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Merlin Entertainments: General Discussion

Interesting read. I can see a lot of branded attractions coming ready between the lines which I don't believe suits AT. Legoland will no doubt be Merlins main focus.
 
Another new appointment at the top - Megan Wastell has been appointed as the Global Creative Director. Her background is mainly in digital, including Head of Creative Strategy at Sky and most recently, Director of Podcasts & Strategy at Global.
 
Anyone know how quickly they send out the Merlin Passes nowadays? Ordered one last week which hasn't arrived yet. Got an email from DHL today saying they'll be delivering a package tomorrow and wondering if it's that.
 
Danny said:
Another new appointment at the top - Megan Wastell has been appointed as the Global Creative Director. Her background is mainly in digital, including Head of Creative Strategy at Sky and most recently, Director of Podcasts & Strategy at Global.
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Yet another sign that Blackstone/Kirkbi want to push the tech side of Merlin for growth. Going by the language and portfolios of a lot of new Divisional Directors and Executives within the company.

Also look at the integration of virtual queuing systems slowly across the resorts, most notably Mandrill Mayhem as well as their partnership with Aramark pushing for digital interfaces to order food, in line with other fast food restaurants. Furthermore, Alton Towers got new Wifi infrastructure as well as 5G installation across the resort this season.

There is a real push for digital, and seems to be going under the radar for many enthusiasts.
 
Bert2theSpark said:
Yet another sign that Blackstone/Kirkbi want to push the tech side of Merlin for growth. Going by the language and portfolios of a lot of new Divisional Directors and Executives within the company.

Also look at the integration of virtual queuing systems slowly across the resorts, most notably Mandrill Mayhem as well as their partnership with Aramark pushing for digital interfaces to order food, in line with other fast food restaurants. Furthermore, Alton Towers got new Wifi infrastructure as well as 5G installation across the resort this season.

There is a real push for digital, and seems to be going under the radar for many enthusiasts.
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I think you raise an interesting point actually. It may just be modernisation that would have happened anyway, but pumping money into digital tech can have massive benefits for efficiency. It's whether those efficiency savings get ripped out of the business or are used to reinvest back into the product on offer.
 
Bert2theSpark said:
Yet another sign that Blackstone/Kirkbi want to push the tech side of Merlin for growth. Going by the language and portfolios of a lot of new Divisional Directors and Executives within the company.

Also look at the integration of virtual queuing systems slowly across the resorts, most notably Mandrill Mayhem as well as their partnership with Aramark pushing for digital interfaces to order food, in line with other fast food restaurants. Furthermore, Alton Towers got new Wifi infrastructure as well as 5G installation across the resort this season.

There is a real push for digital, and seems to be going under the radar for many enthusiasts.
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I think you might be seeing patterns where none exist. The self order screens are just cost cutting on Aramark's part, not part of any Merlin group-wide tech push.
 
Scott O’Neil appears to have taken the VAT mantle from Nick Varney in calling for a permanent reduction in the VAT rate for the tourism sector in the UK.

The idea that Merlin would drop their prices to be more competitive is of course pretty ludicrous. They would just charge the same and pocket the difference, as they did with the temporary VAT reduction during covid.

www.bnnbloomberg.ca

Theme Park Boss Adds to Pressure on Sunak to Reverse Tourism Tax - BNN Bloomberg

The new boss of Alton Towers-owner Merlin Entertainments Ltd. has urged the UK government to bring back a tax cut for tourists and encourage more high-spending visitors to the country.
www.bnnbloomberg.ca www.bnnbloomberg.ca
 
WillPS said:
I think you might be seeing patterns where none exist. The self order screens are just cost cutting on Aramark's part, not part of any Merlin group-wide tech push.
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Well considering the article in the post above, I highly doubt that...

O’Neil spoke to Bloomberg as Merlin prepared to launch a new £17 million ($21 million) Jumanji ride at its Chessington World of Adventure Resort, southwest of London. While Jumanji is a tie-up with Sony Pictures, O’Neil opened the door to future rides being named with the aid of AI.

“When you’re naming roller-coasters or building theme parks, AI is a pretty incredible tool calling and pulling what’s being done,” he said.

“It doesn’t give you the answer, but it might give you five to choose from,” he said. “You can literally type in the description of the roller-coaster, and say ‘what would be a great name for this roller-coaster’.” AI was also helping Merlin to research new markets to enter, or companies to acquire.
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Although, I don't see the business appeal in using ChatGPT in naming rollercoasters when it's just a text complier and free software which anyone can put stuff into, names for attractions will still be largely dictated by market research. AI would certainly have the potential in simulating how guests may traverse a theme park and therefore they could develop new areas to optimise guest flow towards where the company wants to lead them.
 
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Bert2theSpark said:
Well considering the article in the post above, I highly doubt that...


Although, I don't see the business appeal in using ChatGPT in naming rollercoasters when it's just a text complier and free software which anyone can put stuff into, names for attractions will still be largely dictated by market research. AI would certainly have the potential in simulating how guests may traverse a theme park and therefore they could develop new areas to optimise guest flow towards where the company wants to lead them.
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It is quite a little bit more than a text compiler. It may compile text yes. But deciding what text to compile is the very clever bit. AI has potential on everything the human brain does, but better. Which is everything. There is no industry on this planet which will not get revolutionised by AI in the coming decades. Not one

Going back to the VAT. Colin Bryan from Drayton Manor was calling for a reduction too. I seem to recall him saying they made 2 pence profit from every £1 taken in.
 
I might just go to work tomorrow and play around with Chat GPT all day. If a CEO thinks he can just type whatever he wants in a text bar on the internet to make all his business decisions for him then it's good enough for me. If my boss says anything, I'll just say "don't look at me, the AI did it!"
 
So far he's said he'd never heard of Merlin when he got offered the job and now he thinks text generators can be relied on to produce unique IP content.
 
I've moved a number of posts which got more into ChatGPT in general than anything remotely to do with Merlin to the ChatGPT topic.

If everyone could double check when they're responding to discussion that's within the realms of the topic title it'd be much appreciated :)
 
Visited The York Dungeons today.

Obviously it's got a number of the usual staples, the judge, plague doctor, and the torturer. But also some I've never encountered before in the witch/possession scene, the haunted room with the house keeper, guy fawkes head on a poll, and the stage coach/dick turpin finale.

All in lots of fun, in a small group going through so felt like I was getting picked on nearly every room.

Definitely reccomend if you're in York and looking to do something that'll take about an hour.
 
John_P said:
guy fawkes head on a poll
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Projected head scene is pretty common amongst Dungeon attractions I believe, and Guy Fawkes on a pole in particular exists at London Dungeon. Unless it’s a completely different setup? I’ve not done the York one.
 
Burbs said:
Projected head scene is pretty common amongst Dungeon attractions I believe, and Guy Fawkes on a pole in particular exists at London Dungeon. Unless it’s a completely different setup? I’ve not done the York one.
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Yeah I've seen one used in Blackpool Dungeons, think it was to do with Viking Raiders but it was a different scene the next time I visited.

I've not done the London Dungeons since they moved to the current location so that wasn't something they had back in 2011.
 
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