Does anyone recall the days in the summer where there used to be challenged to ride all of the big 7? I always thought it was such a cool idea. But today I’m sitting down to discuss how I rank them and which is my favourite. It’s always so tricky to endorse between them as they are all so fab in their ways. So, bear with me as I put together & no doubt shift the order multiple times before uploading but here are MY opinions on the major 7 rollercoasters at Alton Towers & how I rank them from my least favourite to favourites.
The Smiler:
Before anyone comes at me The Smiler is simply sat in this space due to the absence of seduction I get for riding. I used to nurture this coaster but the older I have got the less I’m able to stomach the number of inversions. It’s by all means not an awful coaster and I’ll never say it is. But for me, I just barely go out of my way to ride it anymore. It still has some of my favourite traits like both airtime hills and the whole wacky kind of theme. It also has some pretty elegant merch which I can never resist. But all in all, it’s the least rideable out of the 7 for me which makes it the lowest of the list.
Oblivion:
This tends to deviate between this spot and second for me. I love everything it has to offer with the over tense drop right up to the fact it was the worlds first of its kind. Again during the 2021 season, I’ve found myself barely riding it which I’m unsure as to whether that’s due to me not feeling too fussed over the X Sector area I’m not sure. Either way it is incredible and I don’t think there’ll ever be a time where it doesn’t pack the same punch it did on the first ride.
Rita:
Rita is an absolute queen in my eyes. She has been riding like a dream this year & I always struggle to have enough of her in all honesty. I just cherish everything about this coaster from that hostile launch, airtime, intensity and snappy speed. It just has it all pretty much. I do wish it had better theming, however. But all in all, it was my favourite rollercoaster at Towers during my earlier days of visiting believe it or not.
Galactica:
Often a neglected jewel of the park In my opinion. I’ll be honest to the fact if I composed this back in 2016 with the VR adaptations it had seen it would be at the rear of the list. This is too much of a decent rollercoaster for that additional element. The theming is delightful and spacey which is always something I quite enjoy. The ride experience itself is a lot of fun and somewhat soothing too. It shows that a rollercoaster doesn’t need to be the most thrilling to be exceptionally satisfying.
Nemesis:
Don’t get me wrong I know why so many speak so highly about this rollercoaster and I often come off beaming with how tremendous she is. But for me, I can’t exactly ride it all that much without it giving me an influential headache from how fierce it is. I adore it so much and love riding it a couple of times each visit.
Thirteen:
Spooky theming is an appreciation of mine as it is. But a good family rollercoaster with pops of airtime and some unpredictable thrilling moments is always flawless in my eyes. I love how eerie the atmosphere and setting of this coaster is and truly think it’s one of Alton Towers strongest. It’s one of which I genuinely could ride repeatedly without getting fatigued.
Wickerman:
Wooden rollercoasters are one of my all-time favourites and this is no exception for sure. It’s the best-themed woodie I have personally done so far and that unfolds far in my ranking as you can probably tell already. But I have found Wickerman to be riding so beautifully lately, yes, it has got that rougher edges but that’s what I admire. It’s not uncomfortable to ride but it’s often not too smooth to be a woodie neither. I love all it has to offer especially that airtime too!
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How do you rank these 7 iconic rollercoasters? I’d love to know!
Thank you so much for reading!