Thirteen To Scare The Pants Off Of Unsuspecting Brits in 2010
UPDATE – 3/17 New videos reveal Thirteen’s theme, one-of-a-kind element, and some POV video footage. British news shows GMTV and ITV were on location to film the first footage of Thirteen, Alton Towers highly anticipated new roller coaster. Read the full post and watch the videos, but only if you don’t mind seeing the trick Thirteen has up its sleeve. Watch the Thirteen – Alton Towers Videos.
Alton Towers has announced the name of their 2010 roller coaster previously referred to as SW6 or Secret Weapon 6. The Intamin-designed ride will be called Thirteen and it will have a dark, horror-like theme. Details are still a bit scarce, but the ride will open in March 2010, so we’ll know a lot more soon.
For now, we know that theming will be a large part of the ride. So much so that Alton Towers is dubbing 
Thirteen the World’s first Psychoaster. Towers Almanac, an Alton Towers fan site, has a quote from ride consultant John Wardley that sheds a little bit more light on the psychoaster distinction: “Thirteen will be the first ride to play on emotional fear and something coaster fans will not be prepared for.”
Here are some details from the official web site.
Thirteen will be based on the discovery of an unearthed ancient burial site in an area of unexplored woodland known as the Dark Forest.
Built on the site of the old Corkscrew rollercoaster, visitors will be invited to take a petrifying ride on Thirteen, venturing into the seemingly living and breathing Dark Forest. There they will face an unknown horror that has been unleashed from the ancient crypt.
The ride has been developed with the world’s leading coaster and thrill consultants who have collaborated to combine the ultimate elements of physical and psychological fear – to create what experts are dubbing a ‘psychoaster’.
- Alton Towers Thirteen Web Site
Alton Towers is already home to the world’s first dive coaster (Oblivion), B&M’s first flying coaster (Air) and a critically acclaimed inverted coaster (Nemesis). It’s cool that Alton Towers could add another stand-out roller coaster to their lineup. And, I’m glad to see that they’re continuing to do something original.
Thirteen’s Waiver & Age Limitations
UPDATE – 12/12: This is unprecedented. According to a Sun article, Thirteen will be so scary that the park is going to have riders sign a waiver and be within a specified age limit. Here’s more from the article:
The £15million ride will be restricted to 16 to 55-year-olds only and visitors limited to one ride per day “due to concerns about emotional maturity and physical health”, resort bosses said.
Adrenaline junkies will also be required to sign a waiver which assures the resort of their physical and mental health “to avoid any resulting lawsuits”.
Read the full article.
The extra safety measures could have one of two purposes. It could be just a lot of hype to make the public believe that Thirteen’s the scariest ride known to man. Or it could be an honest effort to absolve the park from any lawsuits resulting from emotional distress cases. Either way, we won’t know until those first few ride reviews are posted in March.
UPDATE – 4/2010 Now that Thirteen has been open for a while, feel free to rate it using my Rating System and leave a short review or comment below.
Loading ...What’s Your Take?
What do you think about the name and theme for Alton Towers’ new psychoaster Thirteen? How about the waiver and age limits? Do you think they’re needed or just for hype? Leave a comment below.
December 11, 2009 at 12:18
Interesting, very interesting. I'll see you England next March!
October 3, 2010 at 03:42
nice review mate thanks thirteen is great I agree, I have wanted to go to this theme park for such a long time, I don’t even mind if I dont go on thirteen though from your review it sounds great. wanted to help the site found some nice value
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.altontowertickets.com" rel="nofollow">alton towers tickets, im going soon because of these.
December 11, 2009 at 16:52
I just finished reading a book that takes place at alton towers, the watchers by ellen croswell. although it`s an older book and takes place more in the gardens and around a ride called the black hole, which i suspect used to be where oblivion is. it has a bit of an odd concept but it`s a great book that any book/theme park lover should read.
December 12, 2009 at 11:08
For sure just for hype. It's like when you have to sign a waiver when you buy the hottest hot sauce. This is going to cause high expectations for this ride though & I hope they can deliver.
December 12, 2009 at 13:18
i think it will deliver, just cause it is Alton Towers
December 12, 2009 at 13:19
AAH! NOTHER NEW ICON! I AM SO MAD!
December 12, 2009 at 16:20
yeah, i liked your old one better.
December 12, 2009 at 18:07
You get a new avatar every time you use a new email address to comment. Stay on topic please
December 13, 2009 at 04:02
CFC, are you actualy going to england in March?
December 13, 2009 at 04:15
i just noticed the update, what is it with the waivers and age restrictions, is that even legal?
December 13, 2009 at 07:17
Yes, it is. The park owns the ride, so thay can restrict it and basiclly do anything they want with it.
December 13, 2009 at 07:21
Heck yes, I'm going to England! I'm going to go on vacation near Alton Towers next year, in March. You can be sure I'm going to be there.
December 13, 2009 at 11:24
I'm a major coaster lover… this new idea is interesting… i do so hope its like they predict, because some of these things can be pretty lame… I think the parts you have to sign will be there, just so that the element of reality of the situation is planted in your mind, however i cannot see the age restriction, atleast the minimum age… I hope this isn't hype with no show… see you all at alton towers March 2010!!!
December 13, 2009 at 12:27
The age limit thing almost certainly has to be hype, no theme park would spend millions on a ride and then stop certain people riding, there was talk about Saw at Thorpe park having an age restriction and as far as Im aware it doesnt carry one. So for its sounding good and I just hope it turns out better than Saw at Thorpe Park. Alton Towers needs a new big ride as they havent added any in a while.
Quil, the black hole was just across from Oblivion in the X-Sector but closed in 2005, it was a suprisingly decent ride which people missed out on because of the bigger rides.
December 13, 2009 at 13:22
i just thought that beacause oblivion dropped into that tunnle, thanks for the clear-up jjhobo, you seem, to know alot about alton towers.
December 13, 2009 at 15:47
I like the name and the logo; the rest is just hype which I find unfortunate because the ride should speak for itself.
The track and support design on this coaster looks similar, if not identical to that on the old Jumbo Jets/Speed Racers. The profile of the drops and the high banked curves low to the ground are also reminiscent of those designs. It looks fun.
I think it will really be more of a family ride, but perhaps with gory haunted house theming inside? Saw: The Ride has obviously been an inspiration for this ride.
December 14, 2009 at 03:09
i hate gory.
December 14, 2009 at 11:44
hmmm i think it will be new and different, and i think that it will provide experience which Alton Towers are hoping for… Think about it, they have been correct about their other rides: air, being flying, oblivion: first vertical drop, nemeis: first inverted etc… I feel they'll be true to their words and thirteen will contain unseen experiences… however, the age restriction is hype… you will have to sign a form, just to implant fear into the mind (psychological)… it's set in a crypt… i think there will be a LOT of illusions and I cannot wait!!!
January 12, 2010 at 12:26
Nemesis wasn`t the first Invert, thjat wasa Batmab:the ride.
February 8, 2010 at 02:29
Nemesis was the first inverted rollercoaster….
Nemesis was opened in March 1994 &
Batman:The Ride was opened April 1994
So it shows how much you know I take it your American!!
February 9, 2010 at 08:12
I don't believe I'm actually doing this: Here's Nemesis' RCDB page stating that it did open in March of 1994. And here's Batman: The Ride at Six Flags Great America's RCDB page showing that it opened in May of 1992. It's okay. I wouldn't suppose that they teach a lot of American history over in the UK, do they?
February 9, 2010 at 13:56
hey man, dont be racist
February 9, 2010 at 13:56
i mean lian not cc
February 21, 2010 at 16:18
actualy i think he was refering to the fact that i knew it was batman was the first.(wait.. was it)
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January 8, 2010 at 13:09
To be honest i couldn't care it opens on my birthday so no matter what, if i have to sign anything or not im getting my arse there and on that ride!
January 10, 2010 at 16:30
Come on People! I am a big Intamin fan (but B&M has Intamin totally beat) The Saw Roller coastert has no waiver or age limit, and that coaster has blood, torture, and a lot oof violence in the line alone! So I am pissed!
January 12, 2010 at 12:33
I`ve never seen saw but a couple of my friends have. Most of them said it was stupid, 1 of them said it was scary, and the rest said they`d rather not talk about it. If they seriously have that stuff in the queue, i may not ride it just for that reason. (that is, if i ever find myself in the UK)