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Major Operational Changes for 2018

Rob

Rob

TS Team
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Steel Vengeance
This is worthy of its own thread.

2018 will see major operational changes at Alton Towers. The park will now open at 9.30am for ERT. The rest of the theme park will then be on staggered openings between 10am and 12pm as follows:

9am: Monorail
9.30am (ERT): Wicker Man, Spinball Whizzer, most of CBeebies Land
10am: X-Sector, Marauder's Mayhem, Heave Ho, rest of CBeebies Land
11am: Dark Forest, Cloud Cuckoo Land, Sharkbait Reef, Battle Galleons, Runaway Mine Train, Hex
11.30am: Skyride
12pm: Forbidden Valley, Duel, Congo River Rapids

The Congo River Rapids will only open between 6th May – 4th September 2018.

The cuts are upon us.

Enjoy the 2018 season at Alton Towers, where you WILL be forced to go around the theme park in a manner dictated by Varney et al.

:)
 
Just imagine arriving at the park early, excited to get on all the rides. You've sensibly prebooked and are getting ERT - on your one yearly visit and you're looking forward to reriding your favourite classic coaster, Nemesis, when you get to the park. You stride in purposefully at 9:30 on the dot, and begin making your way to the Skyride. It's closed: "Skyride opens at 11:30" you read. Well, fair enough - you walk. Straight into the (presumable) sign "Forbidden Valley closed until 12."

Is that really acceptable for the UK's best theme park?
 
Alastair said:
Just imagine arriving at the park early, excited to get on all the rides. You've sensibly prebooked and are getting ERT - on your one yearly visit and you're looking forward to reriding you favourite classic coaster, Nemesis, when you get to the park. You stride in purposefully at 9:30 on the dot, and begin making your way to the Skyride. It's closed: "Skyride opens at 11:30" you read. Well, fair enough - you walk. Straight into the (presumable) sign "Forbidden Valley closed until 12."

Is that really acceptable for the UK's best theme park?
Click to expand...

ERT is for MAPs and hotel guests who booked tickets as part of a package only. So you won't be getting into the park at 0930 with a pre-booked ticket.
 
Alastair said:
Just imagine arriving at the park early, excited to get on all the rides. You've sensibly prebooked and are getting ERT - on your one yearly visit and you're looking forward to reriding you favourite classic coaster, Nemesis, when you get to the park. You stride in purposefully at 9:30 on the dot, and begin making your way to the Skyride. It's closed: "Skyride opens at 11:30" you read. Well, fair enough - you walk. Straight into the (presumable) sign "Forbidden Valley closed until 12."

Is that really acceptable for the UK's best theme park?
Click to expand...

No, it's not... Especially when Pre-booked ticket holders don't get ERT this year... ;)

So it will actually be:

You stride up to the park entrance purposefully at 9:30 on the dot, told you cannot enter until 10, You stand in the cold during a classic British rain shower and are finally let into the park, you begin making your way to the Skyride. It's closed: "Skyride opens at 11:30" you read. Well, fair enough - you walk. Straight into the (presumable) sign "Forbidden Valley closed until 12."
 
Are they trying to stick the final nail in their own coffin on purpose? This is ridiculous!
 
And we moan about Blackpool. Even if Towers is losing money this is the worst possible way to go about it. Figures will make it look good for them but people simple won't visit if they realise. I might go once but opening the best area at 12?. The only reasons enthusiasts will go this year is for wickerman, let's be honest. Blackpool is the UKs best, I prefer the majority of rides at towers but when parks like adventure Island, Drayton, flamingo land are operated better, why go?
 
Oh my good god, well, talk about putting the final nail in the coffin....

ERT cut from an hour to half hour. Ok, so it includes Wickerman but again, another cutback.

11.30 before SkyRide opens, erm, what about people with limited mobility, so they have to wait until then in order to get to further places around the park. (mind you, thats if skyride opens at all)

River rapids CLOSED until May and not open over Scarefest anymore (given we usually get some decent weather in April).

Very poor food offerings in the park.

Reduced opening hours of not just the park but now also the rides even further than before.

Gate prices go up, Hotel prices go up, quality and value for money go beyond down, they have gone straight out the park and are on their way down the M6 to the nearest sewer treatment plant.

Let me guess Varney, this is all due to terrorism in Europe right????


I'm so angry about this. Really, I shouldn't give a toss, except I do, because its a place I grew up in, had many good memories in, and it utterly p***ses me off the way Merlin are running the place into the ground to the point were it might as well close down.

Merlin was the WORST thing to ever happen to Alton. So so so sad to see it deteriorate like this. The park should be on the up now, a multi-million pound wooden coaster opening, this is the year they should be able to bounce back, open more things, get people back in, yet what they are actually doing is sticking two fingers up to everyone and saying "just give us your money, we don't give a toss actually if you have a good time or not".

Varney - if you read this forum or any other your management team who have put profits and shareholders first, and guest satisfaction last - you lot are an utter utter disgrace.

Bye Alton (1980-2018) ...... thanks for the memories and good times.
 
Um... Wicker Man is in ERT! Woohoo... no? OK, I'll leave now.
 
I hope we have lovely warm weather for the Easter holidays this year. I'm pretty sure most people would rather enjoy a ride on the Rapids but instead will have no water ride to go on (Battle Galleons is a waste of time).

:)
 
I'm gutted about the Rapids being seasonal! What will my family and I have light laughs and a light spray on now? And before anyone says Battle Galleons, even though it is a water ride, it's the sort of thing that just looks pointlessly wet.
 
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