Wicker Man Wooden Coaster Opening at Alton Towers in 2018

Alton Towers formally announced plans today for Wicker Man, a wooden roller coaster that will “fuse fire and wood” when it opens in the spring of 2018.

While specific details about the Great Coasters International wooden coaster are limited, Alton Towers isn’t shying away from the ride’s “fiery” central element: a “Wicker Man” structure standing 57 feet tall that will appear to “burst into flames” as the coaster’s track races through the structure three times.

As part of the ride’s story, guests will “embark on a multi-sensory rite of passage, in which they’ll be drawn into the mysterious world of The Beornen, a shadowy group living in the woods surrounding the theme park.”

The fire element makes sense, as the coaster’s name is reportedly loosely inspired by the 1973 British mystery horror film, The Wicker Man:

An iconic scene from that movie involves the burning of a giant wooden wicker man statue.

Although wooden coasters have featured fire elements before (such as Apocalypse at Six Flags Magic Mountain), the park is touting Wicker Man’s fiery elements as a “globally unique twist.”

We first reported on Alton Towers’ plans for a wooden coaster, previously referred to as “SW8,” in June of 2016 when the theme park filed plans for the attraction:

“…the plans show what appears to be a Great Coasters International terrain-hugging, twisted wooden roller coaster. The maximum height above the ground will only be around 33 feet, making this a more family-friendly coaster with an emphasis on fun.”

See the SW8 plans submitted in June of 2016 below:

alton towers launched wood coaster plans

Wicker Man will replace the park’s “The Flume” log flume water ride, which closed in 2015 to free room for the coaster.

The park posted a time-lapse video of the construction in early December:


Bradley Wynne, Creative Lead at Alton Towers Resort commented: “We are delighted to finally be announcing Wicker Man as the latest ground-breaking thrill attraction from Alton Towers Resort for 2018.”

“We hope visitors will be blown away by Wicker Man’s breath-taking scale whilst the primal essence of the wooden coaster and astonishing effects will leave them delighted, exhilarated and eager to ride again.”

Watch a teaser trailer for Wicker Man below:


What do you think about Alton Tower’s Wicker Man wooden coaster? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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