Opened - 14th March 1998
Cost - £12 Million
Manufacturer - B&M
Ride Type - Vertical Drop
Length - 373 Metres
G-Force - 4.5G
Mass of Empty Car - 5,000kg
Capacity per Car - 16
Capacity per Hour - 1900
Duration - 2 Mins 40 Secs
Drop Height - 60 metres
Top speed - 110km/h
Dare you face your greatest fears? Dare you look into Oblivion? Only
at Alton Towers can you prove yourself on the world's first vertical
drop rollercoaster. Some people scream, some people weep tears of
joy... or terror, some people just contemplate their fate, it is even
rumoured that some never come back. But remember, whatever you do,
DON'T LOOK DOWN!
Oblivion, although a short ride it is one of the best thrill ride
sensations available, a sixty metre climb, a turn and then three
seconds hanging over the edge of a two hundred foot vertical drop.
After being released you are plummeted into the ground, before exiting
the hole at the other side of the sector. Once into the brakes its all
over and all that's left is your desire for another go.
Attraction History
It was the last day of the 1996 season and something was
afoot in Fantasy World; the Pirate Ship and AstroDancer were closed and ready to be moved.
When it came to the start of the 1997 season Fantasy Land was nearly
entirely empty, with only the Black Hole remaining. A huge fence surrounded the
rest of the area, with a sign saying; WORLD FIRST RIDE OPENS
MARCH 1998.
Nobody knew what the new ride would be, just a large building site
with an ever growing hole. Every visit to the park saw this huge hole
grow bigger and bigger. As parts of the track arrived on site
suspicions grew of what 'Secret Weapon 4' would be.
March 1998 arrived and it was finally revealed OBLIVION: the worlds
first vertical drop roller coaster. Press coverage was amazing it
was on the news, advertised on packets of Cornflakes and it was even
featured on Blue Peter.
