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Merlin Entertainments: General Discussion

BarryZola said:
*Alton Towers Closing!!!?* (shocked face expression in thumbnail) Youtube video incoming.
Click to expand...
WHICH MERLIN THEME PARK COULD BE CLOSING FOREVER?

*Blurred photo of the Alton Towers entrance and question mark in thumbnail*

Vlog Script:

Host: Hello and welcome to Themed Parks Globally! Today we're about to dive into some serious theme park industry news. Merlin Entertainments, the behemoth behind Alton Towers, Thorpe Park, Legoland and a whole bunch of other theme parks and world wide attractions, has just dropped a bombshell in an email sent out to passholders today.

Now, I'm talking about more than just a new rollercoaster here. We're talking about a potential game-changer for the entire theme park industry. Merlin has basically given itself carte blanche to do whatever it wants with its parks.

Let's break the email down They've expanded their powers to remove "Attractions" from the Platinum Pass scheme. Now, when they say "Attractions," they're not just talking about that lame kiddie ride in the corner. This could mean anything from a single coaster to an entire park, or midway. They could close down Alton Towers tomorrow, or even Madame Tussaud's.

It's like they're playing Monopoly, but with our favorite theme parks as the properties. They can buy, sell, or even demolish them at will. They can remove them entirely from your pass. And the worst part? They can do it for any reason they want. Technical difficulties? Sure. Safety concerns? Absolutely. Want to build a new hotel? Well, maybe an old park has to go first.

This is a massive power grab and shows that Merlin has too much power. It's a wake-up call for all of us. We need to cherish these parks now more than ever, maybe even make a sign and cancel our annual passes. Who knows what the future holds?

So, what do you think? Is this the beginning of the end for some of our beloved theme parks? Hit that like button, drop a comment, and remember... Always be riding!

[End screen with call to action to subscribe and like the video]
 
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MaxPower said:
What is it with the stupid / shocked faces on the thumbnails that Youtubers do btw?

Does it help the algorithm or something? Just makes me less likely to click on it personally...
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Apparently so.

Though at the same time, for some reason, channels with a track record of putting out good content seem to do just fine popping whatever they please on their thumbnails. Odd that 🤔

Is anyone else thinking that given some of the other recent discussion regarding Cadbury World, the update to the T&Cs might be paving the way for it to be removed from the pass?

Either that, or Alton Towers is closing forever at the end of the season?
 
Was in the Trafford Centre this week (awful place) so was finally able to visit the Sealife Centre there. Last time I'd visited it was under construction, used to renew my MAP at the Legoland Discovery Centre.

Really enjoyed the Sealife centre, nice projection mapping show to kick things off and plenty of fish tanks. The tunnel always a stand out.
 
In light of the 2023 Theme Index being posted, here are the findings for Merlin.

They saw steady gains of 1-5% across its parks over 2022. Heide and Gardaland were some of the best performers out of their European attendance. Chessington slipped off the top 20 list but only just barely - remaining a contender for the future.

Gardaland: 4.1 per cent increase.
2023 Attendance: 3,070,000 | 2022 Attendance: 2,950,000

Legoland Windsor: 0.8 per cent increase.
2023 Attendance: 2,420,000 | 2022 Attendance: 2,400,000

Alton Towers: 2.2 per cent increase.
2023 Attendance: 2,350,000 | 2022 Attendance: 2,300,000

Legoland Billund: 4.8 per cent increase.
2023 Attendance: 2,350,000 | 2022 Attendance: 2,243,000

Heide Park: 5 per cent increase.
2023 Attendance: 1,680,000 | 2022 Attendance: 1,600,000

Thorpe Park: 1.3 per cent increase.
2023 Attendance: 1,620,000 | 2022 Attendance: 1,600,000
 
I do debate the accuracy of the TEA figures, but if this trend is the actual trend seen across the parks in 2023, then it would suggest that the season may not have been as bad as originally thought…
 
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Clearly Legoland is the portfolios number 1 park in the UK. Kinda shows with the amount of investment.

Don’t expect Gardaland to get that many people.

Thorpe is really low though
 
Just to add, Merlin released actual numbers (not the guestimated ones the TEA report usages) as part of a couple of recent planning apps.

They cover 2021 and 2022 for Chessie - but what they do show is they are wildly different to those in the yearly TEA report so take the latest one with a bucket full of salt.

The Merlin numbers show Alton Towers being the most visited followed by Legoland, Chessington and Thorpe in that order.

More info and a graph in this post:

Post in thread 'UK Merlin park guest figures through the years'
https://towersstreet.com/talk/threa...st-figures-through-the-years.5778/post-388142
 
Follow the steps to book a day ticket. When you are in the booking system part of the website select the menu option and use promotional code MAPFF.

IMG_7206.jpeg

IMG_7207.jpeg
 
AT86 said:
Just to add, Merlin released actual numbers (not the guestimated ones the TEA report usages) as part of a couple of recent planning apps.

They cover 2021 and 2022 for Chessie - but what they do show is they are wildly different to those in the yearly TEA report so take the latest one with a bucket full of salt.
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I think it's worth remembering to take both sets of figures with a healthy dose of salt, given that they both exist in specific contexts, which could mean they are not necessarily showing you what you're expecting. And unless I'm mistaken I don't think either source provides any detail as to who specifically is being counted.

For the purposes of comparing year-to-year, however, so long as you're not mixing and matching (i.e. using the figure from TEA for 2022 and the planning figure for 2023) generally either set of figure should give you a good indication of the trend line, so long as they are consistent in who they are counting.
 
Danny said:
In light of the 2023 Theme Index being posted, here are the findings for Merlin.

They saw steady gains of 1-5% across its parks over 2022. Heide and Gardaland were some of the best performers out of their European attendance. Chessington slipped off the top 20 list but only just barely - remaining a contender for the future.

Gardaland: 4.1 per cent increase.
2023 Attendance: 3,070,000 | 2022 Attendance: 2,950,000

Legoland Windsor: 0.8 per cent increase.
2023 Attendance: 2,420,000 | 2022 Attendance: 2,400,000

Alton Towers: 2.2 per cent increase.
2023 Attendance: 2,350,000 | 2022 Attendance: 2,300,000

Legoland Billund: 4.8 per cent increase.
2023 Attendance: 2,350,000 | 2022 Attendance: 2,243,000

Heide Park: 5 per cent increase.
2023 Attendance: 1,680,000 | 2022 Attendance: 1,600,000

Thorpe Park: 1.3 per cent increase.
2023 Attendance: 1,620,000 | 2022 Attendance: 1,600,000
Click to expand...
Do they count passholders? If so those figures are not worth bothering with
 
A group of 11 MPs (mostly Liberal Democrats) have submitted an Early Day Motion in support of a campaign to move the Sea Life London penguins out of County Hall
www.freedomforanimals.org.uk

Ask your MP to support the EDM to get Sea Life Penguins out of Tiny Basements!

There is now an Early Day Motion supporting our campaign to end Sea Life penguin exploitation - has your MP supported it?
www.freedomforanimals.org.uk www.freedomforanimals.org.uk
Whilst this EDM can't force Merlin to do anything, it certainly isn't a good look. As for the penguins, I agree that the habitat looks quite depressing and generally unsuitable for penguins.
 
Merlin have announced an expansion to their Engineering Academy, as well as the launch of its 2024 engineering apprenticeship cohort, and opened applications for 2025.

They report that the 2024 cohort will consist of 27 individuals, who will be based at Alton Towers, Chessington World of Adventures, Legoland Windsor, Thorpe Park, London Eye, Madame Tussauds and London Dungeon (the successful applicants get to choose their preferred location).

The Engineering Academy targets both current UK employees and new apprentices.

If you're interested in applying for an apprenticeship with the 2025 Engineering Academy cohort, there's an online form here: - https://forms.office.com/Pages/Resp...UNkVYWlhYU0xPRjg0OTJNVllKNlhISTA1VSQlQCN0PWcu

Full press release:

Merlin Entertainments | Merlin Entertainments Expands Engineering Academy To Bridge Skills Gap And Drive Innovation

www.merlinentertainments.biz www.merlinentertainments.biz
 
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