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Major Ride Closures 2016

Absolutely dire state of affairs. The bulk of the blame lies with The Smiler crash, of course, but has just exposed the lack of infrastructure and support beneath. Merlin have been suffocating the business for years, and now they're helping it put it out it's inadvertent misery. Never seen a situation as dire as this in twenty years, not even in the barrel scraping, area shutting era of DIC.

Definitely no visit from me next season, or at least until whatever may be next. It's difficult to imagine the park without Hex. It's literally the centrepiece attraction. I'm sure a few members will be along to post that the park is 'just a business at the end of the day', and that it needs to prioritise it's coasters and CBeebies Land, for example, but The Flume, Ripsaw and Hex are important attractions; Rides guests seek out and look forward to.
 
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**** towers now, I'm going to Drayton manor.


Why is blade not on this list and HEX IS! absolutely appaling. Ripsaw, flume I understand, but CATCF still has a year left on the IP, hex is argualy the best dark ride In the park, the flume cant be that bad that it instantly needs closing, sub terra must be the biggest fail in the parks history to be shut AGAIN. And I doubt we will get 2 new rides to replace ripsaw and the flume.

Actually suprised the smiler isn't on that list.

Those idiots who decided this needs firing Imo. Way to gain visitors back towers. Well done..
 
The park is finished. There's no way back from this. The redundancies were bad enough but this as well? Game over.
 
I've had to double check my calendar, for the moment I thought it was April the first

At the start of the season and through out I've been saying to the staff and people "The management need shooting, they are killing the place"

Another nail in the coffin

:(
 
Well, as the old saying goes, the bigger they are the harder they fall...

Farewell Towers, was nice knowing ya
 
Cant wait for the complaints when the gp find out. Some people complain if a ride is down 5 minutes.

Please don't do this! I've only started going on sub terra and ripsaw this year. Why? The budget cant be That bad. I don't know much about business, but I know that if they don't significantly reduce entry price (or not do this) then there visitor numbers may be lower.

If fans managed to save blade, wonder how many complaints will stop this?
 
The unfortunate, ironic reality is that Alton's relative successes have bankrolled the failures and struggles of it's Southern sisters for years now, but the crippling way Merlin finance their 'Resorts', means that Alton has suddenly been left ashore without a paddle. I really think the next five years are going to be tougher than any of us immediately imagined back in June.
 
I wonder how you will feel if a planning application goes in for a wooden ride that traverses the Ripsaw and Flume sites.
 
If true, this really is a horrible thing to hear. But it does put into perspective how badly the park did this year, attendance was just so so low, and maybe this is now the reality check for us all of how much the park has fallen from grace.

The one redeeming feature, is that, I think they might U-turn on the Hex decision, which will then make the other closures not seem so bad. A calculated move possibly.
 
As @Sku just said, what's the chance of them changing their minds on some of this closures, especially hex and sub terra
 
Tom said:
I wonder how you will feel if a planning application goes in for a wooden ride that traverses the Ripsaw and Flume sites.
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Yes, it could be argued that these rides are now approaching their end of the life at the park regardless, but it's more to do with availability and range. Perhaps we will get the planning application we all hope for (although I doubt we're going to ever see the 'risky' wooden coaster at the park now), but I doubt that removing two rides so suddenly is a premeditated move.

I can see Hex reopening, but Sub-Terra is surely a lost cause.
 
Hex, Driving School and Chocolate Factory are all close to each other though, is it possible they will close this whole area of the park, fencing off Cloud Cuckoo Land entirely? The entrance to Hex is close to the Dark Forest which clearly isn't closing, so Hex could be saved still.
 
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What I don't understand is that they've got all these cuts, yet they're still enhancing Air for next season, with a new restaurant as well. I would much rather save a few rides and staff members and not have Air 'renovated'.
 
Sku said:
Hex, Driving School and Chocolate Factory are all close to each other though, is it possible they will close this whole area of the park, fencing off Cloud Cuckoo Land entirely? The entrance to Hex is close to the Dark Forest which clearly isn't closing, so Hex could be saved still.
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This happened in 2004, before CCL existed in it's spuced up state. It was surreal and depressing then, and I'm sure would be even worse with larger attractions (Driving and Charlie), visibly shuttered. Presumably the former is just closing as it's expensive to run? It's very popular with kids.

If The Smiler isn't open again next season from the off, the situation is even worse.
 
Tom.B said:
What I don't understand is that they've got all these cuts, yet they're still enhancing Air for next season, with a new restaurant as well. I would much rather save a few rides and staff members and not have Air 'renovated'.
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Maybe they're getting a good chunk of the renovation paid for by some sort of advertising or something? I honestly have no idea so just a guess.
 
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