Also it's still really smooth and unless you get stapled, is one of the smoothest and enjoyable rides in the park.

Something that I don’t think has been picked up on yet this season, is that the Thirteen shop is not open this season.

All signage for it has been removed, and both sets of doors are closed up. To be honest, if you didn’t know what it used to be, you would think it’s just a randomly located shipping container.

I noticed it wasn't open when I visited but I thought it might just have been closed for the day. You're right though; all the signage is gone and it's not on the map. I wonder why. The first guess of course is budget cuts but maybe not.

DF box office was also closed on my visit. Probably a good thing though as everyone would walk straight off Rita and into the box office to complain about how they waited 4 times the stated queue time  

AltonOperator wrote:

I noticed it wasn't open when I visited but I thought it might just have been closed for the day. You're right though; all the signage is gone and it's not on the map. I wonder why. The first guess of course is budget cuts but maybe not.

DF box office was also closed on my visit. Probably a good thing though as everyone would walk straight off Rita and into the box office to complain about how they waited 4 times the stated queue time  

I believe the DF box office has been shut this year for budget cuts, same with FV. Correct me if I'm wrong! 

Not to be a critic for the sake of it, but i'm just not a fan of this ride, after your know the drop is coming it's just not a fun ride. I know its not meant to be the big thrill ride, but neither is Rita, and that is still fun!

I've actually grown to become rather fond of this ride. At first, I thought it was beyond average and not worth my time, so it took me years until I actually got around to riding it, but by the time I did, the hype had dissolved away. When I experienced it with clear eyes, I thought the theming was superb and there was a lot of fun to be had speeding through the woods. I even found the drop to be enjoyable, which I thought added an amazing element to the ride and am surprised it isn't used in more rollercoasters. Although it is aimed at younger audiences, I find there's a lot of enjoyment to be had. 

I'm assuming they haven't reopened bag drop for Th13teen during the peak period. It currently has a 150 minute queue, double what Wicker Man is currently stating at 75 minutes.

I like Th13teen, the first drop is great and the s bends in the track are a feeling I really enjoy in a coaster. The best thing is taking friends on who have not been before and seeing their reaction to the drop! It's a strong coaster at AT and I think its lost in the out of place area with that rattly horrible thing next to it.

I know Rita was there first but she has become quite uncomfortable as of my last visit that I won't be on her again. I hope Th13teen stays for many years! Just my opinion! 1st post in many many years.

Swarm Chris wrote:

I'm assuming they haven't reopened bag drop for Th13teen during the peak period. It currently has a 150 minute queue, double what Wicker Man is currently stating at 75 minutes.

Almost certainly not.  At Thorpe (which could be different from Towers) the people in the bag drop are also fully trained ride ops and they rotate around. This would mean not only paying for an extra 2 staff members but also having them fully trained up as ride ops.
Plus it was an ideologically decision as much as a financial one. And no one will want to admit they're wrong. It's not changing this season.

streetmagix wrote:

Almost certainly not.  At Thorpe (which could be different from Towers) the people in the bag drop are also fully trained ride ops and they rotate around. This would mean not only paying for an extra 2 staff members but also having them fully trained up as ride ops.
Plus it was an ideologically decision as much as a financial one. And no one will want to admit they're wrong. It's not changing this season.

Fairly sure Alton do/did the same thing, at least outside of peak season. But it's a real shame they haven't used summer hires to solely run bag drops, without full ride-op training. With the assumption minimum wage is paid, then that's about two entrance fees per staff member, per day.

Swarm Chris wrote:

Fairly sure Alton do/did the same thing, at least outside of peak season. But it's a real shame they haven't used summer hires to solely run bag drops, without full ride-op training. With the assumption minimum wage is paid, then that's about two entrance fees per staff member, per day.

They won’t re-open the bag drops this season, as they don’t have that thing called money which enables them to have someone staffing it.

At the beginning of the year they will have calculated how much they would save by closing the bag drops on Th13teen and The Smiler, so they’re not about to re-open them and spend some of that money. That’s not the Merlin way

In terms of theming, this is really up there as one of the best in the park. When you're in the queue line with all the props and music, they really build up the intense and fear and it's actually one of the more thrilling rides. I think it's a bit underrated.

Yeah, it definitely is one of Alton's better themed coasters. Maybe slightly too much scaffolding (I remember my mum once commenting that she didn't think the ride looked like it was open due to the amount of scaffolding up against the buildings ) but aside from that, the other theming throughout the queue and station etc. all looks great! 

I think that is a very valid point. Th13teen is by far one of the neatest rollercoaster (excluding Wicker Man) in the park. It still looks great 8 years on and has aged better than The Smiler.

The queue line is neat and tidy, along with the station building. Rita isn't that bad either and I'd say it is one of the better looking areas in the park.

I love walking the (empty) queue line through the trees. The subtle music and darkness of the trees provide for me one of the best atmospheres in the park.

I love the coaster, but I'm always uncomfortable with the thought of walking under the ladder as you enter the station building.

That is an element of the ride which usually goes unnoticed by many. I wonder how many other guests feel uncomfortable walking under?

I suppose the whole ride is geared up to superstitions, so just believe they cancel themselves out

Justin wrote:

That is an element of the ride which usually goes unnoticed by many. I wonder how many other guests feel uncomfortable walking under?

I suppose the whole ride is geared up to superstitions, so just believe they cancel themselves out

Funnily enough I'd already ridden it a few times and not noticed the ladder. I took my friend on it and she noticed it, now I always feel a bit uneasy walking under it.

It’s one of my favourite rides, but it’s annoying going in a 15 minute queue, to then be waiting an hour, it happened twice both times I went in May! It does lose the thrill a bit after the first few goes. My only improvement would be to make the free fall drop random, just to make it a bit different every time!

Had a great moment at the weekend when my nephew finally plucked up courage to go on Thirteen and he loved it..

Brought back all the memories of when I was his age and the same feeling I had when I walked off the Corkscrew, buzzing and wanting to go straight back on (making out I wasn't bricking it 30 mins earlier :o). When we were in the queue, he was reeling off all details about the ride that he had researched on YouTube beforehand and me standing there tight lipped so I didn't spoil it for him.

The best part of his Thirteen story was that when you drop down into the crypt, there is a zombie, and his eyes light up and he chases you out (had to really bite my lip at that point) but I think he is onto something.. Although I think Thirteen is a great ride, I always thought the crypt could be abit better.. 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)