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Park Hours: Updates and Discussion

Plastic Person said:
I can't help but feel hardcore Alton nerds complaining that the park stays open until 5PM (!!) is indicative of a weird kind of conditioning born from years of underwhelming operations + cred counting.
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What does cred counting have to do with it, out of interest?

Of course everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but for my money, surely a later opening is the best of both worlds, because those who want to stay late can, but those who don’t can still leave early?
 
Matt N said:
What does cred counting have to do with it, out of interest?
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There exist enthusiasts who forget that Alton Towers main audience wants a well-rounded, fulfilling day out, rather than just to stand in the single-rider queue until they get kicked out. The park is seemingly turning a long-anticipated corner in terms of genuinely providing this, and moving to a 4PM close would undermine that hugely.
 
Family groups followed by adult groups after a whole, good rounded occasional day out are any decent theme parks core audience. It's not enthusiasts who live opposite popping in and out as they please, spending nothing on food and only riding the same core roster of coasters millions of times.
 
...and I thought kids were the core audience of theme parks!
Good to see a group of old gits (older than me even!) doing nemesis last week.
And last weeks lovely traffic after a 5pm close was down to the petrol panic as much as anything!
 
I've seen plenty of silver haired chaps on many ride queues Rob. There was even a silver haired single rider in the Smiler Queue.
 
s_g_k said:
4pm closures - everyone slates the park
5pm closures - everyone slates the park
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To be fair, it's more like
4pm closures - everyone slates the park
5pm closures - one poster slates the park, everyone tells them they are wrong

For me, while the longer hours are hugely welcomed the big change that is still needed is a commitment to minimum opening hours being posted in advance. So many of these improved openings come with just a few days notice, that's no good for trip planning for those of us travelling halfway across the country to visit. I'm surely not the only one in this position! The park are missing out on the most immediate return on their investment by leaving it all so last minute.

I've not visited this season. I absolutely would have done if when I was planning my trips if the hours that were eventually used were the hours advertised. I've been a similar distance to Paultons twice, who now have my money instead.
 
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I don't think people understood what I meant. Whilst it's great for guests that the park is open til 5, what exactly are towers gaining from it? I went yesterday and it was dead, just seems like a wasted hour on staffing costs to me
 
Ethan said:
I don't think people understood what I meant. Whilst it's great for guests that the park is open til 5, what exactly are towers gaining from it? I went yesterday and it was dead, just seems like a wasted hour on staffing costs to me
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Shut at 3 then? Midday maybe? Make it less appealing, fewer people go, cut the hours to suite. Make it less appealing, fewer people go, cut the hours to suit. Repeat until bankruptcy. Where you stop that ever decreasing train of thought?

What's gained?
It being less dead than had it been 4
Those visitors having a good day and wanting to return themselves
Those visitors telling friends they had a good day and those people wanting to visit too
Those visitors spending more money while they are there, including filling up the lucrative accommodation
 
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Ethan said:
I don't think people understood what I meant. Whilst it's great for guests that the park is open til 5, what exactly are towers gaining from it?
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The business model of Alton Towers exists to satisfy its guests. That might not always have always been apparent in recent times, but it's true!
 
Ethan said:
I don't think people understood what I meant. Whilst it's great for guests that the park is open til 5, what exactly are towers gaining from it? I went yesterday and it was dead, just seems like a wasted hour on staffing costs to me
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Why bother opening at all!
Just close the park at the end of the summer holidays until scarefest...that will save loads.
 
Ethan said:
I don't think people understood what I meant. Whilst it's great for guests that the park is open til 5, what exactly are towers gaining from it? I went yesterday and it was dead, just seems like a wasted hour on staffing costs to me
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I repeat from my last post.

Customer satisfaction, availability and perceived value are very important from a business perspective. In which, having the park open until 5, plays massively on. Happy guests are returning guests.

Read that again.

Once you've read that again, read it again. After that, again.

I am starting to think that you cannot comprehend that the park can gain value from many other things other than money. As can anybody for that fact.
 
Let's really simplify this.

Think of all the free advertising Europa Park gets from this forum alone.

It has tempted me and many others to visit the park for the first time - we have since been frequent visitors.

Would this kind of free advertising ever be given to any park that closed at 4pm? No.

The parks is therefore- indirectly - making money from staying open later.
 
Park hours have been extended this Saturday to 6pm. April 9th through to April 13th are also 6pm although I guess beyond that we'll see nearer the time.

I suspect we will see less generous hours this year (in some cases fairly so, most of the early season 8pm closes were needless) - although I am still hoping to see a smattering of 7pm weekend hours once the weather picks up.
 
I know people don’t like 4pm closures but on days like today, 6 hours is more than enough. Everything was either walk on or an absolute max wait of 15 mins (pretty much just smiler as it was on 2 trains and for galactica as it was on just 1). You get on way more in those 6 hours than you do in 9 at the weekend. One of the longest waits of the day was in 13’s station where there were only 12 of us and the guy came on the speaker to say they needed at least 18 to send it. Took about 5 mins for enough people to turn up! Crazy.
 
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