UK theme parks from another point of view!
Re: Th13teen - General Discussion
jackf1tz wrote:If Th13teen was made in 2018
Could be a possible idea if they ever decide to refurb it in the future
Along the lines of the large screen in the Mummy at universal.. (if only Towers had their budget) 
Like they have done with the TLC in Duel, adding the tech to the photo frames in the queue line.
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Dungeon-X-Smile
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Re: Th13teen - General Discussion
Uttox83 wrote:Would be great if they had put a full wall projection screen in front of the carriage with a wraith that turns to you and screams something along the lines of "GET OUT" before you are blasted with cold air and flung backwards out of the crypt. May sound abit cheesy :o)
Such a great idea! I'd love if they did something like that. Dropping into darkness is already such a brilliant experience, but there is definitely a lack of a full climax. I'd love them to do something interesting and unique with the final moments while you're inside.
Re: Th13teen - General Discussion
saw-x-smile wrote:Uttox83 wrote:Would be great if they had put a full wall projection screen in front of the carriage with a wraith that turns to you and screams something along the lines of "GET OUT" before you are blasted with cold air and flung backwards out of the crypt. May sound abit cheesy :o)
Such a great idea! I'd love if they did something like that. Dropping into darkness is already such a brilliant experience, but there is definitely a lack of a full climax. I'd love them to do something interesting and unique with the final moments while you're inside.
Yeah, definitely something missing. A reason for you flying backwards. You're being cast out of the crypt but by what? If they are going for a supernatural, just because you can't see it doesn't mean there isn't some force lurking in the crypt then fair enough. If they could make it cold in there it would be cool (no pun intended).. Needs something a little more than a couple of branches twirling about
Re: Th13teen - General Discussion
I think the ride works as it is and to this day it still surprises riders. If they were to add anything, then perhaps a sound effect, but nothing more!
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Dungeon-X-Smile
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Re: Th13teen - General Discussion
Justin wrote:I think the ride works as it is and to this day it still surprises riders. If they were to add anything, then perhaps a sound effect, but nothing more!
My friend thinks it’s the scariest ride at Alton Towers because I forgot to mention the drop and backwards section to him, haha!
It’s a solid ride as is, but I do wish they went into the same level of details for it as they would go on to do for the Smiler or Wicker Man, if just a bit more care is added, I think it could reach a new height.
Re: Th13teen - General Discussion
I'm really surprised. I wasn't a big fan of Th13teen at first, but it is most definitely a ride which has gone up in my estimations and got better over time!. With the area's shrubbery growing up around it then I believe the area is improving year on year!
Yes, they could add more, but does it really need it?
Th13teen is one coaster which needs to be ridden in the dark too!
Yes, they could add more, but does it really need it?
Th13teen is one coaster which needs to be ridden in the dark too!
Re: Th13teen - General Discussion
Justin wrote:I'm really surprised. I wasn't a big fan of Th13teen at first, but it is most definitely a ride which has gone up in my estimations and got better over time!. With the area's shrubbery growing up around it then I believe the area is improving year on year!
Yes, they could add more, but does it really need it?
Th13teen is one coaster which needs to be ridden in the dark too!
Agree, the ride has certainly developed for the better over the years which the growth of the trees and has really added to the feel of a Dark Forest. I personally think it is a really good ride and accept that it it is perfectly fine as is but sometimes you cant help but think "what if" when you're sat on a ride
Need to remember, the ride is aimed at younger riders as an entry level to the bigger rides.
Hopefully AT will invest a little in this area over the next couple of years as it certainly could do with another ride or two. A TP Vortex type ride covered in branches would be a nice addition.
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nicky.borrill
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Re: Th13teen - General Discussion
As a thrill ride it’s not great, but it’s not a thrill ride, it’s a family ride. Will always be a bit special to us, my two’s first ever proper rollercoaster. At the time they would have told you it was plenty thrilling / terrifying / exhillerating enough 
Re: Th13teen - General Discussion
TH13TEEN
If you go down to the woods today you'd better not go alone... Dip and dive through the Dark Forest, enter the ancient crypt and face the horror that lies within.
The dark and mysterious TH13TEEN is the world’s first freefall drop rollercoaster.
With the closed season upon us, how would you review Th13teen at the Alton Towers Resort?
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Swarm Chris
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Re: Th13teen - General Discussion
Management broke it.
Removing bag drop means there is so much faff on this ride now. Clamber through the train, put bag away, clamber back again. Throughput was pathetic this year with it frequently having the longest queues in the park, and by some margin on peak days! I've never sat for so long at the holding point after the tunnel - and before the pre-station holding point. My feeling is if you're going to have this kind of bag drop in such a low capacity ride, you need a second station to exit at.
The ride itself was fine though, still fun and with the effects all working. The walk in the woods with its eerire music playing is still my favourite queue line in the park - so long as you can just walk through it.
Removing bag drop means there is so much faff on this ride now. Clamber through the train, put bag away, clamber back again. Throughput was pathetic this year with it frequently having the longest queues in the park, and by some margin on peak days! I've never sat for so long at the holding point after the tunnel - and before the pre-station holding point. My feeling is if you're going to have this kind of bag drop in such a low capacity ride, you need a second station to exit at.
The ride itself was fine though, still fun and with the effects all working. The walk in the woods with its eerire music playing is still my favourite queue line in the park - so long as you can just walk through it.
Re: Th13teen - General Discussion
I agree this ride is great, however I have been on it much less this season given that the single rider queue has gone and the baggage hold is now a big faff.
Formally Smiler313
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Joel Allen
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Re: Th13teen - General Discussion
Agreed. Loosing the baggage hold on this ride makes operations so much slower. I would hope to see the baggage hold reintroduced in 2019. The ride itself though is fine, I just love the crypt!
Re: Th13teen - General Discussion
I love the ride, but it's not the most reliable one in the park. So i won't queue if it's longer that 45 minutes, it will break down at least once in that time. Also, for some reason, it doesn't always like hot weather
Re: Th13teen - General Discussion
It doesn’t compare in sheer thrills and intensity to Wicker Man, but it’s still a very good and often underappreciated family coaster in the woods and the back row offers some nice pops of airtime.
Re: Th13teen - General Discussion
Other than Wicker Man, Thirteen is my favourite ride in the park, it's a great deal of fun and for some reason, one I really don't mind queueing for.
The baggage situation has slowed things down slightly but I can't say I noticed a MASSIVE decrease in throughput on the days I visited last year if I'm completely honest.
The reliability of the ride is aggravating at times, and I'd really like them to put a bit more theming into the woods around the queue lines.
The baggage situation has slowed things down slightly but I can't say I noticed a MASSIVE decrease in throughput on the days I visited last year if I'm completely honest.
The reliability of the ride is aggravating at times, and I'd really like them to put a bit more theming into the woods around the queue lines.
Re: Th13teen - General Discussion
This ride just gets more fun each year somehow. It's honestly such a fun and enjoyable experience. Even though the secret is no longer that impacting or surprising, I still see new people riding and getting shocked at it.
The new baggage system has slown things down but doesn't affect the ride too much I've found (same I've found for The Smiler). I would prefer a baggage collection point but if this is what the park wants then I can't complain too much.
Still such a fun ride and feel it will be for a while to come. If they added back theming in the queue line, it would only come as a bonus even though I can't see it happening.
The new baggage system has slown things down but doesn't affect the ride too much I've found (same I've found for The Smiler). I would prefer a baggage collection point but if this is what the park wants then I can't complain too much.
Still such a fun ride and feel it will be for a while to come. If they added back theming in the queue line, it would only come as a bonus even though I can't see it happening.
I'm the boy with the bubbles
Re: Th13teen - General Discussion
Thirteen's an odd case- as the years go by the general opinion of it gets more positive, but I can't help but enjoy it less and less as the years go on.
Ok, the first thing is the queue. I won't go on about cattlepens for too long as that's a common pet peeve, but that doesn't really build any tension/atmosphere for me. I don't feel overly scared by the woods so it feels rather empty in my opinion.
The indoor queue has the tesla coil which is a nice surprise, and loading is nice and fast (bag faff hasn't helped with that though).
Then there's the main coaster... I get that it's a family coaster so there's nothing to say it should be super intense or air-time filled, but it kinda just mulls around the woods with no passion. You've only got to look across the park to Mine Train, which is another family coaster. This ride always has me in giggles with it's snappiness and interaction with the area, but Thirteen does none of this. There's no "out-of-control" feeling that can make any ride fun.
The indoor section always catches me by surprise, and it sticks out a bit. After a bland first section there's a huge shock element, but it's not enough to make me rush to the ride.
It's not the worst ride in the park, but it's one that I'm never upset about if I miss out on it.
Ok, the first thing is the queue. I won't go on about cattlepens for too long as that's a common pet peeve, but that doesn't really build any tension/atmosphere for me. I don't feel overly scared by the woods so it feels rather empty in my opinion.
The indoor queue has the tesla coil which is a nice surprise, and loading is nice and fast (bag faff hasn't helped with that though).
Then there's the main coaster... I get that it's a family coaster so there's nothing to say it should be super intense or air-time filled, but it kinda just mulls around the woods with no passion. You've only got to look across the park to Mine Train, which is another family coaster. This ride always has me in giggles with it's snappiness and interaction with the area, but Thirteen does none of this. There's no "out-of-control" feeling that can make any ride fun.
The indoor section always catches me by surprise, and it sticks out a bit. After a bland first section there's a huge shock element, but it's not enough to make me rush to the ride.
It's not the worst ride in the park, but it's one that I'm never upset about if I miss out on it.
Re: Th13teen - General Discussion
Well I have a soft spot for Thirteen 
Re: Th13teen - General Discussion
Morgan raises some very valid points, I won't deny it. When you actually sit and think about it, it has many flaws. The outdoor track is a bit dull and the queue line is a bit long and a bit boring, and the bag hold now holds up operations even more, but there is something about this coaster that is just fun. It's always hilarious watching people who haven't ridden it before experience the crypt, and I always love the mini launch you get as you head over the switch track and into the station brake run. But the one thing that I think the majority of people say is that this ride has got better the older it has gotten and no one can quite point out why. Its just one of those magical things about Towers I guess
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