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Major Operational Changes for 2018

So let's break it down:

Typical Park Day - 10am - 4pm
Role: Typical day guest on your only trip of the year.
  • Park opens at 10am
  • Hotel and MAP Guests have already knocked WM onto a 120 minute queue
  • Queue for WM (You know, the new exciting ride you want to get on because it's new)
  • Time: 12pm - Come off WM and make your way to Nemesis and Galactica
  • Nemesis is on a 60 minute queue as all the Hotel + MAP Guests have run over to there and, well you need to queue as, it's Nemesis!
  • Time: 1pm - Go to Galactica, on a 120 minute queue
  • Time: 3pm - Mad dash over to X sector, choice between Oblivion or The Smiler
  • Time: 4pm - PARK CLOSED!
Successful day getting on FOUR rides (Three if you have trouble getting across to the other side of the park), Let's go grab a bite to eat as I've not had a bite to eat due to wanting to get on Rollercoaster at a Theme Park... Oh, they are all closed...
 
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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
Varney certainly doesn't read the forum, And I doubt he knows about the cost cutting either.

I mean he wasn't aware of Fanta Oblivion until people complained.

And no Rapids in March, April October and Novemember?! The Rapids are always popular whenever you visit Towers(well, when they're open that is or it is tipping it down with rain their not) it's a stupid idea to close one of the parks most popular attractions and make it seasonal and on a year where their expecting 3 mill guests. Ridiculous.


Also when it comes to summer hols and school trip season, These cutbacks are going to fire back.

These cutbacks are really starting to get on my nerves. :mad:
 
I'll get the door for you sir.
Thank you!
So let's break it down:

Typical Park Day - 10am - 4pm
Role: Typical day guest on your only trip of the year.
  • Park opens at 10am
  • Hotel and MAP Guests have already knocked WM onto a 120 minute queue
  • Queue for WM (You know, the new exciting ride you want to get on because it's new)
  • Time: 12pm - Come off WM and make your way to Nemesis and Galactica
  • Nemesis is on a 60 minute queue as all the Hotel MAP Guests have run over to there and, well you need to queue as, it's Nemesis!
  • Time: 1pm - Go to Galactica, on a 120 minute queue
  • Time: 3pm - Mad dash over to X sector, choice between Oblivion or The Smiler
  • Time: 4pm - PARK CLOSED!
Successful day getting on THREE rides, Let's go grab a bite to eat... Oh, they are all closed...
10am-4pm is only on off-peak weekdays, though, isn't it? I'd personally say a typical day is more like 10am-5pm. Also, I don't think queues have really been hitting 60 minutes all that often lately, but I did only visit Alton once last year.

I suppose one positive thing we can draw from this is that there's only one way it can go from here in 2019... and that's up!
 
Battle Galleons requires 2 staff (I think). Rapids requires about 8 as well as 1 or 2 Picsolve staff.

:)
8? Is that due to changes since Drayton? I didn't ride it last season but it used to be 5 including break cover. Yes Battle Galleons is 2 and breaks are covered along with the Bay.
 
Thank you!

10am-4pm is only on off-peak weekdays, though, isn't it? I'd personally say a typical day is more like 10am-5pm. Also, I don't think queues have really been hitting 60 minutes all that often lately, but I did only visit Alton once last year.

I suppose one positive thing we can draw from this is that there's only one way it can go from here in 2019... and that's up!

Okay, maybe I was picking the worst case scenario to exacerbate my point, but still, we add an hour in for a family to have some lunch and we are back in the same place... 10am - 5pm will probably be a weekend and all going well Wicker Man will increase guest figures (that's kind of the point of building a new ride right?)
 
This definitely the lowest of the low.

Remember back when them rumours of 5 rides being removed came about (Sub Terra, Ripsaw etc), who'd have thought we'd have reached a lower level than that :(

What was once one of the world's leading theme parks, is now an absolute joke due to pure greed.
 
But at least no more rides are closed for the whole season... right?

And some good news for you all... the waterpark still shuts at 6pm on weekends!
 
You never know, with a bit of luck, this might make the news.

There's such a big enthusiast presence at the moment, look at the news of the Mouse, tons of papers started broadcasting articles, mainly due to so much enthusiast uproar.

With a bit of luck, this shit news will reach out beyond enthusiasts to the general public, and even further.
 
I think Blackpool just became the unofficial winner of the 2018 park battles.

Opening all the park bar Wicker, Beeb and X-Sector is a very silly move especially in a big year.

I get it that they have limited budgets and the park is still recovering from unfortunate events but squeezing ride operations like this is not the way to manage this.

I guess it’s the Merlin way though.
 
They've completely destroyed any point on prebooking now as well by removing the ert from people booking like that. So it heavily increases the chances of the park not being able to anticipate busy days.

Only a few years away from having to pay to ride each attraction separately at this rate.
 
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Think this is more accurate for the website...
 
I dread to think what's going to happen when Wickerman has teething issues at 10:30am. Guests will go "Oh well, we'll go on the rapids" Then see a sign "Sorry, rapids are shut until May"
Guests, "Oh well we'll go on Duel" Towers: "Sorry, duel is undergoing refurbishment and won't be open this year. Guests: "Oh we'll go to Nemesis" Towers: "Sorry guys, we're not open till 12pm, feel free to try other attractioms" Towers: "Oh, we'll try Dark Forest" Towers "Sorry, we don't open until 11:30am guys" Entirety of Park ends up in X-sector Guests: "Oh, we'll go on Enterprise before we go on Smiler." Towers "Sorry guys Enterprise is shut " Guests join 5 hour long Smiler queue. 5 hours later, comes off smiler "The Alton Towers Resort is now closed, we thank you for your visit."
 
Nemesis is the killer here for me.
How I start my visit, walk on, two rides, then chill and look at the ride times for what next.
Every flipping time.
The closure of the skyride is a kick in the bits for all the elderly punters like me and shakey, and all the disabled punters who use it every day.
Glad I didn't get a cheap season ticket.
Sun vouchers and that's it.
 
Unfortunately folks this is not even the full raft of operations changes this year.

As per some of my previous posts, which have now all been confirmed, I also anticipate:

  • Removed baggage hold points on any rides that used to utilise them
  • One train operations/reduced capacity on even busy days, in line with Thorpe Park's measures
  • 2 closed F&B outlets compared to the 2017 season
  • Tree Top Quest to be condemned for the entire 2018 season
  • The demolition of the plaza area, in preparation for this season, with touch screen ticketing systems
  • The entirety of CCL to close later in the year in preparation for the 2019 product.
  • And please wait until you see the proposed opening hours ;)
This list is not exhaustive and is based on reliable sources.

:)
 
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