I am a bit confused to what you are saying here? The Altonville Mine Tours theming will be used for Altonville Mine Tours for future years, and surely using it for SW8 would be "storing a reusing it". You have to remember this theming would have been specifically designed for the maze and its layout and so it's very unlikely that theming from it would be used in the attraction

I do admit an attraction with that level of theming throughout is certainly needed at Alton Towers - especially with The Swarm and Ghost Train at Thorpe Park proving they can go there!

Fun Spot Kissimmee are to get a GCI wooden coaster next year - including a 360 barrel roll - maybe this suggests theories of SW8 having an inversion are true?

T0mPr1ce wrote:

Fun Spot Kissimmee are to get a GCI wooden coaster next year - including a 360 barrel roll - maybe this suggests theories of SW8 having an inversion are true?

I believe Fun Spot's coaster is being manufactured by Gravity Group.

Yep my mistake, read it wrong!

I must admit after seeing this and it having a similar height it has made SW8 seem even more of an 'okay' investment. Personally the layout to this coaster seems far superior and it makes me think that maybe SW8 may have been able to be so much more.

Although, I won't judge the attraction and write it off until I've ridden it - as I may end up loving it!

When I first heard there was a woodie coming to AT I was immediately holding out for another Wodan/Troy so the plans have initially disappointed me - as it has many of you. However I think judgement should be reserved until the ride is complete and the proof really is in the riding. Smaller GCIs, like White Lightning, still seem to pack a punch and hopefully Merlin don't hold back on the theming. I have faith in the attraction and I'm looking forward to watching it unfold.

Mexican Cantina is no more in this photo posted on TowersTimes Facebook... We'll be bringing you a full update later on!

And it could have all been avoided had they kept the wedges!

Shame to see another F&B unit bite the dust after Fish and Chips last year. Makes me wonder what will take their place as outside the more premium options, there's really only PizzaPasta, BK, FCC and a few small stalls left. Options like Mexican and Noodles did help add variety to the offerings imo. Since the plans for a Smokehouse seem to have been abandoned or at least moved to the Courtyard, could another new unit near SW8 be possible? Surely having a Fish n Chips shop at Mutiny Bay is a no brainer..

I love Fish and Chips but never experienced it when it was in Forbidden Valley. It would be nice to see it come back and I agree with your idea GThing!

TowersTimes News now has a full update on the latest progress on the site of SW8.

It's quite odd to see the site without The Flume there. Whilst I never had any particular attachment to the ride, I know some people will be quite sad to see the ride being ripped out in this way.

What is interesting for me is that there is no sign of the Flume's station. Could this mean plans have changed, or will it be reassembled after groundwork has been done for the coaster.

With plans seemingly changing so early in the development with the flumes station being demolished, I'm still holding out for a more advanced layout or something more to the ride than originally shown on the plans. They've hidden elements of rides before and this was more than evident during the Smiler's construction and the hiding of serval inversions. With plans not adding up already, even in groundwork stages, either the plans did not show the accurate form or true extent of the attraction or there have already been some small unexpected complications that have caused some changes in the order of construction (e.g.the flume station being constructed again at a later date).
In regards to the Flumes station possibly being used for the ride, it seems like a very difficult move to decipher. The flume's station is hardly thematically stunning as an individual feature and also doesn't seem to fit either of the themes suggested for the ride, furthermore it seems like a strange structure to add any additional theming too as it would make more sense to add new theming on a clear site instead. The only reason I can think of it being used is due to some kind of tie in with the SW8 storyline in a similar manner to that of Ugland being taken over by the dark forest or for pure nostalgia/in memory of the flume. That is if it is used at all now we know it has been removed at this current time. Do any of the pictures seem to show the flume's station in detail so we can have an idea wether it is in a state to be constructed again?

ladyofthelake wrote:

What is interesting for me is that there is no sign of the Flume's station. Could this mean plans have changed, or will it be reassembled after groundwork has been done for the coaster.

Based on the plans in the background of one of the pictures posted by the construction team I'd say it's gone entirely, as it's not present in those plans

Does anyone know a rough timescale for the build? I know when it's due to open, I mean what are we likely to see and when.

Obviously they will clear the site first. Then start adding concrete footers? When does the electricity supply get added for instance? Does that go in quite early and then the ride is built on top?

This is the first time I've watched a coaster being built so I am wondering when the actual coaster structure is likely to start being built. I am assuming that the coaster itself wont start to appear until the next closed season is that likely correct?

Electrical aspects are generally added once the layout is near to or fully complete as far as I'm aware as it's easier to do it when most track is in place. (Please note I am not 100% on this and it can vary from ride to ride)

It is certainly pleasing to see work beginning at pace.
It is very interesting that the Flume building didn't make the final cut, but I thought it was a little strange that it was part of SW8!

I'm pleased I was able to view the site at Fireworks before it was demolished, although I won't miss it.

I'll miss it terribly! Long before there was a Nemesis pit (or Forbidden/Thunder Valley for that matter) a Katanga Canyon or even a rapids, there was this Flume sight. It has a certain Towers majesty about it with its lights, final drop and building structures and I'll miss it terribly. I'm very annoyed that they decided to destroy this iconic site in this way.

This is likely completely unconnected to the SW8 development but I stumbled across a film trailer faintly similar to the details we have so far about the theme of the project. In the trailer we see a "Wickerman" type monster physically breaking through the ground which obviously shares a link to the "ground-breaking" tagline we have seen thrown around. Watch the trailer below from 1:00 onwards.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2Xbo-irtBA

Altontowersbarlow wrote:

This is likely completely unconnected to the SW8 development but I stumbled across a film trailer faintly similar to the details we have so far about the theme of the project. In the trailer we see a "Wickerman" type monster physically breaking through the ground which obviously shares a link to the "ground-breaking" tagline we have seen thrown around. Watch the trailer below from 1:00 onwards.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2Xbo-irtBA

The trailer you've found is for the film adaptation of Patrick Ness' stunning novel 'A Monster Calls' which explores how a young boy copes with his mum's battle with cancer. Whilst I won't say any more about the plot of the book as it is very much something you need to discover for yourself through reading the book (knowing before hand reduces the impact), it is extremely unlikely it has any link to SW8.

Well this is my first input into SW8 and all i can say is that i love seeing the full developments from plans right through to opening day and beyond. Looking at the original plans for SW8 i'm not going to lie i am a little underwhelmed, yes we are getting a wooden coaster which a lot of enthusiasts (including myself) have wanted for a long long time but i can't bare to think that the layout is shal i say it slightly boring. I understand that this may not be the final plans but how much can Alton deviate from the original plans to what we actually get in reality?

Altontowersbarlow wrote:

This is likely completely unconnected to the SW8 development but I stumbled across a film trailer faintly similar to the details we have so far about the theme of the project. In the trailer we see a "Wickerman" type monster physically breaking through the ground which obviously shares a link to the "ground-breaking" tagline we have seen thrown around. Watch the trailer below from 1:00 onwards.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2Xbo-irtBA

i'm an extra in this , doubt it'll be the theme for SW8 though.