I want to start a discussion on whether it would be worthwhile and profitable, if unlikely, that Alton Towers has as its focal marketing feature for one season the upgrading of several rides around the park.
The Smiler is nearly here. While none of us have ridden it yet, and none of us knows the extent and sophistication of its themeing, from what we can see already I think it's fair to say that this looks to be a highly impressive new development. It provides for a gap in the park's offering, the need for pure, physical thrills. Not only does it provide for this need, it excels in it. The layout is physically excellent. Fourteen highly elaborate inversions add considerable ballast to the park's reputation and confirms in the minds of guests what the park can do.
The physical aspect is, of course, only one reason why we are excited about this development. The ride also commands an impressive aesthetic concept which is fun and engaging. That bosses agreed to budget for an extremely large marmaliser with LED screens and multiple effects is hugely encouraging. As the ride is already so physically impressive, such a feature is in no way depended on - it is a glorious extra. That the park was willing to pay a substantial amount on such a feature is confirmation of their understanding of the important role themeing has to play in guest satisfaction.
The fact that The Smiler appears to excel in both ways has made me think about the rest of the park's rides. Though the enthusiast community typically bemoans the lack of themeing on certain rides and dwells on areas in which they could have been better, I think the introduction of The Smiler puts some of these views into a more pragmatic light because it shows that Alton Towers is willing to make serious investment in the total experience of the ride and not just in the most marketable features of it.
I wish to state at this point that I think any discussion of this kind would do well to stick to pragmatic reasoning. We can speculate until the cows come home about what we might have done to make rides better if we were in charge of their construction; we daydream about what might be done with the Air tunnel ad infinitum. However, I want to pose the question about the possibility for the park having a year where many rides are upgraded at the same time. Interactive themeing features, increased theatricality, maybe even some physical upgrades like a speed boost on Rita (I believe Stealth did this on its second year?). Then have an advert which breaks the detail and attention spent on these rides into something marketable: "Bigger! Faster! More thrilling than ever before!"
The fact is, the park does not have masses of space to play with. There are only so many more large-scale developments that can be made before the park considers deconstructing rides already there. I can't help think that any future investments would be maximised if the entire park offered stronger rides with experiences that hold their own and emblazon themselves on the memories of guests. There are some very clever creatives working for Merlin. If Candy Holland was given money to play with and told she was to revisit certain rides, I have no doubt she would rise to the challenge and produce some excellent improvements. Thirteen might have themeing along its outside section, trees that spring up as the car passes; Air might be supplied with geysers and a decent tunnel; the Congo River Rapids and the Runaway Mine Train might be treated to something that actually resembles a mine in the tunnel, with glistening jewels all around.
To advertise that the entire park has received some kind of upgrade would be mysterious and engaging enough to encourage guests to make that revisit. Is it conceivable that the park doesn't simply maintain and improve rides casually, but makes a concentrated, park-wide effort and market this upgrade during a year where nothing substantially new is planned?
The Smiler is nearly here. While none of us have ridden it yet, and none of us knows the extent and sophistication of its themeing, from what we can see already I think it's fair to say that this looks to be a highly impressive new development. It provides for a gap in the park's offering, the need for pure, physical thrills. Not only does it provide for this need, it excels in it. The layout is physically excellent. Fourteen highly elaborate inversions add considerable ballast to the park's reputation and confirms in the minds of guests what the park can do.
The physical aspect is, of course, only one reason why we are excited about this development. The ride also commands an impressive aesthetic concept which is fun and engaging. That bosses agreed to budget for an extremely large marmaliser with LED screens and multiple effects is hugely encouraging. As the ride is already so physically impressive, such a feature is in no way depended on - it is a glorious extra. That the park was willing to pay a substantial amount on such a feature is confirmation of their understanding of the important role themeing has to play in guest satisfaction.
The fact that The Smiler appears to excel in both ways has made me think about the rest of the park's rides. Though the enthusiast community typically bemoans the lack of themeing on certain rides and dwells on areas in which they could have been better, I think the introduction of The Smiler puts some of these views into a more pragmatic light because it shows that Alton Towers is willing to make serious investment in the total experience of the ride and not just in the most marketable features of it.
I wish to state at this point that I think any discussion of this kind would do well to stick to pragmatic reasoning. We can speculate until the cows come home about what we might have done to make rides better if we were in charge of their construction; we daydream about what might be done with the Air tunnel ad infinitum. However, I want to pose the question about the possibility for the park having a year where many rides are upgraded at the same time. Interactive themeing features, increased theatricality, maybe even some physical upgrades like a speed boost on Rita (I believe Stealth did this on its second year?). Then have an advert which breaks the detail and attention spent on these rides into something marketable: "Bigger! Faster! More thrilling than ever before!"
The fact is, the park does not have masses of space to play with. There are only so many more large-scale developments that can be made before the park considers deconstructing rides already there. I can't help think that any future investments would be maximised if the entire park offered stronger rides with experiences that hold their own and emblazon themselves on the memories of guests. There are some very clever creatives working for Merlin. If Candy Holland was given money to play with and told she was to revisit certain rides, I have no doubt she would rise to the challenge and produce some excellent improvements. Thirteen might have themeing along its outside section, trees that spring up as the car passes; Air might be supplied with geysers and a decent tunnel; the Congo River Rapids and the Runaway Mine Train might be treated to something that actually resembles a mine in the tunnel, with glistening jewels all around.
To advertise that the entire park has received some kind of upgrade would be mysterious and engaging enough to encourage guests to make that revisit. Is it conceivable that the park doesn't simply maintain and improve rides casually, but makes a concentrated, park-wide effort and market this upgrade during a year where nothing substantially new is planned?
