2021: Opening date & Tickets Onsale

[Steve74]

2021 opening times have been added to the website.

Not much to report sadly:
Off peak weekdays are 10-4
Weekends 10-5
Summer 10-6
Scarefest - 8-10th and 15-31 Oct - 10-9
Fireworks 5-7 Nov - 10-9

No sign of later openings in September, potentially meaning no Oktoberfest? Or of course these could be updated at a later date.

The positive news is no midweek close dates.

https://www.altontowers.com/plan-your-visit/before-you-visit/opening-times/

The fact that Scarefest is only one weekend plus the 2 weeks (as it was this year) does leave the way clear for the earlier weekend (1st-3rd) to be Oktoberfest. If I remember rightly, that wasn't announced until Jan/Feb this year anyway.

I remember replying to Towers' tweet this time last year saying Scarefest was reduced - initially different to what we did end up with:

 

[Theme Park Insanity]

Yes, I remember that originally, when Towers released their 2020 opening hours, September weekdays were scheduled to be 4pm closes (rather than 6pm) and weekends were scheduled to be 5pm closes (rather than 8pm) so hopefully, these are updated closer to the time.

I am inclined to believe that Oktoberfest will still be going ahead this year, because Thorpe Park's opening hours state that the park will be open until 7pm on September Fridays and 8pm on September Saturdays, so if Thorpe Park is hosting an Oktoberfest event in 2021, I don't see why Towers wouldn't.

 

[pluk]

Personally I would rather see September closed on Tuesdays but open to 8pm, Thurs, Fri, Saturday for Oktoberfest.

No midweek closures isn't always a positive when having some closed days could result in improved operations on the days they are open.

I'd rather see later openings too, but those maths probably don't add up as comparable spends. If the earlier closes are close to capacity in any case, which seems likely, then there is no extra take on keeping the park open later, but opening on whole new days gives the opportunity for a whole new days ticket sales.

 

[jon81uk]

I'd rather see later openings too, but those maths probably don't add up as comparable spends. If the earlier closes are close to capacity in any case, which seems likely, then there is no extra take on keeping the park open later, but opening on whole new days gives the opportunity for a whole new days ticket sales.

that is true, but the staffing costs of longer days may be lower than extra days so there are outgoing cost factors as well as income.

And Covid is very different to normal so as you say days can actually sell out.

 

[AstroDan]

I wouldn't read *anything* into the published "times". That will be a standard upload job, probably based on this time last year.

They will change drastically at certain points in the season as time moves on. For starters, I fully expect an events schedule for 2021 and therefore hours to change dependent.

 

[Mikw]

It doesn't boil down to that at all though. You are making an assumption that the alternative is closing on off peak when the opposite is more likely as the days could be profitable if people were actually buying tickets. They used to open off peak prior to the prevalence of annual passes, it's doable if the offering is right.

Covid capacity means the opposite is true; those who want to visit, and will pay to do so, may have to find a way to visit off peak of the peak days are running at capacity as they have been.



How do you think they are making any money at all from people who have paid about a quid for 7 hours in a theme park then? Your argument can't work both ways, they are either full of people having not paid so not making any money or they are making money by turning those same people over.

The park is often quiet on weekdays off peak, the bulk of admissions are season pass holders, who won't go as often as they do if they have to pay £30 on the gate.

13 visits this year, 3 peak, 10 off peak, how much would that cost me if the season pass was scrapped? And how many times would i visit if it was?

three or four tops - and i expect many people feel that way, so who's going to be there spending their money on the Wednesdays is May and September?

And is it worth opening for those days anymore?

The cheap season passes have seen attendance rise.

 

[rob666]

...and income drop.
Three or four visits would bring in £120.
Your season pass cost £55.
Double income, just from you.
I would be likely to visit again, specifically on Wednesdays in May and September as a paying punter a couple of times a year, as the rides would have very short queues, and I would get good value, with minimum waits.
The secondary spend is what Merlin were after, but the new season pass holders did not spend as much as expected, due to the silly theme park prices.
People didn't want to spend eight quid on a hot dog.

 

[AT86]

Thorpe Park have today released info on their passes for next year.

The cheap season passes are out, and annual passes are back in. Full price £120, includes parking and brings back food and merch discounts.



This is a good guide for what Alton Towers (and other Merlin parks) might be doing for 2021.

 

[jon81uk]

Thorpe Park have today released info on their passes for next year.

The cheap season passes are out, and annual passes are back in. Full price £120, includes parking and brings back food and merch discounts.



This is a good guide for what Alton Towers (and other Merlin parks) might be doing for 2021.

Yeah I think the weekday only Merlin Discovery Pass is effectively the new cheap pass and everything else resets back to 2016 pricing levels of annual passes.

Looks like long term pricing might be
£89 weekday discovery pass
£119 single park annual pass
£?? restricted Merlin pass (my guess £179)
£?? premium Merlin pass (my guess £249 full price)

 

[Matt N]

Interesting move... are Merlin trying to reduce the number of passholders they have so as to avoid a repeat of this summer’s controversy surrounding reservations?

Or are they trying to generate a greater amount of revenue per pass holder?

Certainly an interesting move nonetheless; I wonder whether it will be popular with the pass holder groups?

 

[jon81uk]

Interesting move... are Merlin trying to reduce the number of passholders they have so as to avoid a repeat of this summer’s controversy surrounding reservations?

Almost certainly yes. I think with pre-booking and covid the previous season passes are not viable.

Also by making it an annual pass it might spread visits out more as you can use it the following year too.

Or are they trying to generate a greater amount of revenue per pass holder?

probably yes.

Certainly an interesting move nonetheless; I wonder whether it will be popular with the pass holder groups?

Reading comments on the Thorpe Park Facebook post, several people have said it seems expensive compared to the old season pass and that the full Merlin pass isn't much more. I think there are expectations of big price increases on Merlin passes too.

 

[AstroDan]

Thorpe Park won't mind that people are saying it's expensive vs. the old pass.

£100 is much more appropriate for a single park pass.