AstroDan
TS Team
- Favourite Ride
- Steel Vengeance, Cedar Point
I have just returned after a day at Drayton Manor Park, which as most of you will know, is one of the countries leading 'second tier' parks - as in, just under the Alton Towers/Thorpe Park/Blackpool etc. bracket.
I was at the park from just after 10am, at which time the ride close was advertised as 5pm (the same as Alton Towers was today). However, the park was clearly moderately busy, with queues around 30 minutes for the major rides (shorter for some, slightly longer for others). As a result, around lunchtime, the ride close sign at Guest Services was advertising a 6pm close. We continued to do the rides, but, with the hot, sunny weather - guests were chilling out in the bar area and enjoying the heat. So, ride close was increased to 6.30pm on the sign. Then, around 4pm - it changed again - to 7pm. This was due to the weather, and that the park felt that guests would stay in the park. This was the case - with ride queues remaining, albeit shorter than earlier, until closing time. It was fantastic to experience this at DMP - after a similar experience at the August Bank Holiday in 2012, when they extended even later - to 7.30pm (some rides even stayed open till 8pm then - although the park was much busier than today).
Which brings me to the main point here - Alton Towers. I don't wish to rant and I apologise if at any stage it becomes as such. I appreciate that Alton Towers is a) larger and b) has considerably greater costs. This results in it taking a lot longer to clear the park of guests, although with regards to costs - the park presumably also takes far more money in that it attracts far more people than DMP and the admission charge is 25% greater. With this in mind I don't just want to sit and shout "THEY SHOULD OPEN LATER" - because I know that the park is geographically more challenged, and guests don't always stay late.
But - it seems Alton Towers are taking guests for a ride, quite literally - and excuse the pun. If they don't hit their self imposed 'budget' for that day (i.e. the number of guests they believe they should be attracting) then there's just no chance of any extension to park hours - even if it's 20 degrees, and guests are sitting about late in the day enjoying a pint on the lawns. Why, I ask, would Drayton feel guests may wish to enjoy an extra hour - but Alton don't think it's feasible? Yesterday (5th May), ride close at Alton Towers was 5pm - even though there was a healthy number of people in the park (one of the busiest days of 2013 so far). Earlier in the season, every ride was walk on (no queue), it was cool and cloudy, and it closed at 5pm, which was fine. But yesterday, with the weather, bank holiday etc. - no difference at all. I question as to whether the boundaries for 5/5.30/6pm or later ride closes have changed in recent years, because I am confident that 2 years ago, yesterday would not have been a 5pm close. At 5.40pm yesterday, there were hundreds of guests lying on the lawns drinking, kicking balls about and far more on Towers Street. An AMAZING atmosphere which was cut short by penny pinching. All having to leave the park because it was closed. With many of them not having work the following day, it was obvious many would have stayed later. The car park queue was horrendous at 6pm - and I believe it remained so for some time after.
With the decent guest figure, hot weather and Bank Holiday situation - I ask why Alton Towers refuse to extend their ride closing time. Could they consider a staggered closing? Just some way of increasing the time guests spend in the park and, thus, money they'll spend on food, drinks and merchandise. I am starting to think that unless every queue is over an hour, they'll not extend it at all. I hope that when The Smiler opens, they're a little more free spirited.
What do others think? I am not after the park staying open till 8 or 9 at night, as it's impractical, but 5pm just seems absurd with such weather - and the fact that every other park in the UK I am aware of, was open later than Alton Towers - including cash strapped Chessington - with Alton Towers being the UK's most popular, and biggest theme park...!
Whaaa!
I was at the park from just after 10am, at which time the ride close was advertised as 5pm (the same as Alton Towers was today). However, the park was clearly moderately busy, with queues around 30 minutes for the major rides (shorter for some, slightly longer for others). As a result, around lunchtime, the ride close sign at Guest Services was advertising a 6pm close. We continued to do the rides, but, with the hot, sunny weather - guests were chilling out in the bar area and enjoying the heat. So, ride close was increased to 6.30pm on the sign. Then, around 4pm - it changed again - to 7pm. This was due to the weather, and that the park felt that guests would stay in the park. This was the case - with ride queues remaining, albeit shorter than earlier, until closing time. It was fantastic to experience this at DMP - after a similar experience at the August Bank Holiday in 2012, when they extended even later - to 7.30pm (some rides even stayed open till 8pm then - although the park was much busier than today).
Which brings me to the main point here - Alton Towers. I don't wish to rant and I apologise if at any stage it becomes as such. I appreciate that Alton Towers is a) larger and b) has considerably greater costs. This results in it taking a lot longer to clear the park of guests, although with regards to costs - the park presumably also takes far more money in that it attracts far more people than DMP and the admission charge is 25% greater. With this in mind I don't just want to sit and shout "THEY SHOULD OPEN LATER" - because I know that the park is geographically more challenged, and guests don't always stay late.
But - it seems Alton Towers are taking guests for a ride, quite literally - and excuse the pun. If they don't hit their self imposed 'budget' for that day (i.e. the number of guests they believe they should be attracting) then there's just no chance of any extension to park hours - even if it's 20 degrees, and guests are sitting about late in the day enjoying a pint on the lawns. Why, I ask, would Drayton feel guests may wish to enjoy an extra hour - but Alton don't think it's feasible? Yesterday (5th May), ride close at Alton Towers was 5pm - even though there was a healthy number of people in the park (one of the busiest days of 2013 so far). Earlier in the season, every ride was walk on (no queue), it was cool and cloudy, and it closed at 5pm, which was fine. But yesterday, with the weather, bank holiday etc. - no difference at all. I question as to whether the boundaries for 5/5.30/6pm or later ride closes have changed in recent years, because I am confident that 2 years ago, yesterday would not have been a 5pm close. At 5.40pm yesterday, there were hundreds of guests lying on the lawns drinking, kicking balls about and far more on Towers Street. An AMAZING atmosphere which was cut short by penny pinching. All having to leave the park because it was closed. With many of them not having work the following day, it was obvious many would have stayed later. The car park queue was horrendous at 6pm - and I believe it remained so for some time after.
With the decent guest figure, hot weather and Bank Holiday situation - I ask why Alton Towers refuse to extend their ride closing time. Could they consider a staggered closing? Just some way of increasing the time guests spend in the park and, thus, money they'll spend on food, drinks and merchandise. I am starting to think that unless every queue is over an hour, they'll not extend it at all. I hope that when The Smiler opens, they're a little more free spirited.
What do others think? I am not after the park staying open till 8 or 9 at night, as it's impractical, but 5pm just seems absurd with such weather - and the fact that every other park in the UK I am aware of, was open later than Alton Towers - including cash strapped Chessington - with Alton Towers being the UK's most popular, and biggest theme park...!
Whaaa!
