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2024: General Discussion

Ethan said:
Yes but I heard somewhere that sponsorships are coming back so I don’t want any crap like Galactica sponsored by Nasa
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Galactica, brought to you by NASA, is actually an example of good product placement, sponsorship and tie in. It's relevant to the ride, it's cohesive and can be worked in. You're flying through space, in a NASA branded space vehicle, what's the problem? As to why the American National Aeronautic and Space Administration would be sponsoring a ride in the UK is a little beyond me, but never mind.

Product placement / sponsorship of a ride doesn't have to be downright awful. A heck of a lot of Disney attractions, as previously pointed out, are sponsored in some way shape or form.

As far as the consumer is concerned, there's no difference between licencing IP and sponsorship, if done correctly. Although Merlin pay a small fortune to BBC Studios for the privilege, the entirety of CBeebies Land is an advert for the channel.

Some sponsorship can have forever lasting legacies too. The Big One has operated for longer, without a sponsor, than it ever did as The Pepsi Max Big One. Ask anyone what the ride is called though, even theme park enthusiasts who allegedly hate sponsorship, and it's The Pepsi Max, or PMBO. Heck even the PlayStation, or Ice Blast as you call it, is synonymous with its sponsor. I've also never seen a ride embrace its sponsor and be more accurately named than The TraumaTizer either. Honestly, it's an incredible piece of brand cohesion between Pleasure Beach Resorts®, Tizer and Vekoma. Even better and more appropriate than Galactica, brought to you by NASA.
 
Bianca Sammut has got her hands full at the moment. All the years of underinvestment and. Bianca is clearly passionate and has ideas, but it must be disheartening that basically everything is breaking. They need a long pause on the next SW and to fix what they have. Get some more bleeding flats in!!!

This year at AT has just been awful. I normally only go a couple of times a year, but with the issues. I was going to go on Thursday, it would have been busy. However, my friend and I thought it would just be another day of breakdowns, but with the added bonus of summer queues this time. I couldn't be bothered, so I booked a spa day instead.

For someone who has worked at AT, why is everything unreliable compared to European parks? I don't think I saw one breakdown at Energylandia (with their 600 rollercoasters and duplicates). I get they are fussier since the Smiler incident (understandably). Is it genuinely just OTT health and safety (not saying that's a bad thing)?

Pricing is a nightmare situation for AT (especially to be the more 'premier resort park'). Towers are too cheap, especially with these cereal discounts this year. However, you have cost of living issues, people being careful with the pounds. I suspect the hope is to get them in, and they will probably spend on drinks/food/whatever. However, when you're doing these deals, you do seem to attract those guests who go completely ballistic that a fast-track system exists or they have to wait a while during holiday time (when they have probably paid £20 a person to get in or something). From running a business myself, you seem to attract those who would go to guest services over anything when you're too cheap.

I really don't know what's going on with the food situation. It seems that restaurants are sometimes cheaper or the same as fast food places now. I had bao buns, which were pretty good at the rollercoaster restaurant, for lunch for 12ish pounds. It seemed bizarre before going; I couldn't find a lunch menu online or what time the restaurant would open for lunch. The whole thing was a guessing game. For the rest of my party, they all had drinks other than me, which they forgot to ask three times (I did get a refund on the drinks; the guy just looked completely stressed out and didn't even argue).

Don't get me started on opening time cuts - when everything is broken you need extra time to deal with the longer queues.

AT seems a really confusing park if you are not familiar with it. From the car park walk (not well signposted) or the dreaded wait for the monorail (if it works), your day doesn't start the best.

I haven't done Chessington this year, and I'm not hearing good things. Thorpe seems to be on a winning streak at the moment; I had a great time on quite a busy day at the start of the summer holidays.
 
Ben Anderson said:
Bianca Sammut has got her hands full at the moment. All the years of underinvestment and. Bianca is clearly passionate and has ideas, but it must be disheartening that basically everything is breaking. They need a long pause on the next SW and to fix what they have. Get some more bleeding flats in!!!

This year at AT has just been awful. I normally only go a couple of times a year, but with the issues. I was going to go on Thursday, it would have been busy. However, my friend and I thought it would just be another day of breakdowns, but with the added bonus of summer queues this time. I couldn't be bothered, so I booked a spa day instead.

For someone who has worked at AT, why is everything unreliable compared to European parks? I don't think I saw one breakdown at Energylandia (with their 600 rollercoasters and duplicates). I get they are fussier since the Smiler incident (understandably). Is it genuinely just OTT health and safety (not saying that's a bad thing)?

Pricing is a nightmare situation for AT (especially to be the more 'premier resort park'). Towers are too cheap, especially with these cereal discounts this year. However, you have cost of living issues, people being careful with the pounds. I suspect the hope is to get them in, and they will probably spend on drinks/food/whatever. However, when you're doing these deals, you do seem to attract those guests who go completely ballistic that a fast-track system exists or they have to wait a while during holiday time (when they have probably paid £20 a person to get in or something). From running a business myself, you seem to attract those who would go to guest services over anything when you're too cheap.

I really don't know what's going on with the food situation. It seems that restaurants are sometimes cheaper or the same as fast food places now. I had bao buns, which were pretty good at the rollercoaster restaurant, for lunch for 12ish pounds. It seemed bizarre before going; I couldn't find a lunch menu online or what time the restaurant would open for lunch. The whole thing was a guessing game. For the rest of my party, they all had drinks other than me, which they forgot to ask three times (I did get a refund on the drinks; the guy just looked completely stressed out and didn't even argue).

Don't get me started on opening time cuts - when everything is broken you need extra time to deal with the longer queues.

AT seems a really confusing park if you are not familiar with it. From the car park walk (not well signposted) or the dreaded wait for the monorail (if it works), your day doesn't start the best.

I haven't done Chessington this year, and I'm not hearing good things. Thorpe seems to be on a winning streak at the moment; I had a great time on quite a busy day at the start of the summer holidays.
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Reminds me slightly of when Theresa May took over not long after the mess of Brexit, Oh must be that time of night again I’ve gone way of my original point, anyway they both deserve a stiff drink.

Or after fighting Merlin for so long Bianca might bugger off to Universal?
 
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Alphe86 said:
There’s a rumour going around that there’s going to be no roaming actors from after next week as they prepare for scarefest. Little disappointed if that’s true. Love the pirates and Alton Manor actors
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Many Scarefest actors are hired in for the event itself. It’s essentially gig work, some do this going from job to job full-time but usually core product is maintained.

There’s usually an exodus of staff after the summer season, but if Street Theatre is being cut, this will be to cover the loss of staff in CBeebies (which many of the Dungeons crew have been moved to anyways). Some of the new staff start in Oktoberfest and will last until the Christmas period so even if there is a loss, it’ll be brief.

It’s entirely possible that they reduce actors on street theatre rather than having none. But to suddenly drop street theatre is unlikely.
 
To be fair I thought the traffic Patrol had been binned off this year, I don’t think I’ve seen them this season. You get Alton Bear usually at points during the day.

I haven’t seen the pirates for the past few weeks but that might be because of wicker man being down and those actors also doing Beornen.
 
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