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2026: General Discussion

Hid said:
possibly Carpriolo could be cool filler addition
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I'm not sure that a fairground ride that seats just eight riders per cycle and features G-forces of 5+ would be a good fit for a major family theme park like Towers.
 
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Blackrock said:
If they ever were to sell it who would potentially be the best buyer?
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The only other multi-park operator who could do the park service is probably Compagnie des Alpes, but they're unlikely to have the appetite for a plurality of reasons.
Blackrock said:
And is there scope to purchase the freehold for the land itself?
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Everything's available for a price, it's just how much are you willing to pay for it?

If they were willing to sell the park, which I don't think they are, I actually think that they would struggle for a buyer. It's not that the park needs huge amounts of investment to get it up to scratch, it's in a relatively decent state and you could get it sparkling for relatively low CapEx... it's the operational problem.

Difficult to get to, built in the wrong place, lack of a local tourist market, lack of a local population able to reliably and consistently staff the park.

Essentially you'd have to have someone take it over as a passion project, someone willing to put the work in to solve the other endemic issues plaguing the park outside of ride hardware, and that's unlikely to happen. It's far easier just to build something from the ground up.
 
What Towers needs for everything to be at its best is basically a billionaire sugar daddy who wants to run it as a passion project and not worry about profits in the short/medium term (or ever). Whoever runs it has to deal with the upkeep of the gardens/house etc and it's a drain on the resources that these investment firms just don't want on their balance sheet at all.
 
BarryZola said:
What Towers needs for everything to be at its best is basically a billionaire sugar daddy who wants to run it as a passion project and not worry about profits in the short/medium term (or ever). Whoever runs it has to deal with the upkeep of the gardens/house etc and it's a drain on the resources that these investment firms just don't want on their balance sheet at all.
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I’m not sure on a sugar daddy.

It just needs people who care, not what they’re doing and it’s independent from Merlin.

In a perfect world for me I think the Efteling management team would be perfect. High quality, excellent maintenance, mix of shows and rides, understand how to create high quality magical “whimsy” attractions, can maintain high quality garden environments and run their own hotels and F&B successfully.

The idea that nobody can turn what was a previously successful theme park resort around despite it being top of the tree and with enormous further potential is for the birds. Alton has remained the underserved workhorse for the brand, arguably ruined by being part of the wider group.

There are successful examples in the UK and Europe. Even Drayton is turning itself around.

Whether another company would understand the “uniqueness” or what makes Alton, Alton however is another topic.

They need to get away from Merlin, away from MAP, away from private equity, away from not owning their land. The turnaround mission however is extensive.
 
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