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2021: General Discussion

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But it's a Merlin-Approved Maggot-Wagon / Roach-Coach. What more could we ask for at the UK's No1 Theme Park? I can just see Disney booking said food / bar vans for the Epcot food & wine festival... NOT.
 
In fairness to Merlin, catering vans parked on the lawns is not a Merlin-era phenomenon - I remember it happening back in the Tussauds days.
 
WillPS said:
In fairness to Merlin, catering vans parked on the lawns is not a Merlin-era phenomenon - I remember it happening back in the Tussauds days.
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Yes but back then it was only for the fireworks weekends when they needed more capacity at the front of the park as X Sector, Towers, Ugland are closed from 6pm due to the firework launch areas and Merrie England (Mutiny Bay) can't cope with all the guests trying to get food.

The rest of the year they really should be able to offer enough catering outlets to cope with demand. There are multiple closed places, either permanently or just poor previous decisions. Refresh@ripsaw closed, the fish and chips place was replaced with a coffee shop. FV burgers is now hot dogs. Nitrogenie is gone. The mexican cantina is gone. The Dark Forest outlets are now operated by Eastern Express. The wobble world cafe is now a shop. Towers St restaurant is closed, the outlet next to Spinball is closed.

Yes as they are doing shows on the lawns it does make sense to offer catering right next to the stage, but they should be able to offer enough catering outlets in-house during the summer as they were doing 10 years ago.

Fireworks was an exception as the park isn't designed for all the guests to be in less than half the park at once.
 
I'm pleased to see outlets by the lawns. There are so many benches out on the lawns but until Oktoberfest comes around nowhere to conveniently grab a quick drink or bite to eat.
 
Rob said:
I'm pleased to see outlets by the lawns. There are so many benches out on the lawns but until Oktoberfest comes around nowhere to conveniently grab a quick drink or bite to eat.
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But are they as extortionatly priced as they normally are?

At fireworks I think one van was charging £8 for a burger. I walked into Mutiny Bay and got a burger meal for about £7.

The idea of serving food in front of the stage on the lawns area is great, but it should be offered at similar prices to other options in the park!
 
jon81uk said:
Yes but back then it was only for the fireworks weekends when they needed more capacity at the front of the park as X Sector, Towers, Ugland are closed from 6pm due to the firework launch areas and Merrie England (Mutiny Bay) can't cope with all the guests trying to get food.

The rest of the year they really should be able to offer enough catering outlets to cope with demand. There are multiple closed places, either permanently or just poor previous decisions. Refresh@ripsaw closed, the fish and chips place was replaced with a coffee shop. FV burgers is now hot dogs. Nitrogenie is gone. The mexican cantina is gone. The Dark Forest outlets are now operated by Eastern Express. The wobble world cafe is now a shop. Towers St restaurant is closed, the outlet next to Spinball is closed.

Yes as they are doing shows on the lawns it does make sense to offer catering right next to the stage, but they should be able to offer enough catering outlets in-house during the summer as they were doing 10 years ago.

Fireworks was an exception as the park isn't designed for all the guests to be in less than half the park at once.
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Are they definitely not able to provide sufficient catering overall though, or is this to face off complaints over eateries specifically in the vicinity of the lawns?

It does seem weird that the Bagshaw Restaurant hasn't been properly sorted for all this in fairness - hasn't it opened for Fireworks only in recent years?

Spinball Refresh/Noodles always struggled as it's not sufficiently visible from the main path.

Eastern Express having control of the Dark Forest stuff doesn't sound like a bad thing to me.

Not sure how much of a boost Nitrogenie or any of the previous inhabitants of that shack provided.
 
Rob said:
Probably, yes. But I would rather there be an option of getting something than no options at all as was the case on my visit last Sunday.
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Whereas I'm tight and can't see the point paying more for a burger when I can get one cheaper round the corner.
Also I expect many with annual passes would rather go somewhere that gives their 20% discount? Unless there is a more interesting option available (as there was for Mardi Gras).

WillPS said:
Are they definitely not able to provide sufficient catering overall though, or is this to face off complaints over eateries specifically in the vicinity of the lawns?
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Its both.
I think the park definitely struggles to provide enough catering overall on busy days and this isn't just the recent issues with covid/brexit and recruitment, its overall decisions made in the wake of the Smiler incident and not being able to scale back up again as the crowds returned.
Then this year with the new stage I think yes they do need to offer options on the lawn, so that is a 2021 thing.

WillPS said:
Spinball Refresh/Noodles always struggled as it's not sufficiently visible from the main path.

Eastern Express having control of the Dark Forest stuff doesn't sound like a bad thing to me.

Not sure how much of a boost Nitrogenie or any of the previous inhabitants of that shack provided.
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Yes not all of the now-closed places really provided a huge benefit to the park, but as discussed in the Food and beverage thread there is definitely fewer places to buy food and drink compared to 10 years ago.

The biggest loss is probably the courtyard BBQ, this was in a central location, has seating in the courtyard and used to have the Pirate show to watch as well.
Setting up a similar BBQ in a tent on the lawn could have been done in-house, but I doubt they have the chefs or the know-how anymore really and its easier to just get the third-party vans instead.
 
I used to quite like the options of noodles/ fajitas on park even if the actual locations were changed they are a real Alternative to otherwise burger/hotdog& chips that seems to just be the main options anywhere on park these days
 
Kraken27 said:
Alton Towers (& I assume the other Merlin RTP's) have clamped down on the issue of RAP's since I worked there some 20 years ago. Back then you could hobble into Guest Services with a bandaged ankle claiming a serious sprain & the red wristband (what was disabled access back then) would be on in a shot, along with blue (helpers) wristbands for the rest of your party. This gave unlimited ride-exit access, with no "return time" restriction. You could bin the bandages off your ankle as it wasn't actually sprained when out of sight of Guest Services and have a very enjoyable day! Abuse was rife.

They now require proof of certain disability related benefits / a blue badge / a letter on headed paper from a Nurse / Dr / Consultant stating why you are unable to queue before a RAP can be issued. (For MAP holders this entitlement could be recorded on the system so you only had to produce the proof once). This has made getting a RAP issued much less open to abuse. The issue is staff not completing the queue time on the pass - so it's completely a training issue.

Needless to say, Disney get things right here (and I am no particular Disney fan). Just about all their queuelines are wide & stair-free, so accessible to guests in wheelchairs / mobility scooters. It's against the law in Florida to ask for proof of disability, so Disney Guest Services just ask "what can we do to help you?" When you say you have a hidden disability that prevents you standing in a crowded queue, they will issue you a pass that you show to the Cast Member at a ride entrance. The Cast Member will then issue you a ticket with a return time on equivalent to the current queue time, when you can return and enter via the exit. This is an extremely fair system, as all guests wait the same length of time to ride. Of course, Disney have Cast Members at just about every ride entrance, Towers don't due to cost-cutting.
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When it was the red and blue bands and no return time I never saw massive rap queues and a slight correction when we return at Disney we enter via the fast pass queue.
 
It's nice to see the gardens getting some more appreciation over the last two seasons because of COVID. I actually really liked the little garden shop they had before the season started and I've spent a couple of my visits this year mostly in the gardens just to have an explore.
 
We walked through the gardens in May as a shortcut from Dark Forest to Forbidden Valley, hadn't been in properly since I was a kid, and must say they are very beautiful, very well cared for!
 
Double post but heard that Galactica is now filling to capacity and it’s no longer 1 group per row - just Nemesis, Oblivion and Spinball to go in terms of coasters?
 
Danscott22 said:
Double post but heard that Galactica is now filling to capacity and it’s no longer 1 group per row - just Nemesis, Oblivion and Spinball to go in terms of coasters?
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Nemesis was strange today, the operator was very clearly telling people to "fill those bays, maximum of four people", but few folk did so.
 
I can certainly see people being reluctant to share rows on the 4 across coasters for the time being, even if the policy has changed to allow it. On Smiler there's a batcher so people are likely to go where they're told but on rides where you're free to choose your row I wouldn't be surprised to see relatively few people opt to sit with another group.
 
They need someone to batch people into the rows then if they want to fill all the seats. Given the choice people would much rather have a row to themselves without another group, but especially given covid, some may not realise they're allowed or may not feel comfortable having to be sat next to someone else
 
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