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The Alton Towers Dungeon

On opening day I dined in the Secret Garden and our waitress mentioned that the Dungeons had sold out. Whether you believe it or not is a different question.
Sold out of "compo" tickets I assume.

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On opening day I dined in the Secret Garden and our waitress mentioned that the Dungeons had sold out. Whether you believe it or not is a different question.

I guess that opening day was full of die hard fans who wanted to try out the Dungeons, so perhaps not surprising. It’s the equivalent of the queue outside the Apple store on the day the new phone comes out.

Three weeks in though and it seems much quieter. Not that there is any hard evidence of that, just seems concerning (from Towers poor of view) that on a school holiday weekend all slots are available the day before. Maybe most people pay on the day? Or maybe it’s just not popular.
 
I guess that opening day was full of die hard fans who wanted to try out the Dungeons, so perhaps not surprising. It’s the equivalent of the queue outside the Apple store on the day the new phone comes out.

Three weeks in though and it seems much quieter. Not that there is any hard evidence of that, just seems concerning (from Towers poor of view) that on a school holiday weekend all slots are available the day before. Maybe most people pay on the day? Or maybe it’s just not popular.
The advertising implies it's included in admission which might explain the lack of pre-booking.

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I didn't mean to rub salt into anyone's wounds. I couldn't afford a Merlin Annual pass, so went for the Alton Towers premium pass instead.
So, a few weeks into the season and the reviews for the Dungeons seem mostly average to good.

But does anyone know how popular they have been so far in terms of the amount of people that are prepared to fork out extra for this attraction?

For example if you look to book tickets for this weekend (the start of the Easter holidays for many) every single time slot is still available across the weekend. I would have expected at least some of them to have been booked up by now?

When I visited on a quiet day the other week (and didn’t bother with them myself) another guest told me they had been through and there were only three of them in the group for their slot.

Who would want to pay for an additional attraction that takes up a good hour (take in consideration the time in getting to your time slot early as well as purchasing your ticket in the first place) of your precious ride time despite the fact that you have already paid a premium to enter the park in the first place?

I didn't plan to do the dungeon in the opening week, but I did it because the park was very quiet and most rides were walk on, I did all the rides plus more than what I planned to do, so I had the time to give the Dungeons a go.

My time slot was pretty much full of guest, many purchasing last minutes tickets at the entrance to the Dungeons, but I've too been told that some of the time slots have contained only 1 or 2 people in them.
 
How do they deal with wheelchairs on the boat bit? If my memory serves me right we chucked them in the back of the boat when it was Charlie.
 
I was very underwhelmed by the dungeons. My expectations were pretty low but Jesus, it's pure copy and pasta with 95% black walls. After hearing the reviews of the boat ride I thought it might be the saviour of the attraction. Awful. We thought Charlie had blank space. I've done it once, will not be returning.
 
For me when your day only consists of 6 -7 hours of ride time where you've already forked out I don't think is worth it.
On a busy day, forget it.
 
Who would want to pay for an additional attraction that takes up a good hour (take in consideration the time in getting to your time slot early as well as purchasing your ticket in the first place) of your precious ride time despite the fact that you have already paid a premium to enter the park in the first place?

I didn't plan to do the dungeon in the opening week, but I did it because the park was very quiet and most rides were walk on, I did all the rides plus more than what I planned to do, so I had the time to give the Dungeons a go.

My time slot was pretty much full of guest, many purchasing last minutes tickets at the entrance to the Dungeons, but I've too been told that some of the time slots have contained only 1 or 2 people in them.

Well, it was super busy yesterday, probably because it was raining for most of the day, and i was glad of it.

I'll do it again this season too. I know that MAP holders have to pay, which does seem off, but i can't afford one of them, but could stretch to Towers premium pass.

I can also seeing it doing well in the school trip season, while the kids hog all the rides!
 
I was very underwhelmed by the dungeons. My expectations were pretty low but Jesus, it's pure copy and pasta with 95% black walls. After hearing the reviews of the boat ride I thought it might be the saviour of the attraction. Awful. We thought Charlie had blank space. I've done it once, will not be returning.


I agree. Black walls? I prefer tomato sauce with mine


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Well, it was super busy yesterday, probably because it was raining for most of the day, and i was glad of it.

That's why is should be free, we need all weather attractions included in the price of your entry.

I'll do it again this season too. I know that MAP holders have to pay, which does seem off, but i can't afford one of them, but could stretch to Towers premium pass.

...and us MAP holders are full of money too? ;) Don't seem right that a cheap season pass gets it included but someone paying over double the amount don't :D

I've only done the london dungeon once but i also seem to recall their boat ride being full of blank space?

I love the black dark section in the Black River ride, it was dead dark and it gave it some atmosphere, I just wish those stingy things hanging from the ceiling was longer as they passed over and missed my head.
 
Every MAP holder that pays to enter the Dungeons is just proving Merlin right.

Why would they give it away for free when people are paying for it?

Yes the Merlin pass is more expensive than the Alton Towers season pass, but includes entry to over 30 attractions. Not just one.
 
Every MAP holder that pays to enter the Dungeons is just proving Merlin right.

Why would they give it away for free when people are paying for it?

Yes the Merlin pass is more expensive than the Alton Towers season pass, but includes entry to over 30 attractions. Not just one.
Regardless of whether people agree or disagree with the exclusion of the AT Dungeons on the Premium MAP, it just seems bizarre that with the MAP you get entrance to everywhere with hardly any restrictions, including certain upcharge attractions (eg Warwick Castle Dungeons), yet the ATD isn’t included. Strange.
 
Every MAP holder that pays to enter the Dungeons is just proving Merlin right.

Why would they give it away for free when people are paying for it?

Yes the Merlin pass is more expensive than the Alton Towers season pass, but includes entry to over 30 attractions. Not just one.

The whole point in people paying for a Premium MAP is that it is promoted as not having any Exclusions :rolleyes:

There is no mentioned at all on the Merlin website that the Alton Dungeons is excluded from your pass :rolleyes: (but then again it don't say that it is included either) :rolleyes:

I'm not a premium MAP holder by the way, but I still think that the MAP holders (especially the premium) have been very much shafted on this one
 
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