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Incident on The Smiler 02/06/2015

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the smiler brand is some of the strongest in UK so would be a bold decision to change it, maybe tone the HA HA HA down
 
GaryH said:
I think it will take about 2 years before visitor numbers are back to normal. I think next year will be quiet as well.

As for the Smiler, i'm not sure what will happen here. They wont reopen it this year and certainally not before the H&S investigation is published and the compensation has been paid out. I cant ever see it reopening as the Smiler again, I would say thats a certainty given the name of the ride and what happened. A major re-theme is needed to try and reintroduce the ride I think.

As for visitor numbers this year - charging £250 a night to stay in a lodge isnt helping entice people back. I notice people were complaining on Towers facebook page when the "free kids and kids eat free" offer started the other day. People we getting quotes for a 2 night stay of over £600, which people just cannot afford to pay. Plus, given the "standard" of the rooms in the hotels, I wouldnt pay it either when I can stay in a larger and air conditioned room just down the road in the Holiday Inn for a quarter of that price. They need to be doing better offers to get people to go back and stay.
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The HSE investigation won't be published, they will open it once they feel it's safe to do so. I personally think it's better to get it out of the way this season but they will have people looking at the impact.

As for hotel prices, someone must be paying that because UK hotel prices are based on demand not quality. Hence why a skanky old travelodge in London charges more than a brand new travelodge in Hull. It's an industry wide issue. If they where not selling the price would drop.
 
I think AT will have to make some kind of press release regarding the cause of the accident when the ride does reopen. It will just prompt bad reactions if they quietly reopen the ride without any explanation as to what they've done to prevent a repeat incident.
 
Alexsutton said:
I think AT will have to make some kind of press release regarding the cause of the accident when the ride does reopen. It will just prompt bad reactions if they quietly reopen the ride without any explanation as to what they've done to prevent a repeat incident.
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It's a legal issue so that will be up to the lawyers.
 
I don't see how that's a legal issue? They don't have to place any blame, just something to reassure the public that they have made changes.
 
Alexsutton said:
I don't see how that's a legal issue? They don't have to place any blame, just something to reassure the public that they have made changes.
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I think exactly what they are able to say is a legal issue. Although legal proceedings have not yet been confirmed it is a certainty that the HSE will prosecute Towers. They won't be allowed to say anything that could compromise the legal proceedings. Saying that I would be very surprised if Towers do not go for a guilty plea.

I really think Towers need to get The Smiler open this year if they can. Then all, or most, of the bad press will be out of the way and they can focus on the 2016 season as normally as possible without the worry of how to re-open The Smiler and deal with the backlash.

:)
 
I think it would be best to either open it before the end of the season or if that is not possible then open it quietly on the second week after opening at like mid day so that the media are not there to notice it and get pictures so the negative press won't be as bad as if they open it on the first day or so when the media will be on the prowl looking for it opening.
 
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They could follow Jo Moore's way of dealing with it. wait for a massive news story then open it. anyone remember the twin towers email "It's now a very good day to get out anything we want to bury."

#GallowsHumor
 
I think opening it in September would be the best approach. Although I can understand why they may want to hold on until next season. They don't exactly want to look like they're rushing it and opening it 3-4 months after the crash might not come off as well as opening it one year after would.

Even when the ride reopens though it will be a long time until the media leave it. They will have their eyes glued to The Smiler for weeks and maybe months after it opens, and when it has a regular/normal breakdown it will be reported several times as some kind of disaster blah blah *insert other tripe here*. So even when it opens Towers have a long way to go until they're left alone by the media. So for that reason I personally want to see it open this season, just so the quicker this can be left alone the better.
 
I pretty much echo what others have said, I hope it opens this season but I think it'll be next. No matter when it opens, Alton Towers will get an absolute beating in the media, it would be better if it's all this season rather than next. 2015 is already a write-off.
 
Sadly I doubt it'd be the same spectacle as watching Mandy Thompson ride it.

Besides, Varney will have to fight his way through the desperate fanboys first to get on it.
 
Good that he will be the first person on it, but imagine if it broke down. Bet the media would be all over that ;)

Wonder who will go on the first ride with varney. There will be 15 more seats and I am doubting a competition. Maybe they'll open it up to the fan sites (more hoping than expecting, but they read this)
 
They will test it more than they did when it first launched before anyone goes on it. Don't think there will be a Competition etc due to the nature of the reason it's closed, it will be a soft launch for sure.
 
There won't be any fanfare. There won't be competitions. There won't be advertising.

I think it'll just open. Without any notice or warning - just one day it'll be opened quietly. I also think when Varney rides he will do so alone - as if to prove the ride is safe. He said to the press he will be the first back on it and I can quite imagine the press all wanting to see it.
 
It won't open quietly - the community will easily get whispers that staff are being retrained, passed off etc, and all operation staff will be given heads up that they are being rostered to The Smiler. It may not get media attention, but we will know when it's going to reopen - if it does before end of season
 
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