Food & Beverage 2014

[djtruefitt]

The problem is spinball noodles is out the way, even when you could go through that area it was never busy, will be even worse now as Sonic is just on its own. I suppose they could have designed it so it was in CBeebies Land but that would probably be a bit odd. But you never know next year or the year after there could be plans to merge the areas.

I'm sure the new towers bar and grill will be much popular now with CBeebies Land next to it, as there will be a large amount of people at that end of the park all the time, compared to before.

I wonder how big this new food restaurant is in CBeebies Land, as its in the building that had the Ferrets in, which looked small, however from above its a fairly large building.

 

[thefatone]

Even with the fence it's closer the TFR, Just a thought if they need food capacity near the area (surprised food wasn't factored in really but there you go).

They have? Massive new restuarant in Cbeebies Land itself, Corner Coffee refresh and TFR refurb which'll bound to be open all day nowadays.

Noodles as others have said is separate and can only be accessed by those wanting to ride Spinball, not exactly the best location.

 

[Dave]

Even with the fence it's closer the TFR, Just a thought if they need food capacity near the area (surprised food wasn't factored in really but there you go).

They have? Massive new restuarant in Cbeebies Land itself, Corner Coffee refresh and TFR refurb which'll bound to be open all day nowadays.

Noodles as others have said is separate and can only be accessed by those wanting to ride Spinball, not exactly the best location.

Where is the massive new restaurant in CBeebies?

Take all of the old buildings:

Pottery Studio - Nina
Singing Barn - Shop
Donkey Barn - Charlie and Lola
Bish Bash - Justins Pie Factory


That leaves the old barn that had the ferrets out front, it at best has the space to accommodate a refresh style outlet (probably healthier) but certainly doesn't have scope for a decent kitchen and seating area.

So for a warm meal TFR is the closest option. I think CBeebies will be a fab area and certainly looks really well done but my issue has always been capacity (as i don't trust Merlin creatives thinking about logistics). All the rides are low capacity and i worry the food options wont keep up either when very young families will have no real reason to want to leave the area for a very long time.

These things are small considerations but they kinda sort the wheat from the chaff.

 

[Scott]

Equally an interesting point will be raised this summer. The area is (in my opinion) likely to reach 'capacity' on peak days. I would have thought that the number of people in at once will be limited - hence the separate entrance and exit.

So if the food offering inside CBeebies isn't up to scratch, what will people do if they know they'll have to queue with their kids just to get back in?

 

[jon81uk]

If the rides are low capacity then encouraging guests to leave the area to get food is a good thing as it will spread people around the park. Guests could do Cbeebies in the morning, go and eat at Towers Grill then visit Sharkbait Reef or take the Skyride over to Cloud Cuckoo Land for lunch at Burger Kitchen before watching Ice Age. The rest of Cbeebies Land can be explored in the afternoon then.

 

[GaryH]

I had an impromptu visit to the park today as I was up in the area. The place was pretty quiet, most rides walk on. A lot of food outlets were closed, and to be fair, a lot of games stalls were closed too - e.g all of those in Katanga Canyon were closed.

My gripe was actually at the hotels. I went back to the ATH at midday as I fancied a sit out the back with a snack. Prezzo had a corporate day there and the reception area was full of their luggage, and desks were set up to check them in, give them name badges etc. In the atrium downstairs, bars and coffee stands had been set up. Extra fridges had been brought in and stood where some of the seating is containing cold drinks. In the Dragon Bar, the bar was closed and a table set up in front of it with some food on it. I was told to go to Splash. Secret Garden was also closed.

Went to Splash - restaurant closed for lunch. Went to the bar, no food available, but I could wait for a pizza at 12:30 (which I didnt want, and which didnt open anyway). I made do with a sandwich from the small stand opposite the entrance to Flambo's served to me by the most miserable cow i've ever met.

Other guests were asking where they could get food, and it seemed that it was impossible to get any hot snacks at lunch time in either hotel.

I felt somewhat alienated and very annoyed. Isnt the conference suite what these sorts of events is for, rather than them taking over all of ATH and stopping Splash serving hot food? Even all the arcades were closed in the hotels for some reason.

Apart from that, was a good morning on the park, did all the main rides within 2 hours, Smiler was running rough as hell as if it had square wheels on it, then again, so was Rita and Air was rattling quite a bit. But yes, visit in the week and you get a totally different experience than if you visit on a weekend which makes me more convinced they need to introduce a weekday ticket in March - May (say £30 an adult) to try and get more people visiting. Places to eat closed, games stalls with shutters down, parts of the park felt a little, erm, abandoned......

Edit : Forgot to mention - the food outlets that were open were pretty quiet, most people I saw eating had actually brought their own food.

 

[James]

Oh dear, that sounds awful. You complained (about hotels)? While they expect it to be dead with regular guests that's no excuse given it's an all year round resort.

 

[DiogoJ42]

I know from experience that when a large corporate event is on at the hotels, normal guests don't matter. :'(

 

[Poisson]

The food is the shop towards the back of CBoobies......

http://prntscr.com/3h8uly

http://prntscr.com/3h8v6c

Little Explorers Lunch Box
Serving freshly prepared hot and cold sandwiches, hearty pies and pick and mix picnics. Free Heinz baby food with an adult meal, plus children’s activity sheets available. High chairs are available in all the above restaurants. Please ask a member of our team if you require baby food/bottle warming facilities.

 

[GaryH]

I know from experience that when a large corporate event is on at the hotels, normal guests don't matter. :'(

Certainally felt like that yesterday in ATH. Could hardly get into the shop or reception area as there were tables across the front of the shop. Couldnt get to the Dragon Bar due to the amount of people and all the tables, and in the Dragon bar all the seating had been removed and replaced with tables.

Took a photo actually now I remember :

https://www.flickr.com//photos/124482621@N02/show/

 

[jon81uk]

I know from experience that when a large corporate event is on at the hotels, normal guests don't matter. :'(

But the corporate guests are paying a lot into the hotels too. If they didn't have these days where a corporate client takes over then the price for normal guests would probably be even higher. It sounds like on this occasion there could have been better signage to direct guests to Splash Landings as the corporate event has taken over AT Hotel.

Went to Splash - restaurant closed for lunch. Went to the bar, no food available, but I could wait for a pizza at 12:30 (which I didnt want, and which didnt open anyway). I made do with a sandwich from the small stand opposite the entrance to Flambo's served to me by the most miserable cow i've ever met.

Other guests were asking where they could get food, and it seemed that it was impossible to get any hot snacks at lunch time in either hotel.

I felt somewhat alienated and very annoyed. Isnt the conference suite what these sorts of events is for, rather than them taking over all of ATH and stopping Splash serving hot food? Even all the arcades were closed in the hotels for some reason.

But given the vast majority of guests would be in theme park anyway and its a relativly quiet Wednesday I would say the option of a sandwich from the coffee bar or pizza at 12:30 are fine and there is another sandwich bar in the Waterpark too. Most people if they have had breakfast in the hotel wouldn't be looking to get lunch until 12:30 anyway.

To me it sounds like the options available were fine but the customer service directing you to the options could have been better. A cheerful "sorry we have a corporate event in AT Hotel, there are food options in Splash" would have done. Then in Splash the bar staff should have been able to say with confidence "the kitchen opens for lunch at 12:30 but we also have a coffee bar downstairs". Yes this is limited options but given you said the park was quiet I don't see why more than 1 hot and 1 cold lunch option is needed.

 

[Rob]

Regarding the hotels issue, that sounds appalling. Even if there is a large corporate event on which may well be taking up most of the rooms in the hotel they should still be providing for other guests. People may have come to visit either the Spa or Waterpark and wanted a nice lunch as part of their trip. To have nothing open other than the small coffee kiosk opposite Flambos is incredibly poor.

 

[jon81uk]

I know from experience that when a large corporate event is on at the hotels, normal guests don't matter. :'(

Certainally felt like that yesterday in ATH. Could hardly get into the shop or reception area as there were tables across the front of the shop. Couldnt get to the Dragon Bar due to the amount of people and all the tables, and in the Dragon bar all the seating had been removed and replaced with tables.

Took a photo actually now I remember :

https://www.flickr.com//photos/124482621@N02/show/

Looking at the picture I can see why you couldn't get anywhere but also I would have instantly got the feeling of being somewhere I shouldn't be and left for Splash. As I said it sounds like there should have been clear signage at the entrance to the hotel that an event was taking place, please use Splash Landings. If you don't think there was sufficient signage on the entrance to the hotel then email them to complain.

I have been in the hotel on a weekday and barely seen 5 people in the lobby of AT Hotel, most guests would be in Splash (for the waterpark) or in the theme park anyway if they weren't there for the event. Looking at how many people are there for the event Alton Towers would be making a significantly larger amount from these guests compared to the handful normally around at lunchtime.

 

[jon81uk]

Regarding the hotels issue, that sounds appalling. Even if there is a large corporate event on which may well be taking up most of the rooms in the hotel they should still be providing for other guests. People may have come to visit either the Spa or Waterpark and wanted a nice lunch as part of their trip. To have nothing open other than the small coffee kiosk opposite Flambos is incredibly poor.

Gary did mention that Ma Garrita's or Flambo's would open at 12:30 for lunch and looking at the website (http://www.altontowers.com/hotels/splash-landings-hotel/restaurants/) this is correct lunch is served 12:30 to 2:30. The AT Hotel website does say lunch is served in the Atrium 12-4pm (http://www.altontowers.com/hotels/alton-towers-hotel/restaurants/) but from the photo Gary added it is obvious another event is taking place and he was told to go to SPlash instead. As long as Splash does serve lunch 12:30 to 2:30 as advertised I don't see the problem!

 

[Dave]

If they are going to do stuff like that (and I don't begrudge them as corporate hospitality is big business) they should close ATH to general guests and ensure Splash has full facilities to accommodate the rest of the hotel guests open.

It's hardly rocket science.

 

[Rob]

He also said that it didn't open at 12.30 anyway.

As has been mentioned surely the conference centre is where events like this shoud be taking place? There are bars there as well as much more space. I would be interested to know what happened to those that may have booked a Spa day that included lunch in ATH/Secret Garden for that day.

 

[Dave]

He also said that it didn't open at 12.30 anyway.

As has been mentioned surely the conference centre is where events like this shoud be taking place? There are bars there as well as much more space. I would be interested to know what happened to those that may have booked a Spa day that included lunch in ATH/Secret Garden for that day.

The conference centre is big but if they where setting up in there for the conference they may not have had room to also do the welcome stuff. But as said all they had to do was close ATH to guests and ensure Splash had more facilities open.

 

[Rob]

He also said that it didn't open at 12.30 anyway.

As has been mentioned surely the conference centre is where events like this shoud be taking place? There are bars there as well as much more space. I would be interested to know what happened to those that may have booked a Spa day that included lunch in ATH/Secret Garden for that day.

The conference centre is big but if they where setting up in there for the conference they may not have had room to also do the welcome stuff. But as said all they had to do was close ATH to guests and ensure Splash had more facilities open.

I agree, that would have sufficied. Probably another case of it being classed as "off-peak" so they didn't feel the need to have everything open despite the fact that ATH was effectively out of action.

 

[jon81uk]

He also said that it didn't open at 12.30 anyway.

As has been mentioned surely the conference centre is where events like this shoud be taking place? There are bars there as well as much more space. I would be interested to know what happened to those that may have booked a Spa day that included lunch in ATH/Secret Garden for that day.

The conference centre is big but if they where setting up in there for the conference they may not have had room to also do the welcome stuff. But as said all they had to do was close ATH to guests and ensure Splash had more facilities open.

Yep they just needed to have clearer signage at AT hotel and then make sure the lunch menu in Flambo's is served as on the website description from 12:30-2:30.

 

[GaryH]

Falmbo's had a sticker saying "closed" over the lunchtime sign at the entrance and the gates were closed. The pizza "cove" didnt open.

My annoyance was not that I had to go to Splash, but I did fancy some hot food.

The conference centre is large, it has a bar area and plenty of seats inside. So why didnt they use that?

It was also a nice sunny day - I really fancied a pint and to sit outside on the chairs at the rear of ATH in the sunshine and relax. There was no chance of doing this as the guests had also taken over the outside!

If Flambo's had opened for lunch, or if the bar area did some hot snacks then I would have been ok with that. I think all the chef's were busy over in ATH.