Found at the entrance to Cloud Cuckoo Land was the largest fungi that you could lay eyes on, which stood ready to take guests on a journey to dizzying new heights!
Fact File
- Location: Festival Park / Ug Land / Cloud Cuckoo Land
- Manufacturer: Zierer
- Ride Type: Wave Swinger
- Power: 115kW
- Diameter: 75m
- Weight: 22 tonnes
- Number of Seats: 48
- Capacity: 1000 riders per hour
- Duration: 2 mins 00 secs
- Opening Year: 1984 (31st March)
- Rethemed: 1999 / 28th March 2009
- Closing Year: 2016 (6th November)
A traditional fairground attraction with a twist, Twirling Toadstool gave a fresh look to one of the Alton Towers Resort’s oldest rides, whilst giving riders a view over Cloud Cuckoo Land, suspended in their seat by only four chains. So, despite its location, this ride provided plenty of family thrills for guests of all ages!
Whilst standing in the queue, the ride swung high above, dipping down then flying back towards the sky. When it was time to board, guests climbed up the steps to the platform and selected their seat, clipping the lap bar in place once settled.
The ride began by lifting guests high above the ground, with the toadstool simultaneously growing in height and beginning to rotate. Once up to speed, the head of the toadstool would also tilt whilst rotating, adding to the fun and sensations that guests experienced.
After a couple of minutes the ride cycle would come to an end and guests were lowered back down so that they could safely disembark from the platform.
This ride has had various guises before its current title of Twirling Toadstool in Cloud Cuckoo Land. When the ride first opened in 1984, it was the Wave Swinger in Festival Park. That was until 1999 when the area became Ug Land, so the ride was accordingly rethemed and renamed, becoming known as Ug Swinger and remaining in Ug Land when Rita – Queen of Speed arrived in 2005, though moving position to accommodate the new rollercoaster.
However, for the 2009 season the ride moved to the newly created Cloud Cuckoo Land, taking on its most recent form.
Twirling Toadstool remained closed for the duration of the 2017 and 2018 seasons, which was stated to be as part of the Resort’s Towers Loving Care programme.
Despite rumours surfacing in 2018 that the ride would make a comeback for the following year, in February 2019, the removal of its page from the Resort’s website seemingly confirmed its permanent closure.
