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2020: General Discussion

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Mr Pearse said:
Towers won’t fall it will push through till next season. I really do think Merlin will open hotels before parks and try and recoup some money but I can’t see the Merlin portfolio going bust. Smaller parks definitely tho.
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This kinda worries me, I have stays at both towers and the pleasure beach hotels coming up in summer and I really wouldn’t be that surprised if the hotels were open and the parks were shut and no refunds or alterations were offered on the hotel reservations as they were actually open, albeit with nothing to do!
 
Mr Pearse said:
The first thing I noticed when they are offering to move the stay to 2021 surely that would make more sense to do that. Some people think it will open by June so they are adamant to keep the booking.
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Not going to happen though. Parks will not open to next season; It's just not feasible.
 
I love how some people are saying it *will* be open by June like it's a fact.

Others are saying it *will* be open by September as if it's a fact.

More still are saying it 100% *won't* be open until next season, again, as if it's a fact.


You don't know. Nobody does.
Why is everybody trying to act like they know better than everyone else when even the government clearly has no clue what is going to happen from day to day?
 
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D4n said:
I love how some people are saying it *will* be open by June like it's a fact.

Others are saying it *will* be open by September as if it's a fact.

More still are saying it 100% *won't* be open until next season, again, as if it's a fact.


You don't know. Nobody does.
Why is everybody trying to act like they know better than everyone else when even the government clearly has no clue what is going to happen from day to day.
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Having some certainty even if misplaced is calming.

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D4n said:
You don't know. Nobody does.
Why is everybody trying to act like they know better than everyone else when even the government clearly has no clue what is going to happen from day to day.
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This, 100% this.

People need to get off their high horse, and acting as if they know for certain what is and isn't going to happen. It helps no-one, just spreads false news. The damage it causes is immense - don't forget, a large number of people on a forum like this work at theme parks, how do you think it plays on their minds to hear someone say with certainty "well the parks won't be opening this year". Someone who, to be clear, has absolutely no qualification or given knowledge to make such a sweeping, rubbish statement.

Conjecture and guesswork will always happen, that's a bedrock of a forum. But please, think carefully before you say "well xyz WILL happen" or "xyz CATEGORICALLY WON'T happen this year".

imanautie said:
Having some certainty even if misplaced is calming.

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk
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For you maybe, not for others who read it.
 
Islander said:
This, 100% this.

People need to get off their high horse, and acting as if they know for certain what is and isn't going to happen. It helps no-one, just spreads false news. The damage it causes is immense - don't forget, a large number of people on a forum like this work at theme parks, how do you think it plays on their minds to hear someone say with certainty "well the parks won't be opening this year". Someone who, to be clear, has absolutely no qualification or given knowledge to make such a sweeping, rubbish statement.

Conjecture and guesswork will always happen, that's a bedrock of a forum. But please, think carefully before you say "well xyz WILL happen" or "xyz CATEGORICALLY WON'T happen this year".


For you maybe, not for others who read it.
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Well said.
 
Islander said:
This works on the (flawed) idea that at full capacity, parks only make a tiny amount of revenue. If that were true, then parks would always close outside school holidays, all weekdays etc., times when attendance is much, much less than half the capacity of the park.
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Umm they have been ever since the Smiler incident. Yes they haven't closed every weekday, but there was periods were they were only open 5 days a week during term-time and with very short hours on the days they are open.
September this year they are planned to close Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. They do keep the park closed on days when they don't expect large enough crowds to make it worth operating.
 
jon81uk said:
Umm they have been ever since the Smiler incident. Yes they haven't closed every weekday, but there was periods were they were only open 5 days a week during term-time and with very short hours on the days they are open.
September this year they are planned to close Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. They do keep the park closed on days when they don't expect large enough crowds to make it worth operating.
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Yes, but those days where they do open weekdays in term time, of which there are plenty, no one should be under the false impression that the attendance is anywhere near 50% capacity...
 
Islander said:
Yes, but those days where they do open weekdays in term time, of which there are plenty, no one should be under the false impression that the attendance is anywhere near 50% capacity...
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Not but the days where they do get large crowds, subsidise the days they don't. So a day of 80% capacity subsidises the day of 30% full.
If every day of operating is a maximum of only 50% then you never get the really busy days to subsidise the low days. You get some 50% days and then some 30% days meaning overall its not enough.
 
jon81uk said:
Not but the days where they do get large crowds, subsidise the days they don't. So a day of 80% capacity subsidises the day of 30% full.
If every day of operating is a maximum of only 50% then you never get the really busy days to subsidise the low days. You get some 50% days and then some 30% days meaning overall its not enough.
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But this is my point, this works on the assumption that days at say 30% capacity operate at a loss, which they simply do not.
 
Islander said:
But this is my point, this works on the assumption that days at say 30% capacity operate at a loss, which they simply do not.
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My numbers were just examples to try and illustrate why it may not be worth opening with a low cap on admissions.

They may not be at a loss, but there will be some days where it is barely worth opening, hence the weekday closures to get more people on the other weekdays. Is it worth operating for very small profits?
We don't now what the breakeven point is of getting enough guests into the park to make it worth staffing and operating. But it will exist and there will be days where they are only just getting enough guests to make it worthwhile opening. Or where they did in the past and are therefore now closed that day.
 
I highly doubt that the park will not offer some kind of date swap or alternative should the hotel’s re-open before the main theme parks. From a PR and marketing perspective, that would be a disaster on social media/review platforms and for future business. Just look at how much stick some airlines and package holiday operators are getting for some of the offers they’re coming out with, and they’re pretty generous too.
 
I imagine as it stands they would rather try get as many customers as possible to keep bookings and not refund them, wherever that’s this season or next.
 
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