• ℹ️ Heads up...

    This is a popular topic that is fast moving Guest - before posting, please ensure that you check out the first post in the topic for a quick reminder of guidelines, and importantly a summary of the known facts and information so far. Thanks.

2019: General Discussion

Status
This topic has been locked. No further replies can be posted.
Amazing how a company can get something so right (Wickerman) and get mostly everything else these days so horribly wrong. I absolutely whored WM to death last season and I still love it. However I have no interest in Dunegons Attractions at all and I can't see myself going to Towers this year even once. 2019 might be the first season I don't visit the park at least once since I first started going way back in 1991. Sad times. I'll probably wait till they get something new again before I go back actually or until my lad reaches 1.4m as I'm sure he'll love the coasters. Rather spend my hard earned money going to new Parks in Europe for now.
 
Danny said:
I'm sorry Matt, but this is a ridiculous statement. If they knew what they were doing and what guests wanted, Galactica would not be in the sorry state of having almost all of its VR removed after just two seasons.

If they knew what they were doing and what guests wanted, we'd have potentially a great David Walliams-esque re-theme of CCL this year to cater for the next age bracket up from CBeebies, not an upcharged Midway attraction.

If they knew what they were doing and what guests wanted, we'd have a greater emphasis on permanent live entertainment throughout the season. This was nailed in the form of temporary entertainment last year with the band performing during the WickerMan opening, as well the choice to display the World Cup on park. It's proof that entertainment works, but oh yes I forgot, Merlin insist nobody wants to visit theme parks for live entertainment.

If they knew what they were doing and what guests wanted, they would focus on making investments to get guests to stay in the current existing accommodation. Not wasting money on new accommodation that will just continue to make the resort occupancy rate look a laughing stock.

If they knew what they were doing and what guests wanted, they would not continuously invest in actor led attractions knowing full damn well they can't afford to staff them and they will be cut only a few number of seasons later. (Looking at you Krake Lebt, Saw Alive, Sub Terra, I'm A Celebrity...)

Knowing what you are doing and what guests want is having the balls to tear down two iconic B&M inverts to replace with a new highly themed family thrill coaster. Not cutting operating hours or removing/leaving rides left to stand in sorry SBNO states.

Merlin have an idea of what they're doing to please investors and investors only. They do not however have a firm grasp on delivering what guests want to the calibre that other parks and big companies do. They have proven time and time again that their approach is quantity over quality. I am adamant that your persistent optimism will not and can not hide this forever (given I was exactly like you once upon a time, Merlin eventually broke me).

Their own marketing campaign for Towers this year contradicts everything that the resort stands for. Escapism. Yet here they are throwing 'research statistics' and Brexit into people's faces. That is not escapism.

The only viable form of escapism when it comes to the theme park industry in the UK now is to jump on the next flight out of here and get to parks on the continent or in the US. (I'll give Paulton's the benefit of the doubt for next year).
Click to expand...

Brilliant post !

Escapism for me is Islands of Adventure, Magic Kingdom for when the kids were small. Like walking into different worlds.

You don't go to a theme park to be met with someone pushing bloody Now TV or the o2 network. Tragical not magical.
 
IanSR said:
Those figures come from reliable sources through Thorpe Park Mania iirc.

I think it's also fairly possible to be true since each headset costs over a grand each at the time, and there was 174 required for the ride to run (because of the way the ride works, there is no "reduced capacity", and the vast majority of these headsets needed replacing at regular intervals because they either burnt out or were broken by Joe public - it was how the ride was worked out, by counting the broken headsets in each carriage gave away there were three carriages), throw on top of that another 174 dedicated, air cooled PC's running each headset that regularly broke (literally daily in some cases), the needed installation of air conditioning after a few months operation, the re-rendering of the second VR scene, a mirror needing replacing etc. etc. Just pull out a calculator and work out the hardware cost alone, it's staggering for a "ride". Then you have staffing costs, I'm not a hundred percent but wasn't it 14 staff members required to run it originally, 14 x minimum wage x each day open = quickly adds even more to the cost.

As the age old saying goes, everything adds up, I would not be suprised if this ride will cost them £60Million by the end of its life, 2019 is the last year of Merlin funding for it, so expect it to go the same way IAC has gone this year at the end of 2019, i.e. Bulldozed.
Click to expand...

If you assume a headset and computer is £3,000 each you would need to replace 5000 to get to £15,000,000. This seems unlikely.

Staffing is a revenue cost not a capital expenditure. Anyway this is way off topic.
 
Danny said:
I'm sorry Matt, but this is a ridiculous statement. If they knew what they were doing and what guests wanted, Galactica would not be in the sorry state of having almost all of its VR removed after just two seasons.

If they knew what they were doing and what guests wanted, we'd have potentially a great David Walliams-esque re-theme of CCL this year to cater for the next age bracket up from CBeebies, not an upcharged Midway attraction.

If they knew what they were doing and what guests wanted, we'd have a greater emphasis on permanent live entertainment throughout the season. This was nailed in the form of temporary entertainment last year with the band performing during the WickerMan opening, as well the choice to display the World Cup on park. It's proof that entertainment works, but oh yes I forgot, Merlin insist nobody wants to visit theme parks for live entertainment.

If they knew what they were doing and what guests wanted, they would focus on making investments to get guests to stay in the current existing accommodation. Not wasting money on new accommodation that will just continue to make the resort occupancy rate look a laughing stock.

If they knew what they were doing and what guests wanted, they would not continuously invest in actor led attractions knowing full damn well they can't afford to staff them and they will be cut only a few number of seasons later. (Looking at you Krake Lebt, Saw Alive, Sub Terra, I'm A Celebrity...)

Knowing what you are doing and what guests want is having the balls to tear down two iconic B&M inverts to replace with a new highly themed family thrill coaster. Not cutting operating hours or removing/leaving rides left to stand in sorry SBNO states.

Merlin have an idea of what they're doing to please investors and investors only. They do not however have a firm grasp on delivering what guests want to the calibre that other parks and big companies do. They have proven time and time again that their approach is quantity over quality. I am adamant that your persistent optimism will not and can not hide this forever (given I was exactly like you once upon a time, Merlin eventually broke me).

Their own marketing campaign for Towers this year contradicts everything that the resort stands for. Escapism. Yet here they are throwing 'research statistics' and Brexit into people's faces. That is not escapism.

The only viable form of escapism when it comes to the theme park industry in the UK now is to jump on the next flight out of here and get to parks on the continent or in the US. (I'll give Paulton's the benefit of the doubt for next year).
Click to expand...

Call me weird but got quite turned on by that post...

Well said.
 
Slightly random but I’ve just seen this...



At least we now know Sub-Terra to be confirmed to not he returning in the 2019 season after all the speculation following project 42.
 
WL18 said:
Slightly random but I’ve just seen this...



At least we now know Sub-Terra to be confirmed to not he returning in the 2019 season after all the speculation following project 42.
Click to expand...


Think that's the 3rd time that's been posted on here. That means it's definitely reopening :)
 
Poopoohead said:
So February at the end of this week, opening times surely have to be announced imminently
Click to expand...

I wouldn’t put a whole lot of stock in opening times, although the times are still stingy towers seem to be working more like other parks and deciding on the day based on crowds (though about 1.5 hours less than they maybe should be).
 
So I asked towers on messenger bout 2 weeks ago when opening times would be announced. They said "this will be throughout next month (Feb)". So ye it's not long
 
Dave said:
I wouldn’t put a whole lot of stock in opening times, although the times are still stingy towers seem to be working more like other parks and deciding on the day based on crowds (though about 1.5 hours less than they maybe should be).
Click to expand...

Could really do with knowing minimum opening times with decent notice though, we have a 4 hour journey each way so the trip involves a weekend and accommodation. I don’t think it’s too much to ask to know the closing times for the season with an understanding they may hopefully be extended.

The 10-4 days are just utterly pathetic, i have an air bnb booked for the second weekend and dread the hours are 10-4. It barely makes the trip worthwhile and we can’t be the only family thinking this.
 
Poopoohead said:
Could really do with knowing minimum opening times with decent notice though, we have a 4 hour journey each way so the trip involves a weekend and accommodation. I don’t think it’s too much to ask to know the closing times for the season with an understanding they may hopefully be extended.

The 10-4 days are just utterly pathetic, i have an air bnb booked for the second weekend and dread the hours are 10-4. It barely makes the trip worthwhile and we can’t be the only family thinking this.
Click to expand...
Its not gonna be 10-4 at a weekend is it. It's gonna be til 5 like last season or 6
 
Based on the availability of Dungeons time slots it looks very likely that it will follow the same pattern as previous years in the first few weeks of the season, 4pm midweek off peak, 5pm weekends and Easter school holidays.
 
AT86 said:
Based on the availability of Dungeons time slots it looks very likely that it will follow the same pattern as previous years in the first few weeks of the season, 4pm midweek off peak, 5pm weekends and Easter school holidays.
Click to expand...
Still, lack of advertisied opening times is really frustrating for those that need to organise travel. I think it's a fair complaint

(sorry, quoted wrong post, I meant to quote Ethan's)
 
The park will definitely be open by ten, and will close from four.
The closed days have been announced, so you can select your days now.
There is such a thing as over planning your theme park trips.
 
They open at ten.
There are still two months to go before opening.
Public transport options are extremely limited regardless.
That will do for now.
 
rob666 said:
They open at ten.
There are still two months to go before opening.
Public transport options are extremely limited regardless.
That will do for now.
Click to expand...

It won't.

It'd be OK for a small local park, but I would not plan a trip from the sunny south for a measly 6 hours in the place, I'd be travelling for about the same duration as my 'day' in the park. If they want people to book they need to know what they are booking.
 
speedy said:
Still, lack of advertisied opening times is really frustrating for those that need to organise travel. I think it's a fair complaint

(sorry, quoted wrong post, I meant to quote Ethan's)
Click to expand...

It certainly is. Like I've said before they do nothing to attract visitors from further afield or abroad. It's just about better than nothing.
 
Status
This topic has been locked. No further replies can be posted.
Top