29 October 2023 , 12:07
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The UK's largest theme park has announced it is to ditch three of its most popular rides. Alton Towers will remove the attractions in at the end of the season.
It means thrill-seekers have just a few days left to say goodbye to the Retro Squad rides - Funk 'n' Fly, Twistatron and Spinjam. They will all be removed after the resort shuts on November 5 for the winter.
The decision to pull up the tracks has left some thrill-seekers disappointed. Taking to Instagram, one wrote: "I'm gonna miss Spinjam." Another said: "Aw no my girls just discovered Funk 'n' Fly and loved it!" A third added: "Noooo, they’re so good, especially Funk 'n' Fly, RIP."
The rides were brought back in 2021 to bring more "funktastic thrills" to the UK, reports StaffordshireLive. It is not yet known whether replacement attractions will be put in their place for the 2024 season.
Alton Towers is one of the most popular theme parks in the country. Three of its most popular rides will be removed forever next month (Bloomberg via Getty Images)Alton Towers revealed the news with a video showing a retro 80s-style cartoon, in which a robot recalls the three rides to their home planet, stating their 'current mission' has been completed.
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Some visitors are excited about what might replace them. They would like to see modern, permanent rides. One said: "Very exciting news for the rides that will fill it." And another added: "Hope to see some good permanent additions come instead then."
Adrenalin junkies are also eagerly anticipating the return of one of the park's most popular rides - Nemesis - in 2024. The legendary attraction - which takes riders on a heart-pounding journey with a g-force of 3.5 and top speed of 50mph - fell silent a year ago to undergo a major revamp. An extensive transformation is underway, including replacing the 250-tonne, 716-metre-long track, as well as the carriages.
In 2021 Alton Towers was reported to have been visited by 1.8 million people, ranking it first in the UK. A former private estate it was transformed in the last century into a theme park and currently boasts attractions like TH13TEEN, Oblivion and Wicker Man. The Runaway Mine Train is another family favourite, being the oldest rollercoaster at the park and providing a more gentle experience than some of the bigger rides.
Earlier this year it topped the pile in the best family theme park awards.