Alton Towers Ride Reliability
Which rides run smoothly, and which keep breaking down
Jun 2026
Rides most often closed at Alton Towers
Based on the share of opening hours each ride was running over recent weeks. Lower uptime = more downtime.
- Skyride to Dark Forest (From Forbidden Valley)9% uptime
- Skyride to Forbidden Valley (from Dark Forest)9% uptime
- Skyride to Forbidden Valley (from Towers St.)9% uptime
- Skyride to Towers St. (From Forbidden Valley)9% uptime
- Battle Galleons70% uptime
- Nemesis Sub-Terra74% uptime
- Congo River Rapids78% uptime
- The Curse at Alton Manor78% uptime
- Gangsta Granny: The Ride79% uptime
- Bluey the Ride: Here Come The Grannies!80% uptime
- Cuckoo Cars Driving School81% uptime
- Raj’s Bouncy Bottom Burp81% uptime
- Spinball Whizzer81% uptime
- The Royal Carousel81% uptime
- Rita84% uptime
About Alton Towers and live queue times
Alton Towers is the UK's largest theme park, set in 910 acres of Staffordshire woodland surrounding a gothic country house. The ride line-up is unusually varied: Nemesis and Oblivion pioneered inverted and vertical-drop coasters in Europe, Wicker Man brought a major wooden coaster back to Britain, and Galactica, Smiler and Rita cover everything from flying to 14-inversion thrills. The park also has two full hotels and a Waterpark on site.
Alton Towers reliability FAQ
Alton Towers reliability FAQ
Which rides break down most at Alton Towers?
Over recent weeks, Skyride to Dark Forest (From Forbidden Valley) has had the most downtime at Alton Towers (around 9% uptime). See the full list of the least-reliable rides and each ride's reliability further up this page.
Which rides are closed at Alton Towers today?
For live, up-to-the-minute closures, open the Alton Towers live page - every ride shows whether it's open or closed right now, with the reason and how long it's been down where the park provides it. This page focuses on the longer-term pattern: which rides close most often over a full month.
How do I check if a ride at Alton Towers is closed right now?
Check the Alton Towers live ride list or an individual ride's page - both show the current open or closed status, refreshed automatically from the park's own ride system. If a ride shows "Closed" or its queue hasn't moved for 45+ minutes, it's probably down. Use this Reliability page to see whether that's unusual or a regular occurrence.
Which rides at Alton Towers break down the most?
The Reliability table above ranks every ride at Alton Towers by uptime percentage, total downtime minutes and number of separate closures in the selected month. Rides with higher downtime are usually older, more mechanically complex, or subject to weather-related closures.
What counts as a ride "closure" in these stats?
Any period where the ride's status flipped from operating to closed for more than a couple of minutes counts as a closure. Brief resets and scheduled early morning tests are excluded. A ride with 10+ closures in a month is almost certainly unreliable, not just temporarily out of service.
How do you calculate Alton Towers ride uptime?
We track each ride's open/closed status every few minutes throughout the park's operating hours. Uptime percentage = minutes the ride was open divided by the park's total operating minutes. A ride that ran all day shows 100%, one closed half the day shows 50%.
Are some rides at Alton Towers more reliable than others?
Almost always. Newer coasters typically have higher uptime in their first year, then stabilise. Classic flat rides and family rides tend to be the most reliable. Intense thrill coasters and water rides often sit toward the bottom of the uptime table because they're more complex and weather-sensitive.
How can I avoid riding something that keeps breaking down?
Check this page before your visit. If a ride you care about has under 80% uptime this month, prioritise it early in the day when reliability is best. Also check live queue times - if a ride shows "Closed" or hasn't moved in 45+ minutes, it's probably down for the afternoon.
Does rain or weather affect Alton Towers reliability?
Yes - water rides close automatically in heavy rain, and exposed coasters may close in lightning, high winds or very cold temperatures. Our uptime figures reflect actual operations including weather closures, which is why uptime varies seasonally.