Alton Towers
Alton Towers Resort ( ) (often referred to as Alton Towers) is a theme park and resort complex in Staffordshire, England, near the village of Alton. The park is operated by Merlin Entertainments Group and incorporates a theme park, water park, spa, mini golf and hotel complex. Originally a private estate, Alton Towers grounds opened to the public in 1860 to raise funds. In the late 20th century, it was transformed into a theme park and opened a number of new rides from 1980 onwards. In 2019, it was the second most visited theme park in the UK with 2,130,000  visitors which puts it after Legoland Windsor. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Alton Towers was only open from July 4th-November with limited capacity meaning only 670,000 visitors came to the park in 2020. The park has many attractions such as Congo River Rapids, Runaway Mine Train, Nemesis, Oblivion, Galactica, The Smiler, and Wicker Man. It operates a total of ten roller coasters and offers a range of accommodation and lodging options alongside the theme park. Facilities include Alton Towers Waterpark, conference facilities, a crazy golf course, and a high ropes course. The theme park is usually open from late  March to early November, whilst many of its hotels and amenities are open year-round. The theme park is occasionally closed midweek in the quieter months. Special events are hosted throughout the year, including Alton Towers Scarefest (the park's Halloween event), Octoberfest, the Mardi Gras and a season-ending fireworks display held on the last three days of the season. History. Alton Towers first opened to the public on a regular basis following the opening of Alton Towers railway station. Money raised from railway excursions was paid to the earl and helped to maintain the upkeep of the grounds . In 1924, a group of local estate agents formed Alton Towers Ltd to take ownership of the estate and began to restore the gardens as a tourist attraction. In the 1950s, this included the operation of a fairground, and by the 1970s included a boating lake and chairlift. Property developer John Broome acquired the park after marrying the daughter of majority shareholder Dennis Bagshaw in 1973 and subsequently buying all its concessions. From there, he began the theme park by developing new areas and installing permanent rides, including the Corkscrew, The Flume, Around The World In 80 Days, The Black  Hole and the Grand Canyon Rapids. In 1990, Broome sold Alton Towers to The Tussauds Group, then a division of Pearson plc, after his development of the former Battersea Power Station into a sister theme park encountered financial difficulty. The change of park ownership brought another era of development, involving the opening of more intensively themed areas and new attractions, such as Runaway Mine Train (1992), The Haunted House (1992), Toyland Tours (1994), and Nemesis (1994). Tussauds' park development team from 1990 to 2002 included well-known attraction producer John Wardley among others. The Tussauds Group was sold to venture  capital firm Charterhouse in 1998. The opening of Oblivion that same year and Air (now Galactica) in 2002 saw the park sustain new major roller coasters, both marketed as 'World First' rides. In 2005, Dubai International Capital (DIC) acquired Tussauds for £800 million. In May 2007, The Blackstone Group purchased The Tussauds Group for US$1.9 billion and merged it with its then-subsidiary Merlin Entertainments. Dubai International Capital also gained 20% of Merlin Entertainment. On 17 July 2007, Alton Towers was sold to private investor Nick Leslau's investment firm Prestbury under a sale and leaseback agreement. Merlin  continues to operate the site under a renewable 35-year lease. As of 2016, the property is under control of Secure Income REIT plc, of which Nick Leslau is a non-executive director. As of early 2008 the resort changed its name to 'Alton Towers Resort' to better reflect its status as a multi-day destination. Most other Merlin-owned theme parks with onsite hotels would follow the same course over the following few years. In March 2020, the resort's opening for the 2020 season was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The park reopened on 4 July, when  the government restrictions relaxed. Rides and attractions. Temporary flat rides. Alton Towers rented four temporary flat rides for the 2021 season to help with capacity. Three of these were part of the "Retro Squad". Flavio's Fabulous Fandango, Funk'n'Fly and Roller Disco have been confirmed to return for the 2022 season. Mixtape did not return for 2022, and was instead replaced by a new ride, Spinjam. Food facilities. Past food facilities. Alton Towers previously had leases with High Street outlets, which have since been replaced by in-house brands such as Explorers Pizza & Pasta, Just Chicken and Burger Kitchen. Alton  Towers Theme Park. The Alton Towers Theme Park is divided into areas: Towers Street, Mutiny Bay, Katanga Canyon, Gloomy Wood, Forbidden Valley, Dark Forest, The Gardens, The Towers, The World of David Walliams, X-Sector and CBeebies Land. The SkyRide cable car system travels between Towers Street, Forbidden Valley, and the Towers and takes in views of the gardens. The park's maximum capacity at any one time is set at 28,000 guests. According to the TEA attendance report, the park was estimated to have attracted 2,130,000 people in 2019, a 1.4% increase on 2018's figure of 2,100,000. This  makes Alton Towers Britain's 2nd most visited theme park, after Legoland Windsor, and the 13th most visited theme park in Europe. Timeline of park areas.   Previous themed area   Current themed area Towers Street. Opened in 1986, Towers Street is the first area that visitors to the park encounter. Themed loosely as a town street, it leads to views of the gardens and the Towers across the lake in the distance. Along the pathway are the park's jumping frog fountains and a lawn where seasonal events take place. The first "SkyRide" station is located nearby, which is a long  cable car transport that opened in 1987, and was refurbished 2009. The monorail moves guests from the four on-site hotels and the water park to the theme park; it opened 1987 and was refurbished in 2008. In this area during the hour before the park's daily closure, departing guests are entertained by three people wearing police costumes, two of them riding Segway-like vehicles which play party music and the third standing with an old-fashioned megaphone that is unused, and a man riding a miniature ship while dressed as a sea captain. Katanga Canyon. Themed as an  African village; created in 1992 and incorporated existing rapids ride. Rides include the roller coaster Runaway Mine Train and Congo River Rapids. Both are well-established rides in the park whose ride tracks share a tunnel. Congo River Rapids is a river rapids ride that opened 1986, as The Grand Canyon Rapids, and was refurbished in 1992. A 735 m long wild river rapids ride down the Congo River that lasts six minutes. Runaway Mine Train is a steel sit down powered coaster that reaches a speed of 22 mph (36 km/h) on a 1000 ft long track (305  m) and height of ; height limit 90 cm. It was designed by John Wardley for Tussauds and manufactured by Mack Rides. Gloomy Wood. Gloomy Wood serves as the area for the dark ride "Duel - The Haunted House Strikes Back!", originally "The Haunted House". Opening in 1992, this was originally Europe's largest haunted dark ride, but was significantly altered with interactive laser guns in 2003. Each player's shooting score is recorded on a display in the ride car, as guests shoot targets around the ride. In 2007, a themed footpath through the woods was added to the area, named  Haunted Hollow. The pathway follows the route formerly used by the park's old scenic railway, linking from Mutiny Bay. "Haunted Hollow" includes tombstones, statues and other features, some of which interact with guests using sound effects. In July 2015, Nitrogenie opened and replaced the old Waffles and Ices, a shop producing ice cream using liquid nitrogen. Gloomy Wood was suggested by the 2017 park map to be home to the new "Wicker Man" wooden coaster, opening 2018. However, the park later stated that the ride was in Mutiny Bay. Forbidden Valley. Forbidden Valley is set in a 'post-apocalyptic ' landscape, with standing stones and rustic structures populating the 'valley'. A "SkyRide" station also serves this area of the park. The area's principal attraction is "Nemesis", opened in 1994. "Nemesis" is a steel inverted coaster that reaches a speed of 50 mph (81 km) with four inversions, set in a rocky quarry over waterfalls. The ride is built down into excavated ground and was designed by Tussauds, primarily John Wardley. The attraction is themed as an alien creature inhabiting the quarry where the coaster is situated. "The Blade" is a Huss Pirate Boat modified with a pendulum blade. It  opened in 1980, and was relocated to the area in 1997 from Fantasy World. The Blade currently operates as the only flat ride in Forbidden Valley since the removal of "Ripsaw". However, in October 2019, The Blade was dismantled to be 'Resharpened by the Phalanx' and has since been added back in its pit after a refurbishment. Galactica is a B&M flying coaster, originally opening as "Air" in 2002. Air was loosely themed as a peaceful landscape, distanced from the 'apocalyptic' look of Nemesis. Air was redesigned as Galactica in 2016, adopting virtual reality headsets and a space travel theme . The VR headsets have since been removed due to feedback from customers. In May 2016, the 'Rollercoaster Restaurant' opened, offering a dining experience where guests have their food delivered by looping rails. The restaurant is open daily from 10am - 9:30pm; available to guests without theme park admission after the park has closed, except during Scarefest and Fireworks events. Adventure Land. Adventure Land is a small family area featuring "Spinball Whizzer"; based on a pinball machine in which the car is the ball whizzing around the machine. The ride originally had this name, until 2010 when it was known as  Sonic Spinball until the name change back in 2016 when a contract ended with SEGA after six years. The ride is a Maurer Söhne spinning roller coaster, in which riders sit in cars that can spin on their base whilst travelling at speed around the track. Spinball Whizzer is now part of The Towers, alongside Cuckoo Cars Driving School, Hex and the Alton Towers Dungeon. Adventure Land is named after the adventure play ground which previously sat on the site. The former play area was one of the attractions of a larger area called Kiddies Kingdom. In 1996, Kiddies Kingdom  was split into Adventure Land and Storybook Land. <nowiki>*</nowiki>This area as of 2017 is considered part of The Towers* X-Sector. X-Sector is themed as a secretive industrial complex, suggested to be subjecting park guests to experimental testing. The area currently contains three thrill rides. The steel dive coaster "Oblivion" which opened in 1998 as "the world's first vertical drop rollercoaster", designed by Tussauds and manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard. The cars are held over the edge of the drop for three seconds, before diving into a deep tunnel. "The Smiler" is a Gerstlauer Infinity Coaster  which opened in May 2013 and currently holds the world record for most inversions on a roller coaster at 14. "Enterprise" is a standard HUSS Enterprise model which opened in 1984, spinning riders 360 degrees and giving the illusion of defying gravity. The area layout was partially altered in 2013 season to accommodate the opening of The Smiler. Previous rides in X-Sector include The Black Hole, which was a Jet Star 2 coaster enclosed in a tent, where The Smiler is located today. Energizer (later renamed Boneshaker) was a swinging gondola flat ride. It was replaced by Submission in  2001, a "Chance Double Inverter" flat ride, which was itself removed in 2014. Mutiny Bay. Mutiny Bay is a pirate-themed family area, which opened in 2008. the area was a retheme for Merrie England. Attractions in Mutiny Bay include: "Battle Galleons", an interactive "Splash Battle" boat ride, where guests sit in tracked boats while soaking other riders with water cannons. Also in the area is the rocking boat ride, "Heave Ho". The park's original teacups ride was re-themed to become "Marauders Mayhem", with the tea cup cars being redesigned as gunpowder barrels. " The Flume" was a Mack  log flume ride that opened in 1981 and was rethemed in 2004 with a sponsorship from Imperial Leather alongside the bubbleworks at Chessington world of adventure. Upon opening, it was the longest flume ride in the world at . Late in the 2015 season, the ride and the neighboring tavern closed and were removed in 2016 to make way for the Wicker Man roller coaster and the "Welcome Inn" bar which shares the coaster's theme. In 2009, a Sea Life Centre named "Sharkbait Reef" opened in the location previously home to the 3-D Cinema. This includes "touch pools" for  interacting with underwater species and a underwater tunnel. The World of David Walliams. The World of David Walliams opened in May 2021 and is aimed at younger children aged 7–11. It is based on the children’s books by David Walliams. Attractions include Gangsta Granny: The Ride, Raj's Bouncy Bottom Burp (the former Frog Hopper) and Royal Carousel (previously Galloper's Carousel). The area has had various names over the years including "Cloud Cuckoo Land", "Cred Street" and "The Land of Make Believe", each had a similar a cartoon-inspired look, mainly featuring "Toyland Tours". The area was first  built as "Talbot Street" in 1981, becoming the park's first themed area, home to the "Around The World in 80 Days" and "Doom & Sons" dark rides. The World of David Williams also includes many of the author's hidden secrets such as one of the streets being called "Wallibums Way". In October 2019, it was announced that Cloud Cuckoo Land will be replaced by "The World of David Walliams" for the 2020 season, which will feature attractions based around Walliams' series of children's books. On May 29, 2020, it was announced that the opening of "The World of  David Walliams" would be delayed from 2020 to the 2021 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Another attraction, Flavio’s Fabulous Fandango was temporarily added to the land for opening. The land also features Raj’s Shop and various outdoor entertainment. Dark Forest. The Dark Forest is themed as a supernatural woodland area; to coincide with the opening of "TH13TEEN", a steel family coaster themed as a haunted crypt, that opened on 20 March 2010. Th13teen, features the "world's first freefall drop on a roller coaster" - an indoor, vertically dropping track element. The ride replaced the "Corkscrew"; the park 's first roller coaster, which opened in 1980. "Rita" is a hydraulically launched steel sit-down coaster that reaches a top speed of 62 mph (100 km) that is now themed around an abandoned drag racer that is used to escape the Dark Forest. The area was previously a cartoon prehistoric area named Ug Land, which opened in 1999, but was half-demolished to make way for Rita's construction in 2005. Rita used to be themed around drag racing but was changed with the opening of Th13teen and the Dark Forest. With the opening of "Th13teen", the area was  renamed as Dark Forest and further altered with a new colour scheme and entrance feature. "Rita" was also given a repainted control cabin and trains, shortening its name from "Rita - Queen of Speed". CBeebies Land. CBeebies Land is based on the BBC children's TV channel: CBeebies and opened on 24 May 2014. The area includes rides, shows and interactive experiences based on programmes from CBeebies, including In the Night Garden... and Postman Pat. Attractions in the area are: "In the Night Garden Magical Boat Ride", "Postman Pat's Parcel Post", "Get Set Go Treetop Adventure", "Something Special Sensory Garden , Numtums Number Go-Around", "Charlie & Lola's Moonsquirters and Greendrops", "Justin's House: Pie-O-Matic Factory", "Mr Bloom's Allotment" and "Tree Fu Tom Training Camp". Shows at the Big Fun Show Time stage include: Mike the Knight, The ZingZillas and Nina and the Neurons. In 2015, "Octonauts Roller Coaster Adventure" opened, it is an underwater themed children's roller coaster; built on the vacant site The Beastie roller coaster. CBeebies Land was further expanded in 2017 with the opening of the "Go Jetters Vroomster Zoom Ride" and "The Furchester Hotel Live", and again in 2019 with the addition  of "Peter Rabbit Hippity Hop" and "Teletubbies Big Band Live Show". The Numtums Number Go-Around has since been rethemed to the Bugbie Go-Around. The Towers. The Towers are the ruins of Alton Towers stately home and are the source of the park's name. They belonged to the Talbot family as a stately home until 1924 and largely designed by Augustus Pugin, also noted for his work on the Palace of Westminster. The Towers are now in a state of disrepair following decades of neglect. The ruins are open to the public during most of the open season . However, some areas are closed off as part of a £1.1 million project in place to restore the oldest parts of the Towers. Key areas of The Towers include the banqueting hall, the chapel, conservatories, and Her Ladyship's Gardens. "Hex – The Legend of the Towers", a walk-through dark ride based within the ruins themselves, opened in 2000. The finale to the ride is a Vekoma Madhouse located away from the real Towers but themed as a secret vault. The storyline is based on a local legend about the chained oak tree, located in a nearby forest, and  makes use of the history of the Towers. It draws its theme from the legend of the 15th Earl of Shrewsbury who was said to be cursed by a beggar woman to suffer death every time a branch falls from an old oak tree. The Alton Towers Dungeon was added to the area in 2019. Since the openings of CBeebies Land and The World of David Walliams; Spinball Whizzer and Cloud Cuckoo Land have been part of the area. "Cuckoo Cars Driving School" allows children to drive miniature electric cars around a themed road layout, featuring visual jokes along the  way. A SkyRide station is located nearby Fountain Square, giving access to other areas of the park. During the park's Halloween 'Scarefest' event multiple scare mazes operate within the Towers themselves. For 2018's Scarefest event these were; Sub Species: the End Games, and Altonville Mine Tours. The Gardens. Near the garden entrance is a cenotaph to the 15th Earl, a marble bust with an inscription reading "He made the desert smile". Landmarks include a Chinese Pagoda Fountain, The Swiss Cottage, Miniature 'Stonehenge', a Greek Choragic Monument, and orangeries. Alton Towers Waterpark. The Alton Towers Waterpark, formerly known as  Cariba Creek, opened alongside the Splash Landings Hotel in 2003. It is a large (with 7 pools and 10 water slides), part-indoor and part outdoor waterpark themed as a tropical Caribbean lagoon. The waterpark features several fast slides, a lazy river, a giant tipping bucket and many other water features. Also located there are two food and drink venues: Adventures Cave and Ice Cream Shack. Unlike Chessington Zoo at the also Merlin operated Chessington World of Adventures Resort, a separate ticket is needed for waterpark access as it is not included with the theme park entrance price. Attractions include  Lagoona Bay, which is the main tropical pool, with water cannons, geysers and waterfalls. "The Little Leak" is a paddling pool for young children with two small slides and interactive pipes to play with, while "Wacky Waterworks Treehouse" is a wooden 'treehouse' with water cannons, and other interactive features to squirt passing people with. The largest ride in the Waterpark is the water coaster "The Master Blaster", with uphill sections similar to the "Master Blaster" at Sandcastle Waterpark, "Blackpool" and "Nucleus" at Water World, Stoke-on-Trent. "The Master Blaster" is a high speed water flume that contains sharp turns , drops and dark sections, and has views of the entire indoor area of the waterpark. Other rides include "Rush & Rampage", twin racing slides where riders experience wide turns. This attraction requires rubber rings. "Lazy River (Calypso Creek)" is a slow-moving water circuit, taking riders underneath spraying water jets and tipping buckets of water. Rubber rings are available. "The Tipping Bucket" is a container filled with 1000 litres of water which regularly tips its contents over people standing below. "Flash Floods" are tiered outdoor pools with two slides leading to the middle pool and three leading to the bottom. Other  swimming pools include "Volcanic Springs", and indoor heated hot pool, and "Bubbly Wubbly Pool", an outdoor heated pool and whirlpool. The indoor section of the water park operates 12 months a year excluding Christmas Day and Boxing Day, although it closes for winter maintenance for around 2 weeks each January. Resort accommodation. Alton Towers Hotel. The Alton Towers Hotel opened on 10 April 1996 and is themed to the eccentric fictional character Sir Algenon Alton and his travels. The rooms are decorated in a quirky English style with pictures of Sir Algenon's inventions. The hotel is four star and  has 180 rooms. The hotel was the first phase in a plan to turn the theme park into a multi-day resort. The Alton Towers Hotel is currently undergoing a long term phased refurbishment to theme each floor to a different setting. So far, the plan has produced the Moon Voyage Bedrooms and Arctic Explorer Bedrooms. Splash Landings Hotel. The Splash Landings Hotel opened in 2003. The hotel has a relaxed Caribbean theme and is attached to the Alton Towers Waterpark. It is also four star and it has 216 rooms with a choice of six-room types, Family of  4 'Beachcomber' room, Family of 6 'Beachcomber' room, The Ice Age Suites, The Pirate Suites, Interconnected Family of 4 'Beachcomber' room and, Interconnected Family of 3 'Beachcomber' Room. The interconnected rooms are all on the ground floor and the family of 3 rooms are also disabled accessible. The rooms are numbered in the ranges of 1101 to 1159, 1201 to 1259, 1301 to 1359 and, 1401 to 1459, there are a few room numbers that are not used due to the shape of the hotel, these are 27, 29, 31, 33 and 35 on each floor. Enchanted Village. The Enchanted  Village is made up of 120 lodges and 5 secluded treehouses set in the fictional "Enchanted Forest" woodland. Situated next to the Alton Towers hotel, it features new recreational activities, such as various playgrounds for children and an archery range, which is available to use at no extra cost. The site is also home to "The Crooked Spoon" restaurant, and also an additional shop which sells alcohol and outdoor activity toys. The Enchanted Village opened to the public on 18 April 2015. Alton Towers have submitted planning application to expand the Enchanted Village in several phases. The application has been  approved and if the plans go ahead, construction on the first phase will commence in 2018 with a scheduled opening of March 2019. CBeebies Land Hotel. The CBeebies Land Hotel opened on 8 July 2017, the hotel has a total of 76 themed rooms: 42 standard rooms (themed to the CBeebies Bugbies) and 34 premium rooms themed to CBeebies shows, such as "Something Special" and "Swashbuckle". Room amenities include child-friendly features, such as steps up to the sink and children's toilet seats. The hotel features CBeebies-themed shows and entertainment, which run every day of the year, as  well as the "Windmill Restaurant". Stargazing Pods. Although Alton Towers had previously gained the necessary permits to expand the Enchanted Village, these plans were eventually scrapped and reduced into a "pod"-style accommodation option. 102 individual pods were constructed, each sleeping up to four people. The proposals have faced some critical views from the public, with many criticisms being raised over the capacity of bathroom facilities as well as how the resort will cope with the increased demand in food and beverages, as the Stargazing Pods will not have its own restaurant or bar facilities. The council even initially rejected the  application citing lack of imagination and "magic", although the plans were granted permission the second time without making any notable improvements. The Stargazing Pods opened on 12 April 2019. Recreation. Alton Towers Spa. Alton Towers Spa is part of the Alton Towers Hotel and opened in 2004. It includes relaxation and treatment rooms and an adults only swimming pool. Despite being inside the Alton Towers Hotel, non-hotel guests are able to use the Spa. Extraordinary Golf. Opened in 2007, the Extraordinary Golf mini-golf attraction is themed to different rides and attractions at the park, some of which, are  from the park's history. Extraordinary Golf is located to the west of the Splash Landings Hotel. Extraordinary Golf was refreshed for 2016 including the addition of a Galactica themed hole. Tree Top Quest. Opened May 2015, the Enchanted Forest Tree Top Quest is a high ropes course near the Enchanted Village. The attraction opened shortly after, and accompanies, the Enchanted Village development. There is also a low ropes course. Tree Top Quest did not open for the 2018 season or the start of the 2019 season due to budget cuts by parent company, Merlin Entertainments. It was expected to  reopen on 13 July 2019 but has subsequently remained closed ever since. It's future status is unknown. Future developments. Alton Towers is located in a Conservation Area, which puts restrictions on its permissible development, notably that no structures in the park should be built above tree line and if so should be disguised from external views of the park; this can be seen on the ride Rita, where the highest sections of track are camouflaged green. Noise pollution is also a problem for the park due to the close proximity to the villages of Alton and Farley and the  town of Cheadle. There have been several cases where Alton Towers have been taken to court over the noise levels emitted from the park and have been served noise abatement orders between 2004 and 2006. Secret Weapon roller coasters. Alton Towers has a tradition of codenaming its new roller coaster developments as "Secret Weapon", or "SW", followed by a number. The name is associated with the park's inclination to promote its rides as holding "world first" or in some way "innovative" features and records. However the naming tradition actually began for unrelated reasons, since "Secret Weapon" was the working  title of a roller coaster that was ultimately never commissioned. SW1 was a pipeline roller coaster, planned to open in around 1992, on what later became the Nemesis site. It was provisionally titled the "Secret Weapon", with the intention of theming the ride as an ambiguous weapon testing facility. John Wardley rode the Arrow Dynamics prototype of their pipeline coaster, but stated "it was very slow and rather boring", as well as the requirement for such a high lift hill being unsuitable for the park's planning restrictions. After a second layout revision, labelled "SW2", the ride was scrapped and  development on SW3 (Nemesis) began. The code name subsequently became the standard preliminary name for major roller coaster projects at the park. The naming convention was briefly dropped while the Tussauds Group changed ownership under Dubai International Capital, before being continued by Merlin Entertainments beginning with the Thirteen rollercoaster in 2010. Events. Prior to the main open season, Alton Towers held the February Half-Term event which saw a selected ride offering opened for the week before the start of the main season in March, however the event was cancelled for 2016; with the exception of Sharkbait Reef which was  open for Pirate and Princess Week held at the Resort hotels. Concerts. Alton Towers has a history of hosting concerts since the 1960s. Concerts in recent years have included the Alton Towers Live event in 2011 and 2013. In 2010, there was an 80s concert for the 30th Anniversary featuring Rick Astley and Bananarama and also that year hosted a P!nk concert. In the past these concerts were often held in the car park at an additional fee, however more recently concerts have been held within the theme park. Artists that have performed there include Tina Turner and The Black  Eyed Peas. Mardi Gras. This is the newest event launching in May 2021 with a summer carnival theme. This event combines entertainment from the different ‘Krewes’ performing around the park & food street outside the towers with a large range of food trailers. The park is also decorated with Mardi Gras deco. Oktoberfest. The "Alton Towers Oktoberfest" is a new event starting in 2020 that takes place on weekends throughout September and October. It is based on the German festival of Oktoberfest held traditionally in Munich, Germany. The event includes themed food and drink, entertainment and extended evening hours with selected  rides open. Scarefest. "Scarefest" is the resort's largest annual event. It celebrates Halloween with a number of temporary scare maze attractions, scare zones, costumed characters and extended opening hours. Rides and areas are lit with coloured lighting at night, with most rides and attractions continuing to operate until 9pm. The Scarefest event has been running since 2007, although the park started celebrating Halloween with decoration several years before and has operated the "Terror of the Towers" scaremaze since 2002. The scare mazes are upcharge attractions.   Previous Scarefest maze   Current Scarefest maze "*Terror of the Towers took in break  in 2004, 2005 and 2006." In 2019, Freak Show was a traveling vehicle with actors inside, which drove around the park's paths from Spinball Whizzer to Dark Forest. Past seasonal Scarefest attractions. This attraction was brought back to the resort as a scare maze for the 2020 Scarefest event and forms the current line-up. Fireworks. For the final few days of the season, Alton Towers host firework shows, which have been running annually since the 1990s on the Great Lawns. The displays were considered disruptive by some local residents, which led to formal complaints - two of which decided  to take the theme park to court regarding this issue. The court issued Alton Towers with a noise abatement order in October 2005 which restricted the theme park to three shows a year, previously five, with noise readings not exceeding 40 decibels outside the park. In 2006, the display was rebranded as Electric Towers, but then discontinued. However, the fireworks and laser show was reinstated in 2010 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the theme park and has returned to being an annual event. Other events. During the closed season months Alton Towers holds regular "Pirate & Princess Weekends". The event  entails decorations, and themed activities for children in the Hotels and the waterpark. The theme park's Sharkbait Reef aquarium also opens for the event. During December, the "Santa's Sleepover" event takes place. Both resort hotels are decorated for the event and a pantomime takes place. The Alton Towers Theme Park also opens for Christmas with a small number of rides open as well as a Santa's Grotto. The event is largely aimed at children. In 2015, the theme park permitted entry to non-hotel guests for the first time however the event reverted to hotel guests only  in 2016. Festive Breaks continue from 27 December 2018 to 6 January 2019 with a similar lineup to the Santa's Sleepovers. Since 2015 Alton Towers have opened the park for a "Services Day"; a day where a limited quantity of discounted tickets (fewer than on a usual season day) are sold to those who work in public services such as the Police, NHS, Fire brigade, Prison service, Army, RAF, Royal Navy and other similar services. Services Day is usually held approximately two weeks prior to the start of the new season, which usually begins mid-March. Due to the  success of the 2015, '16 and '17 Services Days, a two-day weekend of Services Days was planned for 3 and 4 March 2018, however this was postponed to 11 March due to weather conditions. Another two-day event took place on 16–17 March 2019. Services Days are open to holders of a Blue Light Card or a Defence Discount Service Card. Services Days for 2020 and 2021 were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, a further services' weekend is planned for 2022 which will include discounted hotel stays for the first time. Incidents. The Smiler. In June 2015, sixteen people  were injured on The Smiler ride, with two individuals requiring leg amputations. Merlin Entertainments originally released a press release blaming the crash on "human error." The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) concluded the crash occurred because "Merlin failed to put in place systems that allowed their engineers to work safely on the ride while it was running". During the subsequent court case, Merlin retracted their statement and pleaded guilty to a breach of health and safety law. The company was fined £5 million, with the court citing a "catalogue of errors" with Merlin's operating procedure and training. It is  said that Merlin were blamed for rushing their employees and making them reduce down time as much as they possibly could. In June 2017, Alton Towers estate owner Nick Leslau repeated the discredited claim that the crash was due to "a human error", but added that "Merlin has paid a massive price, but the performance of the business has been exemplary and the share price is now at an all-time high." Sky Ride. On 30 June 2004, due to a strong gust of wind, the Sky Ride cables became caught, jamming the ride. About 80 people were on the  ride, and nine people had to be rescued by being abseiled down cables. On 28 October 2007, a fire broke out in the Forbidden Valley Skyride station due to a faulty Halogen light. It caused a power cut on the Monorail ride and also had destroyed the roof of the station. The forbidden valley section of the park was evacuated shortly after the fire. On 21 July 2009, another fire broke out, this time in the Cloud Cuckoo Land station, due to a faulty vending machine. The fire completely gutted the entire building. While the park was closed, a new  station was designed and built, ready for the 2010 season. Runaway Mine Train. On 20 July 2006, when the train was entering the tunnel section of its course, two carriages uncoupled, with the front half of the train continuing up the slope while the rear half remained stuck in the tunnel. The front half failed to make it over the hill, rolled back and crashed into the rear half which had remained stuck in the tunnel. Six people were taken to hospital and 23 others were treated for cuts and bruises. Following the incident the Runaway Mine Train was closed  for the rest of the season. The train was only returned to full length operation in June the following year. Court cases. In 2011, a couple from the local village of Farley won the rights to a full High Court trial on the amount of noise generated by the park. The couple have been in legal battles with the park since 2004, and previously secured a noise abatement order on the theme park which led to the "Don't look down" audio from the top of the Oblivion drop being removed, and Alton Towers having to limit the amount of  annual fireworks displays to only three a year. Stephen and Suzanne Roper, who live only 100 yards from the park, say that their lives have been made a misery by the noise of the screams as well as fireworks displays and music. They launched their legal fight in 2002, but after years of wrangling, their claim for an injunction and damages was thrown out in January 2011. Judge Mr Justice Hickinbottom later overturned that decision, bringing the claim back. This now paves the way for a full court hearing. The Ropers will seek an injunction forcing the park owners to  close or relocate some rides and an order forcing them to pay damages for noise suffered since 1998.