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Lack of guests so far this season?

Energetic_starfish said:
to me its the little things that make a big impact,good or bad!
1) forever changing the refil cups
2) no longer free next day tickets if staying in the hotel
3) car park prices/priority parking even more ridic! i remember when it was a fiver!
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Agree with most of those but may I suggest that you don't name someone like that in direct relation to how you have, if that makes sense? ;)

Discretion is the better part of valour and all that
 
We wont be going until June. This is party because we live in Suffolk, need to save some money and also we want to wait until the Smiler opens. We havent booked to stay yet because of the likelyhood of more delays in construction.
However just picking up on some peoples points about what the towers is lacking these days, in my and many others opinions, sadly a lot of the public have ruined the magic. Too many chavs and people with bad attitudes attend now. Ive been going to the towers since 1984. It had magic then, but also it didn't have chav as a society.

Getting really excited about the Smiler. Still havent won anything on the game though :O( ! Cant believe how crazy the track looks.. its going to be a "wow" moment when we eventually see it in all its glory! And I agree that people will be waiting to go for the new ride.. we can't afford to go often but try to get at least 2 visits in a year. You think when we have travelled for 4 hours, then booked a b&b for three nights, then paid the entrance fees, then money spent on park! Its probably just as expensive to fly off to a warm country. However we do it because we love it, but theres no way we would spend all that money before the ride opens. Seems pointless and I'm sure many are in the same position.
 
Would just like to throw in that on Sunday the park actually got pretty busy after an initially quiet start - was really nice to see some queues, including Oblivion wrapping round and round!

The fact is, if Disneyland Paris were opening a new ride in May, you'd make a point to schedule your annual (if that!) visit after that so that you could ride it. I think a lot of us forget that the majority of guests don't visit Alton Towers multiple times in a year and so naturally most will be waiting to attend once the new massive coaster opens.

The park don't seem too worried, and I'm sure any lack of guests now will be more than made up for come May, so I really don't think it's a reflection on park quality :)
 
If anything, we should be taking advantage of how quiet the park is for the time being. No doubt some will be moaning of the crowds come summer.
 
IanB said:
Towseriv said:
Or you could see that its down to shocking weather and shocking travel conditions and its as simple as that. Unless of course other attratctions are thriving? Nopenot thriving in fact many uk tourist sites are having issues so far this year.
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Its always fun to speculate, and of course you could be entirely correct. I do not have access to the guest survey figures, or insight in to the minds of Britain's around the country.

I just hate to think that Jo Bloggs would only visit Alton Towers because there was a new ride or attraction. I would like to think that the magic, and appeal of Alton Towers would be enough to make someone think, I had a great time today, I am going to bring the family back next year. I am not convinced this is happening, and that is why they need to really on a new ride to bring people back.

Now I am not saying, don't ever get anything new, far from that, but make sure when you deliver something new, it is special, magical, and enhances the park, and during the years of nothing new, improve what you already have, make sure things do not look run down.

While its easy to blame the weather, its not that simple, many other factors are contributing to the low attendance, and its the parks job to think outside the box (offering return for £1 is very much inside the box), and get people in while waiting for the Smiler to open.

Ian
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Now this is on a different thread I will reply, Its easy to say that Alton is letting things slide but I disagree, in fact on other threads we were all commenting on how well the park was being maintained in preparation of opening this year.

If you like I could pull up several articles showing that attendances are down arcoss the board so far this season due to the weather, so to make this point I need neither guest surveys or insight into the publics mind (which in fact you have really by researching the story)

If you think that thinking outside the box is needed then again look at the industry as a whole. Does offering a discount due to an anniversary translate to being outside the box? No of course not,little things are outside the box now, it either works or it does not, thats why you really can't predict a viral campaign.

I'm not saying that upkeep of the rides shouldn't be important in fact it is vital and not only that but Alton does have a need to upkeep some of its older ones but wpuld that stop people visiting? Of course not, they are untidy not terrible.
 
I think the main reason things have been quiet so far is the weather. It is bitterly cold out, even more so up near Towers. The Smiler not being open yet does have a impact as well of course. Just means that people will put off a visit until it is warmer and also until the new ride opens.

Hopefully that will mean a busy summer. I always find August, though good crowds on park,is often much quieter than I would expect it to be. This year needs to buck that trend to counteract the poor start to the season.

Price is an issue. But there are BOGOF offers everywhere you turn. Most people know about them and many are also savvy enough to hunt down other offers online etc. It is an expensive day out. But so is a visit to many places these days. People want value for money, and by putting off a trip until the weather gets warmer they may think they are getting better value for money then rather than walking around in the bitter cold wishing they were somewhere warmer.

Yesterday wasn't deserted, but felt more like an average weekday rather than a bank holiday monday. Though at one point, around 11ish, In Gloomy Wood we were the only two of us in the area for a good few minutes. Nobody walking up any of the paths either. Normally at that time you would expect a few people around, passing through towards Forbidden Valley.
 
Re: [The Smiler] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation Part 2

delta79 said:
Dobba said:
TheMan said:
Hearing rumours that another lorry arrived today, along with talk of rotating track!? Anyone got any pictures of it?
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I've heard it was a Lipra Loof truck, Azerbaijan's Eddie Stobart rival.
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Love it, i really do love it. and some people still fell for it after the Lipra Loof truck hint :D

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What is this doing in the lack of guests topic???? not one mention of guests!!!
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Except the ones you mention there in mentioning there is no mention of guests!!

However now we have both mentioned not mentioning guests it is assured this post and the preceding are entirely on topic, and will not be shifted into another thread.

So, yes, guests - are there any actually there today?
 
From a slightly older point of view. We've been going since the 80's and the last say 5 years things have gone down and down. Only the young market will flock to the new ride but older people who go to enjoy just the park and family attractions notice how messy and unkept the park has begun to look. And it has got quieter over the years.Only young people who go once every few years don't notice these things. But when a place is not busy people notice. The same if you go for a meal and theres no one there you think why. Alton Towers needs a good over haul. A year just sent on maintaining the place. Even scarefest fest last year nearly all the props around the park had bits knocked off and paint missing. And the price is a lot and you should have quality and its not there. Just our point of view.
 
Cyber below is correct, Alton Towers isn't as busy as it used to be. The crowds during the mid to late 90s were much greater than today. That's partially because there's arguably more to do on park now, more people visit for two days and so on, but it's true.

It will however fill up massively when The Smiler opens.
 
Apart from 2010 got slightly over 3m guests, the highest since 1994..

It's early, the weather's been awful, and people are delaying for smiler. Let's see how it's going in June when Smiler and sunshine are upon us?
 
I accept that the weather, and The Smiler been delayed are partly affecting the poor guest figures so far.

I think it's strange for Alton Towers to blame the difficulty of getting to the park due to the road conditions, when they have delayed, and cancelled building the by pass. The park is difficult to get to, and in bad weather, dangerous to get to. Building the By Pass would make it safer and easier to get to the park, if the weather conditions take a turn for the worse. Only Alton Towers are to blame for there not been a By Pass, the amount collected in Parking revenue over the years, would of easily paid for the construction of the By Pass.

As for The Smiler been delayed, I can understand people waiting for the ride to open, but they are offering return for a £1 tickets. This promotion is clearly not working, and goes back to my initial feeling, that unless there is something new, people do no want to come back to the park, otherwise they would be taking advantage of this offer and visiting the park twice.

It is amazing how much better Oblivion is looking this year, imagine what effect it would have on the park if all the rides were to look like new at the start of each season, rather than the mess that some of them do. Please don't think I am blaming the mechanics or ride hosts here, far from it, what they manage to do, is nothing short of a miracle, and if any of them are reading this, I would like to thank them. I just wish they would get the support and funding to release the potential that these staff have, and watch the park improve and grow.

I guess the sad thing is, if we want to go to a park, which is giving the love and care a true theme park requires, it needs a ride manufactures to open their show rooms, and let guests ride the attractions they are trying to sell.

Maybe it needs the Manufactures to be more forceful when selling their rides, and ensuring it includes a maintenance package where the ride gets a clean up, fine tune, and touched up each year, and if they do not buy the maintenance package, they do not get the ride?

I think its easy to blame the weather, and the new attraction not being open, but I think they are only part of the reason, and in the long term, they need to fix the little things to ensure guests return.

Ian
 
Back in the 90's over winter season all signs 'props on park and such were taped and covered in plastic sheeting which kept it better over the winter months. You only need look at the closed season photos to see they don't do that now. I remember going to see some one there in closed season and it was strange to see all things with clear plastic over them. But it worked. Your right though there is more to do. But when its quiet theres no atmosphere.
 
I don't really think its a matter of guests only visiting when there is something new... It's a matter of people knowing that something new is coming, but not wanting to visit until it is open. Many people travel far to get to Towers and only make one trip a year. They will see a pre-Smiler trip as a waste if they could go later on in the year and ride the ride.

Previous guest figures have shown people visit if there isn't a big new ride, but the fact tht they know one is coming later on probably puts people off this year. Which is why this season so far is an anomaly. If the low attendance prevails after May then we have a problem, otherwise this discussion seems fairly moot to me.
 
It's the lack of a new attraction. Even I am not interested in visiting until The Smiler opens - so imagine how many casuals would feel the same.

Opening new rides in March are effectively much-needed soft openings. With The Smiler opening at a time when the weather theoretically should be heating up, it makes for a possibly very busy summer indeed. I have visions of 1990s style 3 hour queues for The Smiler.


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Ironically I think the sights on offer in the queue line will easily entertain people for an hour or so.


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Weather is an issue, but the park need ways to draw in the crowds. More deals etc will bring people in. Guest returning is another problem. The park doesnt do much to get people back. It almost has to have a new ride to get people excited. This shouldnt be the case. *see previous posts by me

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I agree with the comments about the park not seeming going the extra mile with finishing touches. There is no excuse for parts of the park to look shabby after being closed for months. I have mentioned this before, but I think The Dark Forest and Forbidden Valley look terrible in some areas. When quiet some bits of the park feel like an abandoned theme park - very low rent for the "UK's no.1"! :(

I do think people notice these things and it adds to the perception people have about value for money. Do AT not have an 'experience' manager, or someone focused on guest perception?!

However, the big picture is that AT do not have their new ride open and the weather has been awful! :/
 
The park needs millions spent to get it up to scratch. A lick of paint will not suffice I'm afraid.

Both the entrance plaza and Towers Street for example, if not demolished, need a major overhaul before the end of the decade. The main public spaces in these areas need complete ripping up and then re-paving and re-landcaped at the very least. The last refurbishment was nearly 20 years ago.

The rest of the park needs similar treatment really, just a lot of investment in making the infrastructure suitable for modern needs. Landscaping, paving, toilets, signage etc.

Some areas just need revitalizing and uptheming, like Katanga Canyon and Gloomy Wood. Year on year they slowly degrade with no visible improvements. Then we'll see rubbish stuck up randomly like games stalls and slush stands which just detracts from the the themed experience. They will only invest if they can see a direct reward.
 
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