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2026: General Discussion

Is it a possibility Monorail could be fitted with Air gates to allow more efficient throughputs I would like Monorail to run consistently 6 trains but in order to do that they will have to update the loading procedure
 
Hid said:
Is it a possibility Monorail could be fitted with Air gates to allow more efficient throughputs I would like Monorail to run consistently 6 trains but in order to do that they will have to update the loading procedure
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People have been suggesting this for as long as I’ve been on this board.

Without knowing the whys and why nots, that both the Skyride and Monorail aren’t ready (if that is indeed the truth) suggests to me that Alton Towers don’t really consider these as rides, and so ranked them as lower priority.

For me personally, it won’t make a difference, but that doesn’t make it acceptable. Parks should be able to get everything open in time, and if not, communicate a bit earlier than a day or two beforehand.
 
Dave said:
Actually on this one I don’t think it’s a lack of “care” per se, it’s a lack of strategy. They just don’t know what to do with the monorail full stop so won’t invest in them.
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They don’t want to spend the money as they don’t have a long term vision.

They can get it open for opening day, they have done for years.

They could invest in gates. If you knew it was stating you’d do it. But they don’t.
 
Is it possible Alton could be sold on to a new company. Pleasurewood Hills had a bunch pf repaints last year before it was sold what if it could be same scenario for Towers painting it up to sell it on
 
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Ash said:
They don’t want to spend the money as they don’t have a long term vision.

They can get it open for opening day, they have done for years.

They could invest in gates. If you knew it was stating you’d do it. But they don’t.
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I wasn’t referring to getting it open for opening, you can see my disdain for that particular issue in previous posts.

The monorail requires millions spent on it to get it up to spec and Merlin clearly can’t decide what to do, we know they have even considered moving the park entrance closer to the car parks in the past. This lack of strategy means they won’t spend the many thousands of pounds on airgates.

It’s not a defence, lacking strategy is just as consequential as not caring.

Hid said:
Is it possible Alton could be sold on to a new company. Pleasurewood Hilld had a bunch pf repaints last year before it was sold what if it could be same scenario for Towers painting it up to sell it on
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There hasn’t been that much painting going on, despite what people say on here most closed seasons something gets painted.
 
Hid said:
Is it possible Alton could be sold on to a new company. Pleasurewood Hills had a bunch pf repaints last year before it was sold what if it could be same scenario for Towers painting it up to sell it on
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Maybe, although the big rumoured paint job - Galactica in 2025 - never happened (presumably due to budget cuts, or possibly because the ride itself may be scrapped at some stage, anyway).

I hope The Smiler gets repainted at some stage, as it looks a little untidy.
 
Secret Weapon said:
Maybe, although the big rumoured paint job - Galactica in 2025 - never happened (presumably due to budget cuts, or possibly because the ride itself may be scrapped at some stage, anyway).

I hope The Smiler gets repainted at some stage, as it looks a little untidy.
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Pretty much majority of the coasters require a repaint
 
Maybe this signals a shift in Merlin's internal psyche; they have been so cautious for so long that maybe they are now slowly becoming open to taking risks again (not with safety, obviously, but with controversial theming elements).

The reality is that entertainment properties have to continually innovate in order to survive (e.g. films, games, theme parks, etc), and so being too cautious can be a kiss of death, if you are not careful.

It's why suits and ties are generally frowned upon in creative industries.

(I remember the England football player Paul Parker saying he was so scared of making another mistake after scoring an own goal against Germany in 1990 that he avoided the ball for the rest of the match, but this type of caution and fear of repeat failure can end up hurting the team instead)
 
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Bert2theSpark said:
What on Earth are we going to do without “JB” on every attraction?
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This is legitimately one of my favourite posts of the year so far :tearsofjoy: (I actually laughed out aloud at this one)
Mick said:
I imagine the freedom of designing a brand new Universal theme park or some of the areas and attractions inside it slightly outweighs the attraction of spray painting some letters and numbers on the side of shipping containers.
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Strangely, I was actually listening to an old John Burton interview earlier today.

I remember saying a few years ago that the risk of Merlin making him so prominent (specifically, after Hyperia launched) is that he could become a target for an acquisition by a competitor (e.g. Universal)

Even if he has little actual input at Universal, it would still be seen as a coup.
 
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