Please note that Alton Towers Almanac is no longer maintained or updated, and almost all information will be out of date.
For the latest information, please visit Alton Towers’ official website.
In 1990, Thunder Looper was added into an isolated area of the park close to the car parks. Although advertised as being part of the AquaLand line-up, the ride was not accessible on foot, unless you fancied a long, tiring walk through the gardens. The only way was via the cable car system that ran from the bottom of Towers Street, or Festival Park.
When AquaLand was split into Merrie England, Katanga Canyon and Gloomy Wood in 1992, Thunder Looper got pride of place in a brand new themed area called Thunder Valley, complete with a new footpath that ran through Katanga Canyon and Gloomy Wood.
Thunder Valley stayed like this for the next couple of years, with the introduction of the New Beast into the area in 1992, and then in 1994 the extremely popular Nemesis rollercoaster. Thunder Valley was now fast becoming one of the most frequented areas of the park, and in 1994, the area received a name change. Then in 1997, with Thunder Looper now removed, the area got two new attractions, Blade, which was the old Pirate Ship from Fantasy World, and Ripsaw, a brand new Top Spin ride.
In 2002, a major new roller coaster was built in Forbidden Valley - Air. This strengthened the area's appeal as the most popular in the park. Then in 2004, Dynamo was removed from the area and put in storage.
Pay-2-play arcade machines and games
Toilets and Baby Changing Facilities at Sky Ride Station
None
Queue Time Information Board
Cash Points in The Edge and the Air Shop
Designated Smoking Areas by Nemesis and Air