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Christmas 2012

^
I hear there Christmas attraction ''Knight Before Christmas'' is meant to be really good. I hear a lot of effort has gone into the event this year too!
 
Zak said:
^
I hear there Christmas attraction ''Knight Before Christmas'' is meant to be really good. I hear a lot of effort has gone into the event this year too!
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Alton's event is also truly lovely - but they need to just GO FOR IT one year, stop with this dillying around with hotel guests only and ramp it up and start making a name for themselves at Christmas!

:)
 
It sounds like Towers Christmas event is bigger and better this year which is of course a good thing. Maybe this year they are trailing a slightly bigger event with more things open then if it is successful and works well with hotel guests they may do a public event next year? It would be great if that was the case.

:)
 
^ very true it would be very popular even if they open a Christmas market such as you see at Trentham and all the German markets and selected rides and a Santa meet, they would make a lot of money from the public
 
Rob said:
It sounds like Towers Christmas event is bigger and better this year which is of course a good thing. Maybe this year they are trailing a slightly bigger event with more things open then if it is successful and works well with hotel guests they may do a public event next year? It would be great if that was the case.

:)
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I have been wondering this for two years now, but they don't seem to take the plunge. They're half way there as it is, with lovely decoration (more Christmas decs than Scarefest equivalent!) and some lovely touches. Just a few more bigger attractions, an ice rink, christmas market and a little more entertainment... and bingo!
 
Yeah, you can't help but feel they are missing out really. I'm sure they will have considered a Christmas event open to the public though and have reasons for not doing so yet. Maybe they feel that by having an event open to the public, people will be less inclined to stay over in the hotels over the Christmas period as they can just come for the day instead? And they don't want to risk losing hotel revenue? Or maybe they just can't yet justify the cost of getting more external attractions such as an ice rink or Christmas market in for such an event?

You have to think that sometime in the next few years they will indeed take the plunge though, especially as Drayton's is so successful. Hopefully Drayton doing well off it this year may be the catalyst for Towers.

:)
 
Towers should be leading the way though!

If it happens it won't be until Christmas 2014 as next winter a large part of the children's area will be a construction site.
 
Drayton have had a family christmas nailed for a few years now - but even with Blackpool doing it, Alton still aren't doing a walk-up and pay £20 theme park event.

They should get rid of February. And increase what happens in Winter. Weekends from late November/early December and then daily in the holidays, closing on the Sunday before the schools go back.

Throw in a couple of bigger rides (ones that can run at this time of year), along with Duel and as many indoor things as possible - and bingo. You'll attract everyone. Hotel guests can have a special Hotel Guest Santa Grotto near ATH - like they did a few years back, and lunch and water park included to keep them fully premium.

If anything, weather at Feb HT is worse than now.

:)
 
AstroDan said:
Drayton have had a family christmas nailed for a few years now - but even with Blackpool doing it, Alton still aren't doing a 1-day event.

Scrap February. Improve Christmas.

Sorted.
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Yes that would be great to see this happen I would proffer Christmas to February half term
 
Actually that's quite a good idea Dan, Christmas is a bigger draw than February when weather is often poor. Or they could do both but alternate which (maintenance intense) rides open between the two.
 
They have already proved that it is possible to run bigger rides at this time of year. The old Winter Weekends used to see an area of the park open for 4 hours ish each weekend. If i recall correctly, Forbidden Valley was open November/December, and X Sector opened February/March?

:)
 
But thrill coasters wouldn't fit the family Christmas atmosphere which I like, they need to massively expand the family offering though!

Keep thrill for February.
 
Well looking what the park has to offer family wise near enough the whole of Mutiny Bay is open and Cloud Cuckoo Land is slowly creeping up to the top as well but the park could also look into:

Katanga Canyon:
RMT - I know someone mentioned about weather but Drayton operate a policy of if the weather is below -5 degrees it wont operate. Whether this is different for RMT surely they could offer the same kind of solution for the ride if you like.

Gloomy Wood:
Duel - Indoors, garlands outside and in the que.
Gloomy Wood - It's still one of the parks attractions?

Forbidden Valley:
This is a hard one. I'd class The Blade as a family attraction but save opening the whole area for just one ride I think i'd keep it closed.

Cloud Cuckoo Land:
Try and get Twirling Toad Stool operating, everything else is open as far as im aware?

Fountain Square:
Hex - Its another indoor attraction and is also open at Feb Half term so why not Christmas?

Dark Forest:
TH13TEEN - Its a family roller coaster.
Also the amount of food outlets here could be opened maby some sort of Marquee to keep the guests warm?

Adventure Land:
Sonic - With the proposal next year of this new themed land it's a maby. But Its a family thrill still could potentially open!

-

So adding all that into the question that's a hell of alot more attractions that could potentially open, all with the family in mind! They really do just need to think hard and long as I bet some of these attractions CAN operate in these conditions.
 
I wouldn't want to see park open on the same scale at Christmas as it is at say Feb half term, merely because I can't see them realistically giving the whole park a good Christmas theme. I'd be more than happy with them just opening the areas that they are doing this year, and get in some extra external Christmas related additions.

Another theory as to why this hasn't happened yet could be that they are waiting until after the new family/kids are in 2014? Who knows!

:)
 
Thirteen would be difficult to open if maintenance is taking place on Rita, and Towers would probably want to have as few areas open at winter as possible so as to reduce staffing costs. It'd be good for them to open more rides, but if it's not financially viable to do so, then they won't.
 
You'd be suprised, though. Christmas Decorations are widespread around what is open at present - it wouldn't take a whole lot more!

As for Toadstool - the ride is so old and decrepid underneath the theming, I cannot see it running.

Th13teen could do. I actually think it would be the most suitable, too. I certainly think Nemesis could, as a token gesture to thrill seekers too.

I would go for:

Old MacDonalds Farm
Doodle Doo Derby
Tractors
Bish Bash
Singing Barn
Reindeer
Furry Friends
Little George and Granville
Squirrel Nutty (not sure why it's closed? Does it seize up?)

Towers
Hex

Cloud Cuckoo Land
Charlie
Carousel
Frog Hopper
Driving School

Dark Forest
Th13teen

Katanga Canyon
Runaway Mine Train

Mutiny Bay
Marauders Mayhem
Heave Ho
Sharkbait Reef

Gloomy Wood
Duel

Forbidden Valley
Blade
Nemesis

Extra's for Christmas
Ice Skating on the lawns
Christas Market on Towers Street
Hog Roast
Towers Tours

£20 admission. Sorted.

:D
 
AstroDan said:
Katanga Canyon
Runaway Mine Train
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I'd be very surprised if they tried to run the Mine Train in winter. Getting it open for Feb Half Term is supposed to be quite a challenge, as water and frost get inside the prickup lines and prevent the ride from conducting power properly. I believe Squirrel Nutty and The Monorail have the same problem. I can't remember if it was last year, or the year before that they tried to run the Mine Train at FHT, and ended up breaking part of the lines and having to replace them. Probably an expense the park could do without :p

I do agree with Hex and Duel though. I'd probably even throw Sub-Terra in there should Nemmy need to go down. The dark rides are attractions built indoors. They should be running whatever the weather in my opinion. The same with Ice Age over in Cloud Cuckoo Land.

Valley is a tricky one really. Ripsaw is down for servicing obviously, and while Air probably could be ran it really doesn't like the cold. At Feb Half Term last year they tried to bring another craft onto the ride, which hadn't had chance to run or warm up. It nearly ended up valleying over the garage! :p Then, as soon as you have that happen the ride system goes off in a strop, and will keep e-stopping until the train is running at a decent speed. It took them nearly half an hour to get it running properly again!

Nemmy seems to be fine so long as there's no ice on the track and they can get the lift to start up. Oh, and assuming that the snow hasn't caused the water in the pools to rise too much :p I believe 3 degrees is the minimum temperature it can run in (Which is set by B&M if I'm not mistaken?)

I'd be surprised if Blade could run in winter though? I mean, it's not as young as it used to be (Getting onto being one of, if not the oldest flat at Alton!), and it does rely on hydraulics to run. I could understand them not opening that.

Th13teen should be fine as long as there's no ice and the crypt is warm I'd have thought?

I can kind of see why the park might not want to open certain areas. I mean, with Skyride out of action it makes it quite a trek from Valley to Dark Forest and Cloud Cuckoo Land, considering that the gardens will be all icy and frozen. Maybe the best thing they could do is close Valley and Katanga, then just use Haunted Hollow for access to Duel and possibly Sub-Terra?


All in all it boils down to the same thing though - the park needs to expand its offerings at Christmas in order to truely compete.
 
Time for towers to start investing in more indoor attractions in he next few years?
 
I would rather see some different offerings at Christmas rather than opening some of the main season attractions. Get an ice rink on the lawns by the lake, some Victorian style fairground rides similar to what Warwick Castle (still?) do/did, a market area between Towers St and Cloud Cuckoo Land, and some extra animals in the farm to really 'grotto' it up.

And open to all guests, not just hotel guests. To keep that as a premium product, then have some exclusives in the hotel area
 
I think it will certainly be different next year, if the 2014 plans happen, they will surely happen during the closed season next year, but that would mean no farm, which is one of the major parts of the Christmas event. They will either have to plan the building work around the Christmas event, or expand it elsewhere.

Its certainly going in the right direction this year with Cloud Cuckoo Land and Ice Age.
 
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