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Major Operational Changes for 2018

evilcod said:
8? Is that due to changes since Drayton? I didn't ride it last season but it used to be 5 including break cover. Yes Battle Galleons is 2 and breaks are covered along with the Bay.
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There were at least four staff on the platform last season, then one or two in the op cabin, one looking out around the exit bridge and sometimes one on entrance.

Teammaddiz said:
The only thing Merlin care about is getting you to buy their annual passes. What awful things you say about them online after that mean absolutely nothing to them. How you use your pass means nothing. They've got your money, that's what they're concerned about.

The only way to counter something like this is to hit them where the profits are. Don't renew. Don't, as hard as it is, visit.
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I don't buy the whole do not visit. It won't make any difference. If guest numbers are poor they cut, if guest numbers are good they cut - this has been proven over the last couple of years. Me either going or not going to Alton Towers will make no difference.

And anyway, if we all decide to just not go at all we might as well shut down TowersStreet!

:)
 
AshleeKel said:
None of them have been ran this badly. Not even Movie Park or Fuji-Q
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Woah, woah, woah, lets not get too carried away now! :)

I'm not surprised in the slightest by this news and I had no intention on visiting any Merlin attraction this year anyway.

It's going to be a living hell for those working in guest services this year...
 
Wow. I only visited Towers once last season, but these staggered openings look atrocious and don’t have me that eager to visit, even for Wicker Man. No skyride until 11:30. No Oblivion / Smiler til noon and Rapids only open certain months. Factor in all the walking about and queues etc and you’re not getting many rides done in a day. That’s on a quiet day too! Shocking. Merlin can sod right off
 
Rob said:
There were at least four staff on the platform last season, then one or two in the op cabin, one looking out around the exit bridge and sometimes one on entrance.



I don't buy the whole do not visit. It won't make any difference. If guest numbers are poor they cut, if guest numbers are good they cut - this has been proven over the last couple of years. Me either going or not going to Alton Towers will make no difference.

And anyway, if we all decide to just not go at all we might as well shut down TowersStreet!

:)
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I disagree, to press they have had one drop in figures and it’s too easily attributed to The Smiler and not their operational decisions. They need to see the impact of their choices by the late 2017 recovery reversing in 2018.

Plenty of options for a non Alton Towers based forum, god know the non Merlin pages get plenty of chat.
 
This is beyond a joke now. It costs me a fortune to travel up there and book accommodation, it takes me 4 hours to get to the park, and last year I made the stupid decision to renew my pass despite the fact I've only used it once. I don't care about Wicker Man anymore, it's not worth visiting a park that has barely anything open at 10AM. Seriously can't wait until the park is in the hands of someone who gives a damn.
 
bluesonichd said:
Thank goodness for my VIP pass. So still can get lots of rides in ... :rolleyes:
however come June unless serious backtracking is made then it will be the first time in years I will not be renewing.
Keep my money
Will spend it on cake and chocolate :p
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Dare you to have a cake especially made with the words "screw you Merlin" written on. ;)

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I don't even need to directly comment on how atrocious and moronic this decision is.

One of my best memories of visiting this year was walking through Haunted Hollow in March at the beginning of the day, and suddenly hearing Nemesis howling louder than ever in the distance. I guess I'm glad I experienced that when I could...

As much as I completely disagree with Merlin's operations of these parks, having ditched visiting LegoLand, Chessington and Thorpe as a consequence, I've still stuck by Alton Towers because I felt that the passion of the park staff and the quality of the remaining classic attractions shone through the muck of Merlin's cynicism. Now I'm not so sure.
 
TedTheHuman said:
This is beyond a joke now. It costs me a fortune to travel up there and book accommodation, it takes me 4 hours to get to the park, and last year I made the stupid decision to renew my pass despite the fact I've only used it once. I don't care about Wicker Man anymore, it's not worth visiting a park that has barely anything open at 10AM. Seriously can't wait until the park is in the hands of someone who gives a damn.
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They will never give up AT they will just run it into the ground, sell off or scrap all the coasters then give the land back to Nick Leslau.
This is the end of Towers as an amusing park
 
Been a MAP holder for around 9 years now (visiting for about 20) and each year baring new rides (Th13teen, Sub Terra, The Smiler) the amount of times me and the missus have visited have been dropping year on year. This is the worst decision (of many) that Merlin have made - its totally disgraceful especially with the opening hours (if they are the same as last year).

Think I'll be going Opening day (for Wickerman), once in May, 1 Scarefest day and 1 Firework night and that's us done for Alton Towers. To see the park spiral down like it has is horrible - I used to love going, now it just seems to be 'something to do' - as the life of the place has been sucked away - shame.
 
If every enthusiast didn't visit Towers next year because of budget cuts, It won't make a difference, People will still flock to the park and attendence will increase.
 
I expect some of these to be reversed; if I recall, 2013 began with similar, if less extreme cuts, that were met with immediate negative feedback. This is really bleak, though. I never thought we'd see the park run like this. It's obviously just an enormous financial and operational burden to Merlin, and they're now playing the odd game of reducing the quality of the original product, while adding investments to keep attendance afloat. It's a losing game.

I know that we're a drop in the ocean, not representative, etc. But I've been visting the park for twenty-five years. My multiple yearly visits have long since been reduced, but I was excited about Wicker Man. This has killed that excitement stone dead.
 
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