Please leave your reviews here for Thirteen, the park's new coaster for 2010!

I get to write the first review from the public launch day. :-)

I was in the stampede at 9:45 when they decided to let the ERT crowd into the Dark Forest. I'd said I don't run to get a ride, ever... but when the stampede started it seemed like a good idea to move with the crowd. I ended up in the queue with Diogo and Kelpie and were off the ride by 10:30 - the queue seemed to move pretty quickly to me.

Now I can get to the ride - any spoilers will hidden in a spoiler tag.

I'd say this is an excellent ride overall, it's not outstanding, it's not rubbish, and it doesn't excel in any one area. It is an excellent well balanced family ride, that has some good thrills thrown in. It's not going to replace Nemisis as my favourite coaster, but I'd be surprised if a lot of people rate Th13teen higher than I do. If you've not ridden keep an open mind until you have, but don't turn up to ride it thinking it is another Secret Weapon of the Nemmie, Oblivion and Air variety or you'll be disappointed.

The outside section has a good layout, the hills give some airtime (supposedly better towards the back according to a few people that have ridden it more than once already). I need to ride again, but there are definitely 3 airtime hills and there may be 4 (memory is a bit vague). The turns keep the track twisting and turning through the woods. You scrub off a little too much speed before the second lift, I hope there is scope to lift the outside speed a bit after the ride has settled in.
Outside, there isn't enough Dark Forest near the track. This is a layout that will be massively enhanced if it felt like you were closer to the trees - get planting trees AT!

The indoor section - theming inside is consistent with the queue lines inside the station. It's going to need another couple of rides to take it all in. The drop is really effective (more in the spoiler). The lower crypt probably has more going on than I spotted first time, but it didn't blow me away. The backward spiral feels quick in the dark.

Coming back into the station doesn't take long, but maybe could do with some more landscaping or something to look at when you get to the switch track.

The story isn't explained any more than we've already had. I'm a bit disappointed with that.

[spoiler:1ieciiyl]The drop is likely to have several random programmes, a few people who rode different trains to me seemed to have slightly different experiences with the drop. It's possible the different reports are subjective...
There's two drops, the first, then a slight bounce and enough time for you to wonder if that is it (and feel cheated) before you drop again.
The lack of show - There is no show, video, anamatronics etc in the inside section.[/spoiler:1ieciiyl]

Overall - excellent ride, worth the £15m, ride it with an open mind.
I'd give it an 8/10.

Just on my way back from the Towers. TH13TEEN is an excellent ride however the hype and scary theme doesn’t really go with the thrill of the ride as it is much more of a family roller coaster, even though the actual ride is very good it isn’t a thrill ride it is more of family ride except perhaps from the drop sequence which is definitely the highlight. However I felt that the theming was rushed in the ‘secret’ section and the secret weapon bit was not as good as I would have expected.

The queue and station was fairly well done however I think that since that most children would enjoy the ride I feel that the rather intimidating effects, sounds and theming in the queue line would definitely put off the younger riders. I think that Alton may have got this a little wrong which is a shame as this ride has superb potential to be a fantastic all round family ride!

My favourite bit of the ride was actually the outside section; the sensation of whizzing through the trees was really good. Also the turns were surprisingly exciting as was the odd pop of air time. I was disappointed at the fact that there were trims on the first drop. :( I thought the trains were extremely comfortable and very well themed. Plus, throughout the ride I felt that you were going on an adventure into the unknown (so the previous marketing pictures were bang on).

The actual world first section was a little disappointing, the theming was pretty much non-existent (I feel that they could not afford to burst the budget even more), the actual drop sequence was good and the little teaser drop before the full free fall definitely gave it a good effect. The lighting used was great and would have been much more boring if it was just some simulator TV screens as previously speculated. I thought the wraith (in the front row) was quite a shock, I didn’t realise it would be that ‘eerie’. I actually much preferred the backwards section in the dark to the drop section, I thought the use of banking was extremely clever and really was thrilling. This is definitely where the ride excelled.

Although most of the posts above disagree with me, I thought that Alton did an excellent job on the main building, I though it looked stunning especially the tree engulfing the front. I quite like the scaffolding, I felt it made the building appear to be derelict, or like something inside there didn’t want anyone to trespass. It reminded me a lot of the towers.

In terms of the camera placement, I think they would be much better if they had placed it at the top of the drop section then when you drop not only would they take the photos of people in sheer terror (in some cases) but it would create a great flashing effect, which I think would improve on the already rather superb lighting effects already.

Some good pictures of the ride can be found here: [url=http://www.coastermob.com/2010/03/th13teen-alton-towers-resort-new-for-2010/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;]http://www.coastermob.com/2010/03/th13t ... -for-2010/[/url]

Overall, I would give it a good 9/10. I think if Alton had themed it in a different way I think they would have a winner. But since they have a ride that doesn’t reach the thrill factor that the theming in the area and queue portrays, it knocks it down a few notches. Other than that it is absolutely fantastic, I can’t wait for my next visit to get another ride.

Got back some time ago now from the Towers. Well, what can I say? We got to the Towers at 8:45 with appauling weather and headed for Th13teen when it opened to be stopped and people formed a queue - Although there were quiet a few people that were rude and didn't see the queue and bypassed it! :x

There was a massive stampede to get to the queue line first and we ended up waiting and hour for our first ride. Now the queue line is like Rita's - a cattlepen, but it has nice touches of theming throughout. We got to the baggage area and I must say I like how they control the baggage situation - very well thoughtout. You give your baggage to a member of staff behind the desk and you get a rubber wristband to put on your arm - once you have ridden you can get off and hand them back the wristband to get your possesions back. (On a sidenote, I have noticed new cameras pointing at Rita's baggage to stop people from theiving). Now the pre station area is nice and dark, and the station is very nicely thememed, although I don't really like the black sheets hanging from the ceiling. :P

Anyway, we got on and off we went. The lift hill is nice and smooth - pretty much like all the ride, with little bouts of air-time on the way to the crypt depending on where you sit. Inside the crypt has some nice effects like the air being blown into your face, but I was expecting a little more - although apparently not everything was working. The backwards launch and helix were a nice touch and finished the ride nicely. Some people's reactions weren't to positive with one comment I heard - 'was that it'.

Personally I liked it, but I don't think it is the best ride at the park. One thing I must say though is well done to the staff running the ride as throughput was top notch and the staff were really jolly and having a laugh and talking with people. I also got to meet John Wardly! :D Which I was very happy about - He's a top notch bloke and seemed very upbeat - considering the appauling weather that we had.

Had a very good day, and going back for more on Wednesday! :D

Hello, long time lurker, first time poster here!

So, I headed off from Skegness at 4:30am and we got to AT at around 7:40am
I had to collect my tickets from the ticket collection booth which didn't open until 9am.
Then I had to wait until 10am for the pre-entrance thing.

After that, myself and my brother-in-law sprinted down to Th13teen. And I must say, we loved it!

I was pretty sure something wasn't quite working as it was supposed to in the "Secret Weapon" section, and, I know this is going to sound picky, in the stairs heading down towards the station, I didn't notice them so I would've fallen down, but I must say, with a bright light there, the theming would be completly ruined.

Overall, A good ride (One would hope so considering I've been on it 3 times.) Although, as many before me have said, with a little less rushing (or was it just badly planned) in the SW Area could be made much stronger, but, having said that, I've seen several people write that not everything was working correctly in that section on opening day, so I'll have to give it a try when I'm there again in a few months!

P.S What was in the whole "SECRET WEAPON INSIDE" box?

Kris

I put my hands up and say "Yes, I did say it was crap" on the first go, this is probably down to the god-awful marketing of this ride from the outset.

It has been over-hyped to the extreme, and in a nutshell its a bland coaster with a semi-ok dark section.

The theming around the queue line is pretty good actually, with nice little touches here and there with the old alton towers van being used in one part. The Station building is very nice, cant fault it really although, its not very well lit in places, and you struggle to make out whats actually in there i.e. The compressor in the corner. (The badly lit problem also goes for the part just on the right as you come back into the station.. What is that stuff you cant see?)

It will be great to see the tesla-coil working in there, when its ready, from what I can make out its surrounded by a metal cage so the coil will arc out to the metal making a great centre piece of the queue line. One thing to note also the station interior has a hint of SAW: The ride.

Now onto the coaster, well... its nothing special lets put it that way. Think a smoother RMT and your about there, the first drop doesn't work as it has a trim break half way down, the airtime hill is nice and works very well, but you are actually coming into the "station" after the top of the lifthill in approx 20 seconds, its just TOO short.

Dark Section: Now, this is "ok" some nice theming inside, but does need animatronics in place and the audio needs to be louder also. The effect works, and works well, very well infact. So thats its saving grace.

The underground tunnel: This is my favourite part of the ride, but it needs something in it, maybe ice-mist (like in Valhalla) or curtain flames across the ceiling, but a dark tunnel is just boring.

On the whole, its good. Its NOT A secret weapon, AT ALL, but a good Family coaster, with a good dark section. I ended up riding it 4 additional times after my first go today. And it kinda grew on me, but like I said, the over-hype ruined it for me.

Absolutely loved it,
Although I do agree there was WAY to much hype surrounding it,
It was definitely not a Psychoaster, No psychological aspects,
But the coaster itself was brilliant I think.
At first I was a little let down by it,
But it quickly grew on me,
And by the second time I was having a whale of a time.
It did annoy me that there was no storyline at all (well except at the station).
The track was so smooth.
I am sure that the ride will be even better when all the effects are working properly.
So overall, a really enjoyable ride and a promising one for the future.

EDIT - There are no more effects to be installed.

And we met John Wardley at the end of the day and got out onride photos signed. Result. :D :D

Satisfied 100 percent

2 Rides on it Saturday 3 rides Sunday and it keeps getting better and better.

I will agree with the above statements it was hyped up too much and even management conceded this. The ride in the woods part is okay, nice and floaty at the back but not particularly fast due to the breaks and short layout.

The inside part is where this ride goes from being average to superb. I LOVE the inside section it's just fantastic the drops (when working correctly) are superb and the theming is just gorgeous absolutely love it.

The backwards tunnel is in need of theming and it will be eventually but it's all the more reason to ride it more and more. The area and station is themed brilliantly, Dark Forest is superb as a re-theme.

The thing that baffled even John Wardley today was the sheer capacity that ride actually has compared to it's reported capacity. It eats queues like i've never seen before. The queue around 11pm was about 15mins and by the time we had come off and gone on again the queue was empty and a bemused Wardley stunned at how fast it can get through. This ride is a godsend for through-put.

A superb edition to the park and something new and exciting, outdoor section is okay, Indoor section is amazing, big thumbs up from me Alton and happily takes my number 2 spot in the parks best rides. :clap:

I hate to do this but am i the only one who was disappointed, its rubbish.

The outdoor section is weak with slight air time but nothing special, its also really quick!

The indoor section was awful, the drop was in no way powerful, the first ride i didn't even know i had dropped, the air blasters where inconsistent and where blowing at us at the wrong times and sometimes didn't work, it was kind of boring in there.

Well now for the plus side, the theming was AMAZING! and they did very well! But i somewhat thought it was unfinished, the tesla coil in the middle and the ceiling in the station etc.

Overall this ride is not awful but is lacking in was was promised, "The ultimate roller coaster" etc I say give this ride a few years and it will be awesome but for now i dont like it 6/10

A good ride, not an amazing ride, but a GOOD ride.

I loved it personally, especially on the back row! Loads of airtime in the coaster section, a good look at the secret section etc. and Theming wise it's incredible, it shows that merlin mean business! I just cant wait for the park's next instalment! :D (The station is just incredible... on par with some of the parks in Europe!)

On top of that, this ride is a BEAST at throughput! So much that on Saturday, there was a top queue of an hour. No queue at all today, it was basically walk on!

The ride is MEANT to be a family ride, people seem to get the impression its a thrill which is why so many have been disappointed. Go on it for a fun time, and you'll get it. Go on it to be thrilled and scared, you may possibly come away feeling a bit ripped off.

All in all, I'm very impressed.

Hi, today i rode TH13TEEN and must say, i am rather impressed!

Theming

The outside queue line is pretty poor as there is about once peice of theming (The alton towers van being submerged by roots) and that is it, its a pig-pen and i felt more could be done with the 15 Million that was spent on the ride. But on the otherhand the indoor station is absolutly fantastic! I love the chalk on the wall and i can just see it come Scarefest "TH13TEEN Live", the music was growing on me at this point and i think it does make an impact on the rider. Due to the indoor section but taking the outdoor queue line into consideration 8.5/10

Story

This is the only part of the ride that lacks. There is NO story at all and it would have been nice to have some screen showing us more about this little girl that has got lost in the forest. This was a MAJOR Disapointment 0/10

The Ride

The first time i went on this i was amazed how fast it actually goes around the track and its no doubt that the back 2 or 3 rows have the best air-time and makes the ride just that little bit more intense. 9/10

Indoor Section/Crypt SPOILERS TO FOLLOW



The first time i went into the crypt i was looking out for the 3D Projectors and to my disapointment, i couldnt see any. The first drop is abit of a shocker and the 2nd even more bigger drop is immense and rather violent for a 1.2M ride, but again i was expecting more theming as once you do the 2nd drop all you see is 3 Wraiths and some green light and castle ruins around you nothing special! The backwords section is unbelievably weird as it feels like you are jolting backwords and forwards throughout the section, it also gets colder the further you go and is a really nice effect!

The Crypt 8/10 The Drop 9/10 The Backwords Section 10/10

Overall
A really good ride and a welcome edition to the SW family. So good infact i rode it 9 times :) Brilliant coaster and great WORLD FIRST section. In my opinion this will give the same thrills as Oblivion :D

Final Rating 9/10
Bravo

A great addition, ideally suited to both thrill seekers and the family market.

The overall theme of the area is very good. The van, covered in roots, the actual crypt building, the re-theme of Rita and the outlets all make the area seem very dark and sinister. I did get the feeling that Rita was in the way a little and preventing me from seeing the building proper.
The indoor areas have been completed to a very high standard, much better than I expected and on a similar level to the large parks in Europe, hopefully the curtains on the roof of the loading platform are temporary as they really stand out, I have a feeling however that these will be permanent.
The Coaster is very thrilling. It's like a beefed up mine train ride and is VERY quiet. There are a good few 'air time' moments and while it is shorter than many would have liked, there is still plenty of time to enjoy it. My main disappointment is the trim brake on the first drop, it seems so unnecessary, surely it could have been put some where else? :?
The inside 'element' is very unique, I'm surprised it hasn't been done before now to be honest.. I was impressed with the speed of the drop, it really feels like you are falling, its got a bit of bounce to it, I'd have preferred a little more money to be spent and to have more of a teetering type effect then just the simple drops we have. #-o
the tunnel for me is one of the best parts of the ride, on every ride so far I have been surprised, I forget that it's coming! It will be better with theming, maybe some spot lights to make it look like the sun is breaking through the soil. The tunnel section seems to go on for quite a long time.
By far the worst part of the ride in my view is the final switchback section. For a start it is very slow at switching, in this long time you are waiting there is time to look around and what you see is a terrible mess. to the left you have the remains of the cut out tunnel and Ritas tin shed along with a pretty ugly, plain lift hill and in front you have Th13teens building, which looks very ugly from behind. The whole area looks very bad, It feels like your at a train station, I don't know if Alton have any plans for this area, Ideally is should be covered, even if it's just scaffolding and fabric. :)
Overall I did enjoy the ride, it has a good re-ride quality to it and the area will only get better with age. The back seats benefit from not having to endure the first trim brake while the front offers a great view of the main wraith in the element.


:D :D

I wasnt expecting much from Thirteen, but was pleasantly surprised.

The themeing was fantastic.

Ride experience was good too, it felt like RMT & Hex rolled into one but I enjoyed it.

TH13TEEN, the already great entrance is made better when the wraith occasionallt stands in front of it. Hissing at passers-by. I personally was dissapointed by lack of theming in the queue line. Whilst it's not as bad a cattlepen as Rita, it still is one with the only theming being an old truck with a tree growing on the back of it. Once you get nearer to the station building, their is a heavily themed baggage area. It's nice to see you're bags put safer as oppose to just next to the station where they could be easily stolen.

The indoor queue line is very atmspheric with sound effects (staring the girl from the blipverts), writing on the wall and vines dangling from any given moment. I couldn't help but think it looked un-finished however with a black cloth for ceiling and what looked like a rubber-ring in the centre. The actual station wasn't as bright as it looked on GMTV, which was good but still not a patch on SAW's station building. You board your trains and tyou hear the girl whisper "if you go down to the woods today".

The small drop out the station is speedy enough, passing the tree clinging on to the front of the building. The lift-hill is very fast also, and it's quite suprising when you suddenly dive downwards into the forest. The first drop definatley gives off the most airtime and the turn afterwards is fast and forceful. The ride is trimmed as it travels up the first airtime hill, leaving it dissapointingly without airtime. The over-banked curve's fun, but then of course it's the S-bend. Definatley the best element on the outside of the ride, and picked up a lot of speed leading up to the second lift-hill.

The ride's theme music is played whilst travelling up this, but you hardly notice this as it travels so fast. Entering the building, you see wraiths and vines growing around the trees. A sudden drop then leads to strobe effects either side and a much larger one leading you at ther mercy of three wraiths. These do not actually move and are only still statues, which leads of the train to have a slow push backwards. I found the curving drop took many people by suprise and the helix, which followed the best part of the ride. Once you re-emerge outside you'll find yourself underneath a statue of two fallen angels and creepily th13teen grave-stones. A fast push leads you back to the station, where you hear the girl whisper "You better not go alone"... and you're out.

Overall, I'd give TH13TEEN a 7/10, no way near thrilling enough to be a secret weapon and the effects did dissapoint me but still a great ride and I'm sure I'd rate it more if it had not been so over-hyped.

Its an awesome ride that compliments the park very well. Ok it doesnt live up to the media hype of it being an "ultimate" coaster, but it certainly worthy of an SW status . I hope to see more effects added and I also really hope that there is some deep sinister music in the reverse helix as that would really make it feel as if you are deep underground and being chased by the wraiths.

All in all I would rate the ride 7 out of 10. It is an unique ride experience with excellent theming, but could be still improved on.

Thirteen was a real puzzler for me because in the course of one day i can honestly say i had two different ride experiences.

After braving and almost getting trampled on by the morning hoard i finally got on the ride (more on the themeing in a bit), with an open mind and not trying to expect much we set off to find as bland rollercoaster and an unthrilling crypt, yet an interesting and fun backwards helix.

Yet an hour later we rode again and what a transformation, so i will base this review off every other ride bar the first.

The theming is top notch and though some have said the queueline is not spectacularly themed, i would say take a moment to look around, theres broken mossy walls, the Van attacked by branches, the back of the photobooth with its scaffolding and to my surprise and open grave with a rotting hand reaching out.

The Station building themeing is amazing, the indoor bit is dark but not so bad as you can't see whats going on and i get the feeling this will be tweeked with time, the station indoor theming is also amazing and the music is really good.

As for the ride, the later on in the day the better this thing rides, though i know there where good reasons for the trim breaks i think it has been over trimmed and i hope towers fiddle with the trims to speed the main track up a bit, there are good pops of airtime, but as a coaster its nothing special.

The crypt was the winner on this ride the first time i rode it i wasn't impressed but everytime since (11 times) it has really packed a punch, a few of us got chatting with John Wardley and he said there where things still to do in the crypt, which i hope they do do as it needs more done too it with the special effects.

The backwards helix is just bizzare and a lot of fun though again a feel maybe some more lighting i places with a few wraiths or branches would really heighten the thrill factor.

I found the transfer track to be well themed actually, if you look around you can see a whole grave yard which is well executed and the speedy return to the breaks is fun.

All in all this is a great ride but i feel it will be let down by the expectations people have from the marketing

8/10

ill post up my ride experience

i have so far over the last 2 days rode 12 times.

the theming is fantastic, the trees, the building, the wrath's, the van its almost perfect and will be totaly there once its all finished and i very much carnt wait for the teslacoil to work.

the ride itself was a bit confusing. the ride just hasn't got the pace it needs just a little more and it would have some nice floater air but the whole ride i feel is in limbo. the ride itself is very family and just dosent pack the punch it needs to but the theming and the crypt lends it more towards the thrill seeker but the whole ride dosent quite reach either of these. i wasn't disappointed by the ride its a fantastic addition to the park i just felt it needs something a little more to give it a push in one direction or the other.

I rode Th13teen six times over the weekend.
I arrived a little later than the main TTF group and queued from near the Woodcutters Bar & Grill. I am so glad that I had watched the GMTV and Central TV spots, as there was one of the bootcampers stood a few people behind me, who described the ride in great detail from start to finish to someone else. If I had avoided all the spoilers I would have been so mad!
On entering the queueline I was looking out for some theming and was impressed to see the van wrapped in branches and the dug out graves with the arm sticking out. I expect more will be added.
The station building and general area looks amazing imo. I was also impressed with the internal queue line, I was expecting a simple bridge up and over the track. Once the Tesla Coil is working this will be great, along with the spooky soundtrack and dim lighting.
Anyway, onto the ride.
Trains are nice and comfortable and I was surprised as to how quick you launch out of the station and out to the lift hill. The outdoor section varies hugely depending on your position in the train. On Saturday I rode middle and front, and while there were small pops of airtime on the hills, I found the outdoor section fun, but not in any way thrilling. The last two turns before the 2nd lift hill are way too slow, it’s quite dull really. Seated at the back of the train is a completely different experience, you fly out of your seat over the first drop and over the airtime hills in the woods. I was very impressed.
The indoor drop section was pretty much how I imagined it would be. I love the theming in the crypt and there is an air of tension before the track drops. I kept noticing different theming, sounds and lighting effects every time I went around too.
The backwards launch and tunnel are really good fun, it’s so cold in there. I was hoping for ‘something’ during the backwards section, I believe they will be adding mist / smoke effects in here which will really improve it. Also was expecting something to happen in the bottom level crypt, which you escape from backwards. Again, rumour has it that there will be more effects added so we will wait and see.
The final switchback area needs some serious landscaping work in my opinion. It was the only part of the whole area that let it down for me. I like the graveyard theming, but the platform and control boxes etc just need some attention to give that area the same level of immersive-ness (is this a word?) as the rest of the building area.
Overall I was very impressed with Th13teen and it probably sits below Nemesis and Oblivion on my AT coaster ratings. Look forward to more theming in the coming weeks and hopefully before my next visit towards the end of April.

I have to say I was bitterly disappointed with this ride. I think I was expecting a lot more from Alton Towers after all the hype that has surrounded Thi3teen. I thought the outside section was boring the drops were not thrilling. The indoor section was awful. The drop felt as though it was non existent I was expecting a far bigger drop. I did however enjoy the end of the ride I thought it was very different.

I do think AT have done a very good job with the theming. I hated how Ug Land looked and it was nice to see how they had altered it into the Dark Forest. I like how they have themed Rita's station however I don't particularly like what they have done to Rita's trains, I think they look a little rushed.