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2017: General Discussion

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Not sure if anyone picked up on the latest blog post (delete if necessary) but this is a really good move by Towers:

All new Changing Places at Alton Towers Resort
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Alton Towers Resort has teamed up with an external accessibility expert who has provided the Resort Excellence team with incredibly useful recommendations to help make our Resort even more inclusive for guests.

Using the information provided, as well as the recommendations of guests made throughout the year, we decided to make a significant investment to install a modern Changing Place (Located in X Sector) and Space to Change facility (located in Fountain Square). They have been installed due to in key areas of the Resort, near to the main entrance and SkyRide, so that guests can easily reach the facilities no matter where they are on the park. These fresh, new facilities include hoists, adult changing beds, height adjustable sink and plenty of floor space to allow room for two helpers.

We have also made improvements to our Accessibility Guide, available online and from the Resort Box Office, so that all accessible facilities at Alton Towers Resort are easier to find out about. The Guide, which has been specifically designed to ensure the font style and size is better for guests with visual impairments, also includes our incredible ‘Something Special Sensory Garden’, which is supported by Makaton signage and designed to help children with language development.

For the 2017 season, we have also further enhanced our map and on park signage to highlight the accessible routes around the park, as well as clearly sign posting the Changing Places and Space to Change areas, making everything even quicker and simpler to find – giving you even more time to enjoy the Resort
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So it seems that the park have improved their disabled facilities to cater to more guests which is a lovely touch and is great to see. Credit to them for this

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Going back to the park map, it looks like we're finally seeing the return of the cut-through from the Haunted Hollow to the FV Skyride station, which hasn't been on the park map since 1999 (though I think it has seen occasional use during events since it closed). Hopefully it'll be open during Scarefest and Fireworks too, as getting between FV and Mutiny Bay at night was always a bit of a faff with the Skyride and most convenient footpaths closed after dusk.
 
DiogoJ42 said:
Cbeebies land now takes up a quarter of the park‽
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I guess from a rides perspective, it contains more than 1/4 of the park's attractions. It's also a significant draw for them, so I get why it would be larger.

RoyJess said:
All the rides have names and now with numbers :eek:
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Quite common around Europe. Though saying that, a lot of these parks have a far wider range of attractions.
 
I suppose with the numbering the attractions, that they want to make it look like they have a fair number of attractions available to stop guest moaning about the SBNO ones ;)
 
I'm off to Alton towers this coming Saturday, I was wondering why the path between Sharkbait Reef and the River Rapids has been shut? Wondering if anybody could shed light on it.

As it seems the congo river rapids area may become very quiet and a little forgotten about, if I'm correct the path also had the water cannons on it for the river rapids which all ways added a bit of fun to the ride.
 
Jamesd49 said:
I'm off to Alton towers this coming Saturday, I was wondering why the path between Sharkbait Reef and the River Rapids has been shut? Wondering if anybody could shed light on it.

As it seems the congo river rapids area may become very quiet and a little forgotten about, if I'm correct the path also had the water cannons on it for the river rapids which all ways added a bit of fun to the ride.
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It's to allow for construction of SW8, there will be heavy plant crossing on the old path
 
Bert2theSpark said:
Apparently it is shut but the staff path behind the rapids has opened up. And the path is due to reopen this year.
Weird if you think about it, as the staff path is going to be underneath SW8.
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I didn't even realise there was a staff path behind the rapids. I will have a little explore when I'm in there Saturday, I enjoy the rapids, its quite a fun little ride that you don't get too wet on. I'm so looking forward to SW8, I go to Alton towers maybe 3 times a year with work and using work discounts.
 
RoyJess said:
All the rides have names and now with numbers :eek:
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They had them way back in the late 80s/early 90s but I'm not sure if they had them any later than that. Thorpe and Chessie definitely had them in the early 2000s. I like them, makes it easy for people who aren't overly familiar with the park to recognise the rides.

As the map itself, it's a definite improvement and I'm so glad the resort doesn't take up almost half of it. Huge emphasis on Cbeebies land though but that doesn't bother me a lot.
 
We have now had the same map design for 7 consecutive seasons (since 2011).

This is the longest running map series in the history of the park.

I (strongly) suspect this is more down to budget constraints rather than the success of the design.

EDIT: Actually it seems since 2014 the maps have been a hybrid mismatch of the 2008-10 and 2011-13 series.

Would be nice to see something completely fresh next year for SW8.
 
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Bert2theSpark said:
TLC stuff could be happening to them...
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I seem to recall Th13teen was closed for some of last season due to issues with the track switcher at the end. But it seemed to run fine up until the end of the season. Could be TLC to do with that? Or theming updates.
 
Pretty pleased with this years map, yes CBeebies Land is massive however they have finally listened to what we have all be saying for years and are just showing where the hotels are with labels rather than having them take up too much space.

Pathways seem much better defined this year; I am intrigued to see how the new path from Mutiny Bay to Gloomy Wood is going to work, I assume it will be a temporary path that links up with the existing staff path behind the Rapids.

The 'Back for 2017' tags on Hex and Driving School are a little desperate mind, and does anyone know why on earth the Towers are covered in yellow goo!?

:)
 
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