Here’s what we got from our office manager:
Merlin Entertainments- we’ll get 30% off advanced online tickets at Alton Towers, Thorpe Park, Warrick Castle, London Eye, Madame Tussauds, Lego land and more
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Merlin Entertainments: General Discussion
Merlin Entertainments- we’ll get 30% off advanced online tickets at Alton Towers, Thorpe Park, Warrick Castle, London Eye, Madame Tussauds, Lego land and more
Ah, meh, thanks for the info tho; weird that this isn't being advertised widely yet.
I was wondering if it might end up being one of these deals where they'll pay up to 100% of the cost of a monthly pass of some kind based on activity points (100% if you do 160, 75% if you do 120 etc). No such luck.
Bert2theSpark
TS Member
Seems like Merlin are cutting the budgets of existing infrastructure development plans, especially considering we're seeing Thorpe and Legoland Windsor scaling back existing infrastructure developments...
Something is certainly going on at Merlin and we're seeing widespread cuts across the board. Rumours going around at the moment seem to be that Blackstone are selling off Merlin at some point. This matches up with a typical private equity 'turnaround' move, buy a company, make it 'more efficient' with asset stripping and heavy capital investment, and then strip back the company to look compelling as possible to buyers, as much as possible 5-7 years later, regardless for the long-term viability for the company...
owenstreet7
TS Member
I believe this may be a coincidence because two of their parks put in a tweaked planning application yesterday.
Legoland have put in a separate planning application either as an alternative plan or with the intention of doing one and then the rest later on. They seem to be keeping options open on this one.
Thorpe Park have amended their plans after those had been delayed due to possible environmental concerns from different authorities.
Beach Renovation Delayed? - Thorpe Park Mania
Planning application is taking much longer than anticipated
www.thorpeparkmania.co.uk
I don't think Chessington have scaled back Project Refresh and Renew.
I don't believe this is a cause for concern at the moment.
venny
TS Member
I wouldn’t just consider these two downscaled applications in assessing whether they are as a result of cutbacks. Look at the rest of Merlin’s operations, their cuts to entertainment, closure of rides, poor operations, potential sale of attractions etc.
When you view is through that wider lens, it’s far more compelling to conclude that this apparent value engineering is driven by cost cutting.
AT86
TS Member
Just had this land in my mailbox, if anyone else gets one, use it to say what we really think/want to happen in the future. Probably will fall on deaf ears, but you never know...
It’s very much geared towards gauging how often people are visiting tourist attractions and how much they spend.
Nothing regarding Merlin days out specifically and how well or not they are hitting the mark.
Steve74
TS Member
I haven't done the questionnaire yet so wasn't aware of what they are asking in it
GooseOnTheLoose
TS Member
Merlin Entertainments confirms their corporate restructure, wanting to bring their three divisions under one combined roof.
"Failing" Merlin also only made an annual profit of £573 million. Although it ought to be noted that revenue at RTPs fell by 5.2%, compared to the previous year. Poor weather and "softness in the short break market, in particular in continental Europe" were blamed for the drop.
Originally published in The Times: https://www.thetimes.com/business-m...ine-three-divisions-as-one-business-9xfxlqd5w
Paywall removed link: - https://archive.is/ShkSv
"Failing" Merlin also only made an annual profit of £573 million. Although it ought to be noted that revenue at RTPs fell by 5.2%, compared to the previous year. Poor weather and "softness in the short break market, in particular in continental Europe" were blamed for the drop.
Originally published in The Times: https://www.thetimes.com/business-m...ine-three-divisions-as-one-business-9xfxlqd5w
Paywall removed link: - https://archive.is/ShkSv
GooseOnTheLoose
TS Member
Double post, whip me.
Ought to be noted that the sale of Merlin Annual Passes is not accounted for under RTP revenue. A decline in revenue at RTPs isn't strictly indicative of falling visitor numbers, but it is indicative of fewer hotel visits, merchandising spend, etc.
Ought to be noted that the sale of Merlin Annual Passes is not accounted for under RTP revenue. A decline in revenue at RTPs isn't strictly indicative of falling visitor numbers, but it is indicative of fewer hotel visits, merchandising spend, etc.
MaxPower
TS Member
Which makes all the cuts and redundancies being made by the company at the moment even more egregious.
GooseOnTheLoose
TS Member
Corporate restructure. They've "cut" ents because they can't bring in the external contractors to run them, as they would like, whilst the consultation for redundancies is ongoing.
Benjsh
TS Member
They did what now? They made an operating profit of £573m?
Boils my blood to see all the cut backs they are doing when they are making that kind of profit and only backs up the theory that the fat cats and shareholders are absolutely raking it in.
Imagine having the audacity to sack a load of entertainment staff on minimum wage when they are making profits like that. They do it because they can get away with it though sadly.
karenstreet
TS Member
Going private could give Merlin more flexibility to focus on long-term goals, but it really depends on the investors they’d be answering to. Some private equity firms can be just as demanding about returns. Hopefully, whatever direction they take, guest experience stays a priority!
QTXAdsy
TS Member
I have to laugh at everyone's obviously right disgust at the profit Merlin have made while cutting Ents, little reason why I've suspected that Merlin's shenanigans over the years on these forums makes everyone go socialist and anti-capitalist and for good reason. And I'm starting to wonder if those stories of Merlin in financial distress was fake news after all this time though I wonder if these cuts as well at MMM would have happened had their recent Legoland parks in Asia hadn't done a EuroDisney and flopped.
GooseOnTheLoose
TS Member
They are private. They're currently owned by three private equity firms, one of which is the world's largest.
Of course they were, mostly because they were backed up by anecdotal thoughts and feelings by vloggers. It's only when we get to see their financial reports do we actually have a little bit of an idea what might be going on.