Alton Towers Resort
Logo for the 2008 season.
Location	Staffordshire, England
Coordinates	52°59′26″N 1°53′33″W / 52.99056, -1.8925Coordinates: 52°59′26″N 1°53′33″W / 52.99056, -1.8925
Website	www.altontowers.com
Owner	Nick Leslau, leased to Merlin Entertainments
General Manager	Russel Barnes
Opened	1980
Operating season	15th March 2008 - 9th November 2008
Area	500 acres (2 km²)
Rides	125 attractions total 8 roller coasters 4 water rides
Slogan	"Escape To Alton Towers Resort"
Amusement Parks Portal

Alton Towers is a theme park and resort located in Staffordshire, England, attracting 2.4 million visitors in 2007.^[1] It is based north of the village of Alton in Staffordshire (approximately 16 miles (26 km) east of Stoke-on-Trent), in the grounds of a semi-ruined gothic revival country house of the same name. Also on site are two hotels; The Alton Towers Hotel and Splash Landings Hotel, The Alton Towers Waterpark (Cariba Creek), Extraordinary Golf, Conference Centre and The Alton Towers Spa (Located in the Alton Towers Hotel). Alton Towers is the flagship attraction of Merlin Entertainment. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Staffordshire (abbreviated Staffs) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... This article is about longitude and latitude; see also UTM coordinate system Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (vertically) and longitude (horizontally); large version (pdf) The geographic (earth-mapping) coordinate system expresses every horizontal position on Earth by two of the three coordinates of a spherical coordinate system which... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ... Merlin Entertainments is the biggest attractions operator in Europe and currently the second largest operating globally after Disney. ... Image File history File links Roller_Coaster_Icon. ... Theme Park is a simulation computer game designed by Bullfrog Productions, released in 1994, in which the player designs and operates an amusement park. ... Resorts combine a hotel and a variety of recreations, such as swimming pools. ... Staffordshire (abbreviated Staffs) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... For other places with the same name, see Alton. ... Staffordshire (abbreviated Staffs) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. ... This page is about Stoke-on-Trent in England. ... Victoria Tower at the Palace of Westminster, London: Gothic details provided by A.W.N. Pugin The Gothic revival was a European architectural movement with origins in mid-18th century England. ... A country house is a large dwelling, such as a mansion, located on a country estate. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ...

Some of the major attractions at Alton Towers include:

• Nemesis, Europe's first inverted roller coaster.
• Oblivion, the world's first vertical drop roller coaster.
• Air, the world's first B&M flying roller coaster.
• Rita - Queen of Speed, a launched roller coaster which accelerates to 100 km/h (60 mph) in approximately 2.5 seconds.

The park's promotional music is In the Hall of the Mountain King, written by Edvard Greig. For other uses, see Nemesis (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... Inverted roller coaster Batman the Ride An inverted roller coaster is a roller coaster in which the train runs under the track with the seats directly attached to the wheel carriage. ... It has been suggested that Oblivion RollerCoaster be merged into this article or section. ... SheiKra, a 200-foot dive coaster, which opened at Busch Gardens Africa (Tampa, FL) in 2005. ... Air (originally from Aerial Inversion Ride) is a steel flying coaster made by Bolliger & Mabillard of Switzerland. ... B&Ms Superman la Atracción de Acero (Movie World Madrid) Bolliger and Mabillard (short: B&M) is a notable roller coaster manufacturer based in Switzerland. ... A flying roller coaster is a roller coaster where the riders are secured in flying position with the track overhead. ... Rita - Queen of Speed is an Intamin AG Accelerator Coaster and one of the newer roller coasters to be built at Alton Towers in Staffordshire, England. ... The launched roller coaster is a modern form of roller coaster which has risen to prominence within the last decade. ... In the Hall of the Mountain King (Norwegian: ) is a piece of orchestral music, Opus 23, composed by Edvard Grieg for Henrik Ibsens play Peer Gynt, which premiered in Oslo on February 24, 1876. ...

History

2007 Logo after Merlin takeover.

The estate that was to become Alton Towers was owned by the Earls of Shrewsbury from the 15th century. The house on the estate once known as Alveton Lodge was originally the home of the estate bailiff. In about 1812-1814 the 15th Earl began the creation of extensive gardens and in 1831 the estate became the principal residence of the 16th Earl who completed the gardens and extended and improved the mansion which he renamed Alton Towers. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 600 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1000 × 1000 pixel, file size: 175 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) The logo of British theme park Alton Towers. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 600 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1000 × 1000 pixel, file size: 175 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) The logo of British theme park Alton Towers. ... The Earl of Shrewsbury is the senior Earl on the Roll in the Peerage of England (the more senior Earldom of Arundel being held by the Duke of Norfolk). ... Alton Towers is a theme park and resort located in Staffordshire, England, attracting 2. ...

The estate was sold after the death of the 20th Earl in 1921 to a private company who opened the park to the public as leisure grounds. The house was requisitioned during World War II and the gardens were closed until 1951, by which time the neglected house had begun to deteriorate. Year 1921 (MCMXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Year 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

As a theme park/resort

Alton Towers was opened as a theme park in 1980. It was purchased by The Tussauds Group in 1990. In 2005, Alton Towers was bought by the investment group Dubai International Capital (DIC) when it purchased Tussauds for £800million.^[2] The Tussauds Group was bought by Merlin Entertainments in March 2007 for over £1billion from DIC, placing Alton Towers under their control.^[3] In July 2007, the resort and park was sold to Nick Leslau and his investment firm Prestbury who now lease the park back to Merlin Entertainments to operate on a renewable 35-year lease.^{[citation needed]} Theme Park is a simulation computer game designed by Bullfrog Productions, released in 1994, in which the player designs and operates an amusement park. ... The Tussauds Group is now a part of Merlin Entertainments, the worlds second largest leisure group, second only to Disney. ... Dubai International Capital Dubai International Capital (DIC) was established in October 2004 as the international investment arm of Dubai Holding. ... Merlin Entertainments is the biggest attractions operator in Europe and currently the second largest operating globally after Disney. ... Merlin Entertainments is the biggest attractions operator in Europe and currently the second largest operating globally after Disney. ...

The Von Roll monorail transports visitors from the car park to the main entrance. The monorail was acquired from Expo 86 which was held in Vancouver, British Columbia.

The Sky Ride was designed in 1987 and still stands to this day, although the central station in Forbidden Valley was burned on the evening of 28 October 2007, due to a faulty halogen lamp.^[4] The incident caused a power cut, which led to some guests being stranded on the park's monorail. Luckily, this incident was reported quickly by a Towers employee as to not cause as much massive damage, and the park say that the damage caused to the station was mainly cosmetic. The skyride re-opened 19th April 2008 after major work had been carried out on the station's roof. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2448 × 3264 pixel, file size: 3. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2448 × 3264 pixel, file size: 3. ... Von Roll was a Swiss aerial tramway manufacturing company, it was taken over by Austrian manufacturers. ... The KL Monorail in Kuala Lumpur, a colorful straddle-beam monorail A monorail is a single rail serving as a track for a wheeled vehicle; also, a vehicle traveling on such a track. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... For other uses, see Vancouver (disambiguation). ... Motto: Splendor sine occasu (Latin: Splendour without diminishment) Capital Victoria Largest city Vancouver Official languages English (de facto) Government Lieutenant-Governor Steven Point Premier Gordon Campbell (BC Liberal) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament House seats 36 Senate seats 6 Confederation July 20, 1871 (6th province) Area  Ranked 5th Total 944... This article is about the year 1987. ... is the 301st day of the year (302nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... The incandescent light bulb uses a glowing wire filament heated to white-hot by electrical resistance, to generate light (a process known as thermal radiation). ... The KL Monorail in Kuala Lumpur, a colorful straddle-beam monorail A monorail is a single rail serving as a track for a wheeled vehicle; also, a vehicle traveling on such a track. ...

Areas

The park is split into many themed areas. The Skyride is a cable car system which visitors can use to travel between Towers Street, Forbidden Valley, and Cred Street. The Monorail is a system that transports visitors from the car park to the main entrance. Tochal gondola lift carry tourists and skiers to Tochal mountain,Tehran, Iran. ... The KL Monorail in Kuala Lumpur, a colorful straddle-beam monorail A monorail is a single rail serving as a track for a wheeled vehicle; also, a vehicle traveling on such a track. ...

Towers Street

Towers Street is the first area that visitors to the park encounter. Themed as a town street, it leads to views of the gardens and the Towers ruins and borrows heavily from Main Street, USA in the Walt Disney Theme Parks. The street contains several shops, including the Towers Trading Co., which sells official park merchandise. The first Skyride station is located nearby. The Your Day Shop is also located in this area. Disney Parks Worldwide logo Walt Disney Parks and Resorts is the division of The Walt Disney Company that conceives, builds and manages the companys theme parks and vacation resorts, as well as a variety of additional family-oriented leisure enterprises. ...

Navigation:

• Skyride to Forbidden Valley/Ug Land
• Monorail to car parks

Food, Drink And Shops: The KL Monorail in Kuala Lumpur, a colorful straddle-beam monorail A monorail is a single rail serving as a track for a wheeled vehicle; also, a vehicle traveling on such a track. ...

• Coca Cola Refill Station
• Corner Coffee
• The Towers Hot Dogs
• The Towers Restaurant
• Towers Trading
• Yourday

Mutiny Bay

New for 2008, Mutiny Bay, a pirate-themed land, replaced the old Merrie England which opened on March 15. New attractions to Mutiny Bay include Battle Galleons, a large "Splash Battle" water ride where guests sit in boats which travel along a track, and a rocking boat ride Heave Ho. The old teacups ride has been re-themed to become Marauders Mayhem, complete with rotating barrels instead of the old tea cups. The area also has a new Burger King restaurant and a new live show, The Pirates of Mutiny Bay. Since the opening of the area, many live actors roam around the area dressed as pirates. 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Era (or Anno Domini), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 74th day of the year (75th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Burger King (NYSE: BKC), often abbreviated to BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants. ...

Attractions:

• Battle Galleons
• Heave Ho
• Marauder's Mayhem
• Pirates of Mutiny Bay Show

Food, Drink And Shops:

• Pirate's Galley - Burger King
• Courtyard Tavern and BBQ
• Eastern Express
• Mexican Cantina
• Mutiny Bay Donuts
• Mutiny Bay Hot Dogs
• Mutiny Bay Shoppe

Burger King (NYSE: BKC), often abbreviated to BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants. ...

Katanga Canyon

Themed as an African village. Rides include the Runaway Mine Train and the Congo River Rapids. Both are well-established rides in the park whose ride tracks share a tunnel. The area has KFC and Pizza Hut restaurants with a shared indoor seating area. There is a shop located at the exits of the two rides called Katanga Cargo, hosting "ancient" tribal themed merchandise. Runaway Mine Train is a powered steel roller coaster made by Mack of Germany. ... Congo River Rapids is a river rapids ride made by Intamin. ... KFC (full name Kentucky Fried Chicken) is a division of Yum! Brands, Inc. ... Pizza Hut Inc. ...

Attractions:

• Congo River Rapids
• Runaway Mine Train
• The Flume - Unplugged

Food, Drink And Shops: Congo River Rapids is a river rapids ride made by Intamin. ... Runaway Mine Train is a steel roller coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, NJ. It was the parks first steel coaster. ...

• Katanga Kabin
• KFC and Pizza Hut
• The Katanga Cargo Company

KFC, also known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, is a food chain based in Louisville, Kentucky, known mainly for its fried chicken. ... Pizza Hut Inc. ...

Gloomy Wood

The Gloomy Wood is a small, ghosts-and-monsters themed area containing the ride Duel: The Haunted House Strikes Back!. The ride was originally a non-interactive ride named The Haunted House, but was upgraded in 2003 with laser-based plastic guns to shoot LED lights scattered around the rooms and monsters, with each player's score displayed on a digital display in the ride car to encourage competitive play. In 2007 Haunted Hollow an outdoor walk-through following part of the route taken by the old railway was added to the Resort, linking from Mutiny Bay to Gloomy Wood, along the route tombstones and other scary items make noises and special effects are used to great effect.^[5] External links LEd Category: TeX ...

Attractions:

• Duel - The Haunted House Strikes Back
• Haunted Hollow

Food, Drink And Shops:

• Gloomy Wood Kiosk
• Waffles and Ices
• Spooks 'R' Us

Forbidden Valley

Nemesis

Themed around a post-apocalyptic landscape, with large rocks and rusty pieces of metal and machinery scattering the area and also waterfalls coloured red to look like blood. One of the major rides is Nemesis, an inverted roller coaster, based around the fictional tale of an ancient malevolent alien creature. Also in the area, and continuing the apocalytic theme, are Ripsaw and The Blade thrill rides. Ripsaw is the Huss Topspin ride, which opened in 1997. At the end of the valley is an "oasis", with calmer colours and plants, where the ride Air, the worlds first B&M flying coaster, can be found. A Skyride station also services this area of the park. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 761 KB) Summary Nemesis at Alton Towers. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 761 KB) Summary Nemesis at Alton Towers. ... For other uses, see Nemesis (disambiguation). ... Apocalyptic science fiction is a sub-genre of science fiction that is concerned with the end of the world or civilization, through nuclear war, plague, or some other general disaster. ... For other uses, see Nemesis (disambiguation). ... Inverted roller coaster Batman the Ride An inverted roller coaster is a roller coaster in which the train runs under the track with the seats directly attached to the wheel carriage. ... Air (originally from Aerial Inversion Ride) is a steel flying coaster made by Bolliger & Mabillard of Switzerland. ...

Attractions:

• Air
• The Blade
• Lava Lump
• Nemesis
• Ripsaw
• Skyride

Food, Drink And Shops: Air (originally from Aerial Inversion Ride) is a steel flying coaster made by Bolliger & Mabillard of Switzerland. ... For other uses, see Nemesis (disambiguation). ...

• Forbidden Treats
• Fresh Fish and Chips
• The Generator
• Nemices Donuts
• Refresh@Ripsaw
• Air Shop

Ug Land

Ug Land is a prehistoric/neanderthal themed area containing two of the park's major roller coasters. These are Rita - Queen of Speed and Corkscrew, which opened in 1980, making it the park's first and therefore oldest roller coaster. It also features a Chair-O-Planes ride called "Ug Swinger". There is also a range of food outlets and shops. Prehistory (Greek words προ = before and ιστορία = history) is the period of human history prior to the advent of writing (which marks the beginning of recorded history). ... For other uses, see Neanderthal (disambiguation). ... Rita - Queen of Speed is an Intamin AG Accelerator Coaster and one of the newer roller coasters to be built at Alton Towers in Staffordshire, England. ... Corkscrew is a steel roller coaster made by Vekoma of the Netherlands. ... A Chair-O-Planes ride with a tilting top Stationary Chair-O-Planes showing chairs on hanging chains. ...

Attractions:

• Corkscrew
• Rita - Queen of Speed
• Soakasaurus
• Ug Swinger

Food, Drink And Shops: Corkscrew is a steel roller coaster made by Vekoma of the Netherlands. ... Rita - Queen of Speed is an Intamin AG Accelerator Coaster and one of the newer roller coasters to be built at Alton Towers in Staffordshire, England. ...

• Bronto Bites
• Swee-T-Rex
• Rita Shop
• Rita's Chicken and Ribs (Fountain Square)

Cred Street

Cred Street is aimed at the younger audience of Alton Towers, and is themed with bright colours. There is a selection of bouncy castles and play areas in the Cred Street playground. There are four rides in Cred Street especially suitable for younger children; Frog Hopper, Bouncing Bugs, Cred Street Carousel and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory : The Ride. The Peugeot 207 Driving School, for under 10s, opened to guests on 17 July 2006.^[6]. The area is also home to the Cred Street Theatre, which in 2008 plays host to "The Wonders of Algenon's Attic" - an interactive play for children. The play's eponymous hero, Sir Algenon Alton, is also an important figure in the themeing of the resort's Alton Towers Hotel. Peugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot Citroën. ... is the 198th day of the year (199th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Attractions:

• Bouncing Bugs
• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: The Ride
• Cred Street Playground
• Cred Street Theatre: The Wonders of Alegnon's Attic
• Frog Hopper
• Gallopers Carousel
• Peugeot 207 Driving School
• Skyride

Food, Drink And Shops:

• Cred Street Diner - Burger King
• Caffe Express
• Cred Street Toys

Burger King (NYSE: BKC), often abbreviated to BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants. ...

X-Sector

Oblivion in X-Sector

Previously called Fantasy World. X-Sector, themed as if it were a sinister government facility, contains the innovative Oblivion ride, a roller coaster in which riders experience an 87.9' degree drop (the world's first roller coaster to do this). The extra-wide roller coaster cars are held hanging over the edge for 3 seconds before dropping downwards under gravity into a large hole amid mist, and then re-emerging into a heavily banked turn leading back into the station. The area features a KFC and Pizza Hut outlet, and many side stalls. Its many amenities continue the theme, including by name, for example, Xpose Photos (run by Pixsolve), Xcite Arcade (run by HBL) and X-sell Shop. Also in the area are the Enterprise and Submission thrill rides. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1632x1224, 234 KB) Oblivion at Alton Towers, taken by en:User:Matt69er and uploaded to the englisch wikipedia on 22:48, 12 July 2006. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1632x1224, 234 KB) Oblivion at Alton Towers, taken by en:User:Matt69er and uploaded to the englisch wikipedia on 22:48, 12 July 2006. ... It has been suggested that Oblivion RollerCoaster be merged into this article or section. ... KFC (full name Kentucky Fried Chicken) is a division of Yum! Brands, Inc. ... Pizza Hut Inc. ...

Attractions:

• Enterprise
• Oblivion (roller coaster)
• Submission

Food, Drink And Shops: It has been suggested that Oblivion RollerCoaster be merged into this article or section. ...

• Front Lawn Tuck Shop
• Meltdown - KFC and Pizza Hut
• Rehydrator
• X-Sell

KFC, also known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, is a food chain based in Louisville, Kentucky, known mainly for its fried chicken. ... Pizza Hut Inc. ...

Adventure Land

Adventure Land is aimed at visitors between the ages of 5 and 11, and consists mainly of climbing frames, slides, swings and similar equipment. There are two rides: Beastie, a small roller coaster, and Spinball Whizzer, a Maurer Söhne pinball-themed spinning roller coaster. The area also contains a food outlet. Beastie is a steel family roller coaster made by Pinfari of Italy. ... Spinball Whizzer is a steel roller coaster with spinning cars made by Maurer Söhne of Germany. ... Maurer Söhne is a steel construction company and roller coaster manufacturer. ...

Attractions:

• The Beastie
• Space Adventures playground
• Spinball Whizzer

Food And Drink: Spinball Whizzer is a steel roller coaster with spinning cars made by Maurer Söhne of Germany. ...

• Refresh @ Spinball

Old MacDonald's Farmyard

Themed around a traditional farm, this area contains a small petting zoo as well as a few rides for younger visitors, which include Doodle Doo Derby, a farm-themed carousel, and Riverbank Eye Spy, a recently re-themed boat ride. In 2003, the old barn that used to hold the farm animals before the Foot and Mouth crisis of 2001, was converted to a play barn called Berry Bish Bash, that contains thousands of small foam balls that are propelled, raised, thrown, dropped and shot. 2007 introduced a new themed area called There's Something in the Dungheap, an area specially for youngsters, with zip lines, climbing frames and a picnic area. A petting zoo (often called, and/or part of, a childrens zoo) features a combination of domestic animals and some wild species that are docile enough to touch and feed. ... Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), sometimes called hoof-and-mouth disease, is a highly contagious but non-fatal viral disease of cattle and pigs. ...

Attractions:

• Berry Bish Bash
• Doodle Doo Derby
• There's Something in the Dung Heap
• Old MacDonald's Singing Barn
• Old MacDonald's Tractor Ride
• Riverbank Eye-Spy

Other Attractions

The gardens

Alton Towers in 1880

As an example of the mixed style of Humphry Repton's gardens, Alton Towers' garden was begun, circa 1814 by the eccentric 15th Earl of Shrewsbury, of whom J. C. Loudon (who was consulted on design features of which there were many) relates that he consulted every artist, only to avoid 'whatever an artist might recommend'.^{[citation needed]} Download high resolution version (1102x750, 192 KB)Alton Towers from Morriss Seats of Noblemen and Gentlemen (1880). ... Download high resolution version (1102x750, 192 KB)Alton Towers from Morriss Seats of Noblemen and Gentlemen (1880). ... Notable gardeners Luis Barragán Geoffrey Bawa Lancelot Capability Brown Charles de lÉcluse Esther Dean Charlie Dimmock A. J. Downing Ian Hamilton Finlay Bob Flowerdew Pippa Greenwood C. Z. Guest Robert Hart Michael Heseltine Hotsukimaru Derek Jarman Thomas Jefferson Gertrude Jekyll William Kent André Le Nôtre Peter Joseph... The Earl of Shrewsbury is the senior Earl on the Roll in the Peerage of England (the more senior Earldom of Arundel being held by the Duke of Norfolk). ... John Claudius Loudon (April 8, 1783 - 1843) was a Scottish botanist. ...

Alton Towers grew into a collection of gardens: a Swiss Cottage, a Stonehenge, a Dutch garden, a Pagoda Fountain, said to be based on the To Ho pagoda in Canton, Lysicrates' Choragic Monument from Athens (a feature in English gardens since the 1760s), domed glasshouses (originally gilded), even a fairly large Matterhorn as a backing to one of England's earliest Alpine gardens.^{[citation needed]} For other uses, see Stonehenge (disambiguation). ... The Dutch garden is distinguished by its dense atmosphere and efficient use of space. ... The choragic monument of Lysicrates, from The Antiquities of Athens, 1762. ... This article is about the capital of Greece. ... The Matterhorn (German) or Cervino (Italian), (French: Mont Cervin or Le Cervin) is perhaps the most familiar mountain in the European Alps. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... A rock garden, also known as a rockery or an alpine garden, is a type of garden that features extensive use of rocks or stones, along with plants native to rocky or alpine environments. ...

The Towers

The Towers ruins are from what the park derives its name, and has sometimes featured a spooky maze during the Halloween period. Added for the 2000 season was the ride Hex - The Legend of the Towers within the ruins itself, an indoor haunted swing ride which made use of the history of the Towers. The story for the ride is based on one of Staffordshire’s great legends about a chained oak. This article is about the holiday. ... Hex - The Legend of the Towers, was the new ride for the 2000 season at UK theme park Alton Towers. ... Staffordshire (abbreviated Staffs) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

There is currently a £1.1million project in place to restore the oldest parts of the castle. It is currently unknown how the completed renovations will be used.

The Hotels

The resort features two hotels, The Splash Landings Hotel and The Alton Towers Hotel. The Splash Landings Hotel is a combination hotel and waterpark. A hotel is an establishment that provides lodging, usually on a short-term basis. ... Fun at a waterpark in a wave pool Aerial view of Sunway Lagoon, a popular waterpark in Malaysia. ...

Alton Towers Hotel

The Alton Towers Hotel opened in 1996 and is themed to the eccentric fictional character Sir Algernon Alton. The rooms are decorated in a classically English style with pictures of Sir Algernon's inventions including the coasting roller adorning the walls.

The hotel features the Secret Garden restaurant serving a buffet breakfast and a la carte dinner, there is also the Captain and Dragon bars, the latter having a Chinese theme along with the small event/conference rooms in the hotel. The bars and restaurant surround the "ship" the centrepiece of the hotel featuring a hot air balloon shape and rotating propellers.

The ship is also used as a stage for the evening entertainment. For several years, until March 2008, this featured popular entertainment host, 'Dickie Hart'. However, as part of the drive to promote the resort firmly as a family destination, a show based around the adventures of Sir Alegnon along with Pirate Bill's magic show are the current offerings.

Splash Landings Hotel

The Splash Landings Hotel is the newer of the two hotels, opening in 2003, it has a Caribbean theme and the main feature is the Cariba Creek Waterpark. The hotel features Flambo's Exotic Feast a buffet restaurant with a wide selection of food including roast dinner and a chocolate fountain, a buffet breakfast is also served. Above Flambo's Feast is the Ma Garrita's Bar which features evening entertainment including karaoke. Both the bar and restaurant have windows looking out over the indoor waterpark. The hotel rooms are in a wing to the side of the hotel and some rooms have views over the outdoor sections of the waterpark. The hotel also contains two shops, one selling general snacks, sweets and souviners and the other offering swimming costumes and other waterpark related sundries. There is also an arcade near Flambo's restaurant.

Between the hotels sits the Alton Towers Conference Centre, Winner of meeting & Incentive Travel Magazine's Best UK Unusual Venue Award 2007^[7]. The Conference Centre opened shortly after the Splash Landings Hotel and is linked to both hotels via a walkway running from the side of the Alton Towers Hotel to the Conference Centre and through the Cariba Creek waterpark to the Splash Landings Hotel.

The Waterpark

Main article: Cariba Creek

An indoor and outdoor waterpark themed as a tropical lagoon is located within The Splash Landings Hotel and is accessible by both members of the hotel and members of the public. The waterpark also contains Quencher's snack bar.^[8] There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ...

Extraordinary Golf

In 2007 Alton Towers opened Extraordinary Golf, 2 nine hole themed crazy golf courses, located near The Splash Landings Hotel. As with Cariba Creek, this facility is aimed at the general public as well as park and hotel guests. Miniature golf, also known as mini-golf, crazy golf or Putt-Putt, is a game modelled after the sport of golf. ...

Past rides

Many roller coasters have been replaced since the original opening.

The attraction whose removal caused the biggest controversy was a single-loop roller coaster called Thunder looper, manufactured by Schwarzkopf, which was constructed in 1990 but lasted for only 6 years. It was removed mainly due to the fact that Alton Towers only obtained a temporary planning agreement and later height restrictions placed on the park and problems with the high level of sound the ride produced made it certain permanent planning permission would not be granted.^[9] Thunder looper stood in the area Thunder Valley, which is now Forbidden Valley. Anton Schwarzkopf (1924-2001) was a prolific German roller coaster engineer and founder of the Schwarzkopf Industries company, which built numerous amusement park rides and roller coasters. ...

The Black Hole featured a spiral lift and was contained entirely within a permanent tent structure that made some sections of the ride completely dark. This ride was closed in March 2005 and has been sold to an undisclosed theme park in Brazil. The sale was attributed to rising maintenance costs and new health and safety requirements requiring evacuation stairs on the spiral lift that could not be accommodated within the tent structure. As of June 2008 the tent structure which used to hold The Black Hole is still in place in its original location in the X-Sector area. Black Hole was an enclosed steel roller coaster at Alton Towers. ...

In common with most major parks, there was also a miniature railway line. It ran through the forest, and was one of the first attractions built after World War Two. It was a 2-foot (610 mm) gauge line equipped with Baguley locomotives, which although steam-outline in appearance were in fact powered by diesel engines. It closed in 1996, by which time this once-popular ride had been displaced by the Skyride cable-cars. It was gradually removed afterwards, and is now covered in part by the Haunted Hollow walk-through, some remnants of the railway can still be seen at various points in the forest. This article needs cleanup. ... The diesel engine is a type of internal combustion engine; more specifically, a compression ignition engine, in which the fuel is ignited by the high temperature of a compressed gas, rather than a separate source of energy (such as a spark plug). ...

List of past rides

Around the World in 80 Days was a former attraction in the Tabolt Street area of Alton Towers theme park, Staffordshire, England. ... Toyland Tours was a former attraction that was replaced Around the World in 80 Days in the Tabolt Street area of Alton Towers theme park, Staffordshire, England. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... A Ferris wheel on the boardwalk in Ocean City, New Jersey, USA. A Ferris wheel (or, more commonly in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland [UK], big wheel) is a nonbuilding structure consisting of an upright wheel with passenger gondolas suspended from the rim. ... A Bobsled roller coaster is the generic name given to any roller coaster that uses a track design that is essentially the steel pipe with the top half removed and has individual cars that are sent down this pipe in a freewheeling mode. ... Doom & Sons was a former attraction in the Tabolt Street area of Alton Towers theme park, Staffordshire, England. ... The Gravitron is an amusement ride which involves fast rotations around an axis creating centrifugal force. ... Eternite Miniature golf course Minigolf is a miniature version of the sport of golf. ... This article needs cleanup. ... In film, the term 3-D (or 3D) is used to describe any visual presentation system that attempts to maintain or recreate moving images of the third dimension, the illusion of depth as seen by the viewer. ... Black Hole was an enclosed steel roller coaster at Alton Towers. ...

Events

Scarefest

The park's most major event ever is the Halloween 'Scarefest'. It runs for several weeks during the Halloween season and features a number of extra attractions across the resort. The park used to hold a fireworks display around the same time, however due to complaints from locals, the event was replaced with a laser light show. This article is about the holiday. ...

Adrenalin week

The final week before closing for the winter season is usually, Adrenalin Week. The tickets are reduced in price, but only the major rides are opened.

"YourDay"

In 2007 the park introduced the "YourDay" DVD system. This enables visitors who wear optional, RFID wristbands during their stay at the park to be filmed on eight of the main rides and at various locations around the park. At the end of their stay all of the personalized footage is collected and insert edited into pre-recorded stock footage of the rides to produce a DVD souvenir of the visitor's day. An EPC RFID tag used for Wal-Mart Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is an automatic identification method, relying on storing and remotely retrieving data using devices called RFID tags or transponders. ... DVD (also known as Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc - see Etymology) is a popular optical disc storage media format. ...

The YourDay system features personalised footage on Corkscrew, Nemesis, Rita - Queen of Speed, Spinball Whizzer, Oblivion and Air. The Flume & Congo River Rapids will be added in Summer 2008. Customers can now also preview their footage before they buy. For other uses, see Corkscrew (disambiguation). ... Look up nemesis in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Rita - Queen of Speed is an Intamin AG Accelerator Coaster and one of the newer roller coasters to be built at Alton Towers in Staffordshire, England. ... Spinball Whizzer is a steel roller coaster with spinning cars made by Maurer Söhne of Germany. ...

Competition

YourDay may soon be facing competition within Alton Towers, from the current on-ride photo suppliers Picsolve. Towards the end of the 2007 season, Picsolve started to test on-ride video cameras on one of the Oblivion cars. Their aim is to be able to offer a DVD with on-ride footage of the riders as an alternative to both their own on-ride photos and also YourDay's DVD. ^[10]

Controversy

• The theme park received some press for its proposal to tag guests with RFID wristbands in order that they be tracked and filmed by cameras as they move around the park. Although it is intended to be optional and used for providing personalised video of a visitor's day, the media reacted to the privacy implications and Big Brother scenario.^[11]

• A marketing strategy encouraging workers to call in absent in order to visit the theme park was heavily criticised by business groups.^[12]

• Relations with the local community were harmed when Alton Towers significantly reduced the amount of free tickets it provides to local residents as compensation for the heavy traffic the theme park attracts to the small local village roads.^[13]

• Due to a court battle with two local residents, Suzanne and Stephen Roper, Alton Towers is having problems with its end-of-season fireworks display, which is a very popular event with customers and an important date on the season calendar. However, the towers is attempting to keep them running. The court battle ended in October 2005 leaving Alton Towers with permission to stage three of the five firework and laser displays. The park now has a noise abatement order in place meaning that it cannot exceed 40 decibels to their nearby neighbours.^[14]

• On July 20, 2006 an accident involving the Runaway Mine Train occurred near the tunnel area of the ride. The train separated into two, with the two sections colliding after the first section rolled back (or "valleyed"). Three people were taken to hospital while another 26 were treated for minor injuries.^[15] The ride remained closed until 2007.

• The park was subject to media coverage over its decision to slaughter its livestock from the Old McDonald's Farmyard area due to the Foot and Mouth disease outbreak in 2001^[16]. The slaughter was deemed necessary as the park would have been unable to open to the public if the animals remained, and livestock movement restrictions prevented them from being removed from the theme park itself. The RSPCA criticised the action, saying other options should have been examined.^[17]

The neutrality or factuality of this article or section may be compromised by weasel words, which can allow the implication of unsourced information. You can help Wikipedia by removing weasel worded statements.

• Alton Towers announced a special "Islam Day", in which a group of Muslims had reportedly booked the complex for an entire day in which they would perform prayers and other Muslim related activities.^[18] This was attacked by critics as an example of political correctness.^[19] The same day was booked for holding a wedding celebration prior to the "Islam Day" for a non-Muslim couple, along with their 60 invited guests. The couple learned nine weeks before the day that an "Islam Day" was taking place at the same time. The couple and their guests were allowed to attend the same day, provided they respected the Muslim rules: alcohol, smoking and music were banned and only halal food was served.^[20] The day, however, was subsequently cancelled due to a lack of interest.

• In October 2006, 15 out of 19 fast food outlets, and an independently run Kentucky Fried Chicken failed local council health inspections.^[21]

An EPC RFID tag used for Wal-Mart Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is an automatic identification method, relying on storing and remotely retrieving data using devices called RFID tags or transponders. ... Big Brother as portrayed in the 1954 BBC Television adaptation of Nineteen Eighty-Four. ... For other uses, see Fireworks (disambiguation). ... The decibel is a dimensionless unit (like percent) that is a measure of ratios on a logarithmic scale. ... is the 201st day of the year (202nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Runaway Mine Train is a powered steel roller coaster made by Mack of Germany. ... Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), sometimes called hoof-and-mouth disease, is a highly contagious but non-fatal viral disease of cattle and pigs. ... Notice telling people to keep off the North York Moors. ... The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) is a charity in England and Wales that promotes animal welfare. ... For people named Islam, see Islam (name). ... A Muslim is a believer in or follower of Islam. ... There is also a collection of Hadith called Sahih Muslim A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم, Persian: Mosalman or Mosalmon Urdu: مسلمان, Turkish: Müslüman, Albanian: Mysliman, Bosnian: Musliman) is an adherent of the religion of Islam. ... Political correctness is the alteration of language to redress real or alleged injustices and discrimination or to avoid offense. ... Halal (حلال, alāl, halaal) is an Arabic term meaning permissible. In the English language it most frequently refers to food that is permissible according to Islamic law. ... KFC (full name Kentucky Fried Chicken) is a division of Yum! Brands, Inc. ...

References

BBC News website in June 2007. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 82nd day of the year (83rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 194th day of the year (195th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... BBC News website in June 2007. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 82nd day of the year (83rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 194th day of the year (195th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 302nd day of the year (303rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 191st day of the year (192nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 194th day of the year (195th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 194th day of the year (195th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 27th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 281st day of the year (282nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... BBC News website in June 2007. ... BBC News website in June 2007. ... BBC News website in June 2007. ... BBC News website in June 2007. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 287th day of the year (288th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 194th day of the year (195th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... BBC News website in June 2007. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 201st day of the year (202nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 201st day of the year (202nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... BBC News website in June 2007. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 184th day of the year (185th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 194th day of the year (195th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Rod Liddle (born 1960) is a controversial British journalist best known for his term as editor of BBC Radio 4s Today programme. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 189th day of the year (190th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Cover of the Nov 12, 2005 issue of The Spectator magazine. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 194th day of the year (195th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Daily Mail and its Sunday edition the Mail on Sunday are British newspapers, first published in 1896. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 192nd day of the year (193rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 194th day of the year (195th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... BBC News website in June 2007. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 4th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 5th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

See also

• List of theme parks in the United Kingdom

Alton Towers American Adventure Barry Island Pleasure Park Blackpool Pleasure Beach Blackgang Chine Brean Leisure Park Camelot Theme Park Chessington World of Adventures Crealy Park Drayton Manor Dreamland Margate Fantasy Island Flambards Village Theme Park Flamingo Land Theme Park and Zoo Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach Gullivers World LEGOLAND Windsor...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Alton Towers

• Official website
• Roller Coaster Database Alton Towers entry
• Stafford Tourism Bureau
• Alt