2026: General Discussion

[dpj74]

Is Alton Towers hurtling towards disaster? Groping scandal revealed

The Staffordshire theme park, owned by Merlin Entertainment, attracted 2.5 million visitors in 2024 but has endured a challenging few weeks - and faces stiff competition from two new parks.

www.dailymail.co.uk

did anyone see this? behind a paywall but hit stop on your browser really quick and you will load the 'story' before the paywall blocks you!

 

[Bert2theSpark]

Is Alton Towers hurtling towards disaster? Groping scandal revealed

The Staffordshire theme park, owned by Merlin Entertainment, attracted 2.5 million visitors in 2024 but has endured a challenging few weeks - and faces stiff competition from two new parks.

www.dailymail.co.uk

did anyone see this? behind a paywall but hit stop on your browser really quick and you will load the 'story' before the paywall blocks you!

Archived Link here to get around the paywall!

Not read the article yet, but a bit confused by the headline alone, are they going after Towers' staff and/or are they going after David Walliams? Either or, not a great start for the PR team.

 

[Skyscraper]

Archived Link here to get around the paywall!

Not read the article yet, but a bit confused by the headline alone, are they going after Towers' staff and/or are they going after David Walliams? Either or, not a great start for the PR team.

And of course they have to mention the 2015 incident, which has absolutely nothing to do with the subject of the article.

 

[Steve74]

Archived Link here to get around the paywall!

Not read the article yet, but a bit confused by the headline alone, are they going after Towers' staff and/or are they going after David Walliams? Either or, not a great start for the PR team.

I've skimmed over it as that's all it deserves to be honest - I can't even be bothered to summarise it myself so here is Co-Pilot's take on it:


Summary of the Report
Alton Towers, once seen as an ideal family staycation spot with its spa, woodland lodges and famous rollercoasters, is facing reputational challenges on multiple fronts.

1. Spa Groping Scandal​

• In 2023, massage therapist Lukasz Osipowicz was accused of groping a woman at the Alton Towers Hotel spa.
• The spa, which had operated since 2003, quietly closed ten months later.
• Osipowicz was acquitted in criminal court in 2024, but a professional tribunal later ruled that he had groped the woman and suspended him from practising for a year.
• Alton Towers stated they suspended him immediately when allegations arose and his fixed-term contract ended soon after.

2. David Walliams Attraction Under Scrutiny

• Allegations of inappropriate behaviour against author and comedian David Walliams (which he denies) have raised questions about the future of the park’s World of David Walliams area.
• This zone includes the Gangsta Granny ride, Raj’s Shop, and two other themed attractions.
• Merlin Entertainments says it is in discussions with its IP partners about the situation.

3. Broader Context for Merlin Entertainments

• Merlin owns several major UK attractions including Thorpe Park, Chessington, Legoland Windsor, the London Eye, Sea Life, and Madame Tussauds.
• Alton Towers draws around 2.5 million visitors annually.

4. Past Tragedy

• The park suffered a major incident in 2015 when The Smiler rollercoaster crashed, causing life-changing injuries to several riders, including two leg amputations.

5. Rising Competition

• The UK theme park market is set to intensify:
  • Universal Studios is opening in Bedfordshire in 2031 (expected 8.5 million visitors).
  • Puy du Fou, a major French historical theme park, will open in Oxfordshire in 2028.

6. Mixed Public Perception

• While some visitors complain online about UK theme parks generally (queues, costs, facilities), Alton Towers maintains a 3.8/5 rating on TripAdvisor from 25,000 reviews.
• Many reviews praise staff and family experiences, especially in areas like CBeebies Land.

7. Looking Ahead

• Alton Towers will launch a new Bluey-themed rollercoaster this spring — a timely addition as the park navigates its current PR challenges.

 

[Dave]

It’s a cut and paste lazy journalist article to fill content.

I wouldn’t be surprised if the author scanned the various Facebook pages and maybe forums to build the content and sent their copy in for filler.

 

[Ash]

Certainly makes the Spa closure timing interesting…

 

[Poisson]

Certainly makes the Spa closure timing interesting…

10 months apart and apparently some plant needed replacing which caused the closure.

 

[AltonLover123]

Certainly makes the Spa closure timing interesting…

I hardly think one case like this would cause them to shut it.

It’s unfortunate but sexual harrasment cases happen at every work place in the world often. They have shut the entire resort down by now if that was their reason for closing things.

It was well documented it wasn’t profitable. It has nothing to do with that SH case.

 

[Dave]

Certainly makes the Spa closure timing interesting…

Vaguely remember it being discussed at the time and I don’t think it was related.

The general rumour consensus was the plant needed replacing as ultimately it was over 20 years old and Merlin didn’t think the investment was worth it.

 

[Steve74]

It’s a cut and paste lazy journalist article to fill content.

I wouldn’t be surprised if the author their AI engine scanned the various Facebook pages and maybe forums to build the content and sent their copy in for filler.

Corrected it for you.

 

[GaryH]

i still think closing the spa was a huge mistake. It was always busy. It was great for mums and older parents to go and wind down while the kids spent a day on the rides.

I think putting CBeebies on the side of it and losing a lot of natural light didn’t help.

 

[Ash]

Alton Towers jobs up for grabs in 2026 - full list and pay

The theme park is recruiting

www.stokesentinel.co.uk

Interesting article, and offers an insight into the “new” operating model at Alton.

Zonal Operations Manager

'We’re looking for a dynamic Zonal Operations Manager to oversee the day-to-day operations of a specific zone within Alton Towers Resort. This pivotal leadership role ensures operational excellence, guest satisfaction, and adherence to brand standards across rides, car parks, commercial units, guest amenities, and overall zone presentation.

'You’ll lead a skilled, multi-functional team, driving collaboration, continuous improvement, and an outstanding employee experience. You’ll also step into the Resort Duty Manager role when required, contributing to high-level operational decisions and strategies.'

Whatever they’re selling, it’s fair in my opinion to say, it isn’t working.

 

[DistortAMG]

Alton Towers jobs up for grabs in 2026 - full list and pay

The theme park is recruiting

www.stokesentinel.co.uk

Interesting article, and offers an insight into the “new” operating model at Alton.

Zonal Operations Manager

'We’re looking for a dynamic Zonal Operations Manager to oversee the day-to-day operations of a specific zone within Alton Towers Resort. This pivotal leadership role ensures operational excellence, guest satisfaction, and adherence to brand standards across rides, car parks, commercial units, guest amenities, and overall zone presentation.

'You’ll lead a skilled, multi-functional team, driving collaboration, continuous improvement, and an outstanding employee experience. You’ll also step into the Resort Duty Manager role when required, contributing to high-level operational decisions and strategies.'

Whatever they’re selling, it’s fair in my opinion to say, it isn’t working.

Some of the salaries appear to be pretty poor too, specifically for the leadership roles. Considering the location, you must really want to work at Alton Towers or, really make heavy use of a family or multiple Merlin passes of some description, to find some of those pay packages attractive.

 

[BarryZola]

Alton Towers jobs up for grabs in 2026 - full list and pay

The theme park is recruiting

www.stokesentinel.co.uk

Interesting article, and offers an insight into the “new” operating model at Alton.

Zonal Operations Manager

'We’re looking for a dynamic Zonal Operations Manager to oversee the day-to-day operations of a specific zone within Alton Towers Resort. This pivotal leadership role ensures operational excellence, guest satisfaction, and adherence to brand standards across rides, car parks, commercial units, guest amenities, and overall zone presentation.

'You’ll lead a skilled, multi-functional team, driving collaboration, continuous improvement, and an outstanding employee experience. You’ll also step into the Resort Duty Manager role when required, contributing to high-level operational decisions and strategies.'

Whatever they’re selling, it’s fair in my opinion to say, it isn’t working.

"Fancy doing a job that was carried out by 3 people a year ago? This role is for you"!!

 

[Dave]

Some of the salaries appear to be pretty poor too, specifically for the leadership roles. Considering the location, you must really want to work at Alton Towers or, really make heavy use of a family or multiple Merlin passes of some description, to find some of those pay packages attractive.

The management roles are equivalent to the lower end of a senior nurse salary in the NHS, hard to say without knowing the size of the patch they will manage and if they have sole or shared responsibility but it’s not that low.

If they are the only zonal manager and the teams are big then yeah I would have expected closer to 45,000 but in the north midlands it’s probably not completely out of line with local salaries.

 

[MartyP]

Certainly makes the Spa closure timing interesting…

I can’t imagine there’s anyway one case of SH would lead to a Spa closure.
The margins involved in Spa’s are relatively small is specialist Spa and Health Club businesses. If there was a massive plant upgrade cost on the horizon and declining or even stable visitor numbers I would have thought that’s the main reason for closing the spa.
Plus to be fair I can’t imagine it would add much to the resort offer. Especially as I understand it, the Spa wasn’t open 365.
Maybe in any future resort accommodation development they will bring it back with a view that it will generate off season footfall when the park is closed as part of a Health club type arrangement. But I am not sure Merlin is thinking that far ahead.

 

[GooseOnTheLoose]

"Fancy doing a job that was carried out by 3 people a year ago? This role is for you"!!

This is the practical manifestation of the "One Merlin" restructure.

On paper, it sounds dynamic and agile. In reality, it means the person responsible for ensuring Nemesis Reborn is dispatching efficiently is also the person getting it in the ear because the toilets in Forbidden Valley haven't been checked and the queue for the coffee shop is out the door. It dilutes specialist operational knowledge in favour of generalist fire fighting.

and adherence to brand standards across rides, car parks, commercial units, guest amenities, and overall zone presentation.

This is the part of the job description which would make me run for the hills. Note the responsibility for "commercial units".

The poor Zonal Manager is going to be held responsible for the guest satisfaction and brand standards of the food and beverage outlets in their zone... outlets which are operated by Aramark, a third party contractor over whom they likely have zero direct line management authority.

They are being asked to manage the output of a contract they don't control. Good luck with that.

 

[Bert2theSpark]

Those wages are pretty low but relatively in line with the trajectory of similar jobs in the area. I suspect the pay is ever so slightly bumped from the old manager roles due to extra responsibilities but a single manager will not be expected to do everything on the regular. I also suspect a lot of the successful applicants will have done the old role previously too.

Minimum wage increases are squeezing the bottom percentile of wage differences, and it’s commonly expected that Team Leader roles across the industry pay £1 above minimum or lower. Managers get maybe £1 or £2 more but the responsibility curve is exponential, a lot of people turn down the extra pay as it’s not proportional to the extra stress. I remember a few policy thinktanks are doing some research into this at the moment, especially as people are increasingly prioritising a work-life balance.

 

[WillPS]

The poor Zonal Manager is going to be held responsible for the guest satisfaction and brand standards of the food and beverage outlets in their zone... outlets which are operated by Aramark, a third party contractor over whom they likely have zero direct line management authority.

Not a fan of outsourcing, but you don't need to directly manage contracted out resource to be able to monitor and where necessary direct improvement of delivery standards, working in conjunction with the outsourced leadership team where necessary.

 

[GooseOnTheLoose]

Not a fan of outsourcing, but you don't need to directly manage contracted out resource to be able to monitor and where necessary direct improvement of delivery standards, working in conjunction with the outsourced leadership team where necessary.

In a functional corporate environment, you would be entirely correct. Contract management is a standard discipline and influence without authority is a key skill for any middle manager. Having said that, we ought to look at the specific power dynamics at play here.

The contract with Aramark was negotiated and signed at a Group / Executive level. The SLAs, the financial models and the staffing ratios were decided by people in boardrooms, not by the people on the ground in Forbidden Valley.

The Zonal Manager is being held accountable for guest satisfaction and brand standards. If a guest complains that their burger is cold, overpriced and took 45 minutes to arrive, the Zonal Manager takes the hit on their KPI dashboard.

But... when they go to the local Aramark supervisor to "direct improvement", what happens?

If the Aramark supervisor says, "We are staffing to the level agreed in the master contract," or "Those are the ingredients procurement sent us," the Zonal Manager has absolutely no leverage. They cannot withhold payment. They cannot issue a formal breach of contract notice (that would be a job for Legal / Procurement). They cannot step behind the counter and speed up service themselves.

They are responsible for the outcome, but they have no control over the input.

It is a middle management trap. All of the accountability, with none of the authority.