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Scarefest 2013: Discussion

Oh dear Alton, come on, sort it out, read your reviews on tripadvisor for example, most people complaining about the opening times in the summer, scarefest when the park lighting, mazes, and rides in the dark are one of the most popular times of the year. this really is shocking.
 
Well, I suppose they have spent a fortune on a new ride, so it's only natural for them to take a step backwards and cut something somewhere! :\

Needless to say, this is a bit of a joke!! Really, I seriously hope they reconsider with this, as a lot of people will not be happy, and it wont just be the geeks either! It will be the paying public as well! Over the past years of the event, it has always been busy enough to justify the late 9pm opening on all days of the event! So why on earth has it been cut?!!
 
My free Sun tickets were for the 25th so I'm slightly peeved, haha.

It was obvious they were planning some sort of cut backs when that survey came out. They are so very crude and predictable these days.
 
Takes the actual piss. When will merlin realise people don't visit for the event during the day?

Yes, the park *feels* quiet in the evenings, it's still got a fair few thousand on park. It still has all those people queuing and paying for the mazes in the evenings regardless of what day it is. It still has people booking, visiting and staying in hotels because they want rides IN THE DARK.

Probably one of the biggest things to ever have annoyed me to come from that place. Reduce the event to 9 days, reduce the budget for the event so you don't want to affect your return rates if that's literally all you care about.
 
This constant cutting is really starting to irk me. Merlin need to get a grip and realise they've gotta spend money to make money!
 
Just wait for the first Scarefest with Merlin as a public company.

Scarefest, in association with Ladbrokes. 10am-6pm. £51.
 
Well this is pretty poor. I can only hope they get a lot of negative feedback and reverse the decision. One of the best things about Scarefest is the long days on park, closing at 7pm is way too early. I'm sure it will stop a fair few after work evening visits as well. The finances must be in a really sorry state though if they're having to do this.

:)
 
The best things about Scarefest for me are the large numbers of guests and their crazy costumes (though that's mostly down to TST ;) ), and experiencing attractions in the dark. If this goes ahead then one of the last reasons I like Scarefest which Alton Towers are responsible for will be gone for majority of the event.

Every year we hear it's going to get better...


:(
 
The bank balance doesn't need to be bad for these sort of decisions to be made. Everything is a constant risk assessment and balancing act with regards to income saved versus guest numbers/spending lost. Sometimes they get it wrong and reverse it but there are many cases where the decision is financially sound to the accountants - take the now extinct 7pm summer closes for example.

However, even if the decision is financially sound - it contradicts their policy of "endeavoring to exceed guest expectations" unless they're referring to the extent of the cuts the public expect from an increasingly financially aggressive company, haha.
 
Really, when you think about it, 2 hours is a massive chunk to cut off a day!! It's like the park suddenly closing at 3 or 4pm at the moment! It takes a huge portion of time away from the day! But, this isn't just cuts to standard opening hours is it! This is the parks main EVENT!

Now in all honesty, as I said in my previous post, why should people going to try and make the most of the quieter week be disadvantaged?! Now I know it's not as if they up the price for the event or anything, but why should the people going with fewer hours pay the same? At the end of the day, this is an event, of which one of the main selling points/features is the extended hours!!

I am sorry, I am just babbling now, I'm just annoyed!!
 
I think there's quite a bit of overreaction going on here, there's only 5 days out of 17 in which the opening hours have been cut, leaving 12 days where it still closes at 9.

They'll make their money, guests will still be happy, and if you want to visit for longer then there are more days when you can do just that. I understand that it'd be nicer if all days were open until 9, even later, but I think that the current set-up is a good compromise, nothing earth shattering like it has been suggested.
 
Quetzal said:
I think there's quite a bit of overreaction going on here, there's only 5 days out of 17 in which the opening hours have been cut, leaving 12 days where it still closes at 10.

They'll make their money, guests will still be happy, and if you want to visit for longer then there are more days when you can do just that. I understand that it'd be nicer if all days were open until 9, even later, but I think that the current set-up is a good compromise, nothing earth shattering like it has been suggested.

12 days which close at 9. ;)

We're annoyed because this is the only time we get late closures and many people can only visit on the dates when they've cut the opening hours!

Don't they get that, as we didn't like the cut opening hours earlier in the year, we wont like these either?
 
The 'quiet day' is something that is being hunted down by Merlin. They have determined that a guest is satisfied if he or she is waiting X number of minutes per ride. That is the target ride time for EVERY day of the season. It's why you will see some rides run reduced trains during early/late season term times now. Your walk-on days will soon be no more.
 
The whole point of a 'scare' event is that it takes place during darkness. They may as well not bother at all during those days if they close at dusk. Honestly, who sits around the table and comes up with these ideas (finance team presumably) and actually think it's a good idea?!
I wish I could say I was disappointed, but it's yet just another thing that doesn't surprise me.
I expect the decision will get reversed. That, or they will end up with a VERY quiet week, And deservedly so.
 
Tom said:
Sometimes they get it wrong and reverse it but there are many cases where the decision is financially sound to the accountants - take the now extinct 7pm summer closes for example.
Well, I had heard they were strongly planning on increasing ride close to 7pm for last three weeks of summer. With scarefest reduction, I highly doubt that'd happen.

As for the reduction - it's 6 days actually, as the event was shown to be running from Friday 18th. That is now a 5pm, so presumably not a scarefest day any longer. What a wonderful cut from midweek quietness.
 
Tom said:
The 'quiet day' is something that is being hunted down by Merlin. They have determined that a guest is satisfied if he or she is waiting X number of minutes per ride. That is the target ride time for EVERY day of the season. It's why you will see some rides run reduced trains during early/late season term times now. Your walk-on days will soon be no more.

Merlin don't really get that involved in ride operations hence the disparity between parks.

The only rides that run reduced capacity (other than for tech reasons) are Oblivion and Air which have been the same for years. Merlin indeed don't believe queues are a bad thing (divs) but Towers don't tend to reduce capacity on rides unless it also reduces the staff required to run it which is only the case for Blivvy and Air.

As for SF opening times I'm not surprised, to be fair the park is dead on those days so if this was along side an announcement of full park theming and lighting and £40,000invested in the mazes then I wouldn't be so bothered but its a cut on top of what is likely to be a stale event.

Don't expect any good news on SF this season.
 
kamfira said:
Whatever the reasons for shortening the ride closes, this really isn't Merlin pushing for it. It will be the park itself.

Merlin set (or freeze) the budget though, the park wouldn't cut budgets unless the had a squeeze. Merlin don't say what to cut but they apply the pressure to do so.

Flotation is a wonderful thing!!
 
What a stupid move.!....
They really need to stop these cuts.
For a fact they shouldn't cut these hours down at this point of time, people may have booked tickets and hotel because they want to stay late at the park just for this event. At least if they are goanna do it, do it at the start of the season when they release the opening times.
Come on, it's a Halloween event, it's mean to stay open late!
Saying that, they have done a cutback on Fight Nights @ Thorpe as well - Just had a look at the web archives, in 2011 its close time was 22:00, so since 2012 season that's been cut back by 1 hour (I thought it did close at that time before)
 
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