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2017: General Discussion

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That graph doesn't really demonstrate anything to do with ride closures at just one of their many theme parks. That's merely the usual effects of buying and selling (and worries about brexit!) during the course of trading. If anything, the share price is actually pretty healthy after rising by a decent amount earlier last week.

Merlin is a FAR bigger group than Alton Towers these days. Unless the park is closed/a major incident occurs a la The Smiler, then things like this don't really affect share prices.
 
Looks like Ice Age is gone. I'm very surprised they're still advertising Sub-Terra. Either means they're really not ready to announce it's gone yet, due to bad press, or they're genuinely working on getting it into a decent state either through updates or TLC.
 
Great news that Hex is back :)

I did tell you all towards the end of last season that Hex was coming back this season :p Now we just need to wait for the park to open to find out if there is any truth in the upgrades that I've been told about :)

Ok we have now lost the Ice Age and Twirling toadstool, but don't forget that Alton has also added two new attractions to the park including the Go Jetters and The Furchester Hotel, so technically we are now only down 4 attractions as appose to 6 since 2015. However with the twirling toadstool and Ice age now closed, we are down on more rides for the children that are too young for the big rides but are too old for CBeebies.

I would like to give Alton praise where it is deserve and I would like to thank them for revealing the line up sooner than later, unlike last year when the ride line up was announce a week before the season started. I'm also pleased that they have removed the rides from the lineup that have been permanently closed, instead of listing them under the guises of TLC.

Thank you Towers :)

Roy :)

ps.. I was wrong with both of my predictions on the fireworks returning for a 3 day event and also for the Scarefest to run for 2 consecutive weeks, one of which tying in with the Scottish half term :(
 
Wobble World was the type of attraction you'd expect to find in CBeebies, so the two new arrivals in CBeebies this year make up (slightly) for that being closed. Ice Age and Toadstool are significantly more of a loss - Ice Age being the only show at the park for people not interested in CBeebies, and Toadstool being one of the few flats left in the park - and their loss will be more felt. The park will still need a replacement type ride for Charlie eventually (hopefully with an entire CCL facelift at the same time), yet I don't think that, or Sub Terra in all honesty, have been missed that much by the general public.

I am glad Hex and Driving School has reopened, although with CCL's days surely being numbered, it seems odd to put any amount of effort into Driving School if it's just for a year or so. But then, as has been mentioned, Ice Age had a lot of TLC on it last year.

The website is intriguing this year. Charlie, Wobble and Ice Age being deleted seems pretty final (I wonder if there'll be any official announcement of Charlie and Wobble's departures, especially as they were apparently "closed for refurbishment" last year:rolleyes:), yet Toadstool and Sub Terra are both, apparently, under the TLC scheme. It's possible (and probably likely) that neither will reopen, but then maybe one of them will do a Hex. Plus Toadstool's ride page is worded as "closed for refurbishment" whereas Sub Terra is just "currently closed". That suggests to me Toadstool is the more likely of the two to return in 2018. Of all the closed rides last year, I was most convinced Sub Terra would remain closed, and it's clear Towers have no interest in it whatsoever, so I don't see why they keep up the charade with it. It's clearly, in the eyes of Merlin, another failed Saw:Alive style attraction that'll almost certainly never return.

Aside from the positive news of Hex reopening, I am also glad that Blade, yet again, avoids the chop. Also, the more likely it seemed that Hex would be back, the more I was worrying Duel would replace it on the closed list, so I'm also glad that's still open. Still, I really hope next year is the last year of closed attractions (there will almost certainly be closed rides next year, due to TLC being a three year project. Plus if a potential CCL makeover does go ahead for 2019, I'd imagine the whole of that area to be closed off for 2018).
 
You know what all these ride closures are indicative to the way that Merlin always goes for the cheaper option and in the end they don't stand the test of time. everything seems to be a throwaway attraction built out of cardboard and shipping containers so that it can be chucked in the bin when they've had enough or got a quick buck out of it.

If Twirling Toadstool needs TLC then why didn't they do at the same time as they were painting the Smiler steps and moping the roof on Towers Street?

I suspect Sub Terra is being left with a 'might open' tag as it's in such a prominent location that can't be fenced off?

Back when I thought they actually gave a toss I might feel optimistic that Towers might actually use this opportunity get an all weather (winter opening) area enclosed to reduce noise like Wuze Town or Arthur in the CCL area but all that has gone, it'll just be the old rides re-themed and a new bit of vynal covered plywood stuck on the front of the old buildings...
 
To be fair Charlie is absolutely finished until a CCL re-theme to an IP no way will Merlin want to go near that as a sole project.

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Mixed feelings for 2017. Glad Hex is back, but sad that Twirling toadstool and Ice Age have gone. What is a 9 year old to do??? (way too old for CBeebies land!!) . And lets be honest, the new ride at CBeebies is just a spaced up version of the flying Jumbos from Chessington, so I hope parents and children alike are not getting too excited!! , can you also imagine the throughput of the hotel walkthrough experience too with lots of impatient kids and pushing. I hope customer services are prepared.
Personally wish N;ST was back too seems weird walking to Nemesis with no activity around there, plus Ive never been on it. What a waste.
 
Toadstool has been whizzing around in various guises for 30 odd years, I'm not sure if it was new when it arrived at Alton? I don't remember. Could need a lot more than a repaint.
 
They are closing a ride that needs one ride op and a show on one side of the park.

And opening a new ride which I presume can run on one op and a show at the other side of the park. Keeping operational costs equal whilst advertising two new attractions?

Shame it's the to old for CBeebies customers are the ones to pay for this with less rides for them. There were already plenty of rides in CBeebies to cater for that younger age range.
 
AT86 said:
They are closing a ride that needs one ride op and a show on one side of the park.

And opening a new ride which I presume can run on one op and a show at the other side of the park. Keeping operational costs equal whilst advertising two new attractions?

Shame it's the to old for CBeebies customers are the ones to pay for this with less rides for them. There were already plenty of rides in CBeebies to cater for that younger age range.
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Exactly. CBeebies now has a really strong and varied line up. But then the BBC have a say in the content of that area, not just Merlin, so it's probably not surprising.
 
themeparkfan said:
Mixed feelings for 2017. Glad Hex is back, but sad that Twirling toadstool and Ice Age have gone. What is a 9 year old to do??? (way too old for CBeebies land!!) . And lets be honest, the new ride at CBeebies is just a spaced up version of the flying Jumbos from Chessington, so I hope parents and children alike are not getting too excited!! , can you also imagine the throughput of the hotel walkthrough experience too with lots of impatient kids and pushing. I hope customer services are prepared.
Personally wish N;ST was back too seems weird walking to Nemesis with no activity around there, plus Ive never been on it. What a waste.
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Yah. Never went on Sub Terra either, kinda regretting that now. It was open a couple times that I went, but I was always with people who didn't want to go in and I didn't see the fun by myself (I knew exactly what happened inside). Part of me hopes they re-open it with some changes, cause it would be admitting a pretty big failure if they ditched it. It's got some pretty heavy kit in there for them to just be done with it. It was hardly a small project.
 
andeyhart said:
Exactly. CBeebies now has a really strong and varied line up. But then the BBC have a say in the content of that area, not just Merlin, so it's probably not surprising.
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The BBC don't just have a say in the content, they decide the content. Alton Towers probably say they have the budget for a new ride, the BBC approach them with a theme idea, the necessary IP rights and BBC Worldwide probably provide part of the budget too. There's no way CBeebies land came entirely out of Merlin/Alton Towers' pocket, BBC Worldwide will be a heavy investor.
 
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Jared said:
The BBC don't just have a say in the content, they decide the content. Alton Towers probably say they have the budget for a new ride, the BBC approach them with a theme idea, the necessary IP rights and BBC Worldwide probably provide part of the budget too. There's no way CBeebies land was all a cost to Merlin and Alton Towers, BBC Worldwide will be a heavy investor.
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What on Earth are you talking about?
 
Rick said:
What on Earth are you talking about?
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I think I was crystal clear, if you read my comment. I was talking about the fact that the BBC likely have a heavier involvement in CBeebies Land than you'd first think. With the content of the area being almost entirely decided upon by the BBC, I wouldn't be surprised.
 
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