New for 2025 at Alton Towers Resort is Toxicator, a thrill ride located in Forbidden Valley, which we were invited to preview as part of the Resort’s Content Creator Programme, ahead of its official opening on Saturday 15th March. We round-up all the details about the ride and the insights shared at the preview event.
Rollercoaster Restaurant functioned as the base for the preview event where, upon arrival, we had the opportunity to try a selection of items from the ‘new for 2025’ menu and hear from Dave Taylor, Senior Project Manager at Merlin Magic Making, about the development and construction of Toxicator – read on for further details on these aspects. After this, it was then time to head into Forbidden Valley and take our first ride on Toxicator, a Huss Suspended Top Spin. Our vlog from the event can be found below.
It can’t be denied that Toxicator is an imposing presence in Forbidden Valley, reaching a height of 78ft thanks to being elevated on a 16ft tall platform! The ride is billed as the latest technology from The Phalanx, being used by the organisation to extract and refine toxic saliva from the Nemesis creature through subjection to extreme centrifugal forces. Waspirium, the chemical solution formed from Nemesis’ saliva, is reportedly so powerful that it can melt anything it touches. This solution is represented by green-lit water fountains situated on both sides of the ride, along with giant, toxic saliva-filled silos which stand alongside Toxicator’s supporting arms.
The queue line entrance to Toxicator is located next to Supply Store BUNKER 94, with Ride Access Pass, Fastrack and Single Rider queues available in addition to the main queue. The queue line has a predominantly cattle-pen layout, utilising an area between Toxicator and perimeter of Forbidden Valley. Throughout the queue can be found barrels containing Waspirium. As guests near the end of the main queue, there is signage outlining the recommended PPE to wear when handling Waspirium, with a locker room following. The merge point for the different queues comes just before a set of stairs which provide access to platform level. Note that a lift is also available for those who require it. It’s at this point that a member of staff will batch guests, who are then required to ascend the platform and wait on a marking in one of two holding areas.
When it is their turn to board, gates are opened allowing guests access to the walkways which run along each side of the gondola in order to take their seats. One side is denoted Boson and the other Fermion, two types of subatomic particles. Many will note that Toxicator is a similar ride to Ripsaw, an attraction which operated in almost exactly the same location from 1997 to 2015. However, whilst Ripsaw was a conventional Huss Top Spin, Toxicator is a Huss Suspended Top Spin. This means that, after taking their seats, guests’ legs are left to dangle with no floor beneath them. Additionally, whilst the two rows of seats faced in the same direction on Ripsaw, guests sit back-to-back on Toxicator. After Phalanx operatives complete their restraint checks (and it is worth noting that we found Toxicator’s restraints to be more comfortable than other Top Spins’), it is then finally time to power up Toxicator.
Toxicator has the ability to run on a number of different cycles. On our ride, after the walkways lowered, the gondola firstly completed some rotations back and forth, including lowering towards the fountains on each side. Whilst thankfully this did not involve getting wet on this occasion, it is understood that could change during warmer weather. The ride sequence culminated in two rotations which included the gondola completing several full flips back-to-back. In addition to the fountains, the ride experience is enhanced with a synchronised soundtrack.
For those either unable or not wanting to ride, it is clear that Toxicator has also been designed to be something of a spectacle off-ride. The area outside GROUND COMMAND Coffee Outpost has been slightly reconfigured to provide areas to view both sides of the ride. As part of this, the steps between the coffee shop and lower pathway have been replaced by a slope, improving accessibility along this route. The dynamics of the ride itself are enhanced by the screen-based silos which fill with Waspirium during each ride cycle – these turn red during the Toxicator’s more intense moments. This will only be enhanced further at night, as both sides of the gondola feature lights beneath the seats and green lighting has been installed around the ride.
Although the ride hardware itself adopts a relatively clean look, the platform and surrounding area do show signs that the Phalanx haven’t taken the most care with the Waspirium formed from Nemesis’ saliva. This has seen the platform thematically aged and toxic green solution drip down its sides, with further staining on the rocks in the vicinity. The decision to elevate Toxicator above ground level has also created a unique feature in having a tunnel which runs beneath the ride. Within this can be found signage providing safety warnings from the Phalanx, as well as an overview of the Waspirium refinement process. UV lighting is also featured which will no doubt look especially effective at night, along with illuminated tubes which are also synchronised with the ride sequence, turning red alongside the silos and fountains.
As seen last year with Nemesis Reborn and the wider Forbidden Valley refresh, Toxicator features a number of Easter eggs including several call-backs to Ripsaw. Most notable is of course the name Waspirium incorporating ‘Ripsaw’ backwards. In addition, there is a sign in the tunnel asking ‘Can you cut it?’, which was of course Ripsaw’s catchphrase, as well as part of the entrance portal featuring a screw element of the same design to Ripsaw’s centre bar. Other details include references to some of the key individuals involved with the project, as well as the ride’s audio referring to COMPOUND, the Nemesis Reborn inspired scare attraction introduced for Scarefest 2024.
We were also provided with a first look at Toxicator’s range of merchandise, which is stocked within a dedicated section of BUNKER 94. The range includes hoodies, T-shirts and caps, along with water bottles, mugs and key chains. There are also some new for 2025 Nemesis Reborn merchandise items, including pin badges and mugs.
As noted, we also had the chance to see and sample items from Rollercoaster Restaurant’s new for 2025 menu, with dishes taking inspiration from the Resort’s rollercoasters. These included ‘small plates’, sealed burgers, loaded Twister Coaster fries, and a selection of desserts.
The opening of Toxicator will bring to a close a period of 13 months following the project from when the plans were first submitted in February 2024, which referred to the attraction as Project Ocean. During his talk, Dave Taylor noted that the overall time from first conception was 19 months. Alongside Dave, Senior Creative Lead John Burton headed up the Merlin Magic Making team, who were given a tight brief to bring a Huss Top Spin back to Alton Towers in the same location as Ripsaw. With the desire for this to be the Suspended model, site constraints meant that excavating would be impractical hence it was very quickly decided to elevate the ride and rotate it 90 degrees. Indeed the ride proposition and concept was said to be formulated in a matter of days by Dave and John, before being presented to the wider business in order to obtain the green-light. Reinstating the bridge that formed part of Ripsaw’s queue line was considered, although it was decided against for budgetary reasons.
Only a few weeks after Nemesis Reborn opened in March 2024, the full construction site was enclosed, thereby enabling work to immediately start upon the approval of the planning application at the end of April. Whilst the concrete platform took shape over the course of the 2024 season (with a total of 750 cubic metres of concrete and approximately 16 miles of steel reinforcement being used), it wasn’t until the start of Scarefest in October that the first official teasers for the ride came. This was followed up by further marketing activity during the Fireworks weekend in November. The ride hardware then arrived at the Resort just a few weeks after the end of the season, being quickly installed on-site in just over a month, ahead of Toxicator being officially announced in January 2025. The ride then undertook testing, with manufacturer Huss Rides spending a total of 15 weeks on-site. First-look drone footage was then shared by the Resort in February, alongside announcing the ride’s opening date.
Overall, Toxicator is a welcome addition to Forbidden Valley, being well-themed and complementing the redevelopment of the area for 2024. Whilst there was some initial scepticism about the green colour palette, it undoubtedly helps set it apart from the rest of the area and has been well-executed. With Toxicator being the first permanent thrill flat ride to open at Alton Towers in almost 25 years (the last being Submission in 2001), we certainly hope that the Resort have plans in the pipeline to add more to the line-up in the coming years, especially if they are as well presented as Toxicator!
When are you planning a visit to Alton Towers to submit to the spin on Toxicator in 2025? Let us know via our social media channels!
