The UKs Best Themed Coaster

Nemesis at Alton Towers

As someone who is known for loving theme parks and roller coasters I often get asked what my favourite rollercoaster in the UK is. Without a doubt in my mind I have always responded that it is Nemesis at Alton Towers. It is simply my favourite rollercoaster experience in the UK because of its sheer speed, ingenious layout, relentless pace and intense forces. It opened way back in 1994 and there have been many newer coasters opened in the UK since, yet Nemesis remains my favourite. I have never grown tired of it and always make a point of getting at least one ride on it in a visit.

However, I have recently been thinking about themed roller coasters and what I would consider to be the best in the UK. My favourite coaster experience may not actually be the best themed coaster at all. Given my thoughts on what makes a great theme (and you may want to have a read of my previous blog 'They Probably Don’t Even Notice…' to understand my thoughts on theming) it stands to reason that Nemesis may not win all out.

I had a think about the various, or what at least I would consider to be, themed coasters around the country and actually, there aren’t as many as you would think; many of those belonging to the Merlin Entertainments Group. The vast majority of coasters within the Merlin Company are themed and themed pretty well. In fact, I am struggling to think of many well themed coasters outside of the company.

Yet there are four coasters that for me, jump out, comparatively, as being the best themed. (If I list every single themed coaster and its story we could be here a while).

So in no particular order, first up is Nemesis. Not just a brilliant rollercoaster experience but it is also themed very well within the Forbidden Valley. The story being that the ‘Nemesis’ is an alien that laid hidden within the earth for so many years and has now been disturbed. The area is littered with the destruction of the alien’s presence and eerie music plays throughout the queue line.

Oblivion at Alton Towers

Another is Oblivion, also at Alton Towers. The story is a little convoluted but in essence the rider is taking a trip into 'Oblivion' within the X Sector. The X Sector looks very much like some kind of sci-fi military facility which certainly helps stir up feelings of anxiety… if the vertical drop doesn’t do that enough for you!

Moving away from Alton Towers there is a brand new addition at Thorpe Park; The Swarm. Opened in 2012, The Swarm is some kind of undetermined creature that is causing mass destruction and ‘abducting’ members of the public. The rollercoaster currently resides on its very own island which is littered with destroyed vehicles and a now derelict church. Tie in the sound effects of the ‘Swarm’ as it blasts past you and the ongoing disaster being reported live by the news channels and the atmospheric effect is great.

Finally and probably the one which readers may find most bizarre, is The Dragon at Legoland Windsor. As far as theming goes it is very impressive, set in its very own castle and with a 'pre-show' element as part of the coaster itself. I would say that it is a little bit let down by the fact that after the coaster leaves the castle to start the main section of the ride, it is just trees and grass. Given that it is only a family coaster too, I would be inclined to take this off the list. Still, that doesn’t diminish how brilliant the castle queue and pre show elements are.

So that leaves me with Nemesis, Oblivion and The Swarm. Initially, I would place Oblivion in 3rd place. Although the area and the coaster is very intimidating, adding to the concept of a journey into 'Oblivion', I have often felt that the area is convoluted and the queue line 'story' is a little unclear. Is it a battle between good and evil, black and white? I am not entirely sure whether an everyday visitor would understand either? It all seems a bit conflicting. Of course, that could be intentional given the general essence of the queue line videos but even so, I am not wholly convinced.

So, it’s down to Nemesis and The Swarm. My favourite UK coaster versus the new attraction…

For the most part I would argue that they are neck and neck in terms of the theming. All of the nearby buildings for both attractions have been effectively designed to fit their respective themes and both coasters have a solid back-story which I believe is incredibly important to a successful theme. Both coasters have a well suited score playing in the background and so on.

Well, actually, there is a subtle difference here. Yes, both coasters have a well written back story but that back-story is not entirely evident when you are at the attraction. Ironically, the back-story for Nemesis is one of the best I have ever heard. As part of the original marketing of the ride you could hear Tom Baker tell the story of the Nemesis monster and how it came to be treated as a rollercoaster. This is all narrated over the theme music which can still be heard in the queue line today – the music that is. Unfortunately, the story itself is not heard in the queue at all which is a real shame because throughout the rest of the attraction there is no real indication to any of it. I only know the story because of being particularly interested in theme parks et al. I have a copy of the original soundtrack with the narration intact. Would an everyday visitor have any idea what is going on? I am not convinced. The general atmosphere and even the name 'Nemesis' suggests something dark and scary and the station building does appear to be some kind of alien, perhaps, but beyond that, the story is not given to the audience. I am the first to agree that the complete back-story of an attraction does not always need to be divulged, especially if the rest of the attraction spells it out for you indirectly, but unfortunately Nemesis doesn’t. Do the riders realise that the Nemesis is an alien creature trapped on Earth? Does the audience need to know the story? I concede that is a debateable point, but I think that the audience knowing the story would only serve to strengthen the overall experience.

The Swarm at Thorpe Park

Comparatively, or more so in contrast, The Swarm does divulge its story to the audience and not just in a narrative storytelling way either. As I mentioned previously, the queue line features several television monitors which run an emergency news broadcast (which has clearly taken its design cue from the BBC), all of which tell you what you need to know via the newsreaders and reporters in the field. The irony is that ambiguity of what The Swarm actually is has become part of the story. Just like with Nemesis, the riders are not necessarily any wiser as to what The Swarm actually is, but that is played upon in the news reports, the idea being that this is all happening live and therefore many facts are still unknown. Personally I think the whole notion of the events happening live is a very clever stroke. By indicating that the events unfolding are 'live' and not a recollection of a past event, there is a plausible ambiguity which only serves to intensify the atmosphere. From 2012, people may argue that the Nemesis back story is being told via the attraction of Nemesis: Sub Terra. Indeed, the new attraction for 2012 at Alton Towers digs into the legend of the Nemesis to a degree and certainly lends a little bit more exposition. The SubTerra ride does tell some of the story but even then, it still is not very clear with relation the rollercoaster. Obviously this relies on a visitor riding both attractions, which again, I am not convinced will always be the case. Should you have to ride two attractions to understand what it is going on in the other? The SubTerra attraction certainly does add more sense of the story to the Forbidden Valley as a whole, but in terms of Nemesis, it doesn’t quite work on that level (for me).

So, ultimately, I would argue that with its multi attraction story levels and very consistent design (excusing Air), the Forbidden Valley at Alton Towers is certainly the best themed 'land' at a UK theme park. That wasn’t the topic of my blog though! As an individual coaster Nemesis remains as my favourite rollercoaster however, my favourite and what I think is the best themed rollercoaster has to be The Swarm.