To preface this I am someone who does often complain about towers and their operations. I often feel entitled to an opinion on towers because of how long I’ve been visiting, the amount of my hard earned cash I’ve spent at the park over the years and I’ve got a brick in the entrance plaza (used to also have one share in Merlin until they floated)! Anyone who’s visited the park with me knows I’m fond to a grumble- often in a jokey way- often bringing in my brick into the argument. One thing that’s always drawn me to this forum is the un-sugar-coated look at towers and of course the lighthearted look at towers and its history.
I understand operations have been awful recently - I scrolled through some of the recent reviews on trip advisor and they are awful. All mentioning similar frustrations that we’ve shared on here. Ultimately I think the way towers has gone the people visit just to go on the big rides- unlike say Disneyland Paris where people visit for the whole experience, not necessarily the rides. The way the park has been skewed over the past 10+ years is to focus on the big rides, not the wider experiences, which is no wonder that people are frustrated when they queue 2hrs for a ride for it to break down with no compensation. The Aramark prison food also gets a lot of mentions on trip advisor as well.
However I do think we are missing some of the positive things that have been brought in recently.
- Oktoberfest is an excellent addition as has become my favourite event of the year. The entertainment is a laugh and the tent this year made it more weather-proof. Even though my wallet was crying after the very expensive pints i couldn’t fault the performers and the atmosphere on the lawns.
- The Curse of Alty Mans - reviving the rather depressing Duel into something with wit, charm and some solid effects. The atmosphere in this whole area with the actors has really brought something new.
- Bringing back Hex- yes I do think now the vault looks straight out of Blackpool but investing money into this well loved classic is a positive move. When I went on last (admittedly I did start it for the lols) but the vault sequence got a round of applause.
- Heritage Tours - sharing more of the fascinating history. The gardens have been looking better this year planting wise as well.
- New scarefest tents- I can see this bringing positive change into the next few Scarefest. The shows on the main stage as well are very well produced.
- Nemesis reborn- investing in retracking and elongating the life of this well- loved ride. One of my favourite things this year has been the buzz around the ride- seeing families taking their children on the ride and speaking about how much they loved the original. I understand the military theme may not be for everyone, but the themeing looks excellent - particularly in the dark with the searchlight and illuminated helicopter. The live actors in the area have breathed life back into area.
Yes, changes do need to take place, but I don’t think the place is on the downwards spiral. Just some of positives from this year from a self-confessed towers moaner! Now.. where’s my free fastrack?!