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2014: General Discussion

It didn't look that bad [although it still looked awful] before the park closed in November, so it does strike me that they've been heavily testing it over closed season. It'll be interesting to see just how different it rides or if there's no change at all next month.
 
It's rust build up over closed season, Nemesis has the same issue hence why when it rains in feb half term they only run the trains half full until the rust gets shifted by trains running again.

As for Hex, as already said old style CRT's are not available anymore, a couple of the screens have been getting a bit dodgy (one had gone pink) so like Disney with ToT they don't really have any choice. Someone needs to develop a flat screen system that doesn't have the back glow. They are boxed in to look very similar to the old ones.

The park was odly well presented for Feb Half term, normally it looks a right state at this time of year as they previously didn't do cleaning until after Feb half term. The only downside was they have refurbed Towers Trading which now looks very bland and mostly reminds me of the local charity shop.
 
I wonder whether the show system would support turning the Hex LCD screens off completely once they've finished playing the video?
 
Spark said:
Sounds like its been pretty decent for a half term,

How busy has it been?
Saturday was dead on park but the water park was mental
 
A few general updates I've noticed around the Resort today, good and bad (sorry if I repeat something already said)

Theme Park:

·Towers Family Restaurant is receiving a much needed refurbishment

·Towers Trading has now been fully re-themed to Primark, looking very bland and boring although some new merchandise including, clothing, car accessories and pillows etc.

Waterpark:

·New 'Waiting Time' board for The Master Blaster which I found very helpful

·New railings across the suspended walkways

·New 'Riptide Radio' being played throughout the changing area advising guests about Waterpark rules, height restrictions, locker instructions, food and drink options and On-'Slide' photos, again very helpful

Hotels:

·New 'Zoltar' arcade machine in Alton Towers Hotel, similar to the one found in the Carnival Of Screams

·The Flying Machine has now been fully repainted to better fit the hotels theme colours
 
It appears that Towers Trading and Towers Family Restaurant both need completely gutting and starting afresh with fully themed experiences. The restaurant is tired now and Trading is just losing the little theme that it had in the first place.
 
Judging by pictures Towers Trading is now set out far better. Although it does lack any real character. They need to add some unique bits of theming in there and get creative with displays!

The whole of Towers Street feels lifeless too (in my opinion). The whole street, entrance plaza and monorail stations need a major overhaul. They can only keep dragding the 80s style on for so long.
 
James said:
The whole of Towers Street feels lifeless too (in my opinion). The whole street, entrance plaza and monorail stations need a major overhaul. They can only keep dragding the 80s style on for so long.

If it still looked like it did in the 80s and 90s it would be a vast improvement on its current state.

As a major theme park I just don't get why they don't see the importance of creating an amazing first impression.

It's like nobody at Alton Towers has any desire for pride of appearance (or budget to do so).
 
I'm not sure if it's finished yet but they have repainted or started to repaint the buildings on Towers Street. I wouldn't say it's overly noticeable though, I didn't realise until it was pointed out to me!

:)
 
Dave said:
The park was odly well presented for Feb Half term, normally it looks a right state at this time of year as they previously didn't do cleaning until after Feb half term.

Towers now employ some permanent ride staff, which allows them to do a lot more cleaning/painting jobs over closed season than in previous years. Glad to see the improvement was noticeable! :)
 
I quite like Towers Trading, it is now finally in the 21st Century, and has nice modern displays and its so much brighter than it used to be. The one bit I don't like is the new ramp that goes up one side of the shop, it looks rather odd and also out the way for people to not even notice it. It needs some signs there as well, as from the bottom it looks like it is just a staff area. Maybe some graphics or something as well. Also i'm not sure why they have added the two tills on the middle floor, I know they used to have them on the bottom floor, but they seem just as in the way and out of place in the middle, as they did at the top.

People don't seem to like it, but everyone liked the top section when that was done last season, this new bottom bit is in the same style! And some people say it is lacking in theme, but the old one had no themeing? Just wooden shelves and old lights. At the end of the day its just a shop and im not really sure what else they can do with it.

Here are a few photos:
1655998_610820882321693_1488261911_n.jpg


1016574_610820815655033_1280116158_n.jpg


1656095_610820845655030_1261731067_n.jpg


In other news, the next day prices have gone up massively! In 2012 they were £5, then they went down to £4.80 in 2013, now they are £9.60! The visit anytime price is the same as last season.
1932379_610818468988601_1918914580_n.jpg
 
Dave said:
As for Hex, as already said old style CRT's are not available anymore, a couple of the screens have been getting a bit dodgy (one had gone pink) so like Disney with ToT they don't really have any choice. Someone needs to develop a flat screen system that doesn't have the back glow. They are boxed in to look very similar to the old ones.
Jumping back to this, it's not a case of developing, it's a case of installing and getting the timing correct. Sub Terra has this (otherwise you'd have the same effect Hex sounds like it's having).

Hopefully it'll be sorted sometime, that'd be nice :)
 
The price was £9.60 for a bit in 2013, they dropped it to £5 part way through.
 
On another note, I think there still continues to be some issues with Nemesis. It was closed for about 3 hours today, most of that time seemed to be consumed by the staff steam blasting the track/trains just before the station. Still rust problems?
 
Towers Trading looks pretty cool. It may be a little bland, but I imagine it will get the job done more efficiently than before, and it's great to see some new merchandise, especially for the older rides (still no posters though I don't think :( ). I hope they haven't dropped the themed tills though...
 
Olii said:
Towers Trading looks pretty cool. It may be a little bland, but I imagine it will get the job done more efficiently than before, and it's great to see some new merchandise, especially for the older rides (still no posters though I don't think :( ). I hope they haven't dropped the themed tills though...

No the top end of the shop is the same, they have done it in phases, 2012 saw the tills done, 2013 saw the middle section done and now 2014 has seen the bottom section done.

(Lets see if they remember to remove the Old MacDonald's graphic near the tills soon :p)
 
They're still persisting with this infuriating, baffling, absolutely mind-numbingly moronic 'VAT/You Pay' thing?
 
Sam said:
They're still persisting with this infuriating, baffling, absolutely mind-numbingly moronic 'VAT/You Pay' thing?

The price inc. VAT is the one far more prominently displayed, which makes showing the price exc. VAT even more baffling.
 
thefatone said:
Dave said:
As for Hex, as already said old style CRT's are not available anymore, a couple of the screens have been getting a bit dodgy (one had gone pink) so like Disney with ToT they don't really have any choice. Someone needs to develop a flat screen system that doesn't have the back glow. They are boxed in to look very similar to the old ones.
Jumping back to this, it's not a case of developing, it's a case of installing and getting the timing correct. Sub Terra has this (otherwise you'd have the same effect Hex sounds like it's having).

Hopefully it'll be sorted sometime, that'd be nice :)

Asked a more knowledgable person about this, apparently it is possible but would require Hex's control system to be replaced which wouldn't be cheap. Sub-Terra's control system can shut down the screens so the back light cuts out but Hex's system won't do that.

Maybe they will look at it but as the ride has one control system for all show effects (queue, octagon and vault) it won't be cheap.

As for the VAT thing that's a Merlin requirement, They have a bee in their bonnet about tourist attractions paying VAT as a few European countries don't charge. It's stupid.
 
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