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2019: General Discussion

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Rick said:
@ScottishChris I'm not sure the location was everything to do with it, there's a case that it might have been more popular alongside other 1.2 rides, but I think the pirate ship concept has lost some of its charm.

Black Bucaneer and Blade Frankenstein, perhaps?
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I agree, however, pirate ships are high capacity rides and this is what Towers needs - put it in the right area and it would get footfall. Towers suffers badly from long lines and, in my opinion, really needs to focus on attractions that can help spread the load and get people moving around the park more effectively.

I just don't understand why they have a single family ride in an area with two intense coasters. Surely it would make sense to match the flat to the area it is in.
 
So great they remove blade in time for scarefeast! One less attraction for the masses! No kids under 1.4 m better head that way . God help them if th13teen or WM goes down customer services better be well staffed with the onslaught of unhappy families. They better remove it from Web site ASAP so family visitors are prepared for 1 less attraction. I wonder if they will reduce gate price for reduced product offering
 
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themeparkfan said:
So great they remove blade in time for scarefeast! One less attraction for the masses! No kids under 1.4 m better head that way . God help them if th13teen or WM goes down customer services better be well staffed with the onslaught of unhappy families
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Th13teen, WM, spinball, RMT, rapids, hex, duel, enterprise. Tbf towers have plenty of family rides
 
With the possibility of the blade leaving the park, is there a possibility a new large scale attraction will move into the area around the sub terra area, it's a long shot however I've drawn up a possible space for an attraction and it could be a possibility. More than likely it wouldn't be a secret weapon however a smaller indoor style ride with a focus on theming could very easily fit in the space, let me know what you think.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/YvgT8LUgfDTstH6R8
 
Ethan said:
Th13teen, WM, spinball, RMT, rapids, hex, duel, enterprise. Tbf towers have plenty of family rides
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Yes but one less all the same so surely there should be a reduction in gate price seeing as it's a reduction in offering and operation cost ah but.... ... there we go another idea from the consultants to reduce the cost base watch out enterprise you are probably on the hit list next just 2 attractions are needed in each area . only the silly competition open areas with more than 2 rides eh poulton.
 
ScottishChris said:
I just don't understand why they have a single family ride in an area with two intense coasters. Surely it would make sense to match the flat to the area it is in.
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Have to disagree. From experience visiting with younger family members I think it makes more sense to have the odd family ride scattered around each area. Not everyone is tall/brave enough and shouldn’t have to sit waiting on a bench while people they’re with go on the coasters.
 
It's the poor lego family I feel sorry for. As when the buyout is complete they will discover Merlin have stripped the themeparks bare and are they prepared for the level of investment required? Let's look
Alton Towers : N:St gone
Blade gone
Twirling Toadstool gone
Ripsaw gone
4D cinema gone
Thorpe Park : loggers leap gone
Slammer gone
Saw alive gone
Chessington : buccaneer gone
R revenge going
Legoland : poor staffing and operations ALL season

I hope the poor guys are prepared what level of investment will be needed!
 
OK they might have representation but I imagine that the financial performance of legoland is going to be poor this year looking at the trip adviser reports and customer stories in the sun etc. Merlin have bled the place dry in the name of cost cutting and operations were dire. I doubt anyone on the board actually visited the place themselves to get a first hand view. Knowing these corporate types they will probably have spent money on mystery shoppers rather than experiencing it themselves. The state of all the themeparks is dire and I invite anyone to say otherwise please give firm evidence to disagree. The competition is strepping up next year with poultons new expansion. So how are the merlin parks going to fight back? What are their investments, improvements or expansion plans for the 2020 season,? If they want people to invest in MAPs season passes or day visits they need something to get customers to visit in the first place let alone get footfall to increase. Massive investment is needed and I'm just not sure the board realise the scale of the problem as all they have obviously been focused on is profit not customer satisfaction . 2020 is going to be an uncertain year I know with Brexit and the risk of a no deal etc. And if people are going to be frugal with their money and not book overseas holidays they want value for money UK breaks or days out. They will not pay out for run down second rate parks with decreasing offering or constant up selling when inside. People do lots or research online now with customer reviews, TripAdvisor, facebook, twitter and even these forums when planning visits remember. So like i have already repeated this is a massive problem to turn around.
 
HardlyHeadbanging said:
With the possibility of the blade leaving the park, is there a possibility a new large scale attraction will move into the area around the sub terra area, it's a long shot however I've drawn up a possible space for an attraction and it could be a possibility. More than likely it wouldn't be a secret weapon however a smaller indoor style ride with a focus on theming could very easily fit in the space, let me know what you think.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/YvgT8LUgfDTstH6R8
Click to expand...

I think it’s pretty obvious something is going in this area
 
themeparkfan said:
Yes but one less all the same so surely there should be a reduction in gate price seeing as it's a reduction in offering and operation cost ah but.... ... there we go another idea from the consultants to reduce the cost base watch out enterprise you are probably on the hit list next just 2 attractions are needed in each area . only the silly competition open areas with more than 2 rides eh poulton.
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There already has been a reduction in price, it's called the "Season pass".
 
...And footfall has massively increased with the cheap season pass.
If the main aim of the cheap pass was to get people back in the park, then it has been a massive success.
People do pay out to visit second rate attractions, always have, always will.
The second rate attractions tend to close after a decade or two, and others pop up to replace them.
This makes up a large part of the tourism industry sadly.
 
It's not intense but it is a 1.4 ride. That's more the issue. I know Eftaling have worked with B&M to bring down Barron 1898's height from 1.4 to 1.3ish as that's not intense. Would be nice to see Alton do the same.
 
Alton Towers is slowly being run into the ground - no question about it.

The rot started back in about 2003 under Tussauds stewardship - they were a bad few years. A change in management did see some considerable improvements a few years later. Then Merlin came along - things were OK at first, then Merlin Entertainments became publicly listed. The accountants were now firmly in control - every penny spent / invested had to return shareholder value, or it was just cut from the budget.

We have seen rides removed. What should be standard routine maintenance marketed as "Towers Loving Care". More accommodation added, when one of the hotels only operates seasonally (how that got past the accountants baffles me). F&B unit closures. Park operating hours a joke. I could go on....!

I hope Lego have done suitable due diligence as to the sheer level of investment needed at Alton Towers to bring it back upto scratch. It is huge - not just what the guests see either - some of the behind the scenes infrastructure is a joke (portacabins / sheds / pre-fabricated buildings dating back to pre-1980). The ride offering clearly needs a lot of investment. The monorail is on it's last legs (has been for a while). And this is just Towers! You then have Thorpe, Chessie & Legoland to look at too.

Second only to Disney - maybe in the number guest visits across the Merlin attractions estate, but in terms of quality of a day out at one of the Resort Theme Parks they are in a different galaxy. (And no pun intended there with regard to Galaxy Edge at Disney).
 
Doublethink said:
I know Eftaling have worked with B&M to bring down Barron 1898's height from 1.4 to 1.3ish as that's not intense. Would be nice to see Alton do the same.
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They wouldn't be able to do that with galactica as it's a flying coaster and changing the restraints would be too much hastle
 
Kraken27 said:
Alton Towers is slowly being run into the ground - no question about it.

The rot started back in about 2003 under Tussauds stewardship - they were a bad few years. A change in management did see some considerable improvements a few years later. Then Merlin came along - things were OK at first, then Merlin Entertainments became publicly listed. The accountants were now firmly in control - every penny spent / invested had to return shareholder value, or it was just cut from the budget.

We have seen rides removed. What should be standard routine maintenance marketed as "Towers Loving Care". More accommodation added, when one of the hotels only operates seasonally (how that got past the accountants baffles me). F&B unit closures. Park operating hours a joke. I could go on....!

I hope Lego have done suitable due diligence as to the sheer level of investment needed at Alton Towers to bring it back upto scratch. It is huge - not just what the guests see either - some of the behind the scenes infrastructure is a joke (portacabins / sheds / pre-fabricated buildings dating back to pre-1980). The ride offering clearly needs a lot of investment. The monorail is on it's last legs (has been for a while). And this is just Towers! You then have Thorpe, Chessie & Legoland to look at too.

Second only to Disney - maybe in the number guest visits across the Merlin attractions estate, but in terms of quality of a day out at one of the Resort Theme Parks they are in a different galaxy. (And no pun intended there with regard to Galaxy Edge at Disney).
Click to expand...

It's a sad state of affairs when Eastern European parks like Energylandia offer better rides, theming (in the new areas), shows, oppperations, cleanliness, selection of rides for all ages and guest experience as a whole than Towers, the Crown Jewl of merlin parks.
 
Doublethink said:
It's a sad state of affairs when Eastern European parks like Energylandia offer better rides, theming (in the new areas), shows, oppperations, selection of rides for all ages and guest experience as a whole than Towers, the Crown Jewl of merlin parks.
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Why is that? It seems clear to me that Engerylandia have far more capital available to them than Alton Towers!
 
Rob said:
Why is that? It seems clear to me that Engerylandia have far more capital available to them than Alton Towers!
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Thats the issue isn't it? Towers has been chronicly underfunded for years and is now being leapfrogged by many of the European Parks. What I would say however is that f&b and guest experience arnt so much capital issues as funding allocation. Just simple acts like high fived in by the staff and mascots and goodbye by them in the evening or having clean paths and bathrooms add so much to the experience.
 
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