Alton Towers Resort revealed brand-new experiences for the 2024 season but we explain why we feel 2024 will be a turning point for the Staffordshire resort.
Ahead of its grand reopening on March 16th, the cogs are already in motion to turn around the downward spiral that the park has been on for many seasons now.
Copy and paste events mixed with the park looking worse for wear in many places have led to enthusiasts and customers feeling a little deflated upon revisiting the UK’s biggest theme park.
Naturally, the more you visit the more issues you’ll spot but when certain operation days last year consisted of only one or two major rides open on some of the park’s busiest days along with rides closed all season and the sky ride out of action all year, the public notice.
Fireworks are always a saving grace in the Alton Towers calendar as a company comes in to run the show and every single year blows us all away. 2023 was the first time in history that I’d visited the park every single day for the Alton Towers Fireworks event as the sky lit up in magic and awe and it was breathtaking each and every single time I viewed it.
As 2024 arrives the park has already started to release snippets of information about what is happening around the park and already 2024 looks to be a more positive year for the park before the season has even begun.
What To Expect From Alton Towers This Year
There are plenty of new things to get excited about at the park in Alton Towers in 2024 and every single one of them is a positive step forward away from the poor seasons before it and hopefully into a new rejuvenated Alton Towers of the future.
Nemesis Reborn
First and foremost Nemesis is returning with a new name (Nemesis Reborn) a new themed station, an expanded backstory and a whole new surrounding area with theming pieces, a Nemesis shop and an extra queue line and ride theming.
This huge investment is only the start for the revamped Forbidden Valley area with flat rides already rumoured to be entering that space either later in the year or ahead of the 2025 season.
Whilst Galactica still looks run down and in a bad state the revamped area should (at least for a season) distract away from that ride looking like it’s one run-through away from the scrap heap.
Runaway Mine Train
Recently the Alton Towers website was updated to reveal a brand new backstory under the guise of the Katanga Mining Company for the Runaway Mine Train that read as follows:
Since its inception, the Katanga Canyon Mining Company has carved out a legendary presence in the untamed Canyons of Katanga. Renowned for its peculiar ore extraction methods, their unique Mine Train seamlessly integrates with the rugged landscape – an audacious marvel symbolizing the company’s commitment to daring exploration.
Guided by a vision of unconventional mining, Katanga Canyon Mining Company sets a benchmark for an unwavering spirit of adventure. Beyond the minerals, the Mine Train hurtles through the Canyon, its bright red engine carriage, a beacon for visionary explorers, adding a splash of defiance to the wild terrain. In the heart of the wilderness, Katanga Canyon Mining Company thrives as a testament to daring exploration and the indomitable desire for adventurers to discover!
With the park adding this whole new backstory to the ride it doesn’t take a genius to know that work will be taking place on the ride.
The height restriction of the ride has now also changed to 1.1m and with the tunnel being the only dead spot of the ride I can imagine something could be happening in there to improve that experience in addition to other theming elements and more to bring context to this new story.
Once again, the park is going above and beyond to expand the lore of each ride’s backstory and hopefully improve and add to the current ride experience which after the station is quite a tame one visually.
The tunnel section is as bland as you could ever imagine and some mining company theming in there to pass through during your multi-lap experience would be a welcomed addition.
The Curse at Alton Manor
A ride that took a lot of us by surprise when it opened in 2023 as this short turnaround transformation of the previous shoot-um-up dark ride Duel: The Haunted House Strikes Back hit home to critical acclaim.
Guests loved it, enthusiasts loved it and even the spots throughout the ride that were poor were then improved for Scarefest last year but the work isn’t finished just yet.
A new Trommel has been added to the ride to improve operations reliability (when the Trommel stops they close the ride until it’s repaired) and a new operating system has been added for ride operators to make the experience easier for them.
New theming elements, audio and more are also rumoured to be added but confirmation of that from the park has yet to be seen.
Once again Alton Towers is taking these rides and improving on them just like they did to the rapids last year when the waterfalls were turned on after many many years enhancing the experience tenfold.
Problems are being fixed instead of being left in true Alton Towers fashion, just look at Wicker Man, the flames weren’t working throughout last season and Alton Towers made an announcement to say they’re now fixed and will be operating in 2024. This is not something we’re used to and whilst it’s just a small (and most would say expected) update, it’s a step forward in the right direction.
VIP Experiences
For the first time in a long time, VIP experiences are back at Alton Towers Resort as the park is currently offering two upcharge experiences for guests.
Lift Hill Climbs of Wicker Man and Oblivion have been added to the VIP Experiences section of the Alton Towers website and you can hop on board this unique and quite wonderful experience that the park is offering.
Both experiences come with a fast track for the ride when the park is open and then after hours, you’ll be climbing up the roller coaster of your choice.
It’s time to get my big boy pants on as I’ve opted for the Oblivion lift hill to climb because it’s taller and I want to face a fear.
Bring it on!
Hopefully, this is the start of many more VIP Experiences to come as many fans are holding their breath to see if a behind-the-scenes tour of The Curse At Alton Manor or HEX becomes available.
Having these experiences brings you closer to the park and allows you to appreciate the work that often goes overlooked when you visit.
After the success of Thorpe Park’s VIP experiences last year, it’s a no-brainer that Alton Towers should jump on the bandwagon of popular theme park exclusive experiences.
Less Event Quantity, More Event Quality
Say goodbye to the horrendous Festival of Thrills and the mundane Mardi Gras events as Oktoberfest, Scarefest, Fireworks and Christmas are the only four events happening at the park this year.
The decision was made to scale back on the filler events in order to put their focus on the main events to improve them and expand them across the park and increase the offerings to guests.
Expect to see a bigger Oktoberfest, new scare experiences and attractions at Scarefest, more bang for your buck at Fireworks and a more magical Christmas (anything is an improvement on the Alton Towers Christmas 2023 event that’s for sure!)
Alton Towers After Dark
Three new dates have been added in March where Alton Towers rides will operate until 8pm.
This has been something fans have been calling out for and even better guests will get to ride the brand new Nemesis Reborn at night time in March which is unheard of with late-night riding usually saved for events such as Scarefest and Fireworks which are much later in the year.
Once again Alton Towers is listening to its customer base (and mostly enthusiasts it seems) to make this something to truly appreciate.
The park led by Bianca Sammut seems to be taking onboard all enthusiast suggestions and opinions with lots of the new additions to the park being the thoughts of many in the theme park community for quite some time.
Not only are the fans being listened to but getting what they want to materialise in the real world at the park they love is a special thing to be a part of!
CBeebies Celebrates 10 Years of Operation!
The Resort will also be marking 10 years of CBeebies Land with brand-new and exciting additions for the 2024 season, which will be revealed in the coming weeks.
One would expect potentially a new ride, some new shows or any other extra celebratory addition but the fact it is being celebrated is a great thing because poor old Th13teen celebrated its 13th birthday last year and the park did absolutely nothing for it whatsoever which was a wasted opportunity.
Even simple birthday banners or some quirky ride experience just for that day would have been something to post on social media but nope… absolutely nothing.
With CBeebies being celebrated and old rides returning from the dead (welcome back HEX) I think they’re slowly starting to openly appreciate and celebrate these things as mentioned in the press release and with HEX being a key focus of the new 2024 season advert.
Bianca Sammut, Divisional Director for Alton Towers Resort, said:
“I am incredibly excited for the 2024 season and to launch brand-new experiences for our guests. We are dedicated to creating a season filled with excitement and unforgettable moments, providing a form of escapism for both thrillseekers and families alike.
In addition to the fantastic new experiences, we are looking forward to welcoming the return of the much-loved dark ride Hex, a series of events and entertainment, and celebrating 10 years of the UK’s only CBeebies Land. It’s going to be a jam-packed year and we can’t wait for guests to join us.”
Alton Towers 2024 – The Start of Something Good
Whilst the above is only what we know about so far there are no doubt many more surprises to come at Alton Towers in 2024.
With rumours of a Forbidden Valley street team surrounding Nemesis turning it into an actor interactive area to more additions on the way at the park 2024 feels as though it’s going to be a year where the magic is being spoon-fed a bit at a time back into the park.
It won’t happen at once but the park is certainly going in the right direction with certain rides being focused on one at a time to bring them up to looking and riding like they should.
Merlin is investing heavily in their attractions no doubt with the looming Universal Studios Great Britain project showing no signs of stopping but that can only be a good thing for us theme park lovers as we’ll get more additions, more improvements and see more frequent changes across out parks for the better.
2024 is a special year for Alton Towers and I have absolutely no doubt in saying that it’s the year that will change the future of Alton Towers forever.
Like the famous Daughtry song says: This could be the start of something good!
