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Park Closing Time
- Thread starter Rob
- Start date
AstroDan
TS Team
- Favourite Ride
- Steel Vengeance, Cedar Point
Alton Towers, I would be prepared to bet, probably has the worst opening times of any major theme park in the world.
In my 2011 Holland/Belgium/Germany park tour, all parks except one opened later than Alton Towers - some by up to 6 hours longer in the evening.
In 2012, on my European Park tour, all parks opened later than Alton Towers - some by up to 6 hours longer in the evening.
In 2013, the trip I have just done - here are the opening times:
Coney Island (tiny, seaside park): 11:00am - 11:00pm
Six Flags Great Adventure: 10:30am - 10:00pm
Lake Compounce (small family park): 10:00am - 8:00pm
Six Flags New England: 10:00am - 10:00pm
Busch Gardens Williamsburg: 10:00am - 10:00pm
Kings Dominion: 10:00am - 8:00pm
Cedar Point: 10:00am - 10:00pm
Kennywood: 10:00am - 11:00pm
Hersheypark: 10:00am - 11:30pm
Knoebels: 10:00am - 9:00pm
Dorney Park: 10:00am - 10:00pm
Yeah, Towers sucks.
In my 2011 Holland/Belgium/Germany park tour, all parks except one opened later than Alton Towers - some by up to 6 hours longer in the evening.
In 2012, on my European Park tour, all parks opened later than Alton Towers - some by up to 6 hours longer in the evening.
In 2013, the trip I have just done - here are the opening times:
Coney Island (tiny, seaside park): 11:00am - 11:00pm
Six Flags Great Adventure: 10:30am - 10:00pm
Lake Compounce (small family park): 10:00am - 8:00pm
Six Flags New England: 10:00am - 10:00pm
Busch Gardens Williamsburg: 10:00am - 10:00pm
Kings Dominion: 10:00am - 8:00pm
Cedar Point: 10:00am - 10:00pm
Kennywood: 10:00am - 11:00pm
Hersheypark: 10:00am - 11:30pm
Knoebels: 10:00am - 9:00pm
Dorney Park: 10:00am - 10:00pm
Yeah, Towers sucks.
djtruefitt
TS Team
Even Drayton Manor on Sunday extended ride close to 7pm! And they opened all the rides at 10am rather than 10.30am
it was the same yesterday and when we left at 6pm, the park was still very busy with very few cars leaving at around 6.15. They could have easily stayed open until 8pm I am sure they would make their money back in food/drink sales!
I would like to see them try a stunt show on the lake again at around 7.30pm like they did in 1999 and 2000 to keep guests in the park into the evening and create a summer long event, giving them something else to market/advertise and shout about the fact open late all summer long. They could run it on Sat and Sundays from end June and then everyday through the summer school hols. Merlin will never give them the budget though.
I bet their are a lot of people who have 1hr+ journeys home that stop for Food on the way home when the park shuts at 6pm, if the park stayed open latter that money could be going into Merlins pockets and not someone else's. Plus even if didn't want to run every ride and attraction they could shut some of the smaller attractions earlier such as some of the kids rides and the water rides etc at 6pm. Plus could shut the queues for the Smiller at say 7.30pm to avoid having to keep it running really late.
I would like to see them try a stunt show on the lake again at around 7.30pm like they did in 1999 and 2000 to keep guests in the park into the evening and create a summer long event, giving them something else to market/advertise and shout about the fact open late all summer long. They could run it on Sat and Sundays from end June and then everyday through the summer school hols. Merlin will never give them the budget though.
I bet their are a lot of people who have 1hr+ journeys home that stop for Food on the way home when the park shuts at 6pm, if the park stayed open latter that money could be going into Merlins pockets and not someone else's. Plus even if didn't want to run every ride and attraction they could shut some of the smaller attractions earlier such as some of the kids rides and the water rides etc at 6pm. Plus could shut the queues for the Smiller at say 7.30pm to avoid having to keep it running really late.
Good idea Maelstrom. They could close smaller kids attractions at 5:00, family attractions at 6:00 and thrill attractions at 7:00.
They could also do the same with food outlets, keeping outlets closest to the big attractions and the entrance open til later on. This would also help the car parks empty with families with younger kids leaving earlier.
Staff and operations costs will be cut to some extent, which is the biggest expense for the park. Just a thought.
They could also do the same with food outlets, keeping outlets closest to the big attractions and the entrance open til later on. This would also help the car parks empty with families with younger kids leaving earlier.
Staff and operations costs will be cut to some extent, which is the biggest expense for the park. Just a thought.
A
Anonymous
Even Chessington at Paultons park have been extending opening times!
TheMan
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- NemiLerVion
The only thing I can say on this matter, is the travel difficulty for staff.
So use your nouse Towers and actually get organised!
Still not been bothered to respond to my complaint either in slightly off topic news, just another example of incompetence/lack of care by certain factions within Towers hierarchy.
So use your nouse Towers and actually get organised!
Still not been bothered to respond to my complaint either in slightly off topic news, just another example of incompetence/lack of care by certain factions within Towers hierarchy.
djtruefitt
TS Team
I was quite surprised on Monday, we left park after ride close, took the woodland walk then had a drink and spent quite a bit of time in the hotels, we left about 7.30 and there was a massive queue to get out of the car parks and the hotel car parks. I imagine there was still plenty of people around TowersStreet as well.
BigAl
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Forbidden Journey
If Chessington can extend ride close, so can Alton Towers. No excuses.
If there are still a load of people in the park, sense would say to keep it open another hour at least. It's not only better for them (people still spending money in the shops and at stalls, etc...) and better for guests (woo, more rides) but it also means that everyone isn't leaving all at once which is what creates the stupid queues to get out.
If they aren't going to put money towards a relief road or improving the park's own infrastructure, they need to take other actions to ensure that the traffic isn't as bad. Making everyone have to leave early on a busier day is just asking for trouble.
If there are still a load of people in the park, sense would say to keep it open another hour at least. It's not only better for them (people still spending money in the shops and at stalls, etc...) and better for guests (woo, more rides) but it also means that everyone isn't leaving all at once which is what creates the stupid queues to get out.
If they aren't going to put money towards a relief road or improving the park's own infrastructure, they need to take other actions to ensure that the traffic isn't as bad. Making everyone have to leave early on a busier day is just asking for trouble.
Alastair
TS Team
- Favourite Ride
- Rise of the Resistance
BigAl said:
I think you're forgetting that Merlin don't appear to care for Alton Towers any more this season. They've invested in the X-Sector refurbishments and The Smiler, and that's it. Any budget they have remaining will go into Thorpe and Chessington.
alee298
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Colossus or Oblivion
This is why I am starting to prefer thorpey to AT now... They seem to be starting to care about customers with the 9pm dome thing and also summer nights and the DR pepper sun scream thing... But closing at 6pm and a 2 hour queue to get out. No thanks... they should keep towers street and the surrounding area open at least to let the car park exiting flow better, not too many people all leaving at once.
Alastair
TS Team
- Favourite Ride
- Rise of the Resistance
BigAl said:
Obviously not otherwise it would have been done. It's clear that the remainder of this season will be a complete washout, I'm even willing to bet that fireworks will either be given less funding than last year and therefore will be noticeably worse, or it will be the carbon copy of last year's. Customer satisfaction clearly isn't a concern for them in regards to Alton Towers, whereas it seems to now be top of the list for Thorpe.
