Three beloved rides at Alton Towers are to close permanently in the next few days as the theme park prepares to close for the rest of the year.
The theme park in Stoke-on-Trent, which is just an hour and a half drive away from Manchester, is home to some of the country’s best roller coasters and rides, including Oblivion, Th13teen, Rita and the toddler-friendly CBeebies Land.
But its Retro Squad rides will be removed from the park altogether when the resort shuts on November 5 for the winter. The Funk ‘n’ Fly and Spinjam rides, which have been at the park since 2021, will not return next year and neither will this year’s newest ride Twistatron.
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The flat rides, inspired by the 80s, were located in the Forbidden Valley and the X-Sector areas of the park. Derbyshire Live reports it is not yet known whether replacement attractions will be put in their place for the 2024 season.
Fans have taken to social media to share their disappointment over the news. One said: “I’m gonna miss Spinjam.” Another wrote: “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.”
Others would like to see permanent rides put in instead. 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.”
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.
The video message reads: “Don’t miss your chance to ride goodbye to the totally rad Retro Squad. You’ve got until November 5 to spin, twist and fly before they blast back to Planet Retrograde.”
Visitors are also eagerly anticipating the return of 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 and has been renamed Nemesis Sub-Terra..
An extensive transformation is underway, including replacing the 250-tonne, 716-metre-long track, as well as the carriages.
A new £12.5m rollercoaster is also set to be unveiled in 2025 – currently nicknamed Project Horizon. Alton Bosses have remained tight-lipped over further details about the ride, other than the fact it will be housed within a huge 20-metre high building.
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