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2015: Alton Towers Enchanted Village

Few pictures were posted on TowersStreet Facebook page yesterday. New signs added to the village and some more of the fencing covered up.

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The signs look cheap, but do the job (why not have wooden etched signs? It's higher quality, fits the theme and looks more professional). The fence looks a million miles better, a shame that they're wasting money covering it up when they could have just built a good looking fence in the first place, but at least it's being done as it looks a little more attractive now.

That Luxury Treehouses sign still looks cheap too. Why couldn't they have gone for grander entrances for the treehouses and the lodges? I've heard reports that some guests have thought the main reception looks like a staff building more than an entrance. That's another gripe I have.
 
Croftybaby said:
Thats grown up. God forbid people jump off the middle of the chain link fence and offer an actual personal opinion.
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I would agree with that argument if it felt like the purpose was to offer an opinion rather than trolling.

There is plenty of valid negative opinion from all corners of the forum (God knows there is lots I hate) but there is a small contingent that purely seem to want to mock anyone who even dares suggest anything positive can come out of the resort. If anyone does come out with a positive experience it's fine for people to mock their opinion and brand them fanboys but if you do the same for the "haters" Ohh woe is the world.

Seems just as childish to me. But maybe this is for another topic as its broader than just Enchanted village:
 
Who's actually stayed in the Enchanted Forest?!

I'm staying there just for 1 night in June and i'll let you all know exactly what it's like. Of course, it's expensive (what isn't now-a-days!?) but i thought it would make a nice change from staying at Splash for me and my daughter.
If it's crap, we'll stay somewhere else next time! :)
 
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Dave said:
If anyone does come out with a positive experience it's fine for people to mock their opinion and brand them fanboys but if you do the same for the "haters" Ohh woe is the world.
Seems just as childish to me.
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I've not seen anyone being mocked for their opinion except in your previous post. I've only read back a few pages though, maybe you could highlight a example? :p I don't 'hate' the park, far from it, I want it to improve like the rest of you.

But yeah, Back on topic. The fence posts look lovely :)
 
James said:
The signs look cheap, but do the job (why not have wooden etched signs? It's higher quality, fits the theme and looks more professional).
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Leek Signs only do printed signs, they don't do wood carving :)
 
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siralgenon said:
Not every sign has to be produced by Leek Signs.
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That was kinda my point :) Just because Leek Signs are permanently on site at AT, doesn't mean they are the best choice for every single job.

Although I think the general quality of on-park signage over the last few years has improved, all new signs are appropriate themed to their areas etc and they generally look better and I think Leek Signs can take the credit for a lot of the good work.
 
Leek Signs suit well enough for the theme park, they do a great job. Although for a single one off project I think other avenues could have been looked at for details like the signs.
 
Indeed, Leek Sings do a lot for Towers and a lot of that work is good work. But they don't need to be used for everything, they are not the be all and end all. Although Leek Signs are much cheaper than getting signs done through Merlin Studios!

:)
 
Croftybaby said:
I've not seen anyone being mocked for their opinion except in your previous post. I've only read back a few pages though, maybe you could highlight a example? :p I don't 'hate' the park, far from it, I want it to improve like the rest of you.
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DiogoJ42 said:
Balance is for fanboys. I have a reputation to uphold. ;)
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Would you like more? :)

But maybe the fact this debate is even happening proves why i like this forum.
 
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nikfonso said:
Who's actually stayed in the Enchanted Forest?!

I'm staying there just for 1 night in June and i'll let you all know exactly what it's like. Of course, it's expensive (what isn't now-a-days!?) but i thought it would make a nice change from staying at Splash for me and my daughter.
If it's crap, we'll stay somewhere else next time! :)
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We're booked in for a night in July - can't wait! Like you said, if it's rubbish we won't go back. Personally I think it looks lovely and I will be reserving judgement until I've actually stayed there
 
Why didn't they consider William Smith Signage?
http://www.williamsmith.co.uk

These guys produced the bespoke signage for the Flume and Sonic Spinball (Spinball Whizzer back then) and created some unique designs such as the Flumes queue line signage and Sonic's thick rounded signs, they seem to have lasted quite well over the years.
 
After seeing it in the flesh today I remain disappointed. The quality of the lodges are probably half way decent, but the environment does little to justify the price. The Crooked Spoon feels like a cold, soulless 'clubhouse' you'd find on a campsite, not a village pub with some character that you would expect to find in an 'enchanted village'.

There is nothing enchanting about the place either. It looks like a generic Taylor Wimpy estate with slightly kooky plots. The only things to add character are a couple of randomly placed toadstools. There is so much potential entirely lacking - simple fibre optics in bushes would have been effective enough to enchant the place. Yea, trees will grow but I fail to see what benefit they will add to the theme of the place. And the approach is just awful. There is no grand entrance, no hidden driveway to make you feel like you are leaving behind the real world to enter a fantasy.

These expectations have been set by the price you pay. If they were priced at a lower rate than the hotels, then I wouldn't have any problems. But they are being sold as a premium product without the ability to provide a premium experience
 
I'm really disappointed with the slide in the Enchanted Village. Absolutely nothing enchanting about it at all in length, thrills or theming.

The shop is shockingly bland, less on offer in here than I anticipated other than a seemingly reasonably prices book on Towers history that I'll potentially invest in next time round.

Other than that, I think it looks better than I anticipated on the whole. The Crooked Spoon is hardly anything spectacular, I'd certainly rate Secret Garden and Flambos over it. There's only one cluster of lodges I would desire to stay in out of the range, and even then I'm not hugely tempted.

The kids seemed really interested in the bug display outside the Crooked Spoon this evening, so that's good as well I guess.
 
JukeboxRy said:
Why didn't they consider William Smith Signage?
http://www.williamsmith.co.uk

These guys produced the bespoke signage for the Flume and Sonic Spinball (Spinball Whizzer back then) and created some unique designs such as the Flumes queue line signage and Sonic's thick rounded signs, they seem to have lasted quite well over the years.
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Tom.B said:
Leek are probably cheaper. Hence why they didn't go with any other company.
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Alton Towers only use Leek signs for stuff they plan to be 2D as that is what the company offers, so choosing Leek signs for that purpose isn't particularly about cost compared to other companies. They use different suppliers for 3D work so i would guess they decided it wasn't worth the price using 3D options.
 
Danny said:
I'm really disappointed with the slide in the Enchanted Village. Absolutely nothing enchanting about it at all in length, thrills or theming.

The shop is shockingly bland, less on offer in here than I anticipated other than a seemingly reasonably prices book on Towers history that I'll potentially invest in next time round.

Other than that, I think it looks better than I anticipated on the whole. The Crooked Spoon is hardly anything spectacular, I'd certainly rate Secret Garden and Flambos over it. There's only one cluster of lodges I would desire to stay in out of the range, and even then I'm not hugely tempted.

The kids seemed really interested in the bug display outside the Crooked Spoon this evening, so that's good as well I guess.
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Yes, I remember as a small child being profoundly disappointed by the theming of slides!

Having visited there today I thought it was absolutely lovely. We sat outside The Crooked Spoon and had a drink, I agree that as a bar it is not ideal but I don't believe that is its intended purpose, due to the fact that you can buy alcohol in the shop and have it delivered to your lodge from The CS.

I think this development has been very well done, and it is really beginning to feel like people are picking faults for the sake of it.

Personally, it left me very much looking forward to my lodge stay booked for a few week's time.
 
I am too looking forward to partake in the new addition to the resort. So far, so good. Good themeing, which will be made better overtime once the trees have grown more. :)
 
The Crooked Spoon is nice enough inside, but from outside it's just too bare. I know they've gone for the 'basic village' look, but it is just genuinely all bare, unpainted wood - from the walls to the flooring to the outside tables. It needs more attention to make it look like the heart of the village.

Speaking of the heart of the village, the Enchanted Tree is hardly in a prime location. From what I saw I imagined it to be at the centre of the lodges, as a kind of focal centrepiece. What it actually is is awkwardly placed behind a grassy mound directly in front of two treehouses, with only the top in view for the majority of the normal lodges.

Overall I think it'll look great in 10 years or so, but for now there is too much unfinished - from the bare wood to the uncovered, black tarmaced roads.
 
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