Dave
TS Founding Member
Yeah Towers has never opened beyond 9pm due to local restrictions. Pretty sure they have a limit on the number of 9pm closes as well (negotiable with the council). I suspect the aim is to have the rides shut down by 11pm.
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2020: General Discussion
Yeah Towers has never opened beyond 9pm due to local restrictions. Pretty sure they have a limit on the number of 9pm closes as well (negotiable with the council). I suspect the aim is to have the rides shut down by 11pm.
AT86
TS Member
They can (and have) opened later than 9pm, I just don’t think there is any real demand for any later so it doesn’t happen.
Dave
TS Founding Member
They can (and have) opened later than 9pm, I just don’t think there is any real demand for any later so it doesn’t happen.
Pretty sure that was Gaydar day and guest numbers where lower so the run off queues where shorter, but it had been paid by a corporate sponsor so Towers didn’t care.
The local authorities don’t dictate the queue close, they set the noise expectations for the area at different times. In general it has been a fair assumption to get the park compliant by the required time they need queues to close at 9pm.
I think it’s worth pointing out there are no by-laws here, it’s just how they negotiate with the council. Even the noise abatements that shortened the firework display number of days are not fixed in stone and the park could try and negotiate more.
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Steve74
TS Member
Funny you should say that, recent pictures and vlogs from the park show the fireworks adverts with "Selected dates in November" rather than the original 6th, 7th and 8th. But if you look at the calendar when buying tickets, every day from the last day of Scarefest (Sun 1st) through to Sun 8th is available. Last year the park was closed for those days between Scarefest and the Fireworks if I remember? So does this mean there could be more than 3 nights spread out over that week and weekend maybe?
Thameslink Rail
TS Member
I thought the noise abatement order restricted them to three fireworks nights a year?
The "Roper Case" noise abatement order definitely limited fireworks events to 3 nights per year, down from the previous 5 they had prior to this.
It always used to be Saturday & Sunday of the weekend before the end of season, then the last Friday, Saturday & Sunday of the season.
I guess there is nothing to stop Towers spreading the firework events over a week (but still sticking to three in total). That said, you'd only do this in October half term to make commercial sense, so the "selected dates in November" seems odd.
That said, many councils who normally put on free firework shows around bonfire night are cancelling them due to budgetary restraints caused by the Covid-19 situation. Fireworks, by definition are pure money up in smoke. It is not unthinkable that Towers may have something up their sleeve to capitalise on this - fireworks on various dates in November with rides / theme park thrown in? Yes, it will cost them to open the park / stage the events, but think of all the revenue from tickets, parking, F&B, shops etc...
Dave
TS Founding Member
It’s actually a little more complicated than that, it didn’t ban more than 3 a year but certain rules came into play if there where more than 4 “high noise level” events a year. The order and the subsequent appeals (that didn’t make much news) are a little complicated.
BarryZola
TS Member
Hmmm, sounds like I'll have to pre-book about 30 days in a row in October/November to make sure I've got a ticket for the days when there's good stuff going on. Don't worry, on the 27 days I'm not gonna bother turning up I'll just not even bother cancelling or letting Towers know. It'll only cost me £30. Better safe than sorry... 
jon81uk
TS Member
Opposite way round, it was Friday, Saturday, Sunday of half term and then just Satuday and Sunday of the last weekend of the season (usually closest to bonfire night).
This is why since the noise restrictions ScareFest has now filled the half term week instead, so the Friday fireworks were usually very quiet as most kids were in school.
Skyscraper
TS Member
Error
TS Member
This isn't Thorpe thankfully.
imanautie
TS Member
For those with the app it's an effective way to get the message out, but I agree that it shouldn't be the only way, they could have changed what's shown on the digital signs for one.
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Skyscraper
TS Member
Apologies is this isn't the right thread (mods feel free to move it to the right place), but I've just seen this video about a new security scanner system Disney are using. Towers and other UK parks should use it.
imanautie
TS Member
Ooh now that seems decent, metal detectors with fancy analysis of the signal.
Issue is merlin don't even use the detectors they have properly.
Dave
TS Founding Member
It would depend how sensitive it is to knives I suppose. American and European weapon threats are different beasts. Also if I was Towers I would wait and see how it works at Disney first, I imagine Disney have got a good deal as the guest numbers they have are fantastic resource for a machine learning AI system that performs better the more data it has.
@imanautie Any update on Fastrack sell date? Thanks
imanautie
TS Member
Haven't checked Alton recently (who completely removed the packages from accesso web), THORPE appear to be reselling them in a week or two so I guess a similar timescale for Alton.
jon81uk
TS Member
The thing being looked for is different. Disney are worried about terrorists and people wanting to massacre with a gun. In the UK we don’t have the gun issue in the same way and I don’t think our theme parks are major terror threats in the same way as central London attractions such as the Eye.
What happened at Thorpe recently was unfortunate but it was a disagreement between a couple of guests, not a terrorism event. I don’t think high levels of security are needed, particularly at Alton Towers.
Thanks for the info @imanautie