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Incident on The Smiler 02/06/2015

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Tom said:
The subject matter of this forum is a profit-making business.

Or is the game to pretend it isn't?
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But have we all joined this forum to discuss profit making businesses? No. We are all theme park enthusiasts who loving visiting parks and riding coaster. In this people having varying degrees of business knowledge. So we are more likely to think as theme park enthusiasts than business people - the shock, the horror.

Yet I still think, for many reasons, it makes business sense to open The Smiler this year if they possibly can. There are good arguments for it opening this season or next season though.

:)
 
Rob said:
But have we all joined this forum to discuss profit making businesses? No. We are all theme park enthusiasts who loving visiting parks and riding coaster. In this people having varying degrees of business knowledge. So we are more likely to think as theme park enthusiasts than business people - the shock, the horror.
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I think the key point I would make is that enthusiasts don't need to have a wealth of business knowledge, just an awareness that the park and its parent company operate to make money - absolutely no other reason. There are people that work for AT/Merlin because they love the industry etc etc, but that is and will always be secondary.

However, time and time again the fact that profit has to come first (particularly since the IPO) is ignored and the company is demonised for looking after the corporations and individuals (including myself) who have put their hard earned wonga in their hands.

I think this is far more prevalent in this industry than it would be in sport, for instance. You're a Foxes fan right? There is a much more accepted view that sports teams spend what they can afford to spend and there is a need to balance the books. There is an understanding that teams in the bottom half of the Prem and the Championship will not be signing Bale or Ronaldo.

I think the lack of acceptance in enthusiast circles is perhaps down to the average age group that it attracts and also the style of the industry (whimsical, fantasy etc) that is so far removed from the financial aspect of the operation.
 
A little off topic but I just saw Vacation. Spoiler alert: And when they go on the Velociraptor coaster.... It stalls on a loop

Felt a little weird this being supposed to be a funny situation in spite of recent events.
 
DanSUFC said:
Road cars aren't designed to be completely crash proof, but they can add in features such as airbags to minimise impact and hopefully protect drivers from major injury, so maybe that might somehow be an option if they were to make any tweaks or changes at all to The Smiler cars? (It's only an idea don't shoot me down if it's not going to work!)
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What most of the GP don't realise or are choosing to ignore is that statistically you're more likely to crash/injure yourself driving to & from AT than you are on any of their rides.

In my opinion social media is mainly to blame followed by desperate media corporations 'cough cough Mirror', I knew about the accident on Twitter 20 or so minutes before I heard it on the news & even then most of them were quoting tweets & using images off social media as they had no idea what was happening.

It's amazing how powerful the GP can be when fueled by desperation. More articles like the one posted in the Stoke Sentinel need to be publicly published which could possibly sway most of them back.
http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/Jenn...Alton-Towers/story-27628387-detail/story.html

Sorry for going slightly off topic again.
 
While people may not fully understand how businesses operate, people understand how the media works. There is simply no winning scenario for Alton Towers. No matter when they open it the media will be onto them like a rash.

I've just seen an article about how an M&S executive is expecting a baby and going on maternity leave - this is the shambolic standard of journalism these days.
 
Danza91 said:
I've just seen an article about how an M&S executive is expecting a baby and going on maternity leave - this is the shambolic standard of journalism these days.
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It's supply and demand though, isn't it. Do you think those writing about what the Kardashians have called their new hamster really care?
 
That article is fantastic. Gave me goose bumps!
I'm am too proud of Alton Towers and while we can't turn back the clock, we cant all stand still either. Life goes on even for those with the life changing injuries. Tragedy happens every single day, bombs going off, plane crashes, car crashes.
It was a horrible accident, and the media are just the worst. I agree that whatever Alton Towers do with regards to re-branding, or re-opening the Smiler, they will be Damned for it. BUT they just need to get their heads up and brave the storm. Its only going to take a day or two for people to ride it, and re-ride it to undo the vultures venom. Those who are avoiding Alton Towers are in the minority to be honest, and likely a lot of them never ridden a roller coaster in their lives!
 
Just a sidenote about visitor numbers but I booked Splash landings for Fireworks event days in January and phoned them yesterday to change it from Splash to a Lodge. The chap I spoke to said that Alton Towers hotel is actually overbooked!

So, if thats any indication of the numbers of people coming, then the fireworks event could see the park getting usual visitor numbers.

Alton will be back to normal next year once the people forget about it.

PS. Thats a great article, very well written.
 
The hotels have been reported as being up on bookings for several weeks. There will be a number of people looking to book into the hotels while the park is so quiet, for whatever reason. The number of rooms in - and indeed income generated from - the hotels is unfortunately relatively insiginifant compared to the revenue of the theme park.
 
Ash123uk said:
I don't know how the hotel does so well. The standards are so low.
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and the prices so high.

I will say on observing things on social media, and the people around my very own place of work. That peoples main excuse for not going is the price. a lot of people have been saying that because of the crash they have noticed just how expensive it actually is. Before the incident I never heard of people not going because of the price, just going and complaining about the price. I get the hint that people don't want to admit that they wont go because of the crash. The main thing despite Cbeebies land young families wont go, I can see why. The parents cant leave the kids in the baggage area whilst they ride Nemmy. Pity.
 
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It does a charm about it though which I dont think can be found in any other UK hotel. And I definitely wouldn't say our stay in the Enchanted village was of low standard.
 
I imagine the enchanted village might be ok because it's new.

When I stayed in the hotel, I wouldn't say it had any charm about it at all.
 
I was going to say that the rooms are very late 90's. But the reception area still holds up for me, the place needs a overhaul.
 
If they actually hurry up with changing all the rooms to Moon Voyager/Sir Al themes then we will eventually see the communal areas overhauled. Although at the rate they're refurbishing rooms we'll probably all be dead by then...

ATH has a charm about itself. I'd say it's the best hotel in the UK that I've stayed in. Splash used to have a charm (it still does in a small way now) although with all the cartoon style theming taking over it feels a bit tacky these days. Can't comment on the village since I haven't been although looking at pictures I think it lacks a lot.
 
James said:
If they actually hurry up with changing all the rooms to Moon Voyager/Sir Al themes then we will eventually see the communal areas overhauled. Although at the rate they're refurbishing rooms we'll probably all be dead by then...

ATH has a charm about itself. I'd say it's the best hotel in the UK that I've stayed in. Splash used to have a charm (it still does in a small way now) although with all the cartoon style theming taking over it feels a bit tacky these days. Can't comment on the village since I haven't been although looking at pictures I think it lacks a lot.
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You must have stayed in some proper hovels.
 
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