Galactica, while it is a great ride, I've heard a lot of people say they wouldn't queue more than 20 minutes again, and that its always the same. If they added some more VR and possibly made it HD in the future I think it will last. It seemed to be decent quality, but the start was quite low quality and the lift when you looked down. In a few years time if it isn't updated it won't meet today's quality standards in terms of graphics. Other than that it is a very good ride. I think the main problem is people are judging it without riding. It's actually an very good idea for a worlds first (well not first VR on any coaster) because unlike oblivion, air, thirteen it can be updated to compete with the better versions of VR coasters. You can't just update airs old track to be better, but you can update the VR.

Nemesis and thirteen are here to stay.

The smiler will stay for a while as long as there is no major problems.

Galactica will stay, not as long as the rest, but it will stay in a different form to what we see today.

Oblivion is the one I think will go, while it is brilliant, it just isn't worth the queue for some GP. it brings in the crowds, and is popular but I can't see the GP missing it as much if they get an upgraded dive machine.

I think Galactica or Oblivionwill go first.

Nemesis will live past 50 I think, Thirteen past 40, The Smiler 30 - 40 or longer if the popularity comes back Galactica around 30 more years. I can't see Oblivion living past 40 though, I reckon we might see it gone before 2035 but I can't see any secret weapons leaving before that at the moment. These are just predictions and apart from the first 2, they aren't that accurate. I feel like it takes five seasons or so to properly judge a coasters popularity.

Even seeing Nemmy on that list makes me sad. Yes it's day will come but I think the park love it as much as us. When it's day does come I think they should leave the track there as a permanent monument. It's a work of art in itself and the area should be opened up so you can walk around the whole thing. I'm just in denial about Nemesis ever getting old

My choice would be Air. Oblivion is a great concept and is the centrepiece of X Sector.

I've never been a fan of Air and the Galactica thing was cool but the ride is too short to really justify the extra loading/unloading times it creates. I was also weirded out by the fact I couldn't see my hands! I doubt many people would even notice if Air was gone tomorrow. It needs replacing with something more fitting of Forbidden Valley.

I rode smiler for the first time today. I was on the fence about it before but when I saw it in the flesh I was impressed. I did come off with a big smile on my face, helped somewhat but the unusually long ride time. I really like it. Most of the ride is spent upside down but it never felt like inversions for the sake of inversions, unlike Colossus.

It's a very difficult decision now air has been changed to Galactica. I would have originally said air, but Galactica shows that it's still git a lot of life left. I know the day will come when nemmy is removed, but I don't think that will be soon. I went for 13 as it's one of the less thrilling SW's, even though its a family ride which makes it appeal to a wider audience. Actually, idk. Its an extremely tough decision.

Oblivion I reckon

OK, so there are two different categories of reason why a major roller-coaster might be removed.

1) The location. Though there are parts of the land belonging to the resort that are currently used for storage and admin and not considered when it comes to positioning new attractions (with the few exceptions of Hex and the SeaLife thingy), this is likely for good reason; planning permission. It's a heck of a lot easier to get planning permission to utilise land for the same purpose as it has been successfully utilised for previously; i.e. to build a rollercoaster where there is already a rollercoaster. This would also mean that much of the infrastructure is already there. And the other environmental elements, especially the height and position of trees are also a consideration when selecting the site as this can affect the height and overall track layout.

2) The functionality and / or the perceived functionality of the ride itself. Does it need repairing / how expensive would it be to repair? Is it safe / do the GP think it is safe?

I wouldn't say that popularity is that strong a consideration really because it's not that easy to measure uniques; i.e who is a first time rider, who is riding it for the thousandth time, who is riding it just for the sake of it because it's there, who is being forced to ride it because their friend wants to go on it, who has not ridden it on this trip because there wasn't enough time in their schedule, and so on.

Given what has already happened (which we don't need to get into again) and also where the ride is, I would say that out of this list The Smiler would probably be the one. Yes it's the new guy, but it that doesn't necessarily mean it'll be last to leave. Yes they went overboard with marketing and merchandise, but is it really iconic to the park in the same way that Nemesis was.

Though not quite the original question, as I know they are not SW rides, but I would say that the next to go will be the mine train, sonic, and Rita.

Much like other posts here I'd say rita even though its not an option as its not a massively popular ride and doesnt fit in with its themeing very well and as well as that I think a far more interesting ride could be made in the space which it occupies

TheDuke wrote:

Much like other posts here I'd say rita even though its not an option as its not a massively popular ride and doesnt fit in with its themeing very well and as well as that I think a far more interesting ride could be made in the space which it occupies

Like a well themed MACK mega

Stan.H wrote:

Like a well themed MACK mega

We can dream

I hope that if Nemesis was to go they would retrack it with the same layout - do a Hulk. However I fear It would be viewed as a pointless investment, spending money (that could be spent on a new SW) on an 'old ride'. After getting through the pain of imagining a Nemmy-less Towers, I'd like to see how a different coaster would be in the pit. I'm imagining something like Taron, but I think a Mack Mega would work nicely as some sharp turns would be required and could work with the terrain well.

I think it has to be Air / Galactica. Nemesis and Oblivion I think are somewhat exempt due to the fact that serious terrain work was done to fit them in the first place, like what would they do with that big old hole if they removed Oblivion? 

Galactica is the weakest of the secret weapons in my opinion, especially after doing The Flying Dinosaur at Universal Studios Japan and seeing what these flying coasters can be also it uses up a fair amount of space and could expanded, if need be, into the car park area.

I think Air, if I HAD to choose, it's definitely returned on investment, but not as much as Nemesis or Oblivion. 13 can be much better with more work done to the scenery of the ride, right now it's just a jaunt through the woods. Give me buildings to "crash" through, pits of oozing tar, anything.

13 could probably be scrapped the the area repurposed most easily. Getting rid of Air means shutting the Rollercoaster Restaurant as it all needs refurbishing. A hell of a lot of underground work too.

T0mPr1ce wrote:

I hope that if Nemesis was to go they would retrack it with the same layout - do a Hulk. However I fear It would be viewed as a pointless investment, spending money (that could be spent on a new SW) on an 'old ride'. After getting through the pain of imagining a Nemmy-less Towers, I'd like to see how a different coaster would be in the pit. I'm imagining something like Taron, but I think a Mack Mega would work nicely as some sharp turns would be required and could work with the terrain well.

If AT got rid of Nemesis I don't know what to say, it really put AT on the map, it brings oodles of visitors, it's by far and away the best ride in Britain and it's a top contender for best EU and US coaster (IMO, it's World-class but appreciate not everyone loves it)  
They would probably retrack it. I wonder what would happen if they updated it with a faster lift-hill. Can you imagine doing Nemesis but 5mph faster? Phwoar.