• ℹ️ Heads up...

    This is a popular topic that is fast moving Guest - before posting, please ensure that you check out the first post in the topic for a quick reminder of guidelines, and importantly a summary of the known facts and information so far. Thanks.

2025: General Discussion

rob666 said:
Again, sort the park standards, operations, entertainment and experience out before another coaster please.
Nice rounded park instead of coaster heavy.
Click to expand...

Agree. Having just got back from Disneyland Paris where everything works yet they haven’t had a new ride in about 20 years I know which is the better experience I’d rather keep returning to.
 
Blackrock said:
Why is it so busy and why are there so many children here on a Wednesday 😂

Was hoping for 10/15 minute queues 😂
Click to expand...
We went yesterday and there were so many kids there talking about how they should be in English right now etc etc. We had queues of between 30/50 mins for most of the day. So wasn't too bad but definitely kids in the park who shouldn't be there. It was a lot busier than I thought for a Tuesday off peak. But then we did get our tickets for about £24 each so we couldn't really complain. Was so surprised how bad the food choice was, the lack of staff we saw also. We got pretty lucky with the reliability until the end of the day when Galactica broke down around 15:50pm with us right at the station. It broke down with a car at the end of it's run with the people still in the "superman" position for around 20 minutes. Then they put 2 cars on at that point of the day to get through the queue when it had been running with one car all day??
 
tbag1985 said:
We went yesterday and there were so many kids there talking about how they should be in English right now etc etc. We had queues of between 30/50 mins for most of the day. So wasn't too bad but definitely kids in the park who shouldn't be there. It was a lot busier than I thought for a Tuesday off peak. But then we did get our tickets for about £24 each so we couldn't really complain. Was so surprised how bad the food choice was, the lack of staff we saw also. We got pretty lucky with the reliability until the end of the day when Galactica broke down around 15:50pm with us right at the station. It broke down with a car at the end of it's run with the people still in the "superman" position for around 20 minutes. Then they put 2 cars on at that point of the day to get through the queue when it had been running with one car all day??
Click to expand...
So manny children, not many coaches though so doesn’t seem as if it’s schools trips. A fair few Birmingham/West Midlands accents so maybe they’re all off.

30-60 minute wait times and a 4 close is a bit crap for a supposedly off peak day 😂
 
AT86 said:
It was mentioned a couple of days back - it’s Easter holidays for some areas this week, Sheffield was mentioned I believe.
Click to expand...
Birmingham don't break up until Friday 11th. And the majority of them had birmingham accents yesterday. The fact that a lot of them were talking about which lessons they were missing told me they should be in school. No parents in site and large groups of them.
 
Blackrock said:
So manny children, not many coaches though so doesn’t seem as if it’s schools trips. A fair few Birmingham/West Midlands accents so maybe they’re all off.

30-60 minute wait times and a 4 close is a bit crap for a supposedly off peak day 😂
Click to expand...
There has been a widely reported trend suggesting that, since the pandemic, parents have a lackadaisical approach to school attendance. It's possible that this has a more than incidental effect on admissions at Alton Towers.

Public schools and academies also don't have to follow LEA holiday periods, though some do, making tracking which areas are off when a little more difficult.
 
Blackrock said:
You’d have thought then judging by the fact it’s now Wednesday with no let up ride close should have already been extended to say 5 for this week at least.
Click to expand...
I know Monday they extended to 4.30pm but yesterday was also busy enough to extend easily but they shut at 4pm. Was still a lot of people milling around the entrance area when we left. Also the weather was lovely so they definitely could have extended.
 
tbag1985 said:
Birmingham don't break up until Friday 11th. And the majority of them had birmingham accents yesterday. The fact that a lot of them were talking about which lessons they were missing told me they should be in school. No parents in site and large groups of them.
Click to expand...
Some schools are informally "not quite closed" due to it being Eid on Monday.
The wide spread of holidays is because of a very late Easter this year.
Some education areas have decided on more equal terms, others haven't.
And the good weather has dragged out the lucky truants with cheap season passes in their droves.
My turn at the Beach next week, just for the beer, company and skiving.
 
How does it work at Europa where they decide opening hours on the day? Presumably they pretty much know attendance so it’s more weather based? Are staff paid overtime only if it happens?

Adventure Island in Southend decide on the day too so it’s evidently doable. I suppose with them the extra hours are extra income whereas for AT it would more likely be extra operational costs.
 
I wouldn’t mind betting that Alton’s remote location probably makes it harder for them to be dynamic in this regard. Their staff probably don’t live that close, so probably can’t stay or come on a whim as much as in other parks.
 
Matt N said:
I wouldn’t mind betting that Alton’s remote location probably makes it harder for them to be dynamic in this regard. Their staff probably don’t live that close, so probably can’t stay or come on a whim as much as in other parks.
Click to expand...
That wasn’t the case when I worked there although that was a while ago. Ride closures were extended all the time.

But then Alton towers had actual in house staff transport at the time
 
Bowser said:
How does it work at Europa where they decide opening hours on the day? Presumably they pretty much know attendance so it’s more weather based? Are staff paid overtime only if it happens?

Adventure Island in Southend decide on the day too so it’s evidently doable. I suppose with them the extra hours are extra income whereas for AT it would more likely be extra operational costs.
Click to expand...
Although EP only advertise 6pm closes, in reality they do have a minimum time they expect to close each day (you can find it hidden away somewhere in the hotel app). Sometimes this is the advertised 6pm, I believe when I am there this weekend/early next week it is 6.30pm. They then may extend up to an hour after this minimum closing time based on various factors.
 
Blackrock said:
What a weird time to have school holidays when Easter isn’t for another two weeks. Local schools round here don’t break up for just over another week
Click to expand...
And Jesus sayeth "Do not wait for me to die, or be resurrected. Get thine arse down to Alton Towers, preferably with 2 for 1 voucher. And taketh thyself to the Woodcutters where for the whole day 2 fishes and 5 loaves will fill all, albeit with small portions. And do not venture into the Forbidden Valley since all the rides are waiting for maintenance. ".
 
Well it’s a great start to the off peak weekdays. Do Towers actually do any research around half term times around the country and also school trip numbers
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top