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Hex [2024 Refurb]: General Discussion

jon81uk said:
I would assume the majority working for MMM are not on minimum wage due to the type of work they are doing and the specific knowledge they should have.
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We're not just talking a rise of minimum wage though, but also an increase of employer National Insurance contributions...
 
Islander said:
We're not just talking a rise of minimum wage though, but also an increase of employer National Insurance contributions...
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Redundancy packages and the process generally takes a long time and also isn't cheap, thought it can be cheaper in the long run. Lots of consultancy firms will want their pound of flesh during the process. The biggest flag against this being a knee jerk reaction to the increase in National Insurance Contributions is simply the little amount of time between the budget being revealed and the redundancies being announced. It might have been a hypothetical factor, but probably not a large one.
 
GooseOnTheLoose said:
Redundancy packages and the process generally takes a long time and also isn't cheap, thought it can be cheaper in the long run. Lots of consultancy firms will want their pound of flesh during the process. The biggest flag against this being a knee jerk reaction to the increase in National Insurance Contributions is simply the little amount of time between the budget being revealed and the redundancies being announced. It might have been a hypothetical factor, but probably not a large one.
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Oh tbf totally agree. I guess I was just pointing out that yes, minimum wage increase is unlikely to affect Merlin's operation of MMM, but NI contribution increase isn't...

...but yes, neither will likely have been much of a factor in this decision. Though I would argue it could still have been knee-jerk, just for other reasons.
 
I think it can't be stressed enough that anyone being made redundant at this time is almost certainly nothing to do with any changes the government are making, especially big well-established companies. There's nothing really in the government's proposals that wouldn't either be factored in to most company's budgets already (i.e. inflationary wage increases) or covered by contingency.

If you're planning on making redundancies, it is a common play to wait for a budget and blame it on whatever is announced by the government of the day.

All that said, we should also note that Merlin have at no point indicated any such link. If I recall correctly, they basically just don't want to have Studio North any more. Non-core service and all that.
 
These tour prices at Alton Towers are simply far too much. £70 for behind the scenes on Hex? No thank you.

Meanwhile at BGW, part of a chain who try to rip you off left, right and centre, you can do their Roller Coaster Insider tour from $59.99. This includes a lights on tour of one of their indoor coasters, behind the scenes of 4 other coasters and priority ride time. Far better value for money!

Clearly there is enough demand for these experiences at Towers to charge what they do mind.
 
Dobba said:
Hex 'Behind the Scenes VIP Experiences' are now a thing


From: https://x.com/altontowers/status/1906653702393585859
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If only they concentrated on making their attractions actually worth seeing behind the scenes.

It really does feel like we’re through the looking glass.

Better rides
Better food
Better shows
Better events
Better merchandise
Better accommodation
Better capacity/increased visitor numbers
Better hours/value
Better guest engagement (soundtrack releases etc)

No it’s Disney who are wrong, guests in fact want the opposite of all that.

Just doesn’t seem possible, this is all about nickel and diming the MAP brigade to try and increase guest spend because everything is garbage.

Parking
Fastrack
Game stalls
Lower quality food/bev

The struggle continues.
 
Rob said:
These tour prices at Alton Towers are simply far too much. £70 for behind the scenes on Hex? No thank you.

Meanwhile at BGW, part of a chain who try to rip you off left, right and centre, you can do their Roller Coaster Insider tour from $59.99. This includes a lights on tour of one of their indoor coasters, behind the scenes of 4 other coasters and priority ride time. Far better value for money!

Clearly there is enough demand for these experiences at Towers to charge what they do mind.
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When you break it down though, what you pay for the experience alone is fairly good value:

Express Parking £20
Fastrack £10
Pin badge (although exclusive) £8.

So knock £38 off the price and you have £32 for the actual BTS part - which is a bit more palatable. Now if only they offered it without those extras that no-one really wants!
 
Hex is actually a decent shout for a tour. Especially if they incorporated some of the history of the rooms it took over when opening. Can't knock it for existing.

Tis expensive though. Did an all day VIP thing at Kings Island years ago which is essentially what Towers offer now for Platinum VIP but with a tour of Beast (in operation) for $200 a head.

No exclusive merch though so guess wasted money.
 
Steve74 said:
When you break it down though, what you pay for the experience alone is fairly good value:

Express Parking £20
Fastrack £10
Pin badge (although exclusive) £8.

So knock £38 off the price and you have £32 for the actual BTS part - which is a bit more palatable. Now if only they offered it without those extras that no-one really wants!
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Sorry but I don't agree at all. Those 3 things are offered at practically zero cost to Alton Towers, they're just nice little perks to soften the cost of the overall offer. Do you need Express parking? Not really. A Hex fastrack? I'd never dream of buying one of those during a day at the park. A pin badge? Ok fair enough, that is a nice touch.

Each to their own though!
 
Rob said:
Sorry but I don't agree at all. Those 3 things are offered at practically zero cost to Alton Towers, they're just nice little perks to soften the cost of the overall offer. Do you need Express parking? Not really. A Hex fastrack? I'd never dream of buying one of those during a day at the park. A pin badge? Ok fair enough, that is a nice touch.

Each to their own though!
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Hence why I said if only they'd offer it without those extras that no-one really wants! Ultimately its not about the cost to Towers, but about the value given to the guests, and how they perceive the value with the added extras. They'd argue "we're giving you Fastrack, parking and a badge worth £38 included in the package". From the guest's point of view, take them away and the BTS element is only costing £32.
 
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