2021: General Discussion

[jon81uk]

and I think even once "social distancing" ends, many people will remain wary of tightly packed poorly ventilated spaces anyway. Things like Hex isn't so bad as you can keep a few steps from other households/groups, but Wickerman pre-show was very tightly packed and I expect there may be people who aren't comfortable with that for years. The pre-show likely won't return in 2021 and I'm not sure how it will feel in 2022. Some people will just be more wary of diseases you can pick up from other people in general, not just Covid.

 

[Ethan]

and I think even once "social distancing" ends, many people will remain wary of tightly packed poorly ventilated spaces anyway. Things like Hex isn't so bad as you can keep a few steps from other households/groups, but Wickerman pre-show was very tightly packed and I expect there may be people who aren't comfortable with that for years. The pre-show likely won't return in 2021 and I'm not sure how it will feel in 2022. Some people will just be more wary of diseases you can pick up from other people in general, not just Covid.

I think regardless to if you like it or not, as soon as towers are given the green light to remove social distancing and increase the capacity they will. So if people aren't comfortable being close to groups at that point i question why you'd go to one of the biggest uk attractions in the first place

 

[Skyscraper]

I think regardless to if you like it or not, as soon as towers are given the green light to remove social distancing and increase the capacity they will. So if people aren't comfortable being close to groups at that point i question why you'd go to one of the biggest uk attractions in the first place

I completely agree. People don't have to visit if they don't feel comfortable. If you don't like the rules changing, don't visit. Simple as that.

 

[jon81uk]

I think regardless to if you like it or not, as soon as towers are given the green light to remove social distancing and increase the capacity they will. So if people aren't comfortable being close to groups at that point i question why you'd go to one of the biggest uk attractions in the first place

But comfort can be a range of things. Being in a queue line where you are free to maintain a small distance between you and the next group or in the Hex cinema room where there is plenty of space for all 80 guests is very different to the tightly packed small room for the Wickerman pre-show.

people may well be comfortable with the queue line and ride experience of Wickerman without distancing, but don’t want to spend time squeezed up against people in a small space yet. So are you saying that people who aren’t comfortable with that one pre-show should not visit the park at all?

 

[Ethan]

people may well be comfortable with the queue line and ride experience of Wickerman without distancing, but don’t want to spend time squeezed up against people in a small space yet. So are you saying that people who aren’t comfortable with that one pre-show should not visit the park at all?

No one was bothered in 2019. So clearly this is about covid and not other diseases because other diseases have always been around

 

[AT86]

No one was bothered in 2019. So clearly this is about covid and not other diseases because other diseases have always been around

The world has changed since covid arrived. It will have knock on affects to people’s behaviour for years to come.

 

[Danscott22]

Re Wicker Man, I'm not expecting to ever see it's pre-show in operation ever again to be honest. There will obviously be a time when they can, but whether they will is a different matter.

 

[jon81uk]

No one was bothered in 2019. So clearly this is about covid and not other diseases because other diseases have always been around

As AT86 also said, the pandemic will likely change some peoples behaviour forever. I think at least for the next few years many people will be warey of getting close to strangers.
Also look how the previous SARS outbreaks changed behaviours in Asian countries, masks are commonly worn now if people don't feel well to prevent them passing a disease on. Pandemics can change behaviour long-term.

Realistically, many people who don't want to be around strangers won't go to a theme park, but for some it will be more of a sliding scale where they are happy overall but don't want to get in a "claustrophobic" situation.

 

[Poisson]

I have a feeling the preshow will be canned full stop, don't have to maintain some of the systems then and save some money. Plus it was always a bit too cramped anyway in there.

 

[djtruefitt]

Would save a staff member position if they got rid of it. It should be ran like hex really, could easily add a turnstyle at the door to the building and then let op run it, or the staff member on merge.

 

[Matt N]

Could they install some queue line within that space, and play the pre-show on an intermittent loop, kind of like they did with CATCF’s when it operated?

 

[ChristmasPud]

It should be ran like hex really

Is it not run like Hex already, guests batched into first room then op starts show when ready. Even though there's no staff in the octagon it's still monitored and started by the op. I think it's the only way the preshow can be run feasibly unless there was no batching of guests going through it

It could be adapted to run wild maybe, but would have to be adapted a lot and it would be a real shame to lose those good moments

I dont think there's any reason to worry about it not returning at the moment though

 

[mo237]

Could they install some queue line within that space, and play the pre-show on an intermittent loop, kind of like they did with CATCF’s when it operated?

Whilst possible, it'd sacrifice all kinds of atmosphere and suck the fun out of the scene if it became part of the queue. The show makes brilliant use of darkness and volume, both of which would have to be neutered considerably if there was a constant flow of people. Also it'd get a little bit annoying being held in that room and either missing bits, or watching it multiple times in a row.

As to when the preshow itself will return? It really depends on how distancing is after June. Wouldn't be hugely surprised if it came back right at the end of the season if it's safe enough, or failing that, next year. Just really hope it does return in the end, in my opinion it's the best part of the experience!

 

[Matt N]

I think it will return eventually, if in a slightly altered form. Wicker Man was built as a complete themed experience, and that was something the park was always very keen to emphasise, so I’d be surprised if they didn’t want the pre-show to come back in some capacity.

I think people might possibly be less cautious about distancing within the pre-show room than you might expect. I’ve seen a lot of people saying how keen they are to get back to things like concerts, and indoor concerts are a similar cramming together of people in an indoor space (albeit on a far, far larger scale). They’re also on about reopening nightclubs in June, and people seem very keen to go back to them. Again, nightclubs cram people tightly together in an indoor space.

Once the “threat” has gone, I think people might be more keen to return to old behaviours than you might expect. I’ve seen a lot of social scientists predict a potential repeat of the “Roaring 20s” once the pandemic has subsided, and that would include people going out and socialising and being close together a lot; to “make up for lost time”, if you like.

 

[kydog1299]

I think it will return eventually, if in a slightly altered form. Wicker Man was built as a complete themed experience, and that was something the park was always very keen to emphasise, so I’d be surprised if they didn’t want the pre-show to come back in some capacity.

I think people might possibly be less cautious about distancing within the pre-show room than you might expect. I’ve seen a lot of people saying how keen they are to get back to things like concerts, and indoor concerts are a similar cramming together of people in an indoor space (albeit on a far, far larger scale). They’re also on about reopening nightclubs in June, and people seem very keen to go back to them. Again, nightclubs cram people tightly together in an indoor space.

Once the “threat” has gone, I think people might be more keen to return to old behaviours than you might expect. I’ve seen a lot of social scientists predict a potential repeat of the “Roaring 20s” once the pandemic has subsided, and that would include people going out and socialising and being close together a lot; to “make up for lost time”, if you like.

They might say it’s a themed experience and has to remain so, but all the RTP’s across the division have had new rides dummed-down over time or pre-shows axed. Look at The Smiler. On paper the projection room was initially great, but over time it has never been restored back to that original level.

On the clubs point, don’t forget the age demographics of many going to clubs and festivals will mostly be young people, who are largely less bothered about changing their behaviour in response to COVID because they’ve been less affected by it. Theme parks attract different age demographics and I suspect as you go up the ages, the more bothered people will be/change their behaviour as a result of the pandemic. I’d make an educated guess that the behaviour of customers initially and the response from guest feedback will be the deciding factor about how people feel in respect to distancing at theme parks beyond June.

 

[ChristmasPud]

Look at The Smiler. On paper the projection room was initially great, but over time it has never been restored back to that original level.

Definitely across all the parks, even well before Merlin, ride 'show' stuff has not been well maintained and stuff left broken /cut over time.

Although I think the reason for the Smiler room is more because it just wasn't built well enough, compared to Wicker Man anyway. The projections are near impossible to keep in line due to the vibrations of the track in the building, usually that kind of installation would have better shock absorption for vibrations etc

As soon as Wicker man opened you just knew so much would be lost over time. Look at Vampire at Chessington, when it opened it was the best themed coaster in the country, but got into a shocking state over time. Now it's just a DIY 'theme', you'd never realise how good it was.

If that happened to Wicker Man, we'd see all the internal theming stripped back to bear walls, audio & lighting missing, preshow left unused so long that people wouldnt realise it ever did anything.

The moment the newness wears off on a themed ride and things get cut, it's a slippery slope to a lot more getting lost, I hope it doesnt happen to WM

 

[Thameslink Rail]

It doesn't even take that long for things to fall apart, In The Night Garden was looking a right state even a couple of years after it opened and it's started to look like something from a horror movie. In contrast, Peppa Pig World opened before Cbeebies Land and still looks new.

 

[Ethan]

It doesn't even take that long for things to fall apart, In The Night Garden was looking a right state even a couple of years after it opened and it's started to look like something from a horror movie. In contrast, Peppa Pig World opened before Cbeebies Land and still looks new.

Merlin don't seem to like investing money on maintaining their attractions to the standard they were at when they opened. Its disappointing because its not like they don't have the money

 

[AT86]

Information from Alton Towers regarding how the food side of things for the Enchanted Village will work between 12th April and 17th May.

Those breakfast baps sound suspiciously like the reheated prepackage ones that are used for the pods. Bear in mind they are charging up to £284 for one night (without park tickets) for lodges during these dates.

I’m not sure it would be too much to ask for them to offer something a little better. They could quite easily offer some type of breakfast box with cereal/milk/muffins/pastries/juice etc without too much bother.

 

[Ivsetti]

I have to ask because I've never stayed overnight at AT but would anyone on this forum actually pay £284 to stay in a hotel for 1 night at AT? Considering this doesn't even include park tickets.