Everyone’s saying the same thing about Alton Towers’ new ‘Wicker Man’ ride

Sometimes a concept will come along and it will seem so obvious that it’s hard to figure out how no one came up with it before.

This is, on the surface at least, not one of those occasions.

Alton Towers has found itself in the news of late, principally for suggesting you buy paraphernalia from its old log flume ride and use it as your new bed.

But now the theme park and resort has what it thinks is a winning combination, even more than memories of running water and an undisturbed night’s sleep.

Yes, wood and fire. That’s the secret to the new ‘Wicker Man’ ride.

Yes, that’s notoriously flammable material, wood, and notoriously fiery element, fire. What could possibly go wrong?

We don’t doubt Alton Towers have put in all the necessary safety precautions for the ride, which they say is “the UK’s first new wooden coaster built in over 20 years”.

However, you can see why people were quick to point out the obvious.

“The chosen ones can climb on-board the Beornen’s works train passing further into their secretive world, splintering around a labyrinth of twisted track,” Alton Towers’ description reads.

“The burning embers light the path as the train hurtles towards the six-storey high flaming effigy. Speeding towards the Wicker Man, he spectacularly ignites into flames as the train bursts through his chest three times.”

It looks as though the ‘fire’ in question is the result of special effects, rather than passengers being sent racing through literal flames while essentially trapped in a flammable cage. For everyone’s sake, that’s a relief.

Oh, and speaking of Cages, the Wicker Man name conjures up another image which, thankfully, won’t be included as part of the ride.

(Main image: Twitter/Alton Towers)