The Empty Sites: Where Alton Towers Could Actually Build Next

The Empty Sites: Where Alton Towers Could Actually Build Next

Walk around Alton Towers and you'll pass several patches of land that look oddly purposeless — fenced-off gaps, flat concrete pads, areas that clearly used to hold something. They did. And several have been sitting empty for years while the park's ride count quietly shrinks.

Here's every genuine vacant development site at Alton Towers, what used to occupy it, and what enthusiasts think could realistically go there.

The Submission Site — X-Sector

What was there: Submission, the Ministry of Joy's twin-armed inverting flat ride.

Its odd history: After Submission's removal, the site briefly became the Submission Memorial Garden. That ended in 2021 to make way for the Retro Squad — but the plot is now vacant again, having been emptied twice over.

The speculation: The obvious fit is another Ministry of Joy "experiment" — a new flat ride slotting into X-Sector's existing lore, which would genuinely help the park's dwindling flat ride line-up.

The Enterprise Site — X-Sector

What was there: Enterprise, which departed at the end of 2022.

Current status: Vacant and, in TowersStreet's own phrasing, ready for a new ride.

The speculation: This is the site most consistently linked to a Huss Breakdance in enthusiast discussion, covered elsewhere on this site as part of the unconfirmed three-ride rumour.

Two empty plots in a single themed area is a genuine problem, and X-Sector now feels noticeably thinner than it did a decade ago.

The Blade's Pit — Forbidden Valley

What was there: The Blade, retired at the end of 2024 after 44 years — the park's oldest operating ride at the time of its removal.

Current status: A vacant pit at the centre of Forbidden Valley.

Why it matters: This is arguably the most visible empty space in the park, sitting in a prominent position surrounded by Nemesis Reborn, Galactica and Toxicator. Speculation has centred on a pirate ship replacement, potentially rethemed to the Phalanx.

The Roller Disco Site — Dark Forest

What was there: The Roller Disco, and before that the Magic Carpet and Spider.

Current status: Vacant.

The speculation: Enthusiast discussion has floated a smaller thrill ride here — a Zamperla Nebulaz has been specifically suggested, with the caveat that Drayton Manor already has one nearby.

The X-Position Food Site — X-Sector

What was there: In 2024, the site at the bottom of X-Sector hosted X-Position Food, a pop-up food and beverage offering.

Current status: Temporary units relocated to Fountain Square in 2026 — the same move that brought the current food trucks operation there. The X-Sector site awaits redevelopment.

Worth noting: This was explicitly a temporary use of a site already earmarked for something else. That's a genuine signal the park has longer-term intentions here, even if nothing's been filed.

The Old MacDonald's Farm Site — CBeebies Land

What was there: Old MacDonald's Farmyard.

Current status: An unused corner of CBeebies Land.

Context: With Bluey the Ride: Here Come the Grannies having replaced Postman Pat Parcel Post in 2026, CBeebies Land has had recent investment — but this plot remains untouched.

The World of David Walliams — The Big One

Not strictly vacant, but genuinely worth including because it's the most significant redevelopment prospect in the park.

Current status: The 4D Cinema and former Nickelodeon building are shuttered. Enthusiast consensus is blunt: the area is "on its last legs."

What's been said: General Manager Howard Ebison has reportedly indicated he wants the area rethemed and incorporated into Project Horizon — which, as covered elsewhere on this site, hasn't had funding allocated.

The enthusiast wishlist: A genuinely popular suggestion is an entirely new themed area — a Wild West land stretching from the Skyride station exit back toward the Driving School location has been specifically proposed as a statement addition.

The Fandango and Dungeon Sites

The departures of Flavio's Fabulous Fandango and The Alton Towers Dungeon — the latter closed permanently in summer 2024 — have left that corner of the park with genuine redevelopment potential, specifically flagged as coinciding with Project Horizon's eventual arrival.

What This Adds Up To

Count them: Submission, Enterprise, The Blade's pit, the Roller Disco site, the X-Position plot, Old MacDonald's corner, plus the Fandango and Dungeon sites and a fading World of David Walliams.

That's a genuinely substantial amount of empty or underused land across a park that has removed more rides than it's added in recent years.

The honest read is uncomfortable but worth stating: these plots aren't empty because Alton Towers is short of space or ideas. They're empty because filling them requires capital that Merlin has, so far, not committed — the same constraint that has repeatedly delayed Project Horizon.

The Counter-Argument Worth Hearing

It's fair to note that not everyone in the enthusiast community sees a quiet investment year as a bad thing. One genuinely reasonable view holds that off years for general upkeep are good for the park, with a desire to see continued focus on fixing effects, cleaning areas and repainting — arguing Alton Towers genuinely needs that attention.

There's real merit in that. A park with immaculate theming and fewer rides may deliver a better guest experience than one with more rides and visible decay.

What to Actually Watch For

If you want to track whether any of these sites are genuinely moving, the reliable indicators are:

• Planning applications filed with Staffordshire Moorlands District Council
• Site clearance or fencing changes on the plots themselves
• Ride availability page updates signalling closures ahead of replacements

As of late August 2026, none of these plots has an active planning application for a 2027 opening.

Quick Reference: Alton Towers' Vacant Sites

• Submission site (X-Sector) — vacant twice over, after the Memorial Garden was cleared in 2021
• Enterprise site (X-Sector) — empty since end of 2022; linked to Huss Breakdance speculation
• The Blade's pit (Forbidden Valley) — vacant since the ride's retirement at end of 2024
• Roller Disco site (Dark Forest) — formerly Magic Carpet and Spider; small thrill ride suggested
• X-Position Food site (X-Sector) — units moved to Fountain Square in 2026, plot awaiting redevelopment
• Old MacDonald's Farm corner (CBeebies Land) — unused
• Fandango and Dungeon sites — flagged for redevelopment alongside Project Horizon
• World of David Walliams — shuttered units; GM reportedly wants it rethemed into Project Horizon; Wild West land is the popular enthusiast suggestion
• Status: No active planning applications for any 2027 opening as of late August 2026