Alton Towers’ Secret Weapon Programme: what is it and how does it work?

Alton Towers is considered to be one of the most amazing theme parks in the UK and even in Europe, with many coaster enthusiasts making the park a bucket list location to get some awesome creds. Nestled among some beautiful scenery and historic locations in Staffordshire, England, Alton Towers is home to some incredible rides, including, Nemesis, The Smiler and Hex: Legend of the Towers. Since the construction of Nemesis in the early 90s, Alton Towers have used the codename Secret Weapon during the construction of their major coasters. But what is a Secret Weapon, how did the programme start, and what makes a coaster qualify? Keep reading to find out!

The one that started it all: Secret Weapon 3

Nemesis, a B&M invert located at Alton Towers. Credit- Cls With Attitude on Wikimedia Commons https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Nemesis_Zero-G_roll.jpg

It seems a little odd to start with 3, right? Well, that was what Alton Towers did when designing the world’s first B&M inverted coaster, Nemesis, back in 1994. The reason this was done? Theme park designer John Wardley was tasked with finding a coaster type that would thrill and delight guests, and would fit into the park perfectly. He went to two different factories and tested out two different prototype coasters, yet neither of them seemed to fit with the thrilling yet family friendly nature of the Towers. He was then invited to visit the growing coaster manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard, to test out the new inverted coaster model, and it was a success. John Wardley suggested this had to be Alton Towers’ next coaster, and the park went ahead with it’s construction, codenaming it Secret Weapon 3, as it was the third plan for a coaster at the park.

What makes a coaster qualify as a Secret Weapon?

Rita at Alton Towers. Credit: Intamin Worldwide

At first glance, the definition of a Secret Weapon would be pretty simple: a new rollercoaster at Alton Towers. However this is not the case, as not all coasters at the Towers are classed as Secret Weapons. For some it’s easily understandable as to why, Runaway Mine Train and Octonauts Rollercoaster Adventure are family coasters and didn’t have the major advertising campaigns that the larger coasters did. Even Spinball Whizzer (formerly known as Sonic Spinball), could be counted as a family coaster and therefore not a Secret Weapon. But one rollercoaster seems to stick out from the others, a thrill coaster yet not a Secret Weapon: Rita, the park’s Intamin Hydraulic Launch coaster. Although this ride’s advertising campaign wasn’t as large as the other Towers coasters, it still had all the storyline of any other new ride. So why wasn’t Rita included on the Secret Weapon programme? Well, this ride wasn’t originally meant to be at Alton Towers, but was moved from another UK park in 2005, shortly before opening as Rita Queen of Speed at the Towers.

So, what actually is the definition of a Secret Weapon? There is a lot of debate in the theme park community as to what actually makes a ride a Secret Weapon, but here is my definition: A coaster that, from the planning stage, is to be built at Alton Towers, and must be thrilling and well themed, with a strong marketing campaign.