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2014: General Discussion

I'm sorry, but a lick of paint and vinyls was not a big refurb. The monorail, stations, entrance plaza and Towers Street are old, outdated and should have had some major changes by now. It's worrying nothing has been done.

I commend the efforts at the time although we should have seen something more by now. New monorail trains at the least.

It's a shame Mowenna left Towers. She did amazingly well over her few years there.
 
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There is a difference between refurbishment and replacement/rebuilding. Painting, replacing the seating, adding new graphics and new audio was the biggest refurbishment since the opening of the monorail. If they replaced the trains with new then I would say that is replacement of trains not refurbishment.
 
I think it will go eventually and the entrance moved. There hasnt been much modernisation or investment in the top end of towers street for some time, the monorail stations have been neglected and im sure AT can use that area of the park for another ride, or a few rides. Sad though if this does happen, I love Towers street. However, if you think about it, during the daytime, its probably the least visited area of the park.

As for new entrances, like the plans showed a while back, there was talk of one near Duel, or near Air. If they get rid of the monorail, the entrance plaza could be where the monorail maintenance area is now and with the entrance bringing guests on the path between Forbidden Valley and Duel.

I hope this doesnt happen though. I know the monorail stations are old, but I do like them, its just the monorail itself which needs updating! (in my eyes anyway).
 
For me Towers street is one of the last remaining areas of the park with any charm, it is still relatively unspoilt, and has a real classical theme park feel to it.

This sets the tone with the walk down to see the Towers, at no point in my day when I get there (usually) am I anything other than relieved and happy to be on park.

A modern monorail system, perhaps a dual entrance isn't a bad thing, but I just remember for example the American Adventure. I know they aren't the same financial reasons, but entering at the arse end of the park (all be it nearer my favourite ride, was NOTHING like the top (admittedly, sinking) entrances.

For those who don't know what I mean:
(Insert glorious entrance plaza pictures vs bottom shed entrances that I cannot find online)

Anyway, I believe parks with something existing (AA had the lake as well, coming down over the hill was gorgeous) have a natural direction to face, and Towers is also "facing" the right way.

Though it does ALWAYS annoy me to have to walk PAST Nemesis.
 
Yeah I think Forbidden Valley is one big difference between when Towers Street was built and now. Having to ride Nemesis past on the monorail and then walk back to the car park basically to ride it is frustrating. When the monorail first opened River Rapids was the furthest ride towards the car park and the entrance was closer to the flume as well. It wasn't until Runaway train, Thunder Looper, Haunted House and Nemesis moved in that the park really expanded towards the car park and this felt a problem.

I think if they are going to add an entrance at Gloomy Wood it needs to feel big and well done, not just a portakabin and some turnstyles.
 
Good point, TM. You just have to compare Phantasialand's entrances. The street entrance has very dated , ugly kiosks that feed on to the main street with epic views (though I am told the view used to be better when there was a Brandenburg Gate at the end of the street). The car park entrance, that most guests use, is nothing more than a hole in the fence with a shed selling tickets, that dumps you in to the back of the park.

A park needs a proper entrance area.
 
It wouldn't surprise me if they're holding off building the second entrance until they have an entertainments area/Downtown Disney type thing. Maybe when they get to that point (after lodges and spa hotel are both built and opened over the next few years?) they will build an entertainments complex and mix in the second entrance under the development to give them more of an incentive to build a new entrance area.

I would be concerned with how they will make an interesting new entrance and what will happen with Towers Street. Walking down there with the Towers in front of you is quite iconic, almost just as much as seeing the Disney castle at Disney parks. I couldn't imagine that being taken away and there just being a flat entrance area with no focal building/feature drawing you in.
 
If they were going to make a second entrance. I'd like to think it'd be like what others have said, and part of an entertainment complex. Maybe restricted to hotel guests only?

As to me, walking down Towers Street, hearing the musing, feeling the buzz of excitement from everyone around is simply magical. It is the soul reason that I believe the 'Alton Towers Magic' never left. Yes it does need a overhaul, but only minor things, like fixing all the lights on the ticket booths etc... Towers Street should always be the parks main entrance. Its just part of the Alton Towers experience.
 
DiogoJ42 said:
Good point, TM. You just have to compare Phantasialand's entrances. The street entrance has very dated , ugly kiosks that feed on to the main street with epic views (though I am told the view used to be better when there was a Brandenburg Gate at the end of the street). The car park entrance, that most guests use, is nothing more than a hole in the fence with a shed selling tickets, that dumps you in to the back of the park.

A park needs a proper entrance area.
Click to expand...

I think the issue with Phantasialand is the lack of space it suffers from, hence the 4 odd entrances it has surrounding it...

I would hate for Towers Street to go, as said, it's pretty iconic and sets the day up nicely... Be a shame to lose it just because someone can't be bothered to keep the upkeep going on the Monorail...
 
It would be bizzarre to bother getting rid of Towers Street anyway - it's location doesn't lend itself to rides or attractions (unless indoors) and they can't build high there either.

I'd hope that things stay the same.
 
Big issues with moving the entrance are, first you create a bottle neck on FV side of the park as guests all end up in an area with only one path to get out into the rest of the park. Second issue is they have NO chance of getting permission for rides on Towers Street site as it's pretty much in Farley village.
 
Views do sell - they sell that you've spent money on a good experience. You've just paid for (or at least just arriving with your wonderful entrance ticket) and the first thing you see is a good view - Our merlin parks have it pretty well played out really. Towers Street.. The bridge to the island.. the wonderful Burnt Stub Mansion.. the view of Windsor. It's that reassuring feeling.

Towers doesn't help itself by allowing picsolve to destroy all VFM/Quality feels by shouting at you the second you arrive.. but as for entrances, it's a great welcome. And towers knows it (and you know they know it cos they want to remove/destroy the only thing which blights this.. Spinball!).

So I have a feeling that Mono will stay or be replaced rather than new entrance. Plus it was refurbed (not just cosmetic.. it also had system upgrades) to make it last slightly longer. Everyones seemingly totally not noticed the repainting of Towers Street station for this year - look closely and you can tell it's a brand new coat of paint. It's still an awful building, but they do seem to try and maintain it and maintain appearances.
 
I would never be able to forgive them if they got rid of that view by moving the entrance. I don't care how much better a new entrance may be, that view is iconic in the same way that the entrance and view to a Disney park is iconic. If they don't fully understand that then we should be very worried, nothing could be seen as safe.

:)
 
I hope they get around to destroying Spinball sometime soon. :D

To be fair to them they do some TLC on the monorail and stations. Although they are still ugly and the entrance plaza/Towers Street are still ugly. Can't help but feel after decades all these areas could do with modernising.
 
I wouldn't be too chuffed if they moved the entrance, so that you see a roller coaster straight in front of you, rather than the actual Alton Towers. It would totally ruin the magic, and with the entrance where it is now, it almost seems as though you're exploring the park, and discovering all these exciting and unique rides and coasters, whereas if the entrance was up at the Valley, it'd be too in your face all at once.
 
To be honest I hope they finally get around to finding the budget for a new entrance plaza. It's rumoured every few seasons but never seems to come to fruition. Maybe we'll actually get it one day soon.

Another thing that also points to Towers Street staying where it is would be that I think I'm right in saying it had a whole new speaker system installed fairly recently? If that's true then I doubt money would have been spent if it was gonna become obsolete anytime soon.
 
The speaker system has been half upgraded with more coming I think.

I also don't think Towers Street building are ugly but they could do with new cladding. The plaza needs a new start.
 
It's not Towers Street that's the issue, it's just the plaza area IMO. The corkscrews were a great addition after 2008 though, especially given how iconic they are.
 
Last time I saw them though the Corkscrews were already in desperate need of a fresh lick of paint. The peeling was quite significant.

:)
 
Around 2005/2006, plans to 'refresh' Towers Street with new decor, greenery and undercover sections had leaked. I think it would be good to revist them at this stage. I've little faith left in Alton Towers nowadays, but it would be criminal to lose that iconic view.
 
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