and what about Charlies IP???

I think AT need to come up with something unique to Alton Towers again. Hex is amazing as you won't find it any where else, Alton need to try and re create that.

stealthsmiler wrote:

and what about Charlies IP???

I think AT need to come up with something unique to Alton Towers again. Hex is amazing as you won't find it any where else, Alton need to try and re create that.

I completely agree. I think Hex is the best dark ride at Alton Towers and I also believe it had the best marketing campaign and advert of any attraction at the park. A more expensive/thrilling dark ride with a unique and interesting storyline would benefit the Alton Towers Resort as it expands further.

Hex is the best dark ride, but lets not forget that nemesis sub terra was brilliant too

Enclosed top spin with light effects maybe?

That, is a fantastic idea!

It would be even better with a Rip Ride Rocket-esque music system. It could be X's younger brother.

I'd like to see Charlie rethemed to The Enchanted village

This' my Duel idea (taken from a duel thread)
My Duel re-furb idea:
"Haunted One" it's a mix of Duel and the Haunted House. The area would be re-named "Haunted Hollow", just like the attraction.
Plaza
The plaza is similar; original music played, tomb-stone replaced, etc. Also, the opposite stair-case entering the house would be a Fast-Track entrance (you know, the one that's never used???)
Entrance hall, Drawing room and Station
This scene is the same as HH's.
Poltergeist room, Dining hall and Crash-Column
In these scenes, the original giant music is used. Script-wise, they're the same as HH's.
Trommel Tunnel
Original tunnel of doom music is used. The zombie outside the tunnel is now dressed as a devil. The original flame-artwork is used in the tunnel itself. The area feels quite hot, to give a hellish feel. The split-demon is moved.
Giant and Spider sequence
In this scene, the Duel: Live! interior music from 2009 is used. Like HH in 93-02, the fingers have demon-like creatures on. The Spider scene remains, but the zombies aren't there. When the large, overhead spider is revealed, several sprays of cold water is used to make the spider feel like it's clinging a web around you.
Skeleton Laboratory (Ghost corridor)
The alternate Duel theme is used in this section. There are several skeletons using electricity, the most notable set's off a quieter Tesla-coil-thing.
Screaming room and Sinister garden
2003-present Gloomy Wood music is used. These scenes remain the same.
Demon Hall (Finale)
The music in this scene is the 2002 TOTT maze-music. In here, the split-head demon returns, and the zombies are dressed as demons.
Exit Corridor
The exit corridor uses the Mutant Racers theme. It uses the original photo-room, and uses many Doom & sons (interactive) effects.
Shop
In here, the old escape music is played. Shop remains the same.

(NOTE: There are no-more blaster guns!)

Hex is the worst ride I've ever been on. The very worst ride (not even the worst dark ride) my brain just doesn't get tricked by the illusion and its boring. Theres nothing that makes you want to get ride it twice and the persistently small q is testiment to this. The black hole/beast wasn't the best ride, but I really really enjoyed it and miss it hugely. It was a rattly, barely restrained old school coaster made more exciting in the dark. It was great, but it was great by accident. The haunted house used to be special, but its seen better days, its very run down.

Dark rides are nothing more than side attractions, I found nemesis sub to be a great addition but just wish the exit led into the nemesis q to keep the built up 'theme' going.

My mate bashed my chest in the dark when the egg hatched, quite exciting and 'alien' scary. I thought it was the angry girl at the entrance hahahaha. A masked man got me in the exit maze too. Exciting and different to what I had expected, but once again, little go being me back twice... Even with A 0 minute q

lucozade wrote:

Hex is the worst ride I've ever been on. The very worst ride (not even the worst dark ride) my brain just doesn't get tricked by the illusion and its boring. Theres nothing that makes you want to get ride it twice and the persistently small q is testiment to this.

Hex is brilliant. It i a unique ride to Alton that has been really well themed. Even if the actual ride does't disorientate you, the story is still enjoyable, especially if you stand and watch the queue videos. Plus is has a huge throughput as 3 waves of people can go through the ride at once and it holds well over 50 guests per wave (I think its around 75). My mum says she remembers waiting hours when it opened, and thats with it's huge throughput. The only problem I have is that Alton Towers need to cover the witches face better as the people standing beneath it can see that there isn't one. Although a real actor at scarefest would be cool, especially if she comes down to the riders.

But when you have been on it once, that's it. That's not good for theme park enthusiasts, or even anybody that comes back next year.

I would rate the haunted house high above hex as the best dark ride at AT.

Did you ever get a chance to ride the black hole? I LOVED that ride for no real reason, it was just a happy ride that always made me smile, I would ride it 10 or 15 times in one day and still get a great kick.

Hi everyone, long time no see. This is basically a trommel with mirrors:



The 4 grey sides you see are supposed to be (acrylic, not glass) mirrors. This creates infinite, revolving reflections.
Lasers and coloured lights can be shone into the tunnel to create a kaleidascopic effect but no lights at the end of the tunnel, as, as you well know on here, that ruins a trommel.

I think I'd be sick

Did they use that effect on Duel... before it broke?

A trommel is used on many different attractions, normally to create a psychedelic tunnel to disorientate and confuse. Duel and Tomb Blaster use them. I hate the things. I always have to close my eyes on them as they are horrible, but I imagine the idea of a reflective one could be both fun yet sickening at the same time. Would work great in a mirror maze  

There's a great walkthrough attraction at the York Maze, it utilises a trommel, but also has a curtain and mirror maze. It'd be pretty cool if they used this acrylic thing though!

inFusion wrote:

Enclosed top spin with light effects maybe?

Or some form of gyroscope ride - either a 360 degree spherical option or an ABC rides Tourbillon - three in the space at different levels strategically placed for line of sight so you get a brief disorientating glimpse of the other two as you spin would be good - if you could create the illusion of floating structures or an illuminated effect with the actual ride structures that could be interesting -  with some external illumination/ effects / theming.


This could be called something such as Perpetual Motion or Infinite Energy and themed around some crazed scientist's or supervillain's quest to capture infinity and wield its power- I'm thinking some kind of Tesla/ steampunk theme could look amazing as could something just playing with illumination/lighting effects. It could be quite awesome to have this as an area by a queue area to a similarly themed coaster so you're watching the ride while you wait as you wouldn't get all the visual/musical impact being on it.


As another possibility I've always wondered about if a 360 haunted swing were possible- maybe the gyroscope/Tourbillon route could be adapted so a whole room does the movement (I never got my head round if you could logistically move a room in every direction I just wondered if you could) although for the infinity idea it would work better seeing the 'device(s)' as you're then watching that motion which could be quite amazing in itself with the right visual and musical setting- the Tourbillon especially really lends itself well to having music to match.


Not everyone likes the 'spinny' rides but I love them so any variant of this would be a go-to ride for me.

Edit: extra idea - re the trommel with mirrors you could incorporate some of these sorts of ideas as a coaster and linked rides experience (different linked rides within one experience) called 'Disorientation' or something similar, could be a nice fit for The Ministry of Joy's experiments following on from their 'work' linked to Oblivion and The Smiler....

Indoor wet ride, like the one at Blackpool, but AT make it even better.

I’m still banging the drum for them to expand the Dark Forest into Cloud Cuckoo Land so they can remove Duel and use the space for another big coaster or else as the new entrance. That way the park can play into the Towers themselves and not rely on external brands so much.

CatCF was to be expanded with an outdoor drop in what was termed the “Jazz Land” plans. A decent water ride would be good with the flume gone. I've no idea how that could be themed in a family friendly way within the dark forest but it’s the other building on those old plans that would be interesting.

The Jazz Land plans also called for another dark ride beside CatCF - how about one based on the backstory for Hex? Trains themed like horse drawn coaches, following the story of the Earl being cursed by a beggar and ‘his’ ride back to the Towers. A chase through the dark, indoor wood on a stormy night - there’s a lot to build on with that tale. Doesn’t even need to be a traditional ghost train - a small indoor coaster would work well.

That said, I could see Merlin preferring to borrow from Thorpe and do a VR ride in place of Duel. Would be a shame not to build on Hex though.