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Park Hours: Updates and Discussion

Tom said:
It's about making money, and the argument that they'd make more money by opening longer hasn't been won. It will only change if enough people stop going, and there's been no sign of that yet.
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People did stop going. That's why they made it 4pm.

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Just popped up on Facebook.

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Interesting thread.

I don’t buy the argument AT don’t make money once everyone is in the park. They must do. I appreciate the foods offerings aren’t great these days but people still need to eat. In fact opening longer may mean people need to eat twice.

I think this is pure obnoxiousness from the Merlin high and mighty. The park simply doesn’t have the operational budget to open any longer.

I haven’t bothered going this year- only went once last year as well. Apart from the coasters there is little to do and the thought of baking in 45min+ queues for 6 hours just doesn’t turn me on. Longer hours, better food, more shows (or a show!) and filler attractions are needed. In Merlins defence they have literally stripped the park to its core so now they don’t need longer hours to get all the rides done. Piss poor if you ask me
 
Jb85 said:
Interesting thread.

I don’t buy the argument AT don’t make money once everyone is in the park. They must do. I appreciate the foods offerings aren’t great these days but people still need to eat. In fact opening longer may mean people need to eat twice.

I think this is pure obnoxiousness from the Merlin high and mighty. The park simply doesn’t have the operational budget to open any longer.

I haven’t bothered going this year- only went once last year as well. Apart from the coasters there is little to do and the thought of baking in 45min+ queues for 6 hours just doesn’t turn me on. Longer hours, better food, more shows (or a show!) and filler attractions are needed. In Merlins defence they have literally stripped the park to its core so now they don’t need longer hours to get all the rides done. **** poor if you ask me
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Yep we managed to pad out over 3 days of time to actually do everything at Disney's Animal Kingdom over 2 full days and 2 half days of park time and they only have one rolercoaster....
Coasters, flat rides, dark rides, shows, meet and greets and shock horror educational walks and trails there was just so much to do. Once you do the main coasters at towers there is nothing left to occupy you or be excited for- excluding the Dungeons which I won't touch for being an upcharge
 
I think there is something wrong with most major parks in this country, it's almost as if we play by a different set of rules to the rest of the world.

Alton closing at 4pm is a joke, as has been said before a park that size should be 5pm as standard with 7-8pm imy the warm weather or at busy periods.

However BPB is the biggest farce of all times when it comes to hours. They EXTENDED to 7pm last Saturday. I never thought I'd see the day when 7pm was an extension on a Saturday in June and the hottest day of the year to date. It should have been 9pm minimum. And there is no way they don't make money once you are in, the number of people sat at FY4 or on coasters balcony armed with beers, who would have been happy to stay there later into the evening, but for reasons that remain unknown they were pointed in the direction of the Velvet Coaster at 7pm.

Maybe if parks are concerned that no one spends once inside maybe they should consider getting rid of all you can eat/drink deals then people actually have reason to spend later?

I know when I have done 2am closes at Port Av I have eaten 3 meals on the park and spend God knows how much on drinks throughout the day.

I can't think of any UK park that has two venues I'd like to dine in in the same day, let alone three.

It's a shame when major operators are so quick to close, yet places like Adventure Island went to 10.30pm on Saturday and even M&D''s stayed open till 8pm.

Yet BPB with a far superior ride line up is locked up for 7pm, and that can't hide behind the 'remote location' excuse that Tower's can.
 
Ash84 said:
I think there is something wrong with most major parks in this country, it's almost as if we play by a different set of rules to the rest of the world.

Alton closing at 4pm is a joke, as has been said before a park that size should be 5pm as standard with 7-8pm imy the warm weather or at busy periods.

However BPB is the biggest farce of all times when it comes to hours. They EXTENDED to 7pm last Saturday. I never thought I'd see the day when 7pm was an extension on a Saturday in June and the hottest day of the year to date. It should have been 9pm minimum. And there is no way they don't make money once you are in, the number of people sat at FY4 or on coasters balcony armed with beers, who would have been happy to stay there later into the evening, but for reasons that remain unknown they were pointed in the direction of the Velvet Coaster at 7pm.

Maybe if parks are concerned that no one spends once inside maybe they should consider getting rid of all you can eat/drink deals then people actually have reason to spend later?

I know when I have done 2am closes at Port Av I have eaten 3 meals on the park and spend God knows how much on drinks throughout the day.

I can't think of any UK park that has two venues I'd like to dine in in the same day, let alone three.

It's a shame when major operators are so quick to close, yet places like Adventure Island went to 10.30pm on Saturday and even M&D''s stayed open till 8pm.

Yet BPB with a far superior ride line up is locked up for 7pm, and that can't hide behind the 'remote location' excuse that Tower's can.
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Events like Scarefest and fireworks show the crowds are happy to stay later into the day.

If towers could do this more regularly and actually have OK food on park (again Disney do a good job of this) I, and I'm sure lots of other guests, would be tempted to actually spend money while I'm there.
 
AstroDan said:
People did stop going. That's why they made it 4pm.

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Exactly. Many on here were saying years ago that people needed to stop going to Alton Towers for any difference to be made. And not for just a few enthusiasts to stop going as that wouldn't make any difference anyway, it needed to be a good proportion of the public that stopped going.

That is exactly what did happen in the latter half of 2015 and 2016. Guest numbers dropped to lows not seen in more recent history. And all it did was encourage Merlin to make even more cuts.

With guest numbers increasing in the last couple of years we have seen some of those cuts reversed (such as staggered openings) however many (such as the woeful operating hours) do remain in place. Guest numbers declining again will not improve the situation. The only thing that will change it is a different approach from Merlin and who knows when or if that might happen.
 
Rob said:
Exactly. Many on here were saying years ago that people needed to stop going to Alton Towers for any difference to be made. And not for just a few enthusiasts to stop going as that wouldn't make any difference anyway, it needed to be a good proportion of the public that stopped going.

That is exactly what did happen in the latter half of 2015 and 2016. Guest numbers dropped to lows not seen in more recent history. And all it did was encourage Merlin to make even more cuts.

With guest numbers increasing in the last couple of years we have seen some of those cuts reversed (such as staggered openings) however many (such as the woeful operating hours) do remain in place. Guest numbers declining again will not improve the situation. The only thing that will change it is a different approach from Merlin and who knows when or if that might happen.
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Optimistic me says there could be a shakeup if the new buyers are willing to try new things and actually invest in the parks.

Pessimistic me says that the negitve feedback loop of falling guest numbers and cuts will continue, especially if there is a lack of investment in new rides and entertainment for next year and currently we haven't seen any plans for new investments at any of the merlin parks for the 2020 season
 
Problem I have is that whereas Alton used to be a varied day out, now it isn't, its purely about how many rides you can get on before the place closes. What I mean by this is that in the past, you could wander around the rides, stop and have a coffee and snack and relax, more rides, have an hour lunch and relax a bit, then maybe go watch a show in the park before more rides, then stop for dinner on park before heading back home.

Now its get in, rush to the rides, rush between the rides, eat lunch on the go or dont bother at all, rush rush rush and out.

Part of me wonders if they have done this not just to save money, but to encourage people to stay over and spend 2 days in the park, whilst doing other stuff in the resort, such as Adventure Golf, Waterpark, and the soon to reopen (yay) TreeTop Quest.

However, the hotels can only cater for a certain number of guests, and nothing like the volume which visit every day on these 4pm closures. The other problem is of course that the 4pm days are seen as off peak by the park, most of the time with rides running on lower capacity and Skyride closed which, if open, would allow for people to get on more rides around the park with less time spent walking.

I hope the very minimum next year is 5pm. I am sure the park and visitor numbers are on the up once again, and have been for the past year at least, while offerings and quality in the park declines. The deterioration in the product being offered must stop now, else it will deter guests visiting again, and visitor numbers will drop, regardless of how many fancy offers you try and entice them back with.
 
GaryH said:
Problem I have is that whereas Alton used to be a varied day out, now it isn't, its purely about how many rides you can get on before the place closes. What I mean by this is that in the past, you could wander around the rides, stop and have a coffee and snack and relax, more rides, have an hour lunch and relax a bit, then maybe go watch a show in the park before more rides, then stop for dinner on park before heading back home.

Now its get in, rush to the rides, rush between the rides, eat lunch on the go or dont bother at all, rush rush rush and out.

Part of me wonders if they have done this not just to save money, but to encourage people to stay over and spend 2 days in the park, whilst doing other stuff in the resort, such as Adventure Golf, Waterpark, and the soon to reopen (yay) TreeTop Quest.

However, the hotels can only cater for a certain number of guests, and nothing like the volume which visit every day on these 4pm closures. The other problem is of course that the 4pm days are seen as off peak by the park, most of the time with rides running on lower capacity and Skyride closed which, if open, would allow for people to get on more rides around the park with less time spent walking.

I hope the very minimum next year is 5pm. I am sure the park and visitor numbers are on the up once again, and have been for the past year at least, while offerings and quality in the park declines. The deterioration in the product being offered must stop now, else it will deter guests visiting again, and visitor numbers will drop, regardless of how many fancy offers you try and entice them back with.
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Fully fully agree with that.... The rush feeling is so strong and encouraged by oppperations and management. Some of my best times in other parks and indeed in Towers have been when we have had chance to wounder around and relax for a bit, taking in the atmosphere and entertainment.
 
Does that mean they’ll have to have a kiosk by the gates there to stop people wandering in without tickets?

I do wish they’d open that gate in the mornings. Maybe just for MAP holders to cut down on the infrastructure required.
 
speedy said:
Look at Universal citywalk. Are there any restaurants except Rollercoaster? Keeping people later would also ease the traffic coming out of the park.
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Don't the restaurants refuse walk ups after ride close too? Last year we were told we could just walk up until 5, ride close. We arrived at 4:45 to be told that it was reservations only. So we ate off park.

I went to Blackpool on an 11-5 day last week and got on around 20 rides with no rushing. That was pretty much everything we wanted to go on, we were spent.

I went to Alton towers the day before that. 9:30-4pm including ert. I didn't even get on every rollercoaster. 8 rides in total. (Not including sky ride, which we used twice before it shut for the afternoon sun).

Despite Blackpool having shorter operating hours, the quality of the day out provided meant it was the best park I've been to all year. Plus the food was excellent, the staff were extremely friendly and chatty.

Both parks opening hours are short, but only one park left me planning my next trip.
 
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On a positive listen to the guys description of AT at the end of that video.

"One of the most unique parks in the world - period"

He liked it more than Europa park. "History, charm, beautiful"

I fully agree with what he said and those are the things that make Alton Towers my favourite park. I love it more than any of the big American parks I've been to but Merlin's obsession on cutbacks and saving money has spoiled the place. Ripping out flats and not replacing them, rubbish park hours, staggered openings, poor operations and downtime (ok things have improved this year but were extremely poor previously), taking shortcuts - the smiler incident - lack of proper training was the primary cause of the accident (training costs money), etc etc. These are the things that we moan about time and time again and some may say it's like listening to a broken record but these are all facts and the only thing that's really changed this year from previous is that ops are better and that's not enough.

The park could do way better and could be a lot busier but a better product is required before that happens.

Towers location is both positive and negative. Positive - It's a beautiful place set in a beautiful part of the country. Negative - it's difficult to get to and this needs addressed urgently if they want to pull crowds from further afield. We travel to Towers the same time every year from Belfast and fly to Manchester. We have to rent a car as getting there is a complete hassle otherwise. I have spoken to a lot of people who would love to go from Northern Ireland but getting there puts them off. It shouldn't be like that. Someone used Tayto Parks opening hours as an example previously. We go there 2 or 3 times a year and drive of course as it's just over an hour away but if I didn't have a car I can be there in 2 hours by train and bus. Simple.

Look I could rattle on all day but Towers need to look at themselves through a guests eyes who may be on a one off visit. They need to impress that visitor and make them want to return. Banging out cheap annual passes goes some way of ensuring return visits but it is not the way forward. They need to impress that one time guest and make them want to return, even if it's only once a year - it all adds up. That video review sums it up very well. The guy was impressed by the uniqueness of towers and enjoyed it but the 'nothing in-between' ride areas in the park resulting in a lot of walking with nothing to see or do screams out that filler attractions are needed badly.

Towers has the potential of being a world class theme park and hopefully the new owners can see the potential and put the time, effort and money into it and build on it's success.
 
GaryH said:
Problem I have is that whereas Alton used to be a varied day out, now it isn't, its purely about how many rides you can get on before the place closes. What I mean by this is that in the past, you could wander around the rides, stop and have a coffee and snack and relax, more rides, have an hour lunch and relax a bit, then maybe go watch a show in the park before more rides, then stop for dinner on park before heading back home.

Now its get in, rush to the rides, rush between the rides, eat lunch on the go or dont bother at all, rush rush rush and out.

Part of me wonders if they have done this not just to save money, but to encourage people to stay over and spend 2 days in the park, whilst doing other stuff in the resort, such as Adventure Golf, Waterpark, and the soon to reopen (yay) TreeTop Quest.

However, the hotels can only cater for a certain number of guests, and nothing like the volume which visit every day on these 4pm closures. The other problem is of course that the 4pm days are seen as off peak by the park, most of the time with rides running on lower capacity and Skyride closed which, if open, would allow for people to get on more rides around the park with less time spent walking.

I hope the very minimum next year is 5pm. I am sure the park and visitor numbers are on the up once again, and have been for the past year at least, while offerings and quality in the park declines. The deterioration in the product being offered must stop now, else it will deter guests visiting again, and visitor numbers will drop, regardless of how many fancy offers you try and entice them back with.
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Another problem with that is there’s literally nothing to do at the hotels either (other than getting totally demolished at the bar, which is fine with me but 9/10 the children are with us) as the water park shuts ridiculously early, like an hour after park shut. Should be 9/10pm
 
Without sounding like I'm sticking up for Merlin (I most certainly am not) I think the location of towers causes serious travel issues for staff. Considering it's a park propped up by kids, many of which who won't drive, they are totally dependent on getting public transport or getting a lift from somebody.

As we all know.....it's not an easy place to get to and I don't think the bus companies would keep running buses until 9/10pm purely for staff. It probably wouldn't be cost effective for them to keep a bus driver working until that time.

Hate Merlin as much as anyone but I think there are a lot of issues out of their hands quite frankly.
 
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