Rita - Queen of Speed
Encyclopedia
Rita is an Intamin accelerator coaster
located in the Dark Forest area of Alton Towers
in Staffordshire
, England
. It accelerates to 100 km/h (62 mph) in approximately 2.2 seconds (previously 2.5 seconds). The ride is loosely based on drag racing
. It is similar to Stealth
at Thorpe Park
which opened in 2006, though this partly changed with the retheming of Ug Land into the Dark Forest for 2010. It now stands as an abandend drag racer that is used as the escape cart to escape the Dark Forest. Riders must be over 1.4 m (55 in) tall to experience this ride.
The ride was temporarily renamed "Camilla - Queen of Speed" on 9 April 2005 to celebrate the marriage of Prince Charles to Camilla Parker Bowles. This simply involved banner signage to notify guests of the name change.
The reason for the ride's name has never been explained by Alton Towers.
' new attraction for the 2005 season. The ride starts with the train racing forward from the station
area. The train is then accelerated from 0–100 km/h / 67 mp/h in 2.5 seconds, and negotiates high speed corners and hills
before then reaching the brake run
parallel with the station. The ride has since been partly rethemed to support the theme of nearby Thirteen which opened in March 2010. The ride control cabin and entrance have been refurbished to look 'engulfed' by the branches of the Dark Forest area, and the name was shortened to simply 'Rita'; eliminating its 'Queen of Speed title and the ride's race theme.
As well as the control cabin and Rita tyres being rethemed to suit the Dark Forest, the cars have been rethemed with a darker grey tint to the bottom of the cars with forest stains over the flames to make it fit. It still has the blue and purple cars with flames but with a tint of grey to make Rita look damaged by the supernatural forest.
The voiceover heard before the ride launches is also changed to incorporate a more spooky theme. As opposed to an American-accented voice counting down to the start of a drag race, it is now a dark, foreboding voice ordering passengers to "Hold on tight. You must escape", presumably meaning that Rita is being used to evacuate people from the haunted Dark Forest area.
Accelerator Coaster
The Accelerator Coaster is Intamin AG's term for their hydraulically-launched roller coaster model. These models are the tradename for some of the fastest rides on earth....
located in the Dark Forest area of Alton Towers
Alton Towers
Alton Towers is a theme park and resort located in Staffordshire, England. It attracts around 2.7 million visitors per year making it the most visited theme park in the United Kingdom. Alton Towers is also the 9th most visited theme park in Europe...
in Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It accelerates to 100 km/h (62 mph) in approximately 2.2 seconds (previously 2.5 seconds). The ride is loosely based on drag racing
Drag racing
Drag racing is a competition in which specially prepared automobiles or motorcycles compete two at a time to be the first to cross a set finish line, from a standing start, in a straight line, over a measured distance, most commonly a ¼-mile straight track....
. It is similar to Stealth
Stealth (roller coaster)
Stealth is a steel roller coaster built by Intamin of Switzerland. The coaster is located in the Amity Cove area of Thorpe Park in Surrey, England, UK and opened in 2006. The ride reaches a maximum height of 62.5 m...
at Thorpe Park
Thorpe Park
Thorpe Park is a theme park located in Chertsey, Surrey, England, UK. It was built in 1979 on the site of a gravel pit which was partially flooded, the intention of creating a water based theme for the park. The park's first large roller coaster, Colossus, was added in 2002...
which opened in 2006, though this partly changed with the retheming of Ug Land into the Dark Forest for 2010. It now stands as an abandend drag racer that is used as the escape cart to escape the Dark Forest. Riders must be over 1.4 m (55 in) tall to experience this ride.
The ride was temporarily renamed "Camilla - Queen of Speed" on 9 April 2005 to celebrate the marriage of Prince Charles to Camilla Parker Bowles. This simply involved banner signage to notify guests of the name change.
The reason for the ride's name has never been explained by Alton Towers.
Ride experience
Rita was Alton TowersAlton Towers
Alton Towers is a theme park and resort located in Staffordshire, England. It attracts around 2.7 million visitors per year making it the most visited theme park in the United Kingdom. Alton Towers is also the 9th most visited theme park in Europe...
' new attraction for the 2005 season. The ride starts with the train racing forward from the station
Station (roller coaster)
A roller coaster's station is where the passengers board and alight from the trains. The station houses the coaster's control panel, and has devices for moving the trains in and out of the station and holding them in position, as well as devices for locking and unlocking the restraints and devices...
area. The train is then accelerated from 0–100 km/h / 67 mp/h in 2.5 seconds, and negotiates high speed corners and hills
Air-time
Air time is the feeling of weightlessness or negative gravity force experienced on a roller coaster or other amusement rides. On roller coasters this feeling is usually achieved by the train going over a hill. Hypercoasters such as Magnum XL-200 at Cedar Point and Bizarro at Six Flags New England...
before then reaching the brake run
Brake run
A brake run on a roller coaster is any section of track meant to slow or stop a roller coaster train. Brake runs may be located anywhere along the circuit of a coaster and may be designed to bring the train to a complete halt or to simply adjust the train's speed...
parallel with the station. The ride has since been partly rethemed to support the theme of nearby Thirteen which opened in March 2010. The ride control cabin and entrance have been refurbished to look 'engulfed' by the branches of the Dark Forest area, and the name was shortened to simply 'Rita'; eliminating its 'Queen of Speed title and the ride's race theme.
As well as the control cabin and Rita tyres being rethemed to suit the Dark Forest, the cars have been rethemed with a darker grey tint to the bottom of the cars with forest stains over the flames to make it fit. It still has the blue and purple cars with flames but with a tint of grey to make Rita look damaged by the supernatural forest.
The voiceover heard before the ride launches is also changed to incorporate a more spooky theme. As opposed to an American-accented voice counting down to the start of a drag race, it is now a dark, foreboding voice ordering passengers to "Hold on tight. You must escape", presumably meaning that Rita is being used to evacuate people from the haunted Dark Forest area.