-
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.
2013 On-the-gate Price
- Thread starter James
- Start date
Worth remembering also that in the 90's and until the start of 2005 season there was Off Peak, Peak & Premium prices. The prices shown here show the peak day pricing. For example, in 2004 a peak day entry would be £26, but a premium day, which would be Fireworks, would of cost £28 (if I recall correctly), and an off peak day,(for example a week day in September) was £23.
In 2005 a single pricing structure was brought in, though then an 'event' price was introduced, which was a premium of £2 on the normal price, but this seemed to vanish after Chocolate Towers in '07 (£2 for a Creme Egg anyone
)
BOGOF's have been around since the Tussauds era in the mid 90's. No idea if they were around before that. Though then there were certainly not as many flooding the market, and almost non existent during events such as Fireworks etc. Whereas now it is very easy to get hold of BOGOF and less than 1/2 price entry tickets even during Fireworks/Scarefest.
In 2005 a single pricing structure was brought in, though then an 'event' price was introduced, which was a premium of £2 on the normal price, but this seemed to vanish after Chocolate Towers in '07 (£2 for a Creme Egg anyone
)BOGOF's have been around since the Tussauds era in the mid 90's. No idea if they were around before that. Though then there were certainly not as many flooding the market, and almost non existent during events such as Fireworks etc. Whereas now it is very easy to get hold of BOGOF and less than 1/2 price entry tickets even during Fireworks/Scarefest.
Danza91
TS Member
The prices are quite disgusting really, when you consider how much they've gone up, especially in periods where there was nothing new on the resort really. On top of this, they'll still try and squeeze every penny out of you for you to enjoy your day. Car park, fast-track, constant staff upselling, overpriced food etc etc.
That said, the deals are there so if you turn up and pay £46 you've shot yourself in the foot.
That said, the deals are there so if you turn up and pay £46 you've shot yourself in the foot.
IanB
TS Member
Compare the ticket prices to a Football Match(£30-£40 each), Going to the Theater £50-£90 each), or going to the F1 (£150+) they are not unreasonable, and when you consider the market is flooded with BOGOF vouchers making it roughly £23 per person it is less than a night out drinking.
The park needs to make money, to invest and buy new hardware. It needs to make money to maintain the older rides.
Where the Revenue from the park actually goes, is a different subject.
I find is frustrating when people moan about the high ticket price, but than also moan about the lack of investment in the park.
I feel like a record, but I would scrap the BOGOF promotion, is it really worth it, when the Alton Towers Facebook page has 1.3 Million likes (There twitter account is very disappointing compared to Facebook with only 40,000) and they can easily promote themselves without having to pay other companies to host their promotion.
I love scrap the adult and child ticket prices, as lets be serious, a 13 year old should not be classed as an adult. I would charge by height, a lot easier to manage, and no guess work required from the ticket operator as to how old a child is.
Prices -
Under 0.9M - Free
Under 1.4M - £15
1.4M or Over - £30
And if people book in advance over the internet, include 20% off.
Ian
The park needs to make money, to invest and buy new hardware. It needs to make money to maintain the older rides.
Where the Revenue from the park actually goes, is a different subject.
I find is frustrating when people moan about the high ticket price, but than also moan about the lack of investment in the park.
I feel like a record, but I would scrap the BOGOF promotion, is it really worth it, when the Alton Towers Facebook page has 1.3 Million likes (There twitter account is very disappointing compared to Facebook with only 40,000) and they can easily promote themselves without having to pay other companies to host their promotion.
I love scrap the adult and child ticket prices, as lets be serious, a 13 year old should not be classed as an adult. I would charge by height, a lot easier to manage, and no guess work required from the ticket operator as to how old a child is.
Prices -
Under 0.9M - Free
Under 1.4M - £15
1.4M or Over - £30
And if people book in advance over the internet, include 20% off.
Ian
Dave
TS Founding Member
Yeah it's a tricky one as 2 hours entertainment at a cinema is around £9 these days, based on this year the shortest operating day you get 7 hours at Alton Towers. That said i think the price is too high and it looks really bad from a PR perspective.
I would be intrigued to see how things would pan-out if they halved the price and reduced the number of vouchers, but guests expect them now and its free advertising.
I would be intrigued to see how things would pan-out if they halved the price and reduced the number of vouchers, but guests expect them now and its free advertising.
Rob
TS Team
- Favourite Ride
- Steel Vengeance
I'd imagine scrapping BOGOFs is not as easy as it sounds now. It seems that parks such as Towers rely on them. Scrapping them and significantly reducing the on the gate price to around £30 sounds like a nice easy idea from the outside. But I would imagine that a lot of people visit purely because of an offer. The offer makes them feel like they are getting much better value for money and that they are saving a lot. Cheaper prices with no offers would not achieve these same results. It's a real tricky one, it's almost like a cycle that is really hard to get out of.
James
TS Founding Member
Towers is in a hard position now, the past 10 years, the last five more so they've heavily increased vouchers and BOGOFs available. They pretty much operate on BOGOFs. Halving the price and removing/reducing these vouchers would physiologically put people off visiting. Offers give the customer the illusion they are getting something at great value for money, when in reality probably 90-95% of Alton Towers' day guests use the same method.
Alton Towers could go for this method although I think it would take a good few years for the general public to get used to it. Nearly all guests use offers these days.
Alton Towers could go for this method although I think it would take a good few years for the general public to get used to it. Nearly all guests use offers these days.
djtruefitt
TS Team
Its hard to belive in 4 years the price has gone up £10! I don't think towers could remove BOGOF now, they are all over the place and in reality its free marketing for towers/Merlin. A few times a year there will be these vouchers in papers such as the Sun, a paper which will be read by millions of people, many of which will probably see the voucher and plan a trip, where as if the price was dropped to £23, it would be hard for towers to advertise in these papers (for free anyway), unless they have more vouchers such as save £5, 25% off, etc.
John
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Steel Vengeance
I’ve often wondered if a hybrid solution could be found – maybe they could slash the on the day price to £35 (and advertise the fact they've done so, obviously). BOGOFs could then be replaced with £10 off vouchers, meaning anyone using them would pay £25. This would be equivalent to using BOGOF on a £50 gate price which we’re surely only a year or two off anyway. The online price would then be set at £29.75, which is 15% off the full price and conveniently positioned just below the £30 psychological barrier.
By choosing this strategy the park doesn’t have such bad PR from the artificially inflated full price, but still benefits from advertising that the vouchers provide.
By choosing this strategy the park doesn’t have such bad PR from the artificially inflated full price, but still benefits from advertising that the vouchers provide.
£10 off vouchers for Towers could be an idea, but then you have to take account of all the different types of attractions which are currently advertised on a 2-4-1. £10 off entry to a theme park is somewhat different to £10 off entry to The Edinburgh Dungeon, for example. Merlin's UK-wide promotions are successful and cover all of their attractions, and putting many different adverts in e.g. The Sun with different prices and discounts would be expensive for Merlin as well as confusing and less appealing for customers.
Slugjc
TS Member
The answer to me is simple, and it involves planning. If more and more people buy on the internet and not onthe gate they can keep a tab on how many people are going to be at the park ay a given time. High gate price will put people off just turning up. Which will mean employ less staff (bloke in the booth) plus i think its just a sign of the times.
What alot of people havent mentioned is the annual pass.How many free trips do you get with this, have to make the money back somehow. Im not against BOGOF's at all. It attracts more people to the park and for those of us who visit once in a blue moon it nice to think we are getting a bargain.
What alot of people havent mentioned is the annual pass.How many free trips do you get with this, have to make the money back somehow. Im not against BOGOF's at all. It attracts more people to the park and for those of us who visit once in a blue moon it nice to think we are getting a bargain.