Wicker Man at Alton Towers: Ride Guide, Stats and Tips

What Wicker Man is

Wicker Man is a wooden roller coaster at Alton Towers in Staffordshire, England, and it opened in 2018. Great Coasters International built the ride, with Skyline Attractions working on the project, and the result is a timber-structured coaster with a themed figure at its centre.

Wooden coasters feel different from steel ones: the structure flexes, the track has a looser, more organic rhythm, and the ride often stays closer to the ground. At Alton Towers that low-slung character matters, because the park sits in a landscape with tight planning constraints on building height.

The wood-and-fire theme runs through both the coaster and the figure that gives it its name. Expect a burning effigy as the visual centrepiece and a queue line that builds the story before you reach the station.

Ride stats at a glance

The headline figures are a 22 m (72 ft) drop, 795 m (2,608 ft) of track, a top speed of 71 km/h (44 mph) and a maximum banking of 68°. Trains carry 24 riders, and the ride runs at a theoretical throughput of around 952 guests per hour.

Read those numbers in context. The speed and drop are modest next to Alton Towers' launch and dive coasters, but on a wooden track the sensation comes from the pacing, the laterals and the sense of the structure moving around you rather than from raw height.

Wicker Man was voted fifth Best New Ride for 2018 in Amusement Today's Golden Ticket Awards, a useful signal that the layout does more than its modest statistics suggest.

How the wood-and-fire theme shapes the ride

The concept fuses timber track with fire imagery, and the coaster was designed as the first wooden ride to combine the two in this way. The Wicker Man figure itself is enormous, a six-storey-high head that is half human and half ram, and it dominates the approach to the ride.

In practice the theme changes how you experience the queue as much as the ride. The approach builds atmosphere around the effigy, so first-timers in your group get a sense of the story before the train leaves the station, which helps younger riders decide whether they are in or out.

Why the layout is unusual

Wicker Man was built to comply with strict local building height limitations, and that constraint shaped the design rather than simply capping it. Instead of a tall lift hill with sweeping drops, the coaster uses a layout that keeps the action low and packs turns and direction changes into the available space.

That is why the ride feels different from a classic American-style wooden coaster. The low profile produces a twisting, ground-hugging circuit where the track and the timber structure stay close, and it is the reason the layout is described as unlike any other wooden coaster.

Where Wicker Man sits in the park and how to ride it early

Wicker Man occupies its own themed area with the effigy as the landmark, reachable on foot from the main paths that connect Alton Towers' big coaster zones. Use the park map on arrival to fix its position relative to the coaster you plan to do first, then walk a sensible loop rather than crossing the park twice.

On a busy day the usual approach is to head for one headline coaster at opening and take Wicker Man as your second or third ride while the morning is still quiet. Because it sits on the ground and loads 24 riders per train, the queue can build steadily rather than in sudden bursts, so arriving early pays off more than waiting for a lull.

If you would rather buy your way past the standby line, the resort sells queue-jump products that vary by ride and date. Compare what is included before you commit, because not every product covers every coaster.

Opening hours change through the season, and Wicker Man runs whenever the park is open unless maintenance or weather intervenes. The official Alton Towers calendar is the only reliable source for the date you are visiting.

Who it suits

Wicker Man is a genuine thrill ride, but it is one of the more approachable big coasters at Alton Towers for riders who are ready to step up from family attractions. Older children and teenagers who have handled mid-size coasters usually take to it well, and the wooden character gives it a rawness that seasoned riders enjoy.

Height and age rules are set by the park and enforced at the station, and they can vary between rides. The official height chart is the place to match each child in your group against Wicker Man and the other coasters before you join the queue.

For mixed-age groups, decide in advance who rides and who waits. Wicker Man loads quickly, so a non-rider waiting near the exit will not be standing long on a normal day, and the themed area gives them something to look at while the rest of the group queues.

Rides nearby for younger children and non-riders

Alton Towers splits its attractions by age band, and the younger-children offering is concentrated in CBeebies Land rather than next to the big coasters. If your group includes pre-schoolers, plan to divide the day: one adult takes the thrill-seekers to Wicker Man while the other stays with the little ones.

Older siblings who are not quite ready for Wicker Man can often ride the park's family coasters and water rides instead, which gives a middle option between pre-school attractions and the headline thrill rides. Alton Towers publishes height restrictions for each ride, so check those for the family coasters before you plan the day, since a family coaster may still have a minimum height that not everyone in the group meets.

Accessibility and ride restrictions

Alton Towers publishes an accessibility guide covering boarding, evacuation procedures and the support available at each ride, and the Ride Access Pass scheme is the main route for guests who cannot wait in a standard queue. Read the ride-specific entry for Wicker Man before your visit so you know what to ask for at the entrance.

Ride restrictions go beyond height. Loose articles, certain medical conditions and the physical demands of a wooden coaster with laterals can affect who can ride, and staff apply the rules at the station. If anyone in your group is unsure, ask a host at the entrance before joining the queue.

Fitting Wicker Man into a full Alton Towers day

A sensible structure for a full day is one headline coaster at opening, Wicker Man next, then a loop through the park's other big rides before lunch. Pair it with the launch coaster and the dive machine on the same side of the park so you are not walking the length of the resort between queues. If you are weighing up several UK parks for a thrill-focused trip, our Thorpe Park guide covers the same ride-order and queue questions elsewhere.

School holidays and weekends are the busiest periods, and event seasons add evening programming on top of the daytime rides. If your dates fall in a holiday, buy dated tickets in advance and arrive for opening rather than mid-morning.

Scarefest and the Christmas event are the two seasonal periods that most change a visit, with Halloween bringing scare attractions alongside the coasters. Both are resort-wide events, so check the official calendar for the dates that apply to your trip.

Food is available across the park, from quick-service outlets to the Rollercoaster Restaurant, and picnic rules are set by the resort. If you plan to eat on the go between rides, the food guide covers what is where.

Getting to Alton Towers

Alton Towers sits in rural Staffordshire, which makes the journey part of the planning. Most visitors arrive by car, and the resort is signed from the main road network; rail travellers typically continue by taxi or bus from the nearest station.

Allow extra time on busy mornings, when the approach roads and car parks fill. Journey times by road vary with traffic, so build a buffer if you want to be at the gates for opening.

Where to stay on a Wicker Man short break

The resort has several on-site options: the Alton Towers Hotel, the CBeebies Land Hotel for families with younger children, the Enchanted Village lodges and Stargazing Pods, and Splash Landings Hotel next to the water park. Staying on site shortens the morning commute and lets you reach the gates for opening without a drive.

Each hotel has its own character and price band, and package deals that bundle accommodation with park entry are usually the best value for a two-day visit. Compare what each rate includes before booking.

If you are visiting in December, the Christmas event changes the atmosphere of the park and the hotels alike. Check which accommodation is open for your dates on the Alton Towers website before you book.

Plan Your Wicker Man Day

Wicker Man earns its place on the must-ride list through atmosphere and a low, twisting layout rather than sheer size. Ride it early, check the height rules for your group in advance, and pair it with the park's other headline coasters on the same side of the resort.

Sort your tickets, your route and your accommodation first, then use the official calendar to fix the day around the opening hours. That way the only decision left on the morning is which coaster you take first.