There might be bigger, faster and twistier rides out there, but it turns out that Brits love this 30-year-old rollercoaster more than any other in the world.
A new ranking has revealed that Nemesis at Alton Towers’ is the UK’s favourite global theme park attraction of all time.
It’s been thrilling visitors to the park since it opened in March 1994, and beat out the likes of Magic Kingdom’s Space Mountain and The Swarm at Thorpe Park to the top spot.
Nemesis was actually Europe’s first ever-inverted rollercoaster (where the train runs under the track) when it was built, costing £10 million.
According to Alton Towers, the original ride travelled over 800,000 miles (until it closed for refurbishment in 2022) and carried more than 52 million people.
And, while other record-breaking rides may have come along since, it seems Nemesis has a special place in our hearts.
‘I love it in a way I can’t explain,’ wrote one user on Reddit, who had been too afraid to ride it for 20 years – until they finally found the courage.
‘Honestly it was the nearest thing I’ve ever had to a spiritual experience,’ they continued. ‘It was all just a blur of blue sky and laughter and I was laughing and screaming and crying all at once.
‘Never had a high like it. It was utterly magnificent… riding Nemmy that day was a life changer and for that, she forever holds a place in my heart.’
And many others had equally passionate things to say about the coaster.
‘The way the layout weaves through the terrain and builds and builds throughout gives the ride a feeling of sustained excitement,’ said a second Redditor. ‘To me, Nemesis has a perfect level of momentum throughout.’
And fans who remember visiting the park as children love how nostalgic it is too.
‘It’s the ride that never fails to disappoint, it’s pretty much never not running and it’s a childhood special,’ said one.
And a second wrote: ‘If you grew up around that era where Alton Towers got Nemesis, Oblivion and Air it was such an exciting time with these innovative coasters on our doorstep.’
Nemesis wasn’t the only UK coaster on the list. The 2000 polled by Ocean Florida, also named The Swarm at Thorpe Park (11th) and Vampire and Chessington (12).
The rest of the list featured only USA attractions in famous parks such as Disneyland and Universal Studios.
The UK’s favourite theme park attractions in the world
- Nemesis – Alton Towers – Staffordshire, UK
- Space Mountain – Magic Kingdom, Florida, USA
- Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey – Universal’s Islands of Adventure, Florida
- Jurassic World: The Ride – Universal Studios Hollywood, California, USA
- Pirates of the Caribbean – Disneyland Park, California, USA
- Jaws (no longer operational) – Universal Studios Florida, USA
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad – Disneyland Park, California, & Disneyland Paris
- Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance – Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Florida, USA
- Splash Mountain (soon to be Tiana’s Bayou Adventure) – Magic Kingdom, Florida, USA
- The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror – Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Florida, USA
- The Swarm – Thorpe Park, Surrey, UK
- Vampire – Chessington World of Adventures, Surrey, UK
- It’s a Small World – Disneyland Park, California, USA
- E.T. Adventure – Universal Studios Florida, USA
- The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man – Universal’s Islands of Adventure, Florida
- Avatar Flight of Passage – Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Florida, USA
- Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure – Universal’s Islands of Adventure, Florida
- Runaway Railway – Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Florida, USA
- The Incredible Hulk Coaster – Universal’s Islands of Adventure, Florida
- Expedition Everest – Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Florida, USA
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