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2024: General Discussion

Are you honestly trying to tell us that a pirate ship is that rare and complicated a ride that Merlin can’t source replacement parts?

Notwithstanding that, if the park were replacing Blade with a new ride because a fix had become economically unviable when measured against the cost of a new ride, then fine. Thats not what’s going on here though - there is no replacement, it’s just another closed ride.
 
venny said:
Are you honestly trying to tell us that a pirate ship is that rare and complicated a ride that Merlin can’t source replacement parts?

Notwithstanding that, if the park were replacing Blade with a new ride because a fix had become economically unviable when measured against the cost of a new ride, then fine. Thats not what’s going on here though - there is no replacement, it’s just another closed ride.
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it is very possibly yes, there could also be a structural issue with the ship meaning most of it would have to be replaced in the first place.

Dose the blade have similar planning permission to the enterprise and submission sites where they wouldn't have to apply for planning permission to build another flat there (as long as it is similar)
 
Oh Towers, literally lost for words at the fact we've lost another 3 attractions. A family park now without family attractions.

It has to make you laugh that they went to the effort of repainting the whole thing to scrap it at the end of the year. The funny thing is me and my friend said we'd never seen it run so well as it did at Fireworks.

Don't get me wrong, it's 44 years old it was ready to retire, that's fair enough. What's not fair is I doubt anything will replace it for a good number of years. Ideally it could have been replaced by another temporary pirate ship until a real replacement was planned but the whole in the ground will have to do.

It's become and absolute farce of a park, post 1990s no longer one of Europe's best, post 2010s no longer one of the UK's best. Give it another 5 years and it won't be the best in Staffordshire.

More than happy to be proved wrong.
 
People will disagree with this but I think getting rid of all 3 retro rides was a mistake. Sure Funk n fly was being replaced so that needed to go but why the other 2? We were left with temporary food outlets this year and some benches. Should’ve kept those 2 until they were ready to start construction on permanent replacements. This point is further proven by the removal of another 2 flat rides. So in 2023 we had 4 more flats than we will in 2025. It’s looking like it might be a long difficult season ahead
 
Benzin said:
It's the removal and not replacing things that is the key problem.

I mean its pretty much been 9 years for them to replace Ripsaw. How long will it take them to replace Blade? Still waiting on Submission's replacement.
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I think it's a little unfair to blame them for the full 9 year timescale to replace Ripsaw considering since that was removed they've had to recover from the Smiler incident and there was a worldwide pandemic to deal with.
 
Steve74 said:
I think it's a little unfair to blame them for the full 9 year timescale to replace Ripsaw considering since that was removed they've had to recover from the Smiler incident and there was a worldwide pandemic to deal with.
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Recovering from the Smiler incident is a bit like when the Conservatives used to shout up "but the last labour government" in prime minister's questions now though isn't it. Can't keep leaning on it forever
 
Think I can blame them. Mostly because my thinking is that over those years instead of going on the route to cut things and start a slow decline they should've looked to improve things and show that the park wasn't a complete mess.

Since the crash, the only real investment has been Wickerman. And even that was at the expense of a low height family ride. Beyond that a few bits in CBeebies, a dark ride originally intended for somewhere else, some temporary flats (all now gone), Dungeons (now gone) and 2 major revamps.

But as long as the shareholders were happy.
 
Ash said:
This park needs capacity.

Honestly I’d rather all the entertainment was scrapped.

Everything bar scarefest and fireworks.

No half term “event” just open and shut for half term with a limited offering and close in November. No Xmas. No Oktoberfest. No CBeebies celebration. No wandering actors 24/7.

Get rid of the stage and the benches etc. Run it as a theme park, not a pop up event
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Entertainment done properly adds capacity. I agree the temporary stage isn't best, so they need to re-open the cred street theatre and put a show on in there.

Run the park as a theme park with the full range of entertainment, rollercoasters, dark rides, shows, flat rides and character meets.
 
I remember when they replaced the live theatre shows with a 4D cinema, and the uproar from the enthusiast community. Replacing a show with a 4D cinema was seen as a new low point for the park, particularly as they’d already got rid of the ice show. Wind on 15 years, and people are pretty much begging them to bring back the 4D cinema.

Give it another 15 years and people will be talking about the good old days when they got Aramark food.
 
Funcone said:
I remember when they replaced the live theatre shows with a 4D cinema, and the uproar from the enthusiast community. Replacing a show with a 4D cinema was seen as a new low point for the park, particularly as they’d already got rid of the ice show. Wind on 15 years, and people are pretty much begging them to bring back the 4D cinema.

Give it another 15 years and people will be talking about the good old days when they got Aramark food.
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I don't think many are desperate for a 4D cinema in of itself, people are suggesting viable options for the park to reduce the capacity burden elsewhere.

Realistically the knock on effect of losing The Blade and Flavio is even longer queues for Thirteen and Wickerman.
 
Ethan said:
People will disagree with this but I think getting rid of all 3 retro rides was a mistake. Sure Funk n fly was being replaced so that needed to go but why the other 2? We were left with temporary food outlets this year and some benches. Should’ve kept those 2 until they were ready to start construction on permanent replacements. This point is further proven by the removal of another 2 flat rides. So in 2023 we had 4 more flats than we will in 2025. It’s looking like it might be a long difficult season ahead
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I wanted them gone but I have to say I agree. Out of place or not, they should have stayed until they were were replaced permanently. Spinjam and Twistatron were eye sores, but they would have helped in X Sector massively last season
 
Well, the park has already made almost like-for-like replacements for Nemesis and Ripsaw.

I see no reason why they shouldn't follow that logic through with The Blade? How about Corkscrew? Astro Dancer? 3D Cinema? Just do-over the whole park until it’s literally the 1997 lineup.
 
To be fair to Merlin on Towers, they’ve almost certainly invested capital significant expenditure in the last 12-24 months. Sadly for them, with the exception of NuRipsaw, the expenditure on Curse, Nemesis, Hex and Skyride is all just to maintain, and in Hex and Skyride’s issues has been with considerable problems.

This is what gives me some (only a tiny bit!) confidence despite the cuts and bad news, they are still putting money in. They just need to put more in!
 
Plastic Person said:
Well, the park has already made almost like-for-like replacements for Nemesis and Ripsaw.

I see no reason why they shouldn't follow that logic through with The Blade? How about Corkscrew? Astro Dancer? 3D Cinema? Just do-over the whole park until it’s literally the 1997 lineup.
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Those rides have been gone so long they are viable “new” replacements. I doubt the majority of the GP who go to Alton even remember those rides (possibly Corkscrew) if you are into your 30’s.

In relation to losing three rides, well yes I would actually not count the dungeon as it ran empty anyway.

Merlin have to let Alton Towers go. It needs a vast amount of investment that they are unable/unwilling to input. Things will not improve until they are gone.
 
venny said:
It’s a brave person who buys it, given it’s a leasehold, the evidently poor condition of the park and its attractions, and the reputational damage Merlin’s poor must operations have inflicted.
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You say that - but certain Arab countries sovereign funds would snap the place up without a thought - and throw millions at it to compete.
 
If I gave my reasons it would legitimately just be repeating what we all already know, but the time has come to put my money where my mouth is and not renew the MAP. I think I’ll use the money I save and go and ride what will inevitably be the superior Top Spin over in Germany!

As someone who has visited religiously for the last 27 years (I’m a bit older), it really saddens me to see the state the park is in now. With each visit this year the experience has become less enjoyable, more expensive, and quite frankly at times, a total slog.

I hope that I can return in a year or 2 and see the place turning a corner. But for now… It looks like my 27 year streak is about to break 💔
 
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