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Major Operational Changes for 2018

Who knows what that means, I'm not ever sure Towers know themselves now! I would imagine that they might now be aiming to get everything open at 10am, especially on peak days, but will be flexible about it.

Nothing like confusion!

:)
 
So some ambiguity turns to massive ambiguity turns to...

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JOEHXLMXS said:
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It appear Towers have once again updated their website to show that the Theme Park will open to all other guests at 10am. However there is no mention of the 11am ride openings? could this mean we are seeing all attractions up and running from 10am?
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The line that worries me is about park open & close hours. What’s the betting we’ll see an “earliest ride close” time like BPB.
 
ringo said:
The line that worries me is about park open & close hours. What’s the betting we’ll see an “earliest ride close” time like BPB.
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But that's effectively what AT has always done, last season the earliest close time was usually 4pm or 5pm and they often extended them.
 
Indeed, Alton Towers have been doing that for a long time. Europa-Park do the same, they have advertise the earliest closing time for each day of the season but often extend depending on a number of variables.

Towers need to prove this season that they will extend ride close when it is needed.

:)
 
In my opinion, this was a PR exercise.

Alton Towers announced hugely exaggerated cuts to opening hours & ride availability, then reversed them so they were slightly better but still massively cut back on last year. Because they appear to have "listened to feedback" this caused people to see it as a positive.

If however, they had announced the finalised cuts to opening hours & ride availability first, people would have seen it as a negative and there would have been no positive to placate angry customers.

It's unbelievable that people are actually PRAISING them for reducing the value of the product?!
 
I don’t think it was primarily a PR stunt, it was more a game of “told you so” with Merlin. The trouble is cuts have still occurred and people are ignoring this thanks to the “we listened” line.

Next season will have a lower budget than this season, Merlin don’t care much about the product.
 
Dave said:
I don’t think it was primarily a PR stunt, it was more a game of “told you so” with Merlin. The trouble is cuts have still occurred and people are ignoring this thanks to the “we listened” line.

Next season will have a lower budget than this season, Merlin don’t care much about the product.
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Indeed. Each season is going to see a push lower operating costs that bit more, particularly if they were successfully reduced the previous season. Fine for most lines of business, but not for a leisure attraction.

Merlin should aim to be the John Lewis of theme park operators, rather than the Sports Direct that they are


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I not been happy with Merlin since 2012 when my pass ran out and every year I only been to Alton Towers once with the free sun tickets. Back in 1993 on my first visit I felt Alton Towers was magicial with street entertainers on towers street,the Henry hound club with kids free tickets,live music all around the park and the parade.
The park was full of different types of rides from coasters,dark rides,flat rides and water rides. You felt like you were getting good value for money as your ride count was easily double figures.
Fast forward 25 years and now from the moment you get into the car park there after your money with the £6 parking,then another £51/52 (2 for 1 ticket) to get into the place then staff hound you to buy a drinks refillable mug and the all you can eat deal.
Then staff want to charge u £6+ for a photo which you can do for free yourself.
Now on to the park CBeebies for kids under 5 really even my 5 year old felt she was too old for the rides and thought they were boring.
As she was only 1.05m tall we skipped X sector and went to CCL and she got upset that 4D cinema was gone but she did enjoy Hex and the driving school.
Then got the sky ride to Forbidden Valley as nothing in the Dark Forest for her height. We skipped Forbidden valley also and did Duel. Walked round to RMT and it was unavailable so we did the Rapids. We walked back to mutiny Bay and did Heavy Ho and went home. WOW 6 rides she tall enough for outside CBeebies land.
So really the park has added a good IP for the under 5's and 3 major coasters for the 1.2m+ range and to help pay for this the park cut all entertainment,removed Submission,Ripsaw,Charlie,Twirling toadstools,4D cinema,Indoor play area and NST SBNO.
What really bugs me the most is they can easily do this at any of there uk attractions but there pumping billions into new theme parks and midway attractions all around the world.
 
As I have posted earlier, the operating budget comes from previous data.

If guest volume is low, budget is low.

If guest volume is high, budget is higher.

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Families have been the biggest loosers. A new 1.2 mtr coaster and an abundance of rides aimed at pre schoolers won't solve the hole Charlie, the 4d cinema, the Flume and wobble world left behind.

I hope this is addressed in the pending CCL retheme. There's a real opportunity to build a decent inclusive PROPER whole family area there.
 
This partial U turn has cause infighting between people on their FB page. We can't win. If you are happy with the partial you turn then you are a sheep for accepting it, if you moan about it, then you are ungrateful and a spoilt brat

I think Alton had known for years that people behave like sheep,

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