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2014: General Discussion

EuroSatch said:
But do Tesco limit access to the frozen section to half a day to save money?
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That would be a viable comparison if they closed, say, one or two individual freezers for a couple of hours. You'd still have access to all of the other freezers, just not all of them.
 
Or turn off the lights in one half of the store and alternative between which halves have lighting throughout the day?
 
The only other alternatives they really had was to cut ERT (pointless as it's an advertised 'perk' to draw in customers) or do what they did a few years ago and close some food outlets (easier although not as much of a saving made).

As long as this is on quiet days they should just about get away with it. Most people do not hit the park until post-midday so cuts in the morning to operations will not affect many - maybe a small percentage of guests, even enthusiasts (which is probably why people get so annoyed on here about it). On busy days Towers should have all rides open in the morning, if they make cuts on busy days then they will have severe problems as a lot of guests arrive in the morning on busy days.

I agree with those that say it doesn't make sense because of course it doesn't. Especially when Towers is meant to be the leading park in the UK. They have probably hit a brick wall now with not a lot they can cut behind guests backs. Given all the Merlin parks have been given budget cuts this year it was only a matter of time before one park would have no choice but to cut operations - seems it is Alton that has to face it.
 
James said:
The only other alternatives they really had was to cut ERT (pointless as it's an advertised 'perk' to draw in customers) or do what they did a few years ago and close some food outlets (easier although not as much of a saving made).
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There's plenty of unnecessary middle management they could relieve of their positions. Would save a hell of a lot of money than cutting the hours of staff paid minimum wage and no guarantee of full time work each week.

I don't think any of us are really in a position to say there are no alternatives, without actually being the FD. But wha we do know is this has come down from Merlin, and is not out of necessity, but out of appearances. And not to the guests, but to the shareholders.
 
Yeah true. There are way too many managers there!

I wonder if Alton Towers have been told what to cut or if this is a decision of their own? Previous years it has been their decision so I'm assuming it's the same this time around.
 
Financial discipline is essential to ensure the value of Merlin as a business.

What I do not like are cuts which have a direct impact on guests.

Closing rides and cutting bus services do!
 
Merlin will have cut the operating budget for the park again, they always do.

Unfortunately Towers and Chessie maybe make a fair wack of profit but a few of their other parks (looking at you Thorpe) don't. And as all the parks exists as one business they use the successes of one park to top up the losses of another.

Merlin just repeatedly come across as a truly amateurish company sometimes.
 
EuroSatch said:
The difference between disney and Alton Towers though is whilst they may do staggered openings for select attractions, they are still open for a significant period of time throughout the day. If Towers opened till even 8pm then I could understand it. But 6 hours a day for support attractions that they themselves have been decreasing in number for several years???

This is such a blind approach to reducing overheads. Your service should never be impacted on by costs savings, whereas this is directly saying to guests "we're saving money so you're the ones who are impacted". The big supermarkets and other PLCs that offer a public service all need to be seen to be efficient. But do Tesco limit access to the frozen section to half a day to save money?

It's also a very cynical attitude to think investors and shareholders would see this as a positive move.
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This.

Disney and the like often open till 8, 9, 10 or 11pm.

Alton close at 5pm most of the season!
 
EuroSatch said:
The difference between disney and Alton Towers though is whilst they may do staggered openings for select attractions, they are still open for a significant period of time throughout the day. If Towers opened till even 8pm then I could understand it. But 6 hours a day for support attractions that they themselves have been decreasing in number for several years???

This is such a blind approach to reducing overheads. Your service should never be impacted on by costs savings, whereas this is directly saying to guests "we're saving money so you're the ones who are impacted". The big supermarkets and other PLCs that offer a public service all need to be seen to be efficient. But do Tesco limit access to the frozen section to half a day to save money?

It's also a very cynical attitude to think investors and shareholders would see this as a positive move.
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In the way they are trying to do it there shouldn't be a huge guest impact. To take your Tesco analogy a better example is that the store is open 24 hours a day but they close the deli and meat counters at 9pm as it isn't commercially viable to pay the member of staff on the deli overnight when there isn't enough customers who want the counter at night.
In a similar way on quieter weekdays when there are less customers Alton towers open less popular attractions later.
 
The difference being that Tesco don't charge an entry fee to enter their stores so a Deli being closed at night is an incovenience.

Alton Towers charge the same price regardless of when you visit so those visiting on these quieter days should expect the same level of availability as those visiting on busy days.

If off peak pricing still existed then fair enough to a degree but as it doesn't, staggered ride openings in a park that only opens for 7 hours a day is not really on.

As has been said many times last year. Cost cutting that effects guest experience should not really be an option. Though I guess with everything else being cut to the bone already there can't be a lot left else to cut cost wise.
 
jon81uk said:
EuroSatch said:
The difference between disney and Alton Towers though is whilst they may do staggered openings for select attractions, they are still open for a significant period of time throughout the day. If Towers opened till even 8pm then I could understand it. But 6 hours a day for support attractions that they themselves have been decreasing in number for several years???

This is such a blind approach to reducing overheads. Your service should never be impacted on by costs savings, whereas this is directly saying to guests "we're saving money so you're the ones who are impacted". The big supermarkets and other PLCs that offer a public service all need to be seen to be efficient. But do Tesco limit access to the frozen section to half a day to save money?

It's also a very cynical attitude to think investors and shareholders would see this as a positive move.
Click to expand...

In the way they are trying to do it there shouldn't be a huge guest impact. To take your Tesco analogy a better example is that the store is open 24 hours a day but they close the deli and meat counters at 9pm as it isn't commercially viable to pay the member of staff on the deli overnight when there isn't enough customers who want the counter at night.
In a similar way on quieter weekdays when there are less customers Alton towers open less popular attractions later.
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Except when deli counters are closed the same items are available freshly packaged by deli staff during the day.
 
It's true that they're going to be left with nothing else to cut.

Bus services CUT
Accommodation for staff CUT
Flume/Rapids opening times CUT
2014...?

I'm also sure that the park operations budget for 2014 is LESS than 2013 inspite of a significant rise in guest figures last year.

Way to reward success...
 
A return to 4pm closures.

Contactless payment at Fastrack entrances.

£49.99 admission charge.

Skyride closures.

More obvious and dramatic reduced capacity on rides, with 45 minutes queues for some rides becoming normal even during term time.

£7 car parking.
 
Tom said:
More obvious and dramatic reduced capacity on rides, with 45 minutes queues for some rides becoming normal even during term time.
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This was already obvious at FHT, with Nemesis being on one train. It's always ran two trains at FHT in previous years.
 
Capacity on rides is nothing to do with budgets.

The 2nd train simply didn't pass H&S in time.

I think what Tom is suggesting is basically a hypothetical account of what could happen if budgets keep getting slashed.
 
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