Corkscrew

When corkscrew was built in 1980 it was revolutionary, the first full circuit rollercoaster in the UK to feature inversions. Its no exaggeration to say it put Alton Towers on the map.

The ride is situated in Ug Land, so is themed as a prehistoric ride, which is easy enough to believe - it certainly looks old, and the track vaguely resemble bones in both style and colour. Other than that however the theming is practically none existent, the centre of the ride area is pretty bare.

The trains are now fairly battered, and taller guests will find them cramped, though the back seats of each car offer slightly more space. The restraints are basic, again taller guests may find them too small – but not closing them fully allows more shoulder space.

The lift leads directly out of the station. At the top the ride begins with a relatively slow turnaround, which leads to the first drop. This is arguably the best part of the ride and provides great airtime at the back of the train. Unfortunately the train now has to go round a corner, which for some reason it seems rather inept at doing, in the process your head will probably become very well acquainted with the restraints . The corkscrews themselves are fairly rough, but still fun.

After the corkscrews, a turnaround and the second drop are both smaller versions of the first part of the ride. Older versions of this ride made by arrow ended here, corkscrew’s second half makes that look a good idea, as the rest of the ride has no interesting features whatsoever. The helix that follows meanders up and down slightly, probably as a normal helix would be too boring and finally the ride trundles slowly around its perimeter as if marking out its territory before arriving back in the station (hopefully – it has been known not to make it).

Corkscrew really shows how much rollercoaster technology has come on in the last 25 years, especially being located in the shadow of rita, however it can still offer a fairly good ride. As for roughness, it isn’t as bad as some people make out, though it might come as a bit of a shock to those used to the ultra smooth Nemesis, Air and Oblivion. As long as you remember it can’t live up to newer coasters, you probably won’t be disappointed.



(edited based on the rides performance in 2007)

Corkscrew is wicked and ignore the people that say its rough, to me the roughness adds to experience but there isnt much roughness anyway. I think its fabulous and a great ride to wake you up without being to woken up like the thrills of nemesis. 10/10

A truly pure and fantastic classic, it is like to Rolls Royce of rollercoasters

What a disappointment! This was the first upside down roller coaster my little sister ever went on. She was crying, but we reassured her. We told her how fun and great it was going to be, and then we got on the ride. The staff made us take our bags on the ride which was just plain stupid. The seats were uncomfy, the restraints didn't feel strong and I had no leg room at all. Then the coaster started. It was so slow and calm at first, but then it started going upside down. It barely got any faster, but my head was wacking into the restraints. I could hear my little sister crying behind me so it was obvious the same thing was happening to the rest of the family. Once the loops ended, my mum screamed, 'that was the roughest coaster I've ever been on.' And I agree with her.
Then we went to see our photo and we were in 3 of them! The photos were awful and my sisters face was just a black smudge on hers. I managed to be in 3 photos, our one, the person in front of us' one and my sisters. I hated this ride, absolutely hated it.

3/10

Good points
Um.

Bad points
EVERYTHING

This ride really hurts! It would be great if it didn't bash your head around so much because it's really fast and exciting. I'm only 1.4 metres and when you're that small you end up with big lumps on the side of your head - ouch!

Personaly i love Corkscrew and have to have a ride every time i visit the park.
If your small you may find it slightly painful as i did when i was younger. When you get tall enough that your head is above the restraints then it becomes a much more enjoyable ride.

The first drop on this ride is one of the best in the park in my opinion and is the main reason i ride. It starts off slow going round the corner and then your flung out of your seat with plenty of air time as you go down the main drop.

After that its a bumpy ride through the two corkscrew and some twists and turns.

I quite like the corkscrew however it is very bumpy and uncomfortable, I always come of with my ears bashed into the the side of my head. I think that the corkscrew was only built for the corkscrews and after them it is rather boring and slow.

I dont know what it is about Corkscrew but i also have to ride this everytime im at Alton Towers. After the corkscrews there really isnt much to it but for some reason i still love it. I dont find any discomfort at all whilst riding it and i think the trains and restraints are comfortable. Also, its really exciting as you go up the lift hill as it's fairly steep and quite tall and the first drop is brilliant. You also feel yourself lift out of you seat which is also brilliant. Then come the corkscrews which are very fun as you go through them and i find that it takes a very good on-ride photo as you can get one of four of you which is good if you're in a larger group. After this the ride is dull but it's still a laugh as you make your way back to the station.

A classic ride is the corkscrew but with newer, better rides available, i think it should only stay around for one more season at most. Until it's removal arrives, i will continue to ride and enjoy this legend of a coaster.

Back in the good 'ol days, Alton Towers has a quaint, delightful amusement park set in the heart of staffordshire, boasting it's place among the beautiful gardens and idyllic hills of a grand stately home. But it took merely one ride to make the public see Alton Towers in a completely different light. A ride that would entail Alton Towers as the greatest theme park the UK has ever known.

1980 has the year that Corkscrew was installed in the Festival Park area of Alton Towers, now Ug-Land. It stood as a ground-breaking, Europes first double corkscrewing mass of steel, intimidating yet awesome all the same. You may this the substantiality of Corkscrew could never match such a ride as Oblivion or Air, but in it's day it's was just as groundbreaking as the latter rides and even more so, providing queues that have never again been duplicated by any ride at Alton Towers.

This great ride lead Alton Towers to make huge profits, and provoked the interest of Tussauds, where such awesome ride as Nemesis and Oblivion were installed from then on, and the rest is history I guess. It may now be seen as an old, antique, rough ride, but it if weren't for Corky there may not be Alton Towers as we see it today, so on your visit take some time out to ride Corkscrew, and enjoy the experience that millions of people have enjoyed from 1980, that has seen the park around it change dramatically to the UK's number one theme park attraction you see today.

The ride itself currently represents everything an old Vekoma should. It's antique way of rampaging through the track with the roughness that, whilst can be seen in a bad light, gives Corky it's characteristics that make it so nostalgic. Just remember, when riding, to rethink of it's importance to the UK theme park industry, and how when it is gone, Nemesis may replace it as an old, low-tech but amazingly important and significant ride to the park.

When unappreciated, Corkscrew offers a rough, uncomfortable ride that is enjoyed by few.
When you consider it's importance and significance, Corkscrew offers such a deep experience that no other park in the ride can mimic, so remember to stay open minded when riding!

WOW! What a bad headache i got after this ride... If they put more comfortable things in the trains to stop banging your head... Fixed up the track so it werent so bumpy and stuff then i think people will ride it more... I actually love this ride but its hurts too much to ride it with lots of fun =/.... But if you put your head right back and keep it there, it dont hurt as much so you sort of can enjoy it

I take some pity on this ride as many people slate it saying it is the worst ride they have ever been on... I disagree as for it's age it is great ride and I feel honoured to have ridden one of the very first rollercoasters in the UK. An

You enter the ride station - usually straight away with no queueing and you sit in the quite small and cramped and then you pull down the OTS restraints and it really is uncomfortable with the restraints bearing down on your shoulders..

The ride sets off up the quite steep and high lift hill.. which did surprise me you take off and turn a corner.. and then you see it approaching... the biggest drop off the ride and I though oh crap - you take a dive down the hill with some great air-time and then you carry on round the helix but after the first drop the ride is pretty tame..

My dad came off with a bruise on his leg. So make sure you keep your legs together...

but as I say - it is a great ride for the 1980s and Im glad I had ridden it before it might get removed in the near future (which I hope isn't the case)

Went on this ride yesterday...for the first time in four years! I'm taller now and found that this ride didn't hurt at all. Absolutely love this ride and kept my head back for half of the ride but on the second turn I kept my head normal and it still didnt hurt. Loved it - 8/10

Lauzi: Edited for spelling and grammar.

I personally hate this ride. It's got good height and speed - but the first time I went on I came off and didn't have the same feeling as I do on Oblivion, Nemesis or Air for example. It's just a rough ride which I would recommend to younger people who are just beginning to feel the thrill of rollercoasters.

Corkscrew is pure pain! It dose offer some half decent airtime and a good ride, but it just hurts so much.

It is a classic though and is the ride that put Alton Towers on the map so you have to give it some credit. I just whish they could some how make it less painful.

Corkscrew isn’t looking too good either. It just looks a bit old, warn and boring.

It is an ok ride and I do usually ride it when I visit as it rarely has a large queue, it is just a bit painful to ride.

6/10

Just rooting through some old photos and found one of the old trains.

http://towerstimesforum.co.uk/album_pic.php?pic_id=69