Closed Outlets

[djtruefitt]

Now this has been mentioned quite a bit lately in various threads, but I thought I would create one just for it!

It seems this season there must have been some serious cut backs across the resort especially in food and beverage (F&B), in past seasons not all outlets have opened at park opening, and some not at all, but more and more outlets seem to have not opened at all this season (as far as i'm aware), even last weekend during the bank holiday many outlets were closed.

The following photos are all from yesterday (Tuesday)

The ride may be open, but you certainly can't get a photo (taken at 11am):

Wobble World Cafe - Closed all day:

However this was the only outlet that actually had a sign telling you it was to be closed all day, (nicely blocked by the all day dining logo):

The Pirate Pasty Co - Closed all day:

Pancakes - Closed all day:

Hotdogs - Closed all day:

Driving school photos, no idea if this opened later in the day, but it all the lights were turned off at 11am.

This outlet seems to get a new name each year (started as a sweet shop, then it sold a bit of everything, and now it is a slush stand - Closed all day.

Ben & Jerry's - Closed all day:

Even HB Leisure got a lay in! These both opened after midday:

Waffles & Ices - Closed all day:

Pancakes - Closed all day:

Slush Stands near the rapids, dark forest and Sonic - Closed all day:

Food outlet near Duel - Not sure if this opened, but was closed at 11.30am:

Refresh@Ripsaw - Closed all day:

Air Spin - Closed all day:

Spinball Noodles - Closed all day:

Towers Donuts (and Towers family restaurant) - Closed all day due to refurbishment:

Now it may have been a quite day in May, but is this really the impression you want to give to your paying guests? Walking around the park before midday felt like I shouldn't have been there, with the majority of food outlets and HB Leisure stands closed. Most of which didn't open all day anyway.

Fancy a pancake? Well you couldn't have one, as both outlets were closed all day. How about a Ben & Jerry's? Nope, that was closed all day, and so was the ice cream van near Hex. Hot dog? only available in the dark forest. Sandwich? With Wobble world cafe and Refresh@Ripsaw closed you had to go to corner coffee.

Overall I had a good day yesterday, but it doesn't look great with no end of places just with shutters down, with only wobble world cafe having a notice telling you it was shut all day. I feel sorry for anyone who is buying all day dining at the moment!!

 

[Scott]

I appreciate on quiet days it is sensible to save on staffing to increase your profit - that makes perfect sense. However it does not excuse that this looks bloody awful! I can imagine walking around would look like the place was closed...

The fact that this process was even repeated across a bank holiday weekend recently is a joke. Looks like yet another case of the budgets being given not actually being realistic for running the park!

Also the irony of the closed sign being obscured by all day dining makes me chuckle...

 

[jon81uk]

I still don't see this as being a huge deal. They need to paint the shutters if they are continuing to do this but I don't see any guests in any of your pics so it looks quiet enough to warrant the closures. Battle galleons is only really worth running a few months of the year due to weather so they might as well close the ride not just the photos!

The tuck shop between Duel and Sub Terrra only opens on very very busy days anyway, don't think I've seen it open outside of fireworks. Was it warm enough for enough guests to want slushies or Ben & jerrys? They would need to sell at least 10 an hour to cover staffing alone.

I think refresh@ripsaw and waffles&ices need themed shutters so they can become genuinely seasonal. Spinball Noodles needs to close permanently. The mutiny bay small outlets being closed is fine, there is still three other outlets in this land.

 

[IanB]

It's an embarrassment.

With the reduced offering at certain outlets as well, it makes the park feel like its on the verge of going bust, not second to Disney.

If I was a shareholder, or potential shareholder visiting the park, I would be selling my shares as quickly as possible.

If the money saved was being used to invest in refurbishment of rides and areas, or extra staff else where, I could almost forgive them, but the simple fact it is being done to save money, and use it to increase the money Merlin is making from the park, makes it inexcusable.

Ian

 

[delta79]

HB leisure stands can stay permanently closed in my opinion. I find the staff shouting at you to come and play really dents the park experience.

with all these food outlets closed when the park is not busy. I think i will take food with me just in case they are closed on a day i visit. and if they are open they have lost my custom.

 

[Dave]

I have no issue with a few food outlets closing on off-peak days, but never the big outlets like wobble world cafe. But what is worrying is these outlets where also closed on a reasonable attended BH weekend... How is that right?

 

[CoasterCrazyChris]

Were any F&B outlets open at all the day those photo's were taken?

Bearing in mind that Towers Family Restaurant is also closed for a refurb.

 

[djtruefitt]

It wouldn't be quite so bad if the closed outlets had signs on them telling you somewhere else to go. If you turned up at Mutiny Bay for a hot dog and the shutters are down, you might not know where else to go, all it needs is a sign telling you where other outlets are.

Hopefully we will see a change once CBeebies Land opens and the park will hopefully get busier. But this is the first season where so many outlets have been closed.

 

[AstroDan]

I don't mind one or two - but Ripsaw Cafe, Wobble World cafe and the like should be open.

Looks terrible but this is the appalling cash flow situation Merlin appear to be playing Alton in. Don't forget the late opening rides, too...

 

[Rob]

The amount of places closed on "off-peak" days is frankly embarrassing. It gives the park a really bad image as well.

 

[Balb0wa]

id say 95% of people aren't bothered, they will just go to an outlet that is open.

They go there for the rides, not to do a tubby crawl of the food outlets.

You go down the high street, places are boarded up, shut , why open an outlet that has hardly any trade. They know the figures.

"frankly embarrassing" "really bad image" to whom?

I think over the years, towers have probably opened too many food outlets, im happy with a few chocolate bars and a pasty these days.

 

[PeteA]

I have been at Thorpe Park for the past two days, Tuesday was empty, literally walk on, on all rides, Wednesday had more people in but queues were tiny. And yes, lots of food outlets / shops were closed. However, on the Wednesday, when it was more obvious that more people were on park, some outlets which were closed on the Tuesday, opened up later in the day.

Most parks on the continent and the US also have outlets closed in the morning / early afternoon only to suddenly open later. Now obviously I dont know the case with the outlets at Alton on that dat and I am in no doubt that Merlin arent counting their pennies and not opening outlets. but what about the many outlets which have not been mentioned, which I presume were open, ie the main ones. Whats the point in opening smaller outlets if no-one is there to buy?

Lets not forget, they are not a charity. They are a business. My visit to Thorpe Park wasnt spoilt because food outlets were closed which I never frequent. In fact for once it wasnt spoilt.

Believe me I am not applauding Merlin not one bit, but if the numbers arent projected in the park whats the point in opening.

Can I just ask, was the park dead when these pictures were taken or was it busy? If it was empty the park got it spot on, if busy they dropped a b**lock

 

[Dave]

I think over the years, towers have probably opened too many food outlets, im happy with a few chocolate bars and a pasty these days.

Good luck on the pastie as that's one of the outlets that is usually closed.

 

[Rob]

id say 95% of people aren't bothered, they will just go to an outlet that is open.

They go there for the rides, not to do a tubby crawl of the food outlets.

You go down the high street, places are boarded up, shut , why open an outlet that has hardly any trade. They know the figures.

"frankly embarrassing" "really bad image" to whom?

I think over the years, towers have probably opened too many food outlets, im happy with a few chocolate bars and a pasty these days.

You clearly have low standards.

I was there on a bank holiday Sunday. These same food outlets were all closed, we had to walk across half the park just to sit down with a hot drink and snack. Other guests were trying to get into Wobble World cafe only to find it locked. Who does it look bad to? The parks guests, walking past outlets with the shutters closed just looks bad, that cannot be denied.

I agree that it's ok to close a few of the quieter outlets when the park is really quiet, that makes sense. But when you go on a bank holiday weekend you don't expect the amount shut that were.

And I like to eat more than a pasty and chocolate bar. The best theme parks in the world have great variety of eateries where you can actually sit down and have a nice meal.

 

[thefatone]

All this topic is saying to me is two things. One is that they need to theme the closed areas/paint the shutters like Chessington has done. Two is that someone has a really boring life if they wanna go around taking photos of closed *money making* things.

Food aside.. does anyone really care if photos and games are closed?! Honestly?! It's not like these are included in your entry pricing.

As for what someone said above, I've been universal on an offpeak day and nothing was open. Simpsons area didn't bother opening until 12. So other places are pretty much the same.

 

[jon81uk]

All this topic is saying to me is two things. One is that they need to theme the closed areas/paint the shutters like Chessington has done. Two is that someone has a really boring life if they wanna go around taking photos of closed *money making* things.

Food aside.. does anyone really care if photos and games are closed?! Honestly?! It's not like these are included in your entry pricing.

As for what someone said above, I've been universal on an offpeak day and nothing was open. Simpsons area didn't bother opening until 12. So other places are pretty much the same.

I agree, I don't see what the big deal is. Yes they need to paint shutters to make things look better but there is still a huge range of food available in the park.

Particularly when some of the items only suit certain weather like ice cream and slushies or are in parts of the park that aren't busy when the kids are at school like wobble world.

The park will get busier once Cbeebies opens and the weather gets warmer and they will have more open outlets by then.

 

[Dave]

Two is that someone has a really boring life if they wanna go around taking photos of closed *money making* things.

Do you not think that's a little rude, one of Mike's role's in the team is to acquire picture of anything that introduces discussion and debate in here and on Social Media.... Fairly successful really based on this topic.

Plenty of people would question how boring someones life has to be to want to talk about theme parks on a forum... Yet here we all are.

 

[thefatone]

I'm all for creating topics and taking pictures which introduce discussion, Cbeebies discussion is very interesting and pictures are very worthwhile.

Taking photos of every closed unit does nothing though, compared to text and a couple of photos. It feels.. pedantic.

 

[Dave]

I'm all for creating topics and taking pictures which introduce discussion, Cbeebies discussion is very interesting and pictures are very worthwhile.

Taking photos of every closed unit does nothing though, compared to text and a couple of photos. It feels.. pedantic.

A picture tells a thousand words, and i would suggest that having an issue with that many closed units is not being pedantic, especially when you factor in the issues F&B are having at the hotels (falling food qualityt, poor service and crappy bars) and with food quality at burger kitchen ect.

You have to question the management, when standards are falling and larger food outlets cannot open on a bank holiday weekend.

 

[thefatone]

Fair point - My entire post was mainly to do with games and photos units rather than food units, to which I can agree. We should all move on and talk about how awful this entire situation is