Alton Towers worth it?

My family and I are planning a trip to go to England. Is Alton Towers worth the trip? Most of the coasters look to be way too short.
AIR looks to be too short as well...

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PCW needs something taller than a boomerang

i'd love to go there myself. i know they have a couple of coasters so....

Nemesis - B & M invert
Corkscrew - basic corkscrew with a longer layout
Oblivion - B & M vertical drop
AIR - B & M Flyer, next year (?)

they probably have alot more, but that's the bigger attractions i know of

The best rides will be: AIR, Nemesis, Oblivion. Another coaster is Black Hole, which is a Jet Star III in the dark. I wouldn't let their length put you off, but if it helps, think of Oblivion as an excellent "thrill ride". Just a kind of bonus ride in addition to Nemesis and AIR, if you know what I mean.

Were you asking if Alton Towers is actually worth the trip to England? Or is it worth the trip from wherever you are going in England?

If you are taking the trouble to come all the way to England (I presume from the US) then it's hardly going to put you out going to Alton Towers unless you go by train that is... it would be quicker to walk from the US!

Nemisis alone is worth the trip for its theming if nothing else.

Alton Towers is definitely a must-do on a trip to the UK! The theming is among the best I've seen. I really didn't think that the coasters (except Oblivion) were too short (lengthwise), I know they have some type of ordinance that limits the height of their coasters.

Take an umbrella!

alton towers is definately worth the trip - it has the only vertical drop rollercoaster (is it still the only one?). Nemesis is also an amazing rollercoaster, and anyway if your here and got nowt to do(England is pretty boring so thats quite likely!) then go.

hypersonic is a vertical drop..oblivion is 87 degrees..but id consider that vertical

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ms696969 said:
"England is pretty boring..."

You must live in a shell! I've had some of the best times across the pond! London is one of the most fun cities (next to NYC) I've been to!

How far is AT from London?
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HurricaneGeauga- Just in case

Alton Towers is in Staffordshire, in the Middle of England. Your best bet for a trip from the States is to fly to Manchester England, its only about 45 minutes from there. The park is quite difficult to find, as it is in the hills and the roads (lanes) are small and disorientating. It's not like a US theme park where there are big access roads, so be careful. I live about an hour from Alton, and I'm going there on Friday in fact.
The theming is BETTER than Islands of Adventure in terms of the actaul rollercoasters:

Nemesis is a huge space creature with tenticles (the track) which had to be pinned down by giant steel girders! I don't know of many rides that had millions spent on their theming alone!

Oblivion is short but is a MAJOR thrill, as unlike XLC, you are not thrust over the drop - you are held for three to five seconds as a demonic voice screams "Don't look down...".

Corkscrew is an old Vekoma Corkscrew w/bayerncurve and is worth riding for nostalgic purposes.

Ripsaw and Submission are superb flat rides that are just as fun as the coasters.

The Black Hole is a wonderful little Jet Star III that again, is very remniscent of the past.

Finally you have HEX, which is better than many disney rides, and it will blow you away, and seeing as how the theming of curses and the fact that the US hasnt seen one of these rides, I would bet that Tomb Raider at PKI could be similar.

So Alton is one of the best parks around, and when AIR opens next year, being the world's first flying coaster where the riders are fully prone instead of in a seated position, the park will be even better.

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Webmaster - Coaster Force
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*** This post was edited by Iron Wolf on 7/11/2001. ***

YES, Alton is worth IT! Go there!

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The Jet Coaster ROARS!

Iron Wolf said:
"Finally you have HEX, which is better than many disney rides, and it will blow you away, and seeing as how the theming of curses and the fact that the US hasnt seen one of these rides, I would bet that Tomb Raider at PKI could be similar."

Funny I didn't mention Hex in my post above. This alone is worth the 6 hour flight across the pond!!

Everyone keeps assuming we're all Americans here (i.e. "you're flying in from the States" above). I believe Mr. c. m. choo is a Canadian (a "proud" one at that). Of course, that doesn't mean he couldn't be traveling via the U.S., although that wouldn't make much sense given the cheap transatlantic fares available in Canada - i.e. a charter flight from Toronto to London - direct, non-stop, round-trip - starting as low as $200- U.S.!

I agree, Nemesis has astounding theming, not just the queue, although the queue is indeed excellent, letting you inspect virtually the whole coaster.

Once you are on the ride, you rush off a cliff, down a blood waterfall, into a corkscrew, then after a very heavy G helix, soar into the sky at a ridiculous speed towards the alien monster which houses the station.

A zero G roll whips you over it and out of the way just in time! Then you rise into a stall turn, before plunging into the ride's biggest drop. This drop heads towards a pool of blood and you pull up into the vertical loop.

Round a turn and a dive underground. Next, what the heck? You are gliding upside down through a subterranean corkscrew!

I'm sorry, I couldn't resist! I love this ride. It is a work of genius.

We are planning on going to England. Is Blackpool a better park to go to?
Is AT or BP comparible to CP?

And Yes, thank you.. I AM CANADIAN
any other Canadians here?

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PCW needs something taller than a boomerang

Blackpool Pleasure Beach and Alton Towers are two completely different parks - BPB is a traditional amusement park whilst AT is a theme park.

BPB is more like CP and Kennywood, AT is more like BGW. Nemesis and Oblivion are awesome, but BPB has 4 great woodies, a hyper, the worlds only steeplechase, a bobsled, plus several other coasters, as well as the world's best water ride Valhalla.

Do both parks if you can, but if you can only do one then BPB is the one - the lines are shorter, the hours a longer (10pm or 11pm weekends, AT closes at 7pm) and if you buy a wristband for £25 ($35 US) you'll get far better value for money. Not only that Blackpool is a whole resort with the sea and 3 piers, AT is stuck in the middle of nowehere.

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Parks done 2001: BPB, PKI, SFWOA, CP, KW, HP, DP, Knoebels, Astroland, SFGAdv, SFNE, SFA, LC, Moreys Pier, PKD, PCW, BGW, DMP.