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Cadbury World - Merlin Take Over

Reading the comments on here, it sounds like part of the problem is the way it’s being marketed. There’s a misalignment between what people are expecting and what they’re getting. If people go expecting a factory tour or a theme park, they’re going to come away disappointed. But if Merlin marketed it as Birmingham’s answer to the Willy Wonka Experience in Glasgow, people would come away impressed.
 
AT86 said:
Can’t help but think in a setting like this, with a constant flow of people coming through that an omni mover would be the best option to keep things moving and reduce queues. Works well at Madame Tussaud’s.
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Cadabra was the same ride system as the Spirit of London I think. Why they've gone from a high capacity omnimover type tide to a laughably low capacity trackless ride that only loads 6 people at a time I don't know.
 
Skyscraper said:
Cadabra was the same ride system as the Spirit of London I think. Why they've gone from a high capacity omnimover type tide to a laughably low capacity trackless ride that only loads 6 people at a time I don't know.
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I thought Cadabra was a single car dark ride too? If I’m remembering correctly, my 2013 ORP certainly suggests that it was a single car ride rather than an omnimover.

I think I also remember Cadabra seating 4 per car rather than 6, so I’d hardly call Cadbury Chocolate Quest a massive capacity downgrade in that sense.
 
I've just watched a few TikTok reviews of Cadbury World... people are clearly expecting something very different to what it is. Very few have any positivity.
Some quotes:
"They only actually have one ride and it is the world's slowest roller coaster"
"We went round everything in 15 minutes and then the kids played outside"
"You don't actually get to go into the factory"
"You need to queue for everything. It is just one big queue to go on the shooting ride. It wasn't very good. You are better off going to Alton Towers."

I feel Merlin need to work on the marketing a tad.
 
Matt N said:
I thought Cadabra was a single car dark ride too? If I’m remembering correctly, my 2013 ORP certainly suggests that it was a single car ride rather than an omnimover.

I think I also remember Cadabra seating 4 per car rather than 6, so I’d hardly call Cadbury Chocolate Quest a massive capacity downgrade in that sense.
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Sorry what I meant is it had a moving station like Spirit of London (and Curse). That way loading is more frequent.
 
ScottishChris said:
I've just watched a few TikTok reviews of Cadbury World... people are clearly expecting something very different to what it is. Very few have any positivity.
Some quotes:
"They only actually have one ride and it is the world's slowest roller coaster"
"We went round everything in 15 minutes and then the kids played outside"
"You don't actually get to go into the factory"
"You need to queue for everything. It is just one big queue to go on the shooting ride. It wasn't very good. You are better off going to Alton Towers."

I feel Merlin need to work on the marketing a tad.
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But the thing I still find weird is that that the attraction hasn't changed really, its always been a walk through attraction and has had just one ride for about 15-20 years and its never gone into the factory properly, just the packaging area (and in the 90s that wasn't operational at weekends so you watched it on a video). So thats the weird thing as has the marketing changed other than showing there is a new ride? Do people go to Warwick Castle and complain there are no rides, or the Sea Life Centre?
 
jon81uk said:
But the thing I still find weird is that that the attraction hasn't changed really, its always been a walk through attraction and has had just one ride for about 15-20 years and its never gone into the factory properly, just the packaging area (and in the 90s that wasn't operational at weekends so you watched it on a video). So thats the weird thing as has the marketing changed other than showing there is a new ride? Do people go to Warwick Castle and complain there are no rides, or the Sea Life Centre?
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Totally with you. I would do the research before going too... but here we are. It's getting fairly slammed by reviews, whereas a year ago it was well received... and like you say, the majority of it hasn't changed.

The only thing I can think of is how it has been reported by the press... for example "The company that owns Alton Towers and Legoland has taken over the running of Cadbury World"?
 
jon81uk said:
But the thing I still find weird is that that the attraction hasn't changed really, its always been a walk through attraction and has had just one ride for about 15-20 years and its never gone into the factory properly, just the packaging area (and in the 90s that wasn't operational at weekends so you watched it on a video). So thats the weird thing as has the marketing changed other than showing there is a new ride? Do people go to Warwick Castle and complain there are no rides, or the Sea Life Centre?
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Yes!*
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*Fully aware of the sarcasm, but let me have it.
 
It does appear that alot of the new reviews are coming from people who are aware of “Merlin” as a company as to suppose an innocent civilian looking for a nice day out?! So I’m thinking more potential annual pass holders and this also brings new bloggers etc. So that does open up a new market of moaners regardless, not like we ever do that on here?

With everything being shown online for discussion and awareness of major companies leadership & direction etc. I do wonder if all reviewers have actually attended or in today’s world perhaps some to be online trolls haters of the Merlin brand?
 
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