• ℹ️ Heads up...

    This is a popular topic that is fast moving Guest - before posting, please ensure that you check out the first post in the topic for a quick reminder of guidelines, and importantly a summary of the known facts and information so far. Thanks.

Park Hours: Updates and Discussion

Early ride closures of rides that are dead in the evenings to save costs and keep the park open longer is one thing, but let's not get too carried away and suggest the closure of yet more family rides
 
Here's a thought that's just come into my head.
Usually during Scarefest, Cbeebies Land closes at 7pm instead of 9pm but with the recent 8pm extensions Cbeebies Land has stayed open to 8pm. Could this mean that in Scarefest they extend Cbeebies Land opening hours past 7pm this season?
 
Maybe, but I imagine the reason for the 7pm CBeebies close in Scarefest is because that part of the park quietens down early on because many guests with young children leave the park as it gets dark due to the perception that is when the more scary elements come to life.

Bright summer evenings don’t result in the same guest behaviour.
 
Maybe, but I imagine the reason for the 7pm CBeebies close in Scarefest is because that part of the park quietens down early on because many guests with young children leave the park as it gets dark due to the perception that is when the more scary elements come to life.

Bright summer evenings don’t result in the same guest behaviour.
Or maybe due to the lack of lighting
 
I honestly think that the park could get away with running Battle Galleons seasonally, if they ever wanted to save money; I don’t think I’ve ever seen it with riders on it outside of the hot summer months. I think it would make little difference if the ride only opened between, say, May half term and the end of the summer holidays, possibly with the option to open up on days outside of this if the temperature exceeds a certain amount.

I’m honestly staggered that the ride is viable to run outside of the summer months given the virtually non-existent crowds even when the park is busy!
You'd be surprised how popular this is out of the summer months. At Scarefest last year I took great delight in using the £1 guns on the riders (they are much more satisfying!) and my justification was that if they're mad enough to go in it on a chilly October afternoon, then they won't mind getting soaking wet - and believe me, many did because lots of other people were on the guns too!!
 
What's with all the discussion about shutting some rides early?

That's one of my bugbears about the pleasure beach, when you know the park closes at 5pm, and it's 4pm and you think "I'm going to go for a ride on the Grand National", only to find it closed for the day.

Isn't it best to just to have queues close at park close times? You know where you are then.
 
What's with all the discussion about shutting some rides early?

That's one of my bugbears about the pleasure beach, when you know the park closes at 5pm, and it's 4pm and you think "I'm going to go for a ride on the Grand National", only to find it closed for the day.

Isn't it best to just to have queues close at park close times? You know where you are then.
As long as they are clear and upfront about it there isn’t a huge issue if certain rides operate on a shorter schedule, particularly things like Battle Galleons that won’t be busy on certain days.

The issue at BPB is that they aren’t clear about it and close queue when they want. Publishing it on the app and queue boards makes it a little better.
 
Currently the park is scheduled to return to 4pm closes on Monday, in less than 4 days’ time.

I strongly suspect all the 4pm closes will be extended.

UMtG4pP.jpg
 
There seriously is appetite for people to stay beyond the 5pm days on a weekday at present. It does feel unusually busy; I suspect this is down to people having a lot of annual leave rolled over from last year which needs to be used up by a certain time and noone going abroad at present.

The catering vans on the lawns were taking full advantage for at least an hour after ride close - there were people in their hundreds, myself included. Meanwhile the Towers F&B were well and truly shuttered.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
There seriously is appetite for people to stay beyond the 5pm days on a weekday at present. It does feel unusually busy; I suspect this is down to people having a lot of annual leave rolled over from last year which needs to be used up by a certain time and noone going abroad at present.

The catering vans on the lawns were taking full advantage for at least an hour after ride close - there were people in their hundreds, myself included. Meanwhile the Towers F&B were well and truly shuttered.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Had this problem last Thursday on a 5:30 close, we stayed until 6:30 on the lawns, would've brought a Just Chicken after we got off The Smiler about 6pm, but it was closed. So we thought we'd get something from the units on the lawns, closed as well. So we settled for a wrap and panini from Corner Coffee, but they're really missing a trick!
 
All the 4pm closes for July have now been extended. 5pm Mon to Thurs and either 6pm or 7pm Fridays depending on the date.
And people said it might not happen. It was bound to happen. Its not a risk booking a 4pm close that realistically was never going to be a 4pm close
 
All the 4pm closes for July have now been extended. 5pm Mon to Thurs and either 6pm or 7pm Fridays depending on the date.

Honestly I expected to see blanket 7pm closes once the school holidays kick in. I'm sure hours for later in July are still under consideration.
 
Honestly I expected to see blanket 7pm closes once the school holidays kick in. I'm sure hours for later in July are still under consideration.

They could well be waiting for confirmation that social distancing restrictions will be reduced/removed from 19th July onwards before setting the times for summer. I imagine reduced social distancing will equal better throughputs, which will increase rides per day for guests and they could well reduce opening times to suit.

That combined with seeing what the prebook levels are.
 
Top