Park Hours: Updates and Discussion

[venny]

I don’t buy the argument that Universal will make things worse. It will certainly require Merlin to do ‘something’. What ‘something’ is, whether good or bad, remains to be seen.

I also don’t buy that there is fixed demand, meaning one more visit to Universal means one less visitor to Alton Towers, say. Universal will naturally expand the market - people who don’t normally visit theme parks are likely to visit Universal through brand recognition if nothing else. The major concern for Merlin will be, will the expansion in the market reinvigorate theme park interest and raise all boats, or will it shine a light on their poor management of their attractions and divert their existing visitation.

If people do visit Universal and experience the more diverse array of attractions, shows and F&B, it will be interesting to see how that changes expectations for visitors to Alton Towers. Will there be an expectation for longer opening hours and a more diverse offering? Will Merlin actually try to meet that?

 

[Bowser]

I don’t buy the argument that Universal will make things worse. It will certainly require Merlin to do ‘something’. What ‘something’ is, whether good or bad, remains to be seen.

I also don’t buy that there is fixed demand, meaning one more visit to Universal means one less visitor to Alton Towers, say. Universal will naturally expand the market - people who don’t normally visit theme parks are likely to visit Universal through brand recognition if nothing else. The major concern for Merlin will be, will the expansion in the market reinvigorate theme park interest and raise all boats, or will it shine a light on their poor management of their attractions and divert their existing visitation.

If people do visit Universal and experience the more diverse array of attractions, shows and F&B, it will be interesting to see how that changes expectations for visitors to Alton Towers. Will there be an expectation for longer opening hours and a more diverse offering? Will Merlin actually try to meet that?

Seems more likely they will settle fully into their role as a chain of parks akin to Six Flags albeit in far more scenic locations. A cheap day of great but unreliable rides versus the full "once in a lifetime" theme park experience of Universal.

 

[George W]

Was tempted to book a overnight stay for a Oktoberfest Sunday and stay the night and enjoy a longer evening but considering they'll likely scrap that and change it to a earlier close think I'll give it a miss, so far this season had 4 hours cut last minute and not even visited much.

 

[MaxPower]

Seems more likely they will settle fully into their role as a chain of parks akin to Six Flags albeit in far more scenic locations. A cheap day of great but unreliable rides versus the full "once in a lifetime" theme park experience of Universal.

This is exactly what I think will happen.

They'll simply scale things back rather than trying to compete.

 

[djtruefitt]

More hours have been cut today. With next Monday-Thursday being cut to 5pm close from the previous advertised time of 6pm.

I’m pretty sure this now means we have our first ever 5pm close in August!

I wouldn’t mind so much if the park was quiet, but it clearly isn’t, there’s a queues of 80+ on at least 3 rides currently and it’s still a 5pm close.

 

[AT86]

More hours have been cut today. With next Monday-Thursday being cut to 5pm close from the previous advertised time of 6pm.

I’m pretty sure this now means we have our first ever 5pm close in August!

I wouldn’t mind so much if the park was quiet, but it clearly isn’t, there’s a queues of 80+ on at least 3 rides currently and it’s still a 5pm close.

Shockingly poor.

I thought this kind of short term thinking was a thing of the past. Seems old habits die hard.

 

[geomxs]

Oh damn, was planning to go down next week as not been for a few years (and that visit left a lot to be desired) coming from all the way up here in Glasgow, its just not worth it for these opening hours, throw in ride unreliability, which was miserable on my last visit, and doesnt seem to have improved that much, think I'll look into hopping over to Gothenburg for Liseberg instead, incredibly more often than not for me, its cheaper to go there than take a trip to Towers!

 

[Call_um]

Thats really poor, especially doing it at such short notice.

Realistically, not looking great for 7pm closures for Oktoberfest is it.

 

[Dave]

Thats really poor, especially doing it at such short notice.

Realistically, not looking great for 7pm closures for Oktoberfest is it.

I suspect they are looking at the pre-book numbers. I would assume bookings are lower than expected (not justifying it, just suspect that’s what is happening).

I would assume Octoberfest 7pm close will similarly depend on the pre-book figures.

Based on the various parks closing times and the amount of special offers going out for all parks (not just Merlin) I think the publics appetite for spending on theme park tickets is really low this year, probably due to cost of living and weather.

 

[AT86]

Here are the queues today, a day that has previously been reduced from 6pm to 5pm close.

These queues to not justify reducing the opening hours.

I understand they may not be meeting their targets and reducing hours is a way to make up for that. But it’s a crap customer experience and the queues will certainly mean less rides for guests. I hope it hammers their precious feedback scores.

 

[Coaster]

Someone needs to tell Alton and PB that they're meant to compete on being better, not worse!

 

[venny]

As Bianca said at the start of the season, “it’s all aimed at our passion for delivering a first-class experience to you, our guests”.

 

[rob666]

Someone needs to tell Alton and PB that they're meant to compete on being better, not worse!

But that is quite the point...when the competition is running so low an offering at BPB, you don't need to compete!

And to be naughty devils advocate, 4pm, and the average queue for the bigger rides is around half an hour...

They already have your season pass money, what do you expect...decent quality for peanut prices!

 

[GaryH]

Staffing issues perhaps? Lot of covid around at the moment

 

[Islander]

Staffing issues perhaps? Lot of covid around at the moment

Is there? Covid really isn’t the thing it was even a year back (thank god). Worst case most the time someone will be ill for a day or two, and be back to work after that, no isolation.

 

[GooseOnTheLoose]

Is there? Covid really isn’t the thing it was even a year back (thank god). Worst case most the time someone will be ill for a day or two, and be back to work after that, no isolation.

We had a visit to Blists Hill Victorian Town, part of the Ironbridge Gorge Museums (really worth checking out), over the weekend. They had to close exhibits over lunch, because duty lunch cover wasn't available, with the given reason of "staff shortages due to COVID". The museums have a zero tolerance policy toward COVID infections at work, likely because of the customers and vulnerability of some of the volunteers/staff too. The two people I spoke to there have said that half of their colleagues had been off over the past month due to COVID.

Usual caveat of anecdote isn't the plural of data, yadayadayada.

With the hours being cut, my initial thoughts turned to staffing levels. Lots of younger staff possibly wanting to go on holidays, some phoning in sick, others not wanting to work over the summer itself. Throw in that it's fairly remote, and not cheap for staff to get to, and it's a particular melting pot of employment headache.

 

[AT86]

There are no current job openings that would suggest they are needing park operational roles filling.

It’s feels far more likely to be because they want to reduce the wage bill to meet profit targets.

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[rob666]

Is there? Covid really isn’t the thing it was even a year back (thank god). Worst case most the time someone will be ill for a day or two, and be back to work after that, no isolation.

If only...try working with the elderly or round care homes.
Covid is back with big waves of it, lots of op cancellations, and reduced visiting in some wards and care homes locally, not strictly enforced, but fresh signs and handwash.
Been in my family and friends for the last couple of months, I have to test with every "bug" as I have elderly contact...don't want to kill my best punters off.

 

[Dave]

Covid is certainly having a nice wave through the population but this isn’t that as the change is too far ahead of time.

As said I would put money on this being pre-bookings not meeting target. Whether that’s to maintain profit or prevent a loss we will never know but as all parks seem to be struggling at the moment it’s not a unique situation. I mean everyone’s darling park Paultons is hardly pushing the boat out with park opening times either

 

[venny]

I’d suggest the lower queue times, much closer proximity of attractions and absence of a “Resort” at Paultons means it’s more justifiable to have shorter opening times.