Quick Questions

Re: Quick Questions 2013

Picsolv pricing policy

Its unusual for me to buy an ORP since we go twice a month but today we bought the logflume one. When I asked how much it was he said £10 which I thought was pretty steep but it was a special one so we had it. It was only after we paid and he gave us the reciept he said that there was a download on there for "free". Knowing this not to be the case I looked and sure enough the photo was £8 and download £2. Anyone know if the guys get some sort of bonus for the number of add on sales?

Re: Quick Questions 2013

No idea about how the staff are paid, but I know for a fact that they should ask if you want the digital download, rather than putting it straight onto the sale and charging you without asking. I'd be tempted to contact either PicSolve or Towers with a copy of the receipt and tell them what happened. If this is going to become common practise within the park, and guests are going to be getting stung for a service they didn't want then something needs to be done :/

Even if it's just one member of staff doing it though imagine how much extra they'll be taking each day. £2 for a couple of megabytes of cloud storage must be making them a killing. Even if they only sell say 20 photos a day if everyone has had the same thing done to them it's an extra £40 revenue for the day!

Re: Quick Questions 2013

after a tough season last year and a slow start to this season does anyone know how attendance levels have been since the smiler opened?

Re: Quick Questions 2013

Picsolve current marketing policy is to sell the photos for a tenner, with a "free download". Trying to hide the £8 per photo thing also.

Parks been busy since smilers opened, don't think there's been a quiet day since?!

Re: Quick Questions 2013

Maelstrom said:

after a tough season last year and a slow start to this season does anyone know how attendance levels have been since the smiler opened?

Click to expand...

Very good, exceeding expectations. Rumor is they have almost made up for the deficit from the beginning of the season....

...Now they just need to make up the deficit caused by Thorpe

Re: Quick Questions 2013

contact watchdog, the bbc are into merlin bashing at the moment

Re: Quick Questions 2013

Glad to hear, from looking at the ridetimes website everytime I have checked its seemed like a busy day, I would also expect a busy 6 weeks summer hol as well as I expect another big marketing push for the Smiler to start in the next two weeks.

I thinks its really important they have a good year this year (and maintain next year) to keep the investment level where it is. Its seems the parks that aren't doing that well in Merlin have seen a reduction in investment ie Both Thorpe and Gardaland have both struggled in recenet years even in the years both opened their last major coaster and seems like they wont be getting their next major investment on the 3 year cycle rather a year latter, gardaland where due next year along with heide park and looks like Gardaland wont be getting a major new ride and its expected Thorpe's pushed back to 2016.

Re: Quick Questions 2013

Hi all,
Since my recent visit to the park i've wondered how 'tall' the zero-g and loop are on nemesis. I can't seem to find that information anywhere
cheers

Re: Quick Questions 2013

Howdy folks, I'm heading to the park this week for the first time since The Smiler opened. So far I've avoided anything spoilery so it would be appreciated if any answers could be spoiler free! Basically, I'm considering using the single rider queue to cut down on waiting, I just wanted to make sure I wouldn't miss out on anything significant (i.e. a pre show or similar) if I did that for my first ride? Please don't say WHAT it is I'd be missing if there is something. You can tell I'm paranoid about spoilers, can't you?

Re: Quick Questions 2013

No you won't miss out on anything if you do the single rider queue, you still enter the indoor queue line and go up the stairs to the ride like every one else does.

Re: Quick Questions 2013

When will they announce scarefest does anybody want to hazard a guess?

Re: Quick Questions 2013

They have changed the big billboard at the entrance to the car parks from AT Live to Scarefest with the dates on already and we know the Sanctuary and ToTT is returning.

Re: Quick Questions 2013

If the same pattern will follow previous years. News and heavy rumours will surface at the end of July and Alton Towers should release all the information in August (more towards the start of the month I would think).

Tickets for mazes and so on usually go live mid-August so I would imagine it won't be long until the news comes rolling in. Although from what I've heard there won't be any dramatic changes to Scarefest this year (I have a feeling depending on budgets that Carnival of Screams will finally be leaving/replaced).

As Natalie says above too, dates for the event are already advertised on park. Scarefest has been advertised across the park since March. Although it's becoming more prominently advertised now.

Re: Quick Questions 2013

I am due to visit the theme park with some friends who only visit once yearly and would like to know if you have any advice or tips for them to get the maximum value and enjoyment from their day. We are hopefully visiting on a Sunday. Also, one of them is quite nervous about becoming ill due to the smiler and is worried that the main queue line may exacerbate the issue. Any advice on that front also would be appreciated.

Re: Quick Questions 2013

JAMMYD778 said:

I am due to visit the theme park with some friends who only visit once yearly and would like to know if you have any advice or tips for them to get the maximum value and enjoyment from their day. We are hopefully visiting on a Sunday. Also, one of them is quite nervous about becoming ill due to the smiler and is worried that the main queue line may exacerbate the issue. Any advice on that front also would be appreciated.

Click to expand...

Get there early, if you don't have ERT then still make sure you are on park before 10am. If your friend is worried about the Smiler queue go straight there and wait in the outside-racks (they are less claustro). You wait will be long as the ride wont open until 10 - 10.30 but most of it will be in the more pleasant extension queue. Once it opens if your there early enough then you shouldn't queue much beyond the last cattlepen before the indoor section when it opens.

After Smiler, check out the Smiler SRQ, if it isn't queueing outside then go grab another go, at this point have a look at Oblivion and see how long it is, if less than 20min ride. Then head to Dark Forest, Check out Rita's queue if it isn't too long go for it. Th13teen should be tolerable, at this time. Then skyride to Valley and do for certain Nemesis and if not too bad Air.

That is probably the only way of doing the rides with the smallest Smiler queue. A more efficient way around the park is straight to Rita, then Th13teen then Skyride to Valley and do Air, Nemesis, Sub-Terra then work your way around the park. But you will have at least a 100min queue when you get to The Smiler. Oblivion will fluctuate throughout the day.

Re: Quick Questions 2013

JAMMYD778 said:

I am due to visit the theme park with some friends who only visit once yearly and would like to know if you have any advice or tips for them to get the maximum value and enjoyment from their day. We are hopefully visiting on a Sunday. Also, one of them is quite nervous about becoming ill due to the smiler and is worried that the main queue line may exacerbate the issue. Any advice on that front also would be appreciated.

Click to expand...

Much as Dave said really, apart from if you get to the smiler at 10, there will already be a large que. Unless you fancy running to the smiler at 9am? Ride opens at 10, so 1 hour for the Smiler isn't bad at all. And you wont spend one minute queing in the cattlepen, just the outside que

I would suggest after that, the RITA/Th13teen idea of Dave's; Rita & 13 1st, skyride over to the valley, Then nemmy & air then take the rest at leisure. When/if you decide to go back to xsector, don't just jump into the smiler que, look at the SRQ, this is MUCH more open and a more pleasant que anyway, but if its not too far outside, then it will also be a lot shorter. Maybe try blivvy/ents/subs first is the SRQ is big, it does tend to fluctuate massively.

Also, the smiler SRQ at 10am is to be avoided unless you like random chanting and shouting.

Re: Quick Questions 2013

Hi everyone!

I'm saying at the Splash landing hotel for 2 nights (from the 1at August to the 3rd) and visting the park for 2 days and hopefully spend a couple of hours in the water park. I'm considering buying a Fastrack Premium for the 2 days costing me £180. Peek session, it would be busy but there have been cases where the fastract queue has been longer than the main queue. I want to have a good relaxed two days in the park, where I can go at my own pace, but not waste money at the same time.

So my question is; is it wise to get a Fastract tictet for both days? Any other ideas would be welcomed.

Re: Quick Questions 2013

ImUrNemeis said:

Hi everyoe!

I'm saying at the Splash landing hotel for 2 nights (from the 1at August to the 3rd) and visting the park for 2 days and hopefully spend a couple of hours in the water park. I'm considering buying a Fastrack Premium for the 2 days costing me £180. Peek session, it would be busy but there have been cases where the fastract queue has been longer than the main queue. I want to have a good relaxed two days in the park, where I can go at my own pace, but not waste money at the same time.

So my question is; is it wise to get a Fastract tictet for both days? Any other ideas would be welcomed.

Click to expand...

Is it just yourself?

If so, no. Stick to Single Rider Queues. Even on the busiest of days these are usually a good place to begin. Yes, they can't be measured in time like the main ones can, but you're more likely to get on before queuing in the main line, and you aren't paying to Fastrack it.

£180 is extortionate for what it is. If you plan enough you can get on everything you wish in the day, and again the following!

Re: Quick Questions 2013

T said:

ImUrNemeis said:

Hi everyoe!

I'm saying at the Splash landing hotel for 2 nights (from the 1at August to the 3rd) and visting the park for 2 days and hopefully spend a couple of hours in the water park. I'm considering buying a Fastrack Premium for the 2 days costing me £180. Peek session, it would be busy but there have been cases where the fastract queue has been longer than the main queue. I want to have a good relaxed two days in the park, where I can go at my own pace, but not waste money at the same time.

So my question is; is it wise to get a Fastract tictet for both days? Any other ideas would be welcomed.

Click to expand...

Is it just yourself?

If so, no. Stick to Single Rider Queues. Even on the busiest of days these are usually a good place to begin. Yes, they can't be measured in time like the main ones can, but you're more likely to get on before queuing in the main line, and you aren't paying to Fastrack it.

£180 is extortionate for what it is. If you plan enough you can get on everything you wish in the day, and again the following!

Click to expand...

To be honest your there for two days and at the hotel. Keep the 180 for something useful.

Re: Quick Questions 2013

ImUrNemeis said:

Hi everyone!

I'm saying at the Splash landing hotel for 2 nights (from the 1at August to the 3rd) and visting the park for 2 days and hopefully spend a couple of hours in the water park. I'm considering buying a Fastrack Premium for the 2 days costing me £180. Peek session, it would be busy but there have been cases where the fastract queue has been longer than the main queue. I want to have a good relaxed two days in the park, where I can go at my own pace, but not waste money at the same time.

So my question is; is it wise to get a Fastract tictet for both days? Any other ideas would be welcomed.

Click to expand...

£180 you could buy a merlin annual pass I don't think it's worth the money just buy the odd fastracks