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Major Ride Closures 2016

AstroDan

TS Team
Favourite Ride
Steel Vengeance, Cedar Point
Sources close to the park have stated Alton Towers are to close Sub-Terra, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Driving School, Hex, Flume and Ripsaw for the 2016 season.

We understand that Ripsaw and The Flume could be removed entirely.

Discuss.
 

What appear to be just small filler rides, but yet another erosion in ticket value and guest perception when walking past another closed attraction.

"Pay more, get less! Only at the Alton Towers Resort"

I'm sure the shareholders will be happy though.
 
Wow. What can be said really.

3 dark rides as well, so the only dark ride left operating will be Duel.

Will be interesting to see what the official justification for this sweeping set of cuts is. I wonder if admission prices will be reduced?
 
This is appalling.

And now we will see park entrance price go up, no doubt.
 
If it is true, the amount of complaints is likely to be unreal! Which is why I personally cant see it happening
 
If it is true, the amount of complaints is likely to be unreal! Which is why I personally cant see it happening
This is why they publish such information (or tell us anyway!) so that they can see the reaction of the public and make a u-turn, just like they did with the staggered openings last year.
 
This is hilarious. What sort of deluded mindset would even consider slicing a good chunk of the ride line up out after such a woeful season? I understand the losses, but this is hardly going to have a positive impact especially as people will be disgruntled with admission prices inevitably staying the same.

If even a whiff of this emerges as true next year, sod renewing my MAP.
 
Why do I just get the feeling that this year might well be the first time we don't see a major U-Turn from the park?

We're all used to this closed season nonsense now. I mean this sites first ever news story was about possible ride closures/staggered openings. We've had the same stuff every season and every season it's been reversed in some way. I just can't see it this year - not after the horrible 2015 season.

It's a downward spiral and certainly not the way out though. Low attendance = ride closures = lower attendance = more ride closures = even lower attendance = why bother opening...

Unless the park somehow sees a rocket in attendance (pretty damn unlikely) I can see the place gradually going completely to pot. And it's bloody disappointing.

As an aside though, anyone else find it ironic that Blade isn't listed for closure... #PrayForBlade worked too well ha...
 
Ripsaw and Flume are getting old and as long it they are replaced for 2017, I think going without them for one season could be OK. But if they don't get replacements for 2017 that is poor show.

Driving School and Sub-Terra could operate seasonally, maybe weekends and school holidays only? But no driving school at all leaves Cloud Cuckoo Land a bit dead.
 
This year has been the first since 2006 that I have not visited Alton Towers. I have no passion for the place any more. There are still many things I like about the park but what is there now is either old and tired or new and broken.

If the above is true I have no intention on returning in 2016 either. I had debated visiting over fireworks or Scarefest but if all those rides are closed I don't see there being enough attractions to make the overnight stay I would require worthwhile.

Neither will I be recommending anyone else visits. Even this year I've encouraged first timers to go, but only on the basis that the older rides are worth experiencing. But now they're closing Hex, one of the parks signature rides!
 
Crash and burn, crash and burn!

It's far beyond a joke now.

They might as well just start marketing the park as an open air museum, because that's all it's becoming - a tatty collection of old rides SBNO'd from a bygone era.
 
I suppose with Hex closed it will at least create more space to fill up long term with Scarefest junk. Just got to hope that one year in the next few decades that they decide to actually stop using it as a storage area and remember that the public actually want to go back in there for more than a couple of weeks a year. ;)

P.S - Looks like they definitely won't be needing those staff next season then (job cuts).
 
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