Alton Towers New Flat Ride?

[spicy]

My question is why have they gone for the floorless back-to-back seating arrangement? One of the most frustrating things about Talocan which is objectively one of the best flat rides in the world is facing the damn wall for the entire ride if you get unlucky with your seating. I wonder if there'll be anything to look at if you get assigned to the backward facing row..

So there isn't a backwards facing row it has rotated and placed on top of a concrete platform, so one row will face towards The Blade and the other towards Galactica.

I guess this is the main reason for creating the concrete platform or one row would have just faced towards the trees behind.

 

[Tonkso]

Which is definitely much better, I've only ever been lucky enough to get batched forwards facing on Talocan once.

 

[ScottLann]

I must admit, I'm personally pleased with them bringing back one of my favourite flat rides at this park (despite the small differences, it could only be an improvement on what Ripsaw was). I think when Forbidden Valley had both Nemesis and Ripsaw back then, it was at its peak, so it's great to see it returning that way.

The only concern I have however is that Alton Towers are going to follow a trend now of replacing their attractions with....the exact same thing (or similar). Fair enough, Nemesis was probably the most popular coaster at this park, so it was the right decision to make with retracking it. However, the same can't be said for the likes of Galactica and Rita, which I really hope have a totally new replacement when the time comes.

 

[Bowser]

I must admit, I'm personally pleased with them bringing back one of my favourite flat rides at this park (despite the small differences, it could only be an improvement on what Ripsaw was). I think when Forbidden Valley had both Nemesis and Ripsaw back then, it was at its peak, so it's great to see it returning that way.

The only concern I have however is that Alton Towers are going to follow a trend now of replacing their attractions with....the exact same thing (or similar). Fair enough, Nemesis was probably the most popular coaster at this park, so it was the right decision to make with retracking it. However, the same can't be said for the likes of Galactica and Rita, which I really hope have a totally new replacement when the time comes.

Galactica and Rita are both very popular rides as well. Rita seems more likely to be replaced one day due to the outdated tech but Galactica being retracked wouldn't be a shock. There were already strong rumours of a re-theme for it.

I do share your concern with the lack of actual new attractions though. I fondly remember in my pre-internet years grabbing the theme park maps at service stations to get a peek of the new attractions coming for the year. For Alton Towers we'll be heading into the 7th consecutive year without a major new attraction, which seems even more surprising when you consider the investments at the other Merlin parks in the UK of late.

 

[owenstreet7]

Whilst it is exciting to see them put a new spin on a classic, it makes me wonder if there's something the park never had before coming to the park in the coming years with regards to flats

I kinda see it as Towers fixing some of the mistakes of the previous management.

I'm hoping one of their next steps is a modern flume ride. It really needs to happen.

 

[JoshC.]

Ripsaw was always quite popular, particularly as a spectator ride… perhaps they’re trying to repeat a previously proven formula?

Was it?

I do feel like people have rose-tinted specs / try to re-write history when it comes to Ripsaw.

Enthusiasts regularly complained it was run on a rubbish setting. It was always seen as the 'weaker brother' compared to Rameses Revenge when it came to UK Top Spins. I never saw it have a queue on my visits. It was a good spectator ride, yes, but was it a ride which people clamoured to ride? I don't think so.

I think it's telling that Top Spins have become less common theme park additions, and that so many have been removed from theme parks. This is the first new theme park one in 5 years. Before 2020, you'd see one or two pop up a year. At the height of their popularity, you'd see multiple all over the world each year. And of the older ones, you see stories of them either being run poorly, or being maintenance nightmares (or both).

Maybe I'm just biased because I don't enjoy the rides themselves. But it just seems like a weird decision.