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2025: General Discussion
- Thread starter Craig
- Start date
Agree
It tells the story of the importance and opportunity of getting project horizon out and just sorting out that portion of the park in general.
It will be interesting to see if throughout 2025 there are any backstage changes to that area and what opportunities it might create for further development.
Although I understand the point, as others have said.
Is it anymore out the way than RCR? And atleast towers street has the skyride around the corner?
Seems an important place for a dining and considering the closest decent sit down restaurant is woodcutters, a missed opportunity
I think this is exactly the point. Guests are travelling to RCR and woodcutter which are more outlying than towers street.
Towers street is 1 minute away from cbeebies land, 5-10 minutes away from x-sector and 5 minutes away from wickerman as well as being a short hop on the sky ride from forbidden valley. This is not an inaccessible area, it's just under served so remains empty during the day.
I would guess about 20% of total guests are in cbeebies land being family centric. The offer in cbeebies land is criminal with just little explorers lunch box having about 10 tables in total, this arguably forces guests to walk large distances to somewhere else in the park with mutiny bay probably picking up some of this demand.
Not sure. Cred Street was always deader than a very dead place and Ug Land was much quieter in the pre-Rita era too.
I think people went there because that's where the McDonalds (with seats) was.
flyingguitar
TS Member
RCR is literally the exit to Galactica, but also it operates as a hotel restaurant, allowing people in via the Galactica gate making it very well located for its job,
my argument is more about how easy it is to see when in the park, imagine being a guest who has never been to alton towers, you wouldn't know behind the trees, and sky ride that building was a food place, even going to David Walliams or the dungeons it isn't that visible, but the woodcutters, RCR, etc are very visible and in high traffic areas. I think towers street could suffer from a similar fate as you do walk past on entrance, but you probably won't remember the resturant near the enterance after you have walked past multiple other places and you won't see towers street again until you are leaving (if at closing time it is when a lot of the restaurants close)
I could see it being good for Cbeebies as the enterance is very close and could act as a good place to have a break.
jon81uk
TS Member
RCR is between two very popular rollercoasters and has a really interesting gimmick. Also that location was chosen to allow hotel guests to get in easy for dinner.
Woodcutters is between Hex , Rita, Oblivion and Walliams. It’s probably one of the major crossroads of the park with the second one being Mutiny Bay outside the sea life really.
VerticalLoop123
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Nemesis
I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again- food market type place in Cred Street Maccies building. Rotate local traders with small stalls selling things like pizza, burritos, loaded fries. Put in a small bar selling the local Attic brewery beer. Have live music in there - acoustic guitarist, vocalist - nothing too fancy.
These type of places are very popular in towns and cities - Warwick castle regularly host Digbeth dinning club which do a similar thing.
Regarding Towers Street- nothing beats walking down it and seeing that view. I wouldn’t be surprised if in the next 20 years or so some of the buildings need to be rebuilt or major work taking place- can’t imagine Broome built them to last all too long.
These type of places are very popular in towns and cities - Warwick castle regularly host Digbeth dinning club which do a similar thing.
Regarding Towers Street- nothing beats walking down it and seeing that view. I wouldn’t be surprised if in the next 20 years or so some of the buildings need to be rebuilt or major work taking place- can’t imagine Broome built them to last all too long.
flyingguitar
TS Member
I agree with the idea of local resturants / food van type thing, but I am not sure towers street is the best place, there are already quite a few food/drink places on towers street, there is: hot dog place, free style kiosk, the cafe, the fanta frozen thing. and I don't think it would have the foot fall to justify a resturant like that, FV or gloomy wood may be better, as due to its proximity to the hotels it could also be open for dinner.
I would love to see them replace the teachers lounge (what is that? I only saw the signs and it looks empty every time I walk past) with the confernce center thing that currently occupies the tent next to spinball, I think it would make a lot of sense, not being in a tent would seem more luxurious (allowing them to potentially charge a bit more) and you could get that amazing view of the towers across the lake although I am unsure how big of a space it is, but it would free up potential expansion space for a new ride (or when spinball goes Cbeebies).
they should also make the gift shop themed (they have done this with bunker 94 and I think if they can theme it it would be really good (and probably increase gift shop revenue as people may not be too fussed about leaving the gift shop, going to disney the gift shops are much larger and much better themed and you don't feel cramped, due to things such as the lack of windows.
the box office should probably be changed into something, but IDK what I have never been in the cafe but from the outside it looks quite cramped at the start of the day, so they could expand the cafe. I think towers street would be best to have things you go to at the start and end of the day, so quick serve food (such as the hot dogs) for the way out or coffee / drinks (cafe) for the way in / out although I don't know what the resturants are like in Cbeebies, if there aren't any it could make sense to install one to serve Cbeebies. alternatively it could be converted into guest services and the current guest services could be turned into another quick service food place (assuming you can get gas, electrics etc) as the hot dog place always has a massive queue at the end of the day
GooseOnTheLoose
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Ug Bugs
flyingguitar
TS Member
ah, didn't know that was referred to as cred street.
Dave
TS Founding Member
Neither of those two outlets are outlying, one is in a popular thrill area of the park and close to the hotels the other is a major throughfair. The only area near Towers Street is CBeebies and they opened Towers bar and grill when CBeebies opened assuming CBeebies would boost the footfall in that area at lunch but it clearly didn’t work as they closed it again.
I think the Walliams burger kitchen would make a good sit down location once (if) horizon opens as that will boost the footfall on that end of the park.
Would love them to roof the courtyard and create a sit down eatery there but I doubt they will get planning permission.
Well I don't think an "upmarket" offering is required (the steak restaurant in the ATH didn't last very long), but a Five Guys or similar - I'm happy to walk from X-sector/Hex for that. Similarly a Nando's would go down excellent with CBeebies punters. Premium, but not outrageous. Not sure McD's could make it work without the menu prices being heavily loaded.
The problem with the food offering is Amarak. Disney have a similar problem at parks, but the level of quality and service is way better. Merlin have stitched themselves up by offering a monopoly whose job it is to max profits.
The problem with the food offering is Amarak. Disney have a similar problem at parks, but the level of quality and service is way better. Merlin have stitched themselves up by offering a monopoly whose job it is to max profits.
Islander
TS Member
Ah yes, Nando's is definitely very popular with the under six's and their parents
Bert2theSpark
TS Member
Can you imagine the chaos of serving young families hot peri peri chicken? It probably would go down like this:
owenstreet7
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Taron
I'd say Nandos would be more of a Katanga Canyon restaurant to be honest (in place of Pizza and Pasta).
I think Nandos would go down a treat at Thorpe Park though with their target market
Benzin
TS Member
I mean the kids menu is flavourless chicken and chips with veggies.
Perfect for the under 6s. Certainly a better option than some available on the high street.
I don't think food choice for the majority is any great mystery. What options are there close to my current location tends to be the main selection process. I'd imagine those who have a specific place in mind plan their day accordingly to end up nearby. The key is having that choice of selection to all.
AT86
TS Member
It closed around the same time as RCR opened. Presumably they felt they had enough capacity without needing the Emperor Grill too.
Given it was not even located in a space designed to be a restaurant and could have impacted their ability to hire out the room for conference/events it would make sense to focus on RCR instead.
Also, RCR was originally opened as a "premium" dining option, with filet steak etc - obviously that didn't last very long but Emperor Grill was gone by the time the RCR menu got stripped back/downgraded.
