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2015: Alton Towers Enchanted Village

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A few shots
 
It really does look big! Also makes a point in showing how small the damn restaurant is!
 
The whole building looks to be similar size to the Secret Garden space (although I hope that isn't the aerial perspectives distorting the view too much). Cramming entertainment, dining and a check in lobby is going to be quite a squeeze.
 
The whole building looks to be similar size to the Secret Garden space (although I hope that isn't the aerial perspectives distorting the view too much). Cramming entertainment, dining and a check in lobby is going to be quite a squeeze.

That's a big concern for me, too. They should have another building for the entertainment, and combine it with a bar. It's so strange they aren't doing this, you'd think they'd jump at the chance to have another area where people can spend money.
 
maybe they are going for a Pontins style of booking in. you go into the entertainment area to pick up your keys from someone standing behind a table sticky with split beer.
 
It's a shame really, they had the opportunity to ease the pressure off the hotels and add more/bigger venues that expand the resort offerings, instead we have another small area that will be under a lot of strain come summer weekends, Scarefest and fireworks.

At least two buildings should have come with the lodges/tree houses, one building being a reception, shop and entertainments bar/venue, and the second building being a restaurant on its own.

It just seems no thought has been put into that area. Maybe next time...
 
Everytime I see pictures like that it annoys me that it's shut, especially the more I read about the bigger European parks.
 
It would be possible given the focus on outdoor play areas with the village that they may do outdoor entertainment and maybe a bar in the summer when they are busy. Warwick Castle did excellent entertainment with their camping apparently.

At fireworks and scare fest many will stay in park later and go straight to rooms if they have kids so less need for entertainment.
 
The whole restaurant thing does feel very "these are self catering.. oh wait now they're not... ah bugger oh wells" in terms of design. Obviously the building would've catered for far less people than it now will. I just feel like they've escalated their issues within the hotels themselves.

A push for entertainments area on Air car park perhaps? Or just naivety that there won't be an issue..
 
At fireworks and scare fest many will stay in park later and go straight to rooms if they have kids so less need for entertainment.

Funnily enough, there's a season outside of Scarefest and Fireworks to accommodate also, particularly the summer. The need for entertainment to be revamped and expanded on at the resort side of Towers is in dire need of looking at.
 
Funnily enough, there's a season outside of Scarefest and Fireworks to accommodate also, particularly the summer. The need for entertainment to be revamped and expanded on at the resort side of Towers is in dire need of looking at.
Umm, the first paragraph in my post was that in the summer they can do outdoor entertainment. It would be very easy to do some kind of outdoor pirate training camp activity or similar for kids. As I said Warwick Castle had very well reveiwed knight school activities at their camping (http://notesfromthekitchentable.com/2013/08/26/medieval-glamping-warwick-castle/)

I would expect during the theme park closed season they don't use the lodges and concentrate on filling ATH and Splash instead.
 
At fireworks and scare fest many will stay in park later and go straight to rooms if they have kids so less need for entertainment.

They don't though. Probably 70-80% of families staying in the hotel during Scarefest leave the park by 7 and watch hotel ents. I've seen many cases over the years at peak season and events where both hotels have been heaving with guests and families, putting a lot of pressure on the limited facilities on offer.

The village project was a chance to ease this pressure off the hotels.
 
They don't though. Probably 70-80% of families staying in the hotel during Scarefest leave the park by 7 and watch hotel ents. I've seen many cases over the years at peak season and events where both hotels have been heaving with guests and families, putting a lot of pressure on the limited facilities on offer.

The village project was a chance to ease this pressure off the hotels.

Then the park needs to do more to keep people in there later. Even just kids eat free at towers street grill to encourage people to eat in the park on a scarefest day. Or do it Disney style and have the Cbeebies characters in the restaurant.

They need an extra indoor theatre venue in the parks really. (I don't understand why they didn't keep the ice tent and put Big Fun Showtime inside the tent).
 
Without reading all the discussion, not all parents will want their children to be out in the cold until 9pm. Chances are they want to return to the constant warmth of the hotels regardless of what the park has to offer. I think that is always going to be the case some of the time. It's just people's/families's personal preference.

:)
 
Without reading all the discussion, not all parents will want their children to be out in the cold until 9pm. Chances are they want to return to the constant warmth of the hotels regardless of what the park has to offer. I think that is always going to be the case some of the time. It's just people's/families's personal preference.

:)

In that case they need to book the hotel and not a lodge? ;-)
 
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