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TheMan

TheMan

TS Member
Favourite Ride
NemiLerVion
A point I thought of when I read this:

63510_10151543185036201_1803725208_n.jpg


Right.

Exclusive for Hotel Guests, and Merlin Pass Holders, and Pre Booked tickets and and and .....

You just can't call that exclusive, it's ridiculous. They use that word A LOT, so much so, it becomes completely meaningless both in actuality, and in it's broad general over use.

Now I am not saying that any of those three guest profiles, should be excluded - but goodness me Alton, the Facebook posts say it all from the GP. Get the message will you.

This gem had me laughing:
Maybe its now more exclusive to be let in the park at 10am !
Click to expand...

;D
 
Re: "Exclusive" Perks.... or not?

This is a tricky one. When they first announced that people who bought tickets online would get ERT I was not happy and I actually drafted a letter of complaint to Towers (though this one never got sent! :p ). I agree that ERT does not feel like an exclusive perk now. Pretty much anyone can get it. But on the other hand the park is never busy during ERT. Allowing those that book online ERT really hasn't had a massive impact on queues during ERT.

So yeah, calling it exclusive is certainly pushing it. I would imagine a large proportion of guests visiting the park on any given day are entitled to ERT. How many of them actually make use of it is a different matter.

:)
 
Re: "Exclusive" Perks.... or not?

Currently anyone that gets to the park before 10AM can get ERT regardless of how you obtained a ticket. I know the park has been very quiet this season so far - mainly, guessing due to people holding off for The Smiler. I hope when crowds pick up they start to enforce the ERT for Annual Pass Holder, Hotel Guests & Online tickets only.

At the minute even though it is listed as a 'Perk' I can just about let them off for allowing anyone to get ERT but this better change as soon as crowds pick up. Even with letting everyone ride during ERT the queues are a walk on or a train wait - well they have the 3 times I have been this main season so far.
 
Re: "Exclusive" Perks.... or not?

Rob said:
This is a tricky one. When they first announced that people who bought tickets online would get ERT I was not happy and I actually drafted a letter of complaint to Towers (though this one never got sent! :p ). I agree that ERT does not feel like an exclusive perk now. Pretty much anyone can get it. But on the other hand the park is never busy during ERT. Allowing those that book online ERT really hasn't had a massive impact on queues during ERT.

:)
Click to expand...

ERT was origionally a pre-booked ticket perk, the last group to be added to the list was Pass Holders.....

.... Don't tempt them with last in first out please :)
 
Re: "Exclusive" Perks.... or not?

Dave said:
Rob said:
This is a tricky one. When they first announced that people who bought tickets online would get ERT I was not happy and I actually drafted a letter of complaint to Towers (though this one never got sent! :p ). I agree that ERT does not feel like an exclusive perk now. Pretty much anyone can get it. But on the other hand the park is never busy during ERT. Allowing those that book online ERT really hasn't had a massive impact on queues during ERT.

:)
Click to expand...

ERT was origionally a pre-booked ticket perk, the last group to be added to the list was Pass Holders.....

.... Don't tempt them with last in first out please :)
Click to expand...
Really? Online ticket holders have had ERT since 2009 (Source). Before 2009 it was definitely only annual pass holders and hotel guests. However I don't know if there was a time before this where those that booked online only received ERT, that would probably be before my as an enthusiast!

:)
 
Re: "Exclusive" Perks.... or not?

Rob said:
Dave said:
Rob said:
This is a tricky one. When they first announced that people who bought tickets online would get ERT I was not happy and I actually drafted a letter of complaint to Towers (though this one never got sent! :p ). I agree that ERT does not feel like an exclusive perk now. Pretty much anyone can get it. But on the other hand the park is never busy during ERT. Allowing those that book online ERT really hasn't had a massive impact on queues during ERT.

:)
Click to expand...

ERT was origionally a pre-booked ticket perk, the last group to be added to the list was Pass Holders.....

.... Don't tempt them with last in first out please :)
Click to expand...
Really? Online ticket holders have had ERT since 2009 (Source). Before 2009 it was definitely only annual pass holders and hotel guests. However I don't know if there was a time before this where those that booked online only received ERT, that would probably be before my as an enthusiast!

:)
Click to expand...

The original ERT from many moons ago was pre-boooked ticket perk (you might have had to pay an extra £1 or so i can't remember). The people eligible has changed a bit over time.
 
Re: "Exclusive" Perks.... or not?

I disagree that the exclusivity has been watered down massively, but do you ever really see queues of any length during ERT? I still think it should be 9:30 for regular ticket holders anyway though.
 
Re: "Exclusive" Perks.... or not?

I know we got ERT when I visited with mates during the 1999 fireworks (ERT during fireworks?!? Sock horror!)

My friend booked the tickets over the phone... Interweb was still a novelty back then. From what I remember the park was dead, so there can't have been many people entitled to ERT. All the "plebs" had to wait outside the turnstyles, none of that holding them at the bottom of Towers Street rubbish. :p
 
Re: "Exclusive" Perks.... or not?

DiogoJ42 said:
I know we got ERT when I visited with mates during the 1999 fireworks (ERT during fireworks?!? Sock horror!)
Click to expand...

Sock Horror dude?

Wow was that a tough year for Scarefest, don't remember budgets being that bad?
 
Re: "Exclusive" Perks.... or not?

Fast track on the Monorail in the morning? Clutching at straws at all?

Then again Merlon will prob have this back in time for Smiler lauch (and only for a £10 fee per ticket ;) )
 
Re: "Exclusive" Perks.... or not?

Plastic Person said:
I disagree that the exclusivity has been watered down massively, but do you ever really see queues of any length during ERT? I still think it should be 9:30 for regular ticket holders anyway though.
Click to expand...

Out of interest, is this coming from someone that is:

A) Annual Pass Holder
B) Hotel Guest (when you visit)
C) Pre-booked online tickets
D) On the day purchaser

When I have visited this year, I will agree there are next to none queue wise. Although somebody put these tweets to Alton Towers today:

35ann1x.jpg
 
Re: "Exclusive" Perks.... or not?

If they aren't enforcing ERT then that is poor. Even if it is quiet they should still enforce it out of principle. The only exception to this is possibly Thirteen which requires at least 18 riders to dispatch, therefore if it's really dead during ERT they might as well let anyone on so they can dispatch the train!

:)
 
Re: "Exclusive" Perks.... or not?

ERT isn't exclusive in the slightest any more. I'm not bitter, as a MAP holder however I do think its been given out too freely.

Having said that its always dead in that first hour, but I guess that is the point - no queues as a privilege. But if that's given to everyone, then it no longer feels that.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 
Re: "Exclusive" Perks.... or not?

I have only been once or twice this season during ERT, so can't fully comment, but on the times I have been there has been no staff at the entrance to rides to check tickets, which does mean anyone on park at 9am could take advantage of ERT. Hopefully this will get sorted when the season picks up. However people could be booking tickets online to take advantage of ERT, only to find they could have just used a BOGOF ticket (for cheaper) and got ERT like anyone else on park.

The problem since they let everyone in at 9am is that its harder to check for ERT, back in the old times one person checked your ticket on towers street and it was simple. Now every time you go on a ride a staff member has to check your ticket. However there are so many different ticket types, it wouldnt surprise me if the staff have no idea what they are looking for (or maybe they just dont care so much to check).

You also get the issue with the selection of rides, TH13TEEN needs 18 people to send, if its very quiet you could wait the whole of ERT for 18 ERT guests. The same with HEX, if there are only one or two of you you will probably wait for more guests before they start.
 
djtruefitt said:
You also get the issue with the selection of rides, TH13TEEN needs 18 people to send, if its very quiet you could wait the whole of ERT for 18 ERT guests. The same with HEX, if there are only one or two of you you will probably wait for more guests before they start.
Click to expand...

Out of interest, why does Th13teen need 18 riders? Is it due to the added weight needed so it can complete the circuit as the trains are really light due to the drop mechanism?

Also I wish they would revert back to the old way of keeping everyone back on Towers Street while ERT is on and not letting them freely roam like last year when they 'experimented'. I can understand why they did that method as it spreads people out around the park but it blocks off pathways of people that can't ride and have to wait next to the entrances and I am sure people get annoyed of being told they can't go on even though they are stood right next to the ride. With keeping them back at Towers Street it is less of an annoyance I would of thought.
 
I quite liked being able to take a slow gentle walk though the park to reach Nemesis for a couple of mins to 10.
 
The more the merrier. In times of hardship, I think it's commendable to allow supposed 'perks' to as many people as possible so that poor people who can only afford to visit once a year can make the most of their day too. Of course giving fast-track as a free first-come-first-serve congestion-combating service and making the overall ticket prices less astronomical would be better ways to help those who are not as financially fortunate, but making ERT much more accessible is at least something. I'm sick of snotty 'premium' customers complaining that they aren't getting treated better than standard ones.

*Awaits the elitist lash back* ;)

EDIT: Although I admit advertising it as some kind of exclusive deal is taking artistic licence with the truth, to say the least.
 
The simple solution to that Meat-Pie is to scrap ERT and Fastrack, so everyone has the same experience once In the park. I have no issue with that and it's a thought most on here have promoted at some point... Just without the added politics.

Won't happen though, it's a capitalist world and I can't see that changing.
 
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