If I ran the Towers…

[Matt.GC]

Basically, what every response so far says, is spend more money. Sometimes a lot more. Money that obviously isn't there. So we're not actually that far off the "200 ft tall RMC" scenario alluded to in the opening post by asking for things that would have been pretty simple expectations 10 or so years ago.

The park needs a significant overhaul. I don't think that can be done under current ownership. I hate seeing the place like this, and sometimes wish I could just try and remember it how it was than cling on to some misguided hope that it will get much better. We should never be in the situation where having a chicken burger made of chicken, and keeping the monorail open are discussion points.

Hence why if I were to get my mits on the title deeds, the first thing I would do is look for investment partners with a plan to complelty overhaul, reinvent, and reboot the place under a new business model. That would obviously be my preferred option.

If that can't be done, then I can see no reason why the park can't be wound down to be a perfectly sustainable Warwick Castle come Centreparks type affair. Maybe keep 2 hotels open, a few rides, and keep the gardens open year round. Some heritage tours that kind of thing. Better to accept reality and rationalise, than deny it and limp on like this.

 

[Ash]

May as well chip in for another go:

General:
Continue lighting installation resort wide, main hotel walking routes and across the park

Transport:
Cover the “meadows” in the tougher parking material to allow “air car park to be relocated” as planned
Refurb and expand the monorail to new meadows station
Permanent AT themed buses from Stoke, Uttoxeter and Derby stations
Support expansion of CVR to Alton

Accommodation:
Remove stargazing huts and expand enchanted village

Resort:
Install resort wide walking/running cycling paths
Cover/take indoors Extraordinary golf
Standalone entertainment dome next to golf

Events:
Focus on less events.

Pirates half term (Feb)
Electric Towers (March/April)
Festival of Thrills (June-August)
Scarefest (October)
Fireworks (November)
Xmas (December)

Towers Street:
Add themed permanent security booths or move security to underneath entrance
Add in a central fountain
Expand corner coffee
Turn the teachers lounge back into permanent sit down restaurant
Add Victorian theming to TST

Lawns:
Add in permanent festival booths and seating around the lawns.
Look at options for better lawn surface
Relocate corporate hospitality to “Games Bunker” location

Adventureland:
Remove Spinball Whizzer and replace with large indoor show venue

Mutiny Bay:
Add permanent maze structure onto MHQ car park

Katanga Canyon:
Remove games stall in front of RMT to improve guest flow
Remove CRR, reuse trough for Mack Rocking Boat ride system. Add new indoor section on Coach Car Park.

Gloomy Wood:
Add permanent maze structure behind main building

Forbidden Valley:
Replace arcade with indoor flat ride
Add theming elements to Galactica, add in indoor pre show bringing forward queue entrance
Add children’s play area near Galactica first drop

Gardens:
Tidy up
Look at suitable fencing to allow it to become sectioned standalone attraction.
Add coffee shop to Swiss Cottage

Towers:
Add in permanent museum
Add roof to Talbot Gallery
Turn banqueting hall into corporate space (see Warwick)

Dark Forest:
Remove thirteen
Add Intamin Dynamic Motion Stage
Add Intamin Multi Launch
Add in toilet block to Woodcutters
Add Children’s play area

Walliams World:
Re theme to Talbot Street
Add “mystic manor” esque trackless dark ride inside Dungeons building
Build Project Horizon
New show in 4D cinema
Indoor play area in former nickoldeon building
New coffee shop in old car showroom building
Add new permanent maze building alongside MMM

X Sector
Two new flat rides (one indoor)
Tidy up oblivion buildings
Remove extended smiler queue on main x sector path
Add permanent maze building onto X Sector house footprint

All of that is very much a 10 to 15 year plan but all possible. Looking at the investment going into Drayton, Paultons, Chessington and with Universal on the horizon, the UKs number one theme park needs to step up

 

[Ash]

Basically, what every response so far says, is spend more money. Sometimes a lot more. Money that obviously isn't there. So we're not actually that far off the "200 ft tall RMC" scenario alluded to in the opening post by asking for things that would have been pretty simple expectations 10 or so years ago.

The park needs a significant overhaul. I don't think that can be done under current ownership. I hate seeing the place like this, and sometimes wish I could just try and remember it how it was than cling on to some misguided hope that it will get much better. We should never be in the situation where having a chicken burger made of chicken, and keeping the monorail open are discussion points.

Hence why if I were to get my mits on the title deeds, the first thing I would do is look for investment partners with a plan to complelty overhaul, reinvent, and reboot the place under a new business model. That would obviously be my preferred option.

If that can't be done, then I can see no reason why the park can't be wound down to be a perfectly sustainable Warwick Castle come Centreparks type affair. Maybe keep 2 hotels open, a few rides, and keep the gardens open year round. Some heritage tours that kind of thing. Better to accept reality and rationalise, than deny it and limp on like this.

Speaking of which, one of the first problems is the deeds themselves. Haven’t they sold them all off?

This is the UK now; all the parasites, investment banks, hedge funds, foreign interests. All taking their piece of the pie and the UK is left with a husk.

Rinse and repeat for our railways, airports, water companies, energy companies, university’s.

No wonder there’s no money to be put in because they’re taking it all! Bar incompetence there’s no reason Alton couldn’t be as successful as similar parks on the continent (Efteling, Europa (arguably more unique), Parc Asterix, Phantasialand)

It is the UK parks that have stagnated for the past 20 years (and their attendances) meanwhile others have become more popular. Which imo has made Universal UK even more likely. There is a gap there. Considering they were close not that long ago, shows the mismanagement even more stark.

 

[Dhev123]

Dark Forest and The Towers
It’s been mentioned already numerous times but I’d love to see the towers/hex area and dark forest to merge.

Theme it to a medieval village - that way Th13teen can pretty much stay the same, and once Rita reaches the end of its service life, replace it with an intamin multi launch using the terrain (similar to taron but with more airtime rather than just rapid fire transitions) - AT needs an airtime focused attraction, and this could be the answer to this.

I also propose that the new coaster does not use all of its Rita’s site. Open up the pathway around where Rita’s brakerun/maintenance shed and station is - allows for better vantage points of th13teens main drop and opens up the area, and close off the current DF entrance plaza for the new coaster. The coaster could be themed to a dragon/mythological creature cruising through a village.

Going a bit overboard here, but the new coaster could incorporate dug up tunnels under the main pathway and also cruise down into the valley where the SkyRide embarks from (not quite a cross valley coaster but using the cliff side of the valley). That way, the site behind Rita can be used for a family flat ride.

So in summary,
- merge DF and towers/hex into one area.
- add the entrance portal around the castle before entering the hex plaza.
- replace Rita with a multi launch once it reaches the end of its service life
- open up the pathways where the station once resided to give the area a less ‘obstructive’ experience.
- new coaster should utilise dug up trenches and use the nearby cliff side terrain.
- new flat behind Rita’s first turnaround (family)
- overall medieval theme, allowing for hex and Th13teen to stay the same.
- add medieval facades to replace the current ‘ug land’ buildings.

TWODW
- Re-theme to a steampunk area. Although it would be nice to add more colour, to help differentiate it from the nearby proposed medieval area.
- The only new additions I’d wanna see would be a Zamperla nebula, and project horizon.
- the dungeons and existing rides can be repurposed.
- The dungeons should be themed to a factory (homage to Charlie) full of steampunk inventions, catering to the family market.
- Live Entertainment!!!


X-Sector
- General upkeep and ‘face lift’
- family flat ride in enterprises location

Gloomy Wood
- Fine as it is, can’t really see how the area can be expanded, and the curse is a great attraction.

Katanga Canyon
- Improve general access, the pathing is simply quite awkward at the moment.
- Spruce up the rapids, making it more interactive.
- Create a clear divide between mutiny and this area, even if it means just plonking some trees down to block the view of the wickerman.

Mutiny
- Also fine as it is, probably the most ‘okay’ area in the park.

Forbidden Valley
- General upkeep of reborn - ensure the paint job remains fresh.
- Return galactica to air, realising its original concept.
- Also separate Air from FB. Create a new area!

Future
- As previously mentioned, ‘Air’ would feature its own land.
- Prepare ground works for the car park behind air.
- Opens up a lot of space for future investments to give this area a balanced line up.

Other
- Ditch Aramark. Nice Theme Park food is such a good USP, especially for a U.K. theme park. Make restaurants that are themed to the area they reside! Capitalise off the strong themes to offer guests a unique experience when dining at the resort.
- I.E, African cuisine in Katanga, Alien themed food in FB, Etc.
- Sort out operating hours. As said already in this thread, if it isn’t busy, simply don’t open! And consistently offer good park hours across the days the resort is open!
- Monorail replacement. Invest in a reliable and crowd munching service that successfully takes guests from A to B without faff, breakdowns, and obscene queues.

That’s my pitch and I will happily receive the £2 billion that my proposal requires

 

[AltonLover123]

Pirates half term (Feb)
Electric Towers (March/April)
Festival of Thrills (June-August)
Scarefest (October)
Fireworks (November)
Xmas (December)

So by less events, you’ve increased them?

They already took this stance this year and decreased the amount of events across 2024.

So by increasing them you’ve solved that issue how?

Oktoberfest is also one of the most successful events for Towers. You may not like it personally, but the fact they kept it this year and expanded on the entertainment proved it was a worthwhile investment for them.

 

[GooseOnTheLoose]

less events.

less events

I can let it slide once, I can't let it slide twice. @Zeock may explode if I did.

It's "fewer events".

 

[Ash]

So by less events, you’ve increased them?

They already took this stance this year and decreased the amount of events across 2024.

So by increasing them you’ve solved that issue how?

Oktoberfest is also one of the most successful events for Towers. You may not like it personally, but the fact they kept it this year and expanded on the entertainment proved it was a worthwhile investment for them.

Can you count?

 

[rob666]

As the poster's name includes the numerals 123 I think they possibly can.

 

[Poisson]

I am not sure a summer event is needed? You put events on to increase footfall, which is not what you need in July or August.

 

[Ash]

As the poster's name includes the numerals 123 I think they possibly can.

And therein lies the problem…

 

[AltonLover123]

I am not sure a summer event is needed? You put events on to increase footfall, which is not what you need in July or August.

I assume the 10 year Ceebeies event was always going to “return” over the summer rather than it being added in adhoc, but it certainly drew in extra guests during the middle of summer where it would typically be a bit quieter.