CoasterCrazyChris
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mrbrightside said:
Except none of this "resort" malarky...it is very grating.
It will always be 'Alton Towers'. Do we always have to adopt Merlin's marketing spiel?
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Alton Towers: Resort or Not
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Except none of this "resort" malarky...it is very grating.
It will always be 'Alton Towers'. Do we always have to adopt Merlin's marketing spiel?
Tim
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Re: Alton Towers: Resort or Notussion
But Alton Towers is a resort. It has two hotels, a waterpark, spa, miniature golf and other resort facilities. Sure the park is still the main attraction but so are the Disneyland theme park's and no one disputes their resort states. I agree that the other UK Merlin parks are not resorts but Alton is and as a forum we don't just follow the park.
CoasterCrazyChris said:
But Alton Towers is a resort. It has two hotels, a waterpark, spa, miniature golf and other resort facilities. Sure the park is still the main attraction but so are the Disneyland theme park's and no one disputes their resort states. I agree that the other UK Merlin parks are not resorts but Alton is and as a forum we don't just follow the park.
Scott
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Re: Alton Towers: Resort or Notussion
To me, to others and to Google a resort is somewhere that people go on holiday. Towers has all the amenities that Tim mentioned which I think justifies the resort tagline.
Not the place to argue the toss over this but...Sam said:
To me, to others and to Google a resort is somewhere that people go on holiday. Towers has all the amenities that Tim mentioned which I think justifies the resort tagline.
Tim
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Re: Alton Towers: Resort or Notussion
But the issue I have with saying they need multiple parks is that there is no definition on how big each park has to be. For example Europa Park is bigger than both Disney Paris parks combined and I'd argue that when the studios park first opened so was Alton. In fact wasn't Disneyland Paris known as (and rightly so) a resort long before Studios opened?
Also isn't a Waterpark technically a second park?
But the issue I have with saying they need multiple parks is that there is no definition on how big each park has to be. For example Europa Park is bigger than both Disney Paris parks combined and I'd argue that when the studios park first opened so was Alton. In fact wasn't Disneyland Paris known as (and rightly so) a resort long before Studios opened?
Also isn't a Waterpark technically a second park?
CoasterCrazyChris
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Re: Alton Towers: Resort or Notussion
I'm not doubting it is a resort but let's face it - Alton Towers Resort just sounds so lame. Plus the word has the connotations of some grotty seaside holiday camp.
We all know Merlin renamed it (along with every one of their theme parks) as a way of promoting the hotels just to make money anyway.
Alton Towers.....'nuff said.
I'm not doubting it is a resort but let's face it - Alton Towers Resort just sounds so lame. Plus the word has the connotations of some grotty seaside holiday camp.
We all know Merlin renamed it (along with every one of their theme parks) as a way of promoting the hotels just to make money anyway.
Alton Towers.....'nuff said.
Squiggs
TS Team
Re: Alton Towers: Resort or Notussion
I suppose it comes down to that age old conundrum. Just because you can call something a resort, doesn't necessarily mean you should, as it is a cheap and bland word which just about always require more definition before it means anything at all. (Technically London, my local pub and most riverbanks can all be classified as resorts by the dictionary definition)
But that is another debate for another day I fear. However while we're on the subject, I always assumed Alton Towers Resort were always using resort as Google Dictionary's third definition of the word...
PS. I've cut out and moved the resort discussion, as it is an interesting topic, but Guest Services is not the place for it.
I suppose it comes down to that age old conundrum. Just because you can call something a resort, doesn't necessarily mean you should, as it is a cheap and bland word which just about always require more definition before it means anything at all. (Technically London, my local pub and most riverbanks can all be classified as resorts by the dictionary definition)
But that is another debate for another day I fear. However while we're on the subject, I always assumed Alton Towers Resort were always using resort as Google Dictionary's third definition of the word...
PS. I've cut out and moved the resort discussion, as it is an interesting topic, but Guest Services is not the place for it.
Tom
TS Member
It may be marketed as a resort, but is it hell compared to others.
On some days the park is open for as little as six hours. When the average person is awake for 16 hours, I wouldn't feel satisfied doing a round of crazy golf, time in the water park and a meal in the restaurant during the other 10 hours.
They need to add more things to do to encourage more stays, but I think they are going to address that in the long term - they seem to recognise that more is needed.
They don't even need to add more infrastructure necessarily. A spooky tour of the towers by torchlight or other events inside the theme park after closing would entice more overnight visitors.
On some days the park is open for as little as six hours. When the average person is awake for 16 hours, I wouldn't feel satisfied doing a round of crazy golf, time in the water park and a meal in the restaurant during the other 10 hours.
They need to add more things to do to encourage more stays, but I think they are going to address that in the long term - they seem to recognise that more is needed.
They don't even need to add more infrastructure necessarily. A spooky tour of the towers by torchlight or other events inside the theme park after closing would entice more overnight visitors.
James
TS Founding Member
I would say the resort title just about scrapes it at the moment.
The only time I feel it will fully be a resort is when an entertainments complex is built, a third type of accommodation (hotel or lodges) is built, the whole resort is linked (this would be the complex on the Air car park) and both Extraordinary Golf/Waterpark are given major refurbishments. Such as an extension for the Waterpark and an extension/new theming for Extraordinary Golf.
The resort is currently fine for 2 night stays although anything beyond that is impossible at the moment, due to both the cost of staying there and lack of anything to do all the time.
I believe when at the least we see a cheaper type of accommodation introduced as well as an entertainments complex the resort will feel like one.
The only time I feel it will fully be a resort is when an entertainments complex is built, a third type of accommodation (hotel or lodges) is built, the whole resort is linked (this would be the complex on the Air car park) and both Extraordinary Golf/Waterpark are given major refurbishments. Such as an extension for the Waterpark and an extension/new theming for Extraordinary Golf.
The resort is currently fine for 2 night stays although anything beyond that is impossible at the moment, due to both the cost of staying there and lack of anything to do all the time.
I believe when at the least we see a cheaper type of accommodation introduced as well as an entertainments complex the resort will feel like one.
Tim
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Can I expand this topic slightly and also ask what parks everyone else considers to be resorts? For example do you consider Europa Park to be a resort? Like Alton it is only one park, there are several more hotels but no Waterpark or similar alternative attractions.
Just to clear up my own opinion I think any park that can justify a multiple day visit and has the facility's to service the guests every need from on-site counts as a Resort. Therefore I include Alton, Europa, debatably Phantasialand but not the other British parks (not just Merlin one's I should note) that are calling themselves resorts.
Just to clear up my own opinion I think any park that can justify a multiple day visit and has the facility's to service the guests every need from on-site counts as a Resort. Therefore I include Alton, Europa, debatably Phantasialand but not the other British parks (not just Merlin one's I should note) that are calling themselves resorts.
siralgenon
TS Member
I would class Alton Towers as a 'Resort' as it includes:
Theme Park
Waterpark
Spa
Golf
Conference Centre
There's lots to do, and you need 2/3 days to do and see everything.
However, I do not class Legoland and Chessington WOA as 'resorts' as they both are just a Theme Park with a Hotel next to it, there's only one thing to do at each.
Theme Park
Waterpark
Spa
Golf
Conference Centre
There's lots to do, and you need 2/3 days to do and see everything.
However, I do not class Legoland and Chessington WOA as 'resorts' as they both are just a Theme Park with a Hotel next to it, there's only one thing to do at each.
LewisNavex
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Fig 1: Someone tells me they're visiting Alton Towers and they're staying at the hotels.
Fig 2: Someone tells me they're staying at the Alton Towers Resort.
Fig 3: Someone tells me they're going to Alton Towers to play mini Golf
Fig 4: Someone tells me they're visiting the Alton Towers Spa.
Fig 5: Someone tells me they're visiting Alton Towers and then doing the Waterpark.
Fig 6: Someone tells me they're going to the Alton Towers Waterpark.
Fig 7: Someone tells me they're going to Alton Towers and then doing the Mini golf.
I don't know about you guys but I have never heard someone say they're going to visit the Alton Towers Resort. They have explained they're visiting the Theme Park and staying at the hotels of doing other activities on the site. So to me, Alton Towers may well be a resort I have no problem with that. But I visit the site for the theme park, everything else is another Activity / Attraction which shares the same site.
Fig 2: Someone tells me they're staying at the Alton Towers Resort.
Fig 3: Someone tells me they're going to Alton Towers to play mini Golf
Fig 4: Someone tells me they're visiting the Alton Towers Spa.
Fig 5: Someone tells me they're visiting Alton Towers and then doing the Waterpark.
Fig 6: Someone tells me they're going to the Alton Towers Waterpark.
Fig 7: Someone tells me they're going to Alton Towers and then doing the Mini golf.
I don't know about you guys but I have never heard someone say they're going to visit the Alton Towers Resort. They have explained they're visiting the Theme Park and staying at the hotels of doing other activities on the site. So to me, Alton Towers may well be a resort I have no problem with that. But I visit the site for the theme park, everything else is another Activity / Attraction which shares the same site.