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2019: General Discussion

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RoyJess said:
A new Single rider sign has now been added to the Smiler entrance. I was enjoying the single rider queue being empty while it lasted

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The vinyl looks a bit cut off. The border doesn't even fit!
 
Dave said:
I would agree but all parks are pushing the family market, so it must be economically more viable to focus on families. Drayton push Thomas Land, Paultons is Peppa Pig, Towers with Cboobies and a family friendly SW in Wickerman.

Even Blackpool went with a Mack family coaster in Icon! :)
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Interestingly I noticed that a lot of outlets where doing a roaring trade in beer (woodcutters, welcominn and coffee shack ) I guess that's all the families
 
themeparkfan said:
Interestingly I noticed that a lot of outlets where doing a roaring trade in beer (woodcutters, welcominn and coffee shack ) I guess that's all the families
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That is interesting, shocking really how you have managed to turn a whole argument upside down on in park alcohol sales. Especially as it’s a requirement for adult family members to remain t-total at all times....

Seriously though, no one is suggesting that other groups don’t contribute to income. But you have to be walking around with eyes closed to not see that parks put a lot of time and money into the family market and they wouldn’t be doing that if it didn’t pay dividends in the end.
 
Really sad to see nemesis with much smaller queue than other rides. I know it's throughout is better but still remember the days when it was upto 3 hours
 
themeparkfan said:
Is this true? I am in a family 2 adults and 2 kids and once I get in with our MAPS we take our own packed food and looking around Cbeebies and other parts of the park most similar families or those with younger kids have food packed in a rucksack etc. Most of the people I see in woodcutters or explorers through the window are teenagers or older groups with families so I don't know where this "families spend more money " comes from or do merlin get data to prove otherwise?
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I do not own a MAP. Neither does my family consisting of my girlfriend and our two young children. (Between age 4 and 7)

We usually visit Alton twice a year, we make a proper go of it and it is a treat out for the kids as much as it is for ourselves.

We pay for entry, usually discounted through my work, so just a little bit cheaper than 2 for 1 for all members of my family. As it is a treat, we eat at the restaurants and food outlets on the park, for dinner, snacks, drinks, as that is part of the treat in my eyes. That alone usually adds up to a fair bit. We might pay for a few mid way games, always a few on ride photos and always souvenirs.

If we visited lots, we probably would be bringing our own food, however as we visit once or twice a year usually, we take full advantage of it and pay for quite a lot on park. I would suspect that a hell of alot of families,if not the majority that come through the gates visit once or twice a year too. As a quick guess, I think I easily spend more than £200 at Alton for a visit, maybe even well over £250, including entry, food, snacks, drinks, photos, souvenirs etc. I can't put an exact figure on it as I must admit I do not really tally up how much I spend, I know not everyone is in that position, but without a doubt, families spend more. 1000% they do.

I know people won't be happy about giving Merlin so much hard earned cash, but ya know, I would be, but seeing your family have a great time is worth far more than that. So outweighs it. But even so, that cost is not much, not for a family of 4. Not at all.
 
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Ethan said:
Really sad to see nemesis with much smaller queue than other rides. I know it's throughout is better but still remember the days when it was upto 3 hours
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I was thinking that on Thursday. All the overgrown queue lines too. Then I thought that reason it has a short queue, is unlike the other on that day. It was the only one not to suffer Down time. The old girl is showing its sisters how it's done.
 
bluesonichd said:
Nemmy is always run on point. No faff. Bish bash bosh. Get them in and out.
Unlike all the other faffy rides
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It’s an easy ride to keep flowing, doesn’t require effort to keep the trains moving and high capacity per train helps too.

Oblivion is the same to some extent when on 2 stations.
 
Slugjc said:
I was thinking that on Thursday. All the overgrown queue lines too. Then I thought that reason it has a short queue, is unlike the other on that day. It was the only one not to suffer Down time. The old girl is showing its sisters how it's done.
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I think that you also have the issue that Nemesis is a bit older and compared to many of the rides in the park it no longer holds a gimmick. For me Nemesis is in my top 5 world-wide coasters, but for those just looking for cheap thrills (forgive the phrase) - 14 inversions, a drop track or a mildly-fast launch may seem to be more of a draw.

I can never understand the lines for Wickerman. To me it is amazingly themed, but the ride is 'meh' at best. As someone who loves woodies (I'm noticing a lot of innuendo in this post..) it doesn't do much for me - I even think Nick Streak is technically a better wooden coaster and more thrilling Don't get me wrong, the ride is fine and a sub-20 min queue is acceptable - but waiting an hour.... seriously?
 
Wicker Man is a great all round experience though, it’s not really about the coaster on its own, it’s about the who package; the theming, the effects, the story, and the coaster. And with the family market seemingly more lucrative than the thrill market is a present I can understand why they’ve made it a ride for the whole family. And it also helps fill a gap in the parks lineup, and although they’re still very much lacking in family rides, it’s something at least. They didn’t need another thrill coaster.
 
Robert.W said:
Wicker Man is a great all round experience though, it’s not really about the coaster on its own, it’s about the who package; the theming, the effects, the story, and the coaster. And with the family market seemingly more lucrative than the thrill market is a present I can understand why they’ve made it a ride for the whole family. And it also helps fill a gap in the parks lineup, and although they’re still very much lacking in family rides, it’s something at least. They didn’t need another thrill coaster.
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Oh, I agree.... To a certain extent. What I don't agree with is it being a family ride. Well, the coaster is, but everything that surrounds it isn't. If it were a family coaster, I could understand it. But to take a maily into the preshow and tell them they are about to be burnt to death....

I would say the ride was a bit of an own-goal... But clearly it isn't going by the lines. I find the whole thing really puzzling, but I guess that I'm in the wrong!
 
Are the travellers on site today?

We came last Easter Sunday and wondered why we couldn’t get in the priority cat park and there were police everywhere!
 
Towers are so into the family market that they've closed 5 family attrations in the last few years, replacing one with a 1.2mtr height restricted coaster themed around being burned alive and another with an upsell horror themed dungeon. They've also turned their family rapids ride into a boring gentle boat ride and shrunk one of their family areas and left it looking abandoned.

But then we did get Peter Rabbit for pre schoolers to compensate so....
 
ScottishChris said:
Oh, I agree.... To a certain extent. What I don't agree with is it being a family ride. Well, the coaster is, but everything that surrounds it isn't. If it were a family coaster, I could understand it. But to take a maily into the preshow and tell them they are about to be burnt to death....

I would say the ride was a bit of an own-goal... But clearly it isn't going by the lines. I find the whole thing really puzzling, but I guess that I'm in the wrong!
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