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Major Operational Changes for 2018

And to think that I'd just got my head around giving them £55 to check out Knickerman. Oh well.

I'd say I take no pleasure in watching the place disintegrate, but I'd be lying, it gives me great pleasure.
 
DiogoJ42 said:
Not sure if walking toasted sandwich, or strange form of transport made from collectable stickers...?
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Strange sandwich.
 
As someone said earlier on (@Katy ?), I fully expect them to row these changes back in a few days and everybody will be so glad and singing Merlin's praises for actually listening to customer feedback. While they bask in the glow of enthusiast goodwill for opening Nemesis at 11:45am, they'll say they have to close the Skyride until 1pm to make up for it and we'll be glad because they listened! They care! Obviously they have to make money and we understand that!

Maybe if they didn't decimate their own product, and devalue it to the point of worthlessness with the season pass, they wouldn't have to piss everybody off with staggered openings.
 
I understand that the park's management have something of a toxic push/pull relationship with Merlin head office. So either posting something about a 'secret message' on social media hours after announcing these operational changes is a sly way of exposing the oncoming backlash if things aren't made right, or they really are that tone deaf?
 
I really do hope I wake up from this never ending nightmare of Merlin slowly pullin Alton Towers apart. This park means so much to me, I have so many memories there and it is such a shame to see it being decapitated. I hate to say it but I don’t think they will recover from these recent years, they have become too much of an embarrassment.
 
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Jordan said:
The Facebook comments are GOLD.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10155754693656201&id=21765316200
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Indeed.

That Facebook post was quite random to be honest, and coupled with the fact that this information has been released far earlier than it needed to be makes me think that Towers wanted to receive a tonne of negative Feedback about these cuts on a post that was meant to promote their new rollercoaster.

I suspect they will be going back to the accountants at Merlin over the coming days with some sort of business case as to why their operating budget should be increased. They've got the best part of 2 months until the start of the season so plenty of time to implement changes.

It would not surprise me if the 12pm openings are scrapped completely.

:)
 
Rob said:
Indeed.

That Facebook post was quite random to be honest, and coupled with the fact that this information has been released far earlier than it needed to be makes me think that Towers wanted to receive a tonne of negative Feedback about these cuts on a post that was meant to promote their new rollercoaster.

I suspect they will be going back to the accountants at Merlin over the coming days with some sort of business case as to why their operating budget should be increased. They've got the best part of 2 months until the start of the season so plenty of time to implement changes.

It would not surprise me if the 12pm openings are scrapped completely.

:)
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Spot on.

These "leaks" from top management are no accident. They, as much as us, on the whole, are passionate people who really want the park to succeed.

It is in their interest for a furious back lash to occur so Merlin sit up and allow more budgetary allowance.

Such a sad state of affairs, and really highlights problems with the business model Merlin have adopted.

:(
 
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Man I hope you are right. I'd like to think that the staff at Towers thinks these cutbacks are too much and have crossed a line. It's so validating to finally get the support of the public on Facebook to say, "You've gone too far". Towers have all the evinedence they could hope for associated with Merlin's new investment to push back at Head Office.
 
Stuntman707 said:
Man I hope you are right. I'd like to think that the staff at Towers thinks these cutbacks are too much and have crossed a line. It's so validating to finally get the support of the public on Facebook to say, "You've gone too far". Towers have all the evinedence they could hope for associated with Merlin's new investment to push back at Head Office.
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Of course they do. It is much easier to implement lower budgets if you're in an office 200 miles away than being actually on site.

That artwork post by AT was so scripted it was unbelievable. They were pretty much inviting the bad comments. If Towers were so up for these cuts I can assure you they wouldn't be stupid enough to post such an inviting status, especially during the same day they receive such flak!

As far as they are concerned, it can only be ammunition to use when leading their case with the parent company.
 
Well, to be fair, if I was working in Towers right now I would be concerned about the security of my job. Not to mention the sheer frustration as to what they have to do. Regardless what we may think, there are some people working there who genuinely care about the place and have as many happy childhood memories as we do . Its also in their best interests to protest against these cuts.
 
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