terms of the actual ride itself, it's one of those launch start rollercoasters that speeds to over 60mph in 2.5 seconds and goes over high speed corners and hills all at the same speed, doing this in under a minute. The ride is short, but it is intense and great fun.
4) Oblivion (Opened in 1998)
Back when I was little, This ride used to scare the hell out of me and when you go on this ride for the first time, it will be easy to see why. Oblivion was immensely popular at Alton Towers due to a large advertising campaign which got people excited about going on this ride. Basically, the ride starts by going up a rather steep ramp and you think this ride is going to be relaxing right? Well that's where you're wrong. It then moves you near an even steeper drop and it stops you right before you're about to go down. I especially love how it presents the "Don't Look Down" writing around the hole as you would be a nervous wreck if you did look down. The ride then drops you into a black hole and you come out rather quickly, after a few twists and turns, the ride is over. Although I didn't like this ride as a kid, now I think it is a really cool ride and to be brutally honest, I think that once you've ridden this ride you can ride anything Alton Towers has to offer. Only the brave would go on this but it's still fun nonetheless.
3) Nemesis (Opened in 1994)
Having been opened to the public over 21 years ago. Nemesis is currently the second oldest roller coaster that's currently standing (behind The Runaway Mine Train) The ride recently celebrated it's 21st birthday so to celebrate this landmark, the name of the ride was styled as "Neme21s" which I have to admit is quite clever. Onto the actual ride itself, it begins with going up a ramp before going at a rather fast speed doing many twists, turns and corkscrews along the way. You also go through what appears to be a cave/dungeon setting whilst on the ride which is pretty cool. It is easy to see why this is a fan favourite as Nemesis is a truly spectacular ride and definitely one to go on if you visit Alton Towers any time soon.
2) The Smiler (Opened in 2013)
Considering the recent crash that happened 2 months ago. The Smiler is definitely a controversial choice for the list. However, despite the crash, I still think that this is an amazing ride with a world record of 14 inversions, more than any other roller coaster in the world. Not only that but it also plays creepy music whilst you're on the ride which although may seem scary, only adds to the atmosphere to the ride. I hope that this ride does not close down as it is one of the finest roller coasters Alton Towers has to offer and considering how ambitious it is and how it's only been open for 2 years. It would be a massive shame to see this ride go.
1) Air (Opened in 2002)
The purpose of the roller coaster Air was to make the person riding feel like they're flying and I have to say it is pulled off perfectly on this ride. The speed at which you go at is unlike anything I've ever ridden before and it really is a smooth ride. The way you go on the ride is not like the other rides at Alton Towers as instead of sitting down, you are, it seems leaning forward in order to simulate the main purpose of the ride - to fly. I first went on this ride when I was 8 years old and I had such a blast riding this meaning that it truly is fun for the whole family. The most remarkable thing about this ride is how it is just over 10 years old yet it still seems like a ride that only just opened last year because of how modern it is. The fact that this ride was what contributed to Alton Towers popularity makes it all the more better and thus makes Air easily the best ride at Alton Towers in my opinion.
Thanks for reading!
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