2025: General Discussion

[Dave]

It’s click bait and you are all clicking….

It hasn’t been an astounding season but certainly hasn’t been the worst and 2024 was a lot worse..

 

[rob666]

Please sir, I didn't click.
Gave up on youtube "routine" regulars years ago.

Mr Zola excepted of course.

 

[QTXAdsy]

Moaning basically about everything, it's a trend at the moment on Theme Park YouTubers hate on Alton Towers. I am sick of people ignoring the positive side

Aye, it seems ever since Universal GB was announced, everyone has jumped on clowing on Towers for all their thoughts which admittedly we've all done too.

Thing is, even if they address at least half of the issues that have been brought up many times, I doubt many will simply not care as being too little too late and will wait for Merlin's bankruptcy and pop the champagne out.

Hell, even a local radio station in my area was talking about Universal coming to the UK and the hosts half joking that Towers should call out the liquidators soon given how little chance they seem to have about Towers' future.

 

[DanJB]

2024 was the most miserable season I’ve experienced at Towers, to the point where I was telling friends and family to save their money and stay at home. Some of the lowlights;

• No Hex*
• No Skyride
• staggered openings spread to the rollercoasters (Galactica, Oblivion and Rita IIRC)
• It was common to see half the big rides closed at any given time- I had several visits where I only got on one coaster. One visit I was in the park 10-3 and only managed Curse thanks to pinballing from one breakdown to another
• Nemesis running one train on a Scarefest weekend with a 3 hour queue

While the extended downtime on Rita and Wicker Man has been unfortunate, I would think most people would find it less frustrating to know a ride is down for the day from the off, than it is to see things that are supposed to be open constantly break. Ride availability is the biggest driver on people having a good day, and in that regard there’s been a big improvement this year. There’s still a lot of urgent improvements needed in many areas - food, flat rides and family rides in particular, but this year has by no means been bad.

The worst thing this year has been the slew of vloggers claiming this to be the ‘Worst Ever!’ - I can only imagine that pointing out the legitimate issues of last year did wonders for the viewing numbers. Most egregiously was the episode this summer that saw the park put out a statement explaining their weather closure decision making all because TPWW went when a yellow storm warning had been issued days prior, just to film himself pulling dumb faces of mock incredulity outside of closed rides while stating that they couldn’t see any lightning. As a former employee of the park, I refuse to believe that was anything other than pure cynicism. Haven’t watched any of his videos since.

God knows Merlin have made a rod for their own back over the years, but the disingenuous complaining has been very disappointing to see when there has been a real effort to improve things. I just hope the shakeup in management doesn’t cause things to go downhill again.

*except for a couple of weeks at the end, I know

 

[GaryH]

Not watched the video but I would certainly not agree with anyone saying 2025 has been the worst season ever.

My visits this year have been very good. Scarefest was a big improvement on last year. The sky ride is back open. The food in Oak in Chains was excellent. Granted queue times are still too long at peak times and more rides are needed to help absorb them but overall I thought the park was pretty good this year.

I know we all moan about AT but that’s because for each of us the park has special memories. Every time I visit I still get that special magical feeling you only get when in Alton. We moan cos we care about the place and want to see those memories continue.

But worst season yet - nah, not by a long way.

 

[Mick]

It’s just all so reactionary too. Not to pick on Scott of Your Experience Guide, although by putting videos out he’s inviting comment and criticism, but you could easily find videos on his channel from last year where he was very unhappy at the park, so to turn around and say he thought last year was one of the best ever I was just a bit like ‘yeah mate you’re re-writing history there’. And he clearly has a glass half full approach for Blackpool and a glass half empty approach for Towers which don’t really align when one of your main criticisms is about ride availability.

However for every critical vlogger about Alton Towers, you can always find a different vlogger who loves the place and treats it like heaven on earth, the truth as always lies somewhere in between.

 

[Steve74]

Hell, even a local radio station in my area was talking about Universal coming to the UK and the hosts half joking that Towers should call out the liquidators soon given how little chance they seem to have about Towers' future.

That's nice of them, half-joking to the public about an employer of 1000s of people going out of business taking down a huge amount of the Staffordshire (and wider) tourist trade with it. Sounds like a radio station I just have to listen to! Let's hope their radio station doesn't close down - or maybe it should and then we can all laugh at them.

 

[Benzin]

IAnd he clearly has a glass half full approach for Blackpool and a glass half empty approach for Towers which don’t really align when one of your main criticisms is about ride availability.

Well yeah, Scott has always been a massive BPB fanboy, even when working at Towers.

As with all fanboys, their side is just better. Even when the flaws are the same or worse.

 

[Bert2theSpark]

Pretty sure Scott has been previously active and lambasted on this forum, to the point where criticism towards him is only second to Shawn, closely followed by Lift Hills and Thrills. We shouldn’t be surprised at this point with their hot takes and general negativity.

A lot of the channels have been established for years, to the point where a lot of the newer creators (such as Digital Dan) take a completely different approach to content creation, and even then people criticise the likes of Jack Silkstone for being so chummy with the likes of Thorpe themselves.

When you put yourself out there, there’s always perspectives that are relative to a bias. That’s why a lot of theme parks and online audience generally look at an aggregate of content for fair criticism and feedback about parks and events. It’s not like audiences are people just believing what somewhere like the Daily Mail believes.

Whatever nerd communities there are, there’s always criticism of content creators but the content is free so you get what you pay for, and you can eat as much as you want and not restricted to one flavour or taste.

 

[rob666]

... and you can eat as much as you want and not restricted to one flavour or taste.

Bit fussy about what I put in my mouth though.
These creators are beaten by the fact they just have to keep churning out the content, even when there isn't much to say.