Review: Wicker Man at Alton Towers
Overview Opened in March of 2018, Wicker Man is the first wooden coaster to be built in the UK in 21 years and the first ever wooden coaster to be built at Alton Towers. When SW8 (projects at Alton Towers are given codenames, SW standing for Secret Weapon) was announced, it ignited considerable curiosity, especially when it became known that this coaster would incorporate the element of fire. The...[Read More]
What’s Your Dream Theme Park Trip?
Is there a park that you’ve been dreaming to visit one day? For me it’d be England’s Alton Towers. It’s a unique theme park located in the English countryside on the grounds of a massive Stately Home (American Translation: A Castle!). There’s also a huge garden and the park itself is beautifully landscaped and very green. The park’s foliage and rolling topograph...[Read More]
Our Favorite Ride Experiences of 2017
Before we look forward to the upcoming theme park season, we thought it’d be fun to take one more look back at our favorite ride experiences of 2017. The Smiler at Alton Towers Surprisingly, my favorite ride experience of 2017 was not on one of the awesome RMC (Rocky Mountain Construction) coasters – Wicked Cyclone and Lightning Rod – that I rode for the first time. It was on a coaster...[Read More]
Alton Towers Announces Wicker Man Wooden Coaster
It’s now official. Alton Towers has announced that their project named Secret Weapon 8 will be Wicker Man, a new ride from GCI (Great Coasters International) and the first wooden coaster to be built in the UK in over 20 years as well as the first wooden coaster ever to appear at Alton Towers. The ride will feature 2,028 feet of track with a drop of 46 feet and if that doesn’t sound exactly awe-ins...[Read More]
POV Monday – The Smiler at Alton Towers
The Smiler at Alton Towers opened in 2013 boasting the most loops of any roller coaster on the planet, with an insane 14 inversions. Video Highlights While I’m not sure how much I’d enjoy being flipped upside-down 14 times, I think that the head-chopper moments look like fun. At a few moments during the ride, it looks like you come within feet of that large marmaliser structure. For mo...[Read More]
The Roller Coasters with the Most Loops
This edition of Superlative Sundays lists the loopiest roller coasters in the World. The Roller Coasters with the Most Loops (Inversions) World Roller coasters that are under construction are marked with an asterisk (*). A Roller Coaster Record the U.S. Parks Don’t Hold If my research was correct then the American parks’ roller coasters top out at 7 loops. B&M have given us great ...[Read More]
TPS Report – The Smiler Accident, The Bat, & More News
Theme Park News Update – Late October/Early November I’ve been away from the blog for quite some time. So, I thought that I’d share some of the biggest news stories of the past couple of weeks. In a good old TPS Report (TPS = Theme Park Syndicate), here’s what’s been happening in the theme park world: Accident on The Smiler: Riders Hit By Debris (Guide Wheels) In what...[Read More]
Reviews of The Smiler: Roller Coaster with Most Loops
The Smiler at Alton Towers: The Roller Coaster with the Most Loops Reviews for Alton Towers world-record setting roller coaster, The Smiler have been largely positive. The ride boasts the most inversions (loops) of any coaster in the World at an insane 14! Reviews of Alton Towers’ The Smiler Here are some reviews of The Smiler that I’ve compiled: A visual spectacle, the ride experience...[Read More]
What's Your Most Wanted Theme Park?
Which Theme Park Do You Want to Visit the Most? Is there a theme park that you’ve been wanting to visit for years, but still haven’t made it to? For me, there are a pair of European parks that I’ve been eyeing for quite some time. In Top 3 Most Wanted European Theme Parks, I chose Germany’s Europa Park as my #1 most wanted Euro park, but that was before I knew about Alton T...[Read More]
The Smiler's Coming Alton Towers
Alton Towers is at it again. The UK park based in Staffordshire, England is about to unleash another “secret weapon” on Brits with The Smiler. While the park’s last ride, Thirteen had a supernatural theme, this time they’re billing The Smiler as the world’s most terrifying roller coaster thanks to its psychological elements. The first of which will be a pre-lift hill ...[Read More]
Alton Towers Could Be Going for Inversion Record with SW7
Alton Towers has been busy teasing their “world beating” 2013 roller coaster with a teaser site. For now, it’s being referred to as SW7. It’s thought to be a Gerstlauer roller coaster and it could be similar to SAW – The Ride at Thorpe Park or Takabisha at Fuji-Q Highland. Unlike some of the more compact Gerstlauer’s here in the States (Dare Devil Dive, Mystery ...[Read More]
Nemesis @ Alton Towers | Coaster Reviews
Nick is the founder and lead editor of Theme Park Tourist, a website which covers the latest news, reviews and money-saving tips for theme parks around the world. The site includes an extensive database of special offers and discounts for popular parks, as well as a “New Attraction Watch” which keeps track of the latest confirmed and rumored opening dates for upcoming rides and shows. You can foll...[Read More]
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