..having lived locally for 30 odd years I’ve been many times and seen it grow from when dad used to hide us in the boot of the car to looking at the queue for the smiler and thinking sod that. But today was a total shock. It was deserted. Brilliant for the wrightys admitted but is there any way back for the place?

It’ll be forgotten about by next year.

I read that they had deliberately not committed to any more advertising this season after the incident so I suspect that they will quietly dismantle smiler, get another big ride and do a relaunch next year. Try to start from scratch and write this year off.
I can’t believe that those people that like adrenalin rides, will think that Alton towers is anymore “dangerous” than any other theme park, and simply not go to them ever again due to the what if risk etc.

It has been a bad year and marketing and promo literature is still in circulation, with smiler the main attraction in the Kellogg’s ticket offer packs.

Get all that cleared out, make a fresh start next year.

I can’t see the place being mothballed though, might be sold on to a different operator.

Edit. Having said all that, I went with my daughter about four weeks prior to the incident and we went on smiler, hoping for a front seat spot. I’m just wondering now if I am pit off, not just Alton towers, but rides generally. I think I’d inevitably have a degree of trepidation going in any ride now but enough to put me off, actually, perhaps so.

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It’ll be forgotten about by next year.

I don’t agree (unless you mean ‘the incident’ rather than ‘the park’).

There’s two different days to be had at Alton Towers. You can do the thrill rides (and speaking as a coaster nut, Nemesis is one of the best).

But. You can have a Grand Day Out doing everything else bar the rides. You can easily spend a day in the gardens and not go near a coaster.

Smiler is alive and well i can assure you first hand. Testing today with the water dummies in the cars. You can tell the hse have been all over the park due to the signage.

I’m just wondering now if I am pit off, not just Alton towers, but rides generally. I think I’d inevitably have a degree of trepidation going in any ride now but enough to put me off, actually, perhaps so.

I totally understand why but,

An accident is horrible. But it it representative? Does someone having a car accident mean you’ll never drive again?

i went on Wednesday, had a day in the park, then stayed in one of the new Tree Houses lodges, and had a second day in the park on Thursday,

its early September, so lots of families back at school, but i was surprised how busy it was in the Hotel was (i went to Splash landings hotel for a meal) at night, and also at breakfast in the restaurant near the lodges

Nemesis has been there what 21 years now? gone are the days of queing 4/5 hours for it, you could literally walk onto any ride apart from the cbeebies stuff which was 20/30 minutes at some points

been a couple of years since i last went pre kids, most noticable thing was that McDonalds/KFC/Pizza Hut have gone and been replaced by in-house stuff,

paying to park is taking the piss though

Smiler is alive and well i can assure you first hand.

they were mooching about it last week on ropes and pulleys, the indoor nemesis thing was also closed, are they linked?

I don’t agree (unless you mean ‘the incident’ rather than ‘the park’).

Yes the incident.

It was deserted. Brilliant for the wrightys admitted but is there any way back for the place?

School summer holidays have just finished – everyone has been already!

I was at Alton Towers for the long Bank Holiday last weekend. We went on the Saturday and Sunday and it was mobbed both days. There was an hour long queue to get on the **** Octonaughts “rollercoaster” and 45 minutes queue to roll around a track in Postman Pat’s van.

Didn’t go near the X-Sector rides unfortunately, so I’m not sure what the atmosphere was like on them, but personally I’d have no qualms riding them.

I did ride “Thirteen” which has a twist that clearly gave a few people a scare 😀

As above, end of school holidays. Prime time to go in the next week or two!

I would abseil on one rope off a cliff 400ft high but you wont get me on one of those rides as im not in control and don’t know if its been built properly

It’s the last day of our lots school holidays tomorrow so we’re taking our eldest two to Alton Towers.

I used to love going on the rides but now everything just leaves me feeling ill.

By the way, nice as the on-site accommodation looks, we just stayed in our tent at Alton, The Star Campsite which is nice and literally 5 minutes drive away.

I got over my lifelong fear of roller coasters earlier this year, after getting merlin passes for the whole family as the kids love Alton towers, great timing.

We’ve been probably 8 times this year so far, plus a couple of trips to Thorpe park and the others and yesterday it was probably the busiest it’s been since opening weekend. There are quiet days and busy days all through the year, if you were there when it was quiet, happy days, I think next year it’ll be all pretty much forgotten about, I mean who on here knew that a bloke was killed on thunder mountain at Disney land Paris a couple of years ago? I know I didn’t or I’d never have gotten over my fear.

It was an awful accident and I really feel for those that were injured, but I for one will be straight back on smiler when it reopens. It’s mega.

Friend of mine used to work at the towers, he says there are loads of accidents and near misses that are just not heard about.

I would abseil on one rope off a cliff 400ft high but you wont get me on one of those rides as im not in control and don’t know if its been built properly

Do you do any of the following;
Drive a car
Fly as a passenger
Train as a passenger
Ferry as a passenger
Get in a taxi
Etc.

I worked in a waterpark/themepark in oz a few years ago and i clearly remember my supervisor saying we are overdue a death. The truth is that due to the nature of these places accidents do occur although very rarely.

Is there any ale there these days? Not been for years, when it was distressingly dry.

Friend of mine used to work at the towers, he says there are loads of accidents and near misses that are just not heard about.

When we were there I saw some punter (adult) who had to be lifted out one of the log flume boats with a leg that he apparently couldn’t weight bear on.

I mean, the log flume, not exactly a treacherous ride is it? I took my five year old on it. How do you bust a leg on that?

I have to admit, I immediately decided he was either an compo-seeking faker or he was one of those muppets they have to keep shouting at to sit down.

Yup there’s a boozer on site. As I said I’ve been going as a payer and on freebies nown again for a long time and even in term time I’ve never bot had to queue. Oh and a lor of local schools aren’t back yet.
Today we did, nemesis/rita/oblivion 4 times, air 3 times and everything else at least once.

Completely dead today, no queues for anything. Kids loved it.

I’m currently enjoying hero status here after winning three of those huge Minion teddies then bossing the water cannon at the side of the log flume. Normal service will no doubt resume tomorrow.

That pirate cruising around in the electric mini pirate ship had us all in stitches with his pumping tunes.

Fab, isn’t it? No way I’d go within 20 miles of the place normally in August. Tesco vouchers FTW.

The underground Nemesis thing was shut when we were there too, so there may be an ongoing ‘issue’.

I did Nemesis. Once. My lass did it 10 times in a row. Then a few times on Air for luck. We were denied a go on 13 by someone puking their guts out on it.

I took the view that a big accident was actually less likely this summer as they would be desperately trying to up their game post Smiler.

was planning on taking a break from Alton Towers as the 2 of kids are that awkward height between 120 and 140 so can’t go on the big rides but are too big for the small rides. But if its dead quiet might pop down on the inset day before half term its only about £40 quid for the 5 of us with the Kelloggs vouchers which is good value if go to the 3d cinema, the aquarium etc. I paid more to go round the copper mine in begellert must have taken 45 minutes to get round.

Have always been put off Alton Towers by the queues. If the place is relatively quiet I might now be tempted to get a visit in having read the above.

yeah interesting reading, not been for ages either but fancy a little skive off and a trip there soon. i have a 6yr old tho, is there plenty for her to do?

I would have said there were better parks for the price for that age – but she’ll still have a good day, I expect.

Depending on her height/bravery, I would have thought Runaway Mine Train, plus the new Octonauts Coaster, and the wet rides – flume, river rapids, battle galleons would be OK.

There are other smaller fairground style rides dotted around.

Our five year old loved it – plenty for her (Runaway Train, CBeebiesland, the pirate shows, River Rapids, Log Flume, Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, pirate galleons, Hex, aquarium).

Be warned though that it involves a fair amount of walking. And it’s worth taking a change of clothes if they are doing the wet rides (though there are big driers available).

There is a PDF map here that will help you plan stuff – take note of the height restrictions on the rides:
https://www.altontowers.com/media/2568/atr-gate-map-map-2015_v9.pdf

If you want alternatives then consider Flamingoland which is pretty comparable but possibly has slightly more kids stuff.

thanks. so wheres the best place to blag freebies/discounts etc? clubcard points?

Various cereals had an Adult Goes Free promotion on them recently.

We have a Kids Pass card, I think we got a discount through that (wife sorted it so no idea how much).

Clubcard boost is a good way, if it’s still running for this summer.

Us four went for 45 quid buying sun tickets from eBay. Sticks in the throat a bit buying something that someone got for free but I’ve sold them at a handsome profit myself in the past so can’t moan.