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Major Ride Closures 2016

Last year N:ST and Smiler were down from early summer onwards, Flume shut before the end of the year and Charlie was on 1/2 capacity pretty much all season but due to the massive drop in guest numbers almost everything was walk on. Capacity won't be an issue until/unless guest numbers pick up a bit.
 
John said:
Last year N:ST and Smiler were down from early summer onwards, Flume shut before the end of the year and Charlie was on 1/2 capacity pretty much all season but due to the massive drop in guest numbers almost everything was walk on. Capacity won't be an issue until/unless guest numbers pick up a bit.
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Which they will.

I would be astonished if they haven't by the summer.

Get The Smiler back open and the press will move on, they're going to be pre-occupied with the EU nonsense anyway so I can't imagine they will want to report every time Octonauts slows down on a lift hill.
 
The idea of Charlie getting 1000pph is quite laughable! :p

I agree though, it is a lot of lost capacity and it should (in theory) reduce the number of people they are actually allowed to let into the park. I suppose the counter argument is that the park is likely to be significantly quieter this year than previous years so the effect may not be noticed quite so much. It's going to be a very strange year.

:)
 
Rob said:
The idea of Charlie getting 1000pph is quite laughable! :p

I agree though, it is a lot of lost capacity and it should (in theory) reduce the number of people they are actually allowed to let into the park. I suppose the counter argument is that the park is likely to be significantly quieter this year than previous years so the effect may not be noticed quite so much. It's going to be a very strange year.

:)
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I do see the reasoning behind this and @John's post, but taking even throughput out of the equation what you have is the same entrance price but with some pretty big attractions down.

It's not too much of a stretch for me to believe there will plenty of staff at Towers who are as disappointed in this direction as we are.
 
It might be a coincidence, but I really don't like the way that Alton have seemingly delayed the announcement of 2016 ride closures until after the MAP sale ends.

I'm still waiting for these "further details" that were promised for January!
 
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Leah said:
Wow... I will gladly sacrifice CATCF and driving school if this is where the budgets going. The track looks amazing, and it looks as though they are really trying with towers loving care (for now, at least ;)). However, no repaint will make me feel better about the closure of hex, or even NST. I hope they reverse those decisions at some point in the season.

Still, that's another topic. I cant criticise this project stall right now. I hope (and still a little optimistic) that this standard will be implemented across the park (*cough* dark Forrest)
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I wouldn't say that closing Hex or NST are budget decisions. It looks more like a lot of work needs doing, particularly with hex!
 
TomLad said:
I wouldn't say that closing Hex or NST are budget decisions. It looks more like a lot of work needs doing, particularly with hex!
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Does it take more than a year though? Obviously, closing hex for maintenance can only be a good thing, but with the amount of time it's closed I Really can't see this purely being to sort out the ride.

And there can't be an excuse for NST being closed for a year and a half.
 
NST is having issues with its restraints, something ABC need to rectify before they can re-open the attraction. And, budget wise it does make complete sense to close N:ST, and on an experience level it makes sense too.

N:ST was badly received by the GP but also enthusiasts, which did mean the attraction closed a few weeks after opening in 2012 to allow the maze extension & audio changes to be conducted. Now the maze finale is basically done and dusted, they will be looking for ways to improve the attraction as much as possible to ensure it isn't badly received again. Indeed, the press/limelight of the attraction is less intense than it was in 2012, but with the rumoured new coaster being situated in FV, they will need to think of ways to ensure capacity is high for the ride but also that it is indeed, a good attraction to go through, considering a large handful of guests will be in the valley over the next few years. As well as this, with the current issues ST has, there is no way it'll be able to cope with the large influx of guests wishing to visit Galactica & Rollercoaster Restaurant, meaning it does make sense to close the attraction on capacity grounds, as most of the restraints as I said above, are not functional because of a mechanical problem on ABC's behalf. You can argue that not many people will visit for Galactica & RR, but it's generally being marketed as a new rollercoaster and a new experience, therefore you need to ensure the rides can cope in the area. Probably one of the many reasons they chose to get rid of Ripsaw now rather than later.

Budget wise they can save money on rides like N:ST being closed. N:ST is not a popular attraction, even though it opened 4 years ago. It balances between 0-15 minute queues most of the season, and the peak queue-time usually is around the summer months. The GP really will not be asking questions on why N:ST is closed, whereas rides like The Smiler the public are all over. For example, if they chose to close Oblivion over Hex, N:ST, Driving School & Charlie, then the GP would ask questions on why the ride is closed, whereas closing low-profile rides means that the GP will not really notice it on a large scale. Also bare in mind, if Towers are stating that they are conducting 'care-work' on the rides, rides such as Oblivion are much more visible therefore the public would know if TLC is actually happening, or if this is just a cover-up, and will probably link it back to The Smiler crash and put 2+2 together, to make 5 and think that the ride is closed because it is 'un-safe' (that is obviously un-true, but you know what the GP are like sometimes). Whereas closing rides which are primarily indoor attractions, they can get away with saying work is being conducted when it isn't. Chances are, work on the rides won't actually start until later this year, it just allows them to save a bit more money in a time of financial decline. I really do not care that N:ST is closed, it isn't a major attraction to some people and isn't popular with the public. Hex, is obviously a ride which many enthusiasts enjoy, but again the queue for Hex is rarely mind-blowing and therefore the GP won't care, nor for Charlie either.

Bare in mind they will be looking to attract the thrill-seeker/older family style market with Galatica, so closing rides which aren't really regarded as 'thrill' rides means that they aren't doing too much damage. Plus, families already have CBeebies Land, Mutiny, Katanga, Duel, and some rides in CCL as well, will they really care about Charlie & Driving School? I mean, the thrill market/older families didn't seem to care about N:ST in 2015. I forget it is even there most the time.

It makes perfect sense to me why some of the rides are being closed. They were looking to save money, the choice of the rides they are closing makes sense considering all the factors.
 
Despite the fact that the rides might make sense in terms of why they've been picked, they shouldn't be closing rides for the whole season anyway.

They completely messed up Sub Terra by messing with the restraints and now probably don't want the expense of rectifying it for a ride that gets short queues - something that was no doubt behind the decision to remove actors last year.

I don't get the argument around it being sensible to close Sub Terra on capacity grounds though? Forbidden Valley is home to this years new attraction and this years new restaurant experience and yet it is opening with two rides less than it did last year despite it being the focus area of the park...
 
If it was issues with the restraints, then why are the dungeons abc drop towers still open. I know they changed the restraints, but I don't know how they were a problem. And it wouldn't take that long to fix.
 
Leah said:
Does it take more than a year though? Obviously, closing hex for maintenance can only be a good thing, but with the amount of time it's closed I Really can't see this purely being to sort out the ride.

And there can't be an excuse for NST being closed for a year and a half.
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From what has been said on here previously, Hex may require the drum to be removed (or something to that effect). As that was the very first thing installed (again, trying to remember), it would be one hell of a task! Whatever the actual answer is, it's no easy job.
 
Dar said:
How many times: queue length isn't an indicator of popularity.
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No, but I am sure I would not be the only one to say that Sub Terra is not a popular attraction amongst the GP or enthusiasts. They need to save money and preserve funds, it's either this or another solution which would probably of been received worse. Sometimes people forget Towers & Merlin are businesses too, and we've been lucky with the level of investment that Towers and other parks received in the UK during hard economic times.

If it was issues with the restraints, then why are the dungeons abc drop towers still open. I know they changed the restraints, but I don't know how they were a problem. And it wouldn't take that long to fix.
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Again, it was probably closed because it saved them more money to close it and leave it until it needs to be done. It isn't a high-profile attraction nor a popular one as I said above, therefore the GP and most people wouldn't even be bothered by its closure or put off a visit to Towers just because it's closed. 4 years ago they probably would of, but not now.
 
It's still pretty poor that such a new ride is shuttered because of cost reasons...
 
Sub Terra's issues are not linked to the changed restraints... No idea why people think it is, but as mentioned, if it were, then why are the others operating perfectly fine?
 
When did ABC bring out the new type of restraint? Could it be Sub Terra was one of the first to have them, they found out there were problems with the design of them that meant they couldn't be used, the redesigned them and the dungeons towers have the updated design and they haven't got round to putting them on Sub Terra yet. That theory is probably wrong.
 
Sub Terra has simply been a disaster. Don't get wrong I love the concept behind it, but it's just been done so poorly that it's not even funny. True there are some little good moments with it, making into a drop tower ride was totally the wrong thing to do with it, not to mention adding a scare maze on the end with an doubled staff presence has come, quite literally, at a price.

Had they simply copied Alien Encounter from WDW with the same design and seating arrangement and gave it a Nemesis theme on it, there's no doubt things would've been much better for the ride and its reputation. Alas, I don't think anyone will really care if it does remain shut.
 
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