Maybe they could design it in such a way that you can have multiple Santas running at once within the Towers. I'd dress it up as the Towers being Santa's workshop and have multiple doors where the elves are working.
It's possible that they're holding back this year and readying all of their plans for next, or the year after. These things can't be fixed in one season. The loss of Lightopia was out of their hands, the Market clearly want financially viable and with Hex presently down, it was probably better to scale back this year and reassess. Recent cap ex investments show that Towers do care, but it's a big vehicle. They're focussing on the events that are working and reconfiguring the ones that don't.It’s shocking, look at events by similar parks on the continent. Efteling, Phantasialand and Europa Park and AT is miles and miles away in terms of offering.
Really enjoyed last couple of years but certainly won’t be bothering this year. It’s a time when arguably locals would be more wanted, but they’ve receded into hotels only and even that is whelming at best.
If this is what “365 park” “second to Disney” gets you, they’re deluded.
It's possible that they're holding back this year and readying all of their plans for next, or the year after. These things can't be fixed in one season. The loss of Lightopia was out of their hands
With everything else combined, it might not have been worth it, or the plans to deliver something as good as, or better, require longer than 11 months or so worth of planning.If Lightopia had gone bust in the last couple of weeks or something I would have more sympathy. As it stands, they have had the best part of a year to work on a replacement, so it’s pretty poor in my view.
It's possible that they're holding back this year and readying all of their plans for next, or the year after. These things can't be fixed in one season. The loss of Lightopia was out of their hands, the Market clearly want financially viable and with Hex presently down, it was probably better to scale back this year and reassess. Recent cap ex investments show that Towers do care, but it's a big vehicle. They're focussing on the events that are working and reconfiguring the ones that don't.
You're not wrong there. Think enthusiasts aren't happy with whatever they do these days. It's merlin as a business that is "second to Disney" not towers individually. Towers is just one of many parks that Merlin own, the park alone doesn't determine how good Merlin is. Think its fair to say that Towers haven't had the best year, but that doesn't mean that the other Merlin parks haven't had a good seasonI'm not saying that this is the case, I'm merely trying to offer alternatives to Merlin/Towers are awful and can't ever deliver anything. That rhetoric is getting tiresome and possibly a bit old
Warwick Castle is a 364 day attraction and have been doing seasonal events for a very long time. 15 years ago I went there and they had an ice rink and other similar winter things. People expect them to have something happening. Whereas Alton Towers have succesfully been offering Santa Sleepovers and winter weekend openings for hotel guests only for almost twenty years. Therefore switching it so they offer something for day guests, when its not the whole park is hard, for a winter lights thing people may not wish to travel that far. I can see why AT have gone back to hotel guests only.I’m sorry but that’s jibbierish. They’re holding back because it’s rubbish?!
What about Drayton?
They’ve managed down at Warwick.
They could do better stalls, shows, open up the 4D cinema, projection mapping on the towers, skating rink, Christmas circus. Maybe a Christmas overlay of their brand new dark ride?! Or turn dungeons into a grotto ride (could be reasonably easily accomplished) using the lift space as Santa meet.
If they’ve got nothing to open it’s bad medium and long term planning, you can’t plan for a 365 opening and have no attractions that can do it.
Where’s the 4D cinemas? Flying theatres? Indoor stages? Indoor areas?
Events on the whole have stepped up, if this is all they want then fine. But don’t expect people to come back, pay top dollar, offering rubbish
The point I’m getting at is they aren’t building themselves the infrastructure to do it cheaper.
Indoor attractions (Cinema/4D cinema/dark ride/flying theatre)
Indoor shows/theatre
Better quality “stalls” that can be repurposed all year (see Efteling)
Permanent lighting
Permanent audio equipment
Lake fountain show
3D projected towers
Water screen
Land train for when the monorail isn’t running
Xmas overlay of Hex/Alton Manor?
More indoor sit down table service food establishments
Granted due to the weather and impacts on maintenance Alton will never be a true 365 park, but in their words, that’s what they want to be. To do that they need options Nov-Dec and Jan-March. To me that’s mostly indoor attractions, and get their maintenance done Jan-March where you use the other attractions/shows where possible.
Although considering the place struggles to keep the rooms tidy or serve a decent breakfast maybe we’re barking up the wrong tree.
There are things that can be done on a 1/3/5/10 year planning schedule to get to 365. An excellent winter event late Nov- mid Dec has to be part of that. At the moment I just don’t see it.