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Park Hours: Updates and Discussion

RIPCorky said:
Energiser went during Tussauds didn't it?
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I think it went in 2004? Or maybe stood SBNO in 2003? Not sure of the exact date when the Tussaud era ended?

Edit: it was SBNO in 2004 and was then removed to make way for Rita. Although saying this, a flat could still occupy the grassy area that Boneshaker occupied just behind the entrance to Thirteen’s queueline.
 
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jon81uk said:
I think both parks have done some of this. Its actual ride maintenance that is the bigger issue. General presentation of the parks appears better this year at both AT and TP (although I haven't visited myself)

If you know the gates and rides open at 10am why arrive at 10?

The queue at Thorpe Park for security is worse.

If the rides are being operated well there is no need to pay to skip the line. Fasttrack should be expensive so fewer people use it and the main queue moves quicker for everyone

Its not high street priced, its still more expensive than the equivalent brands elsewhere.
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But for a family if they say it opens at 10 most would arrive at 10 thinking the park is open.

Food maybe more expensive than the high street version but it's alot cheaper than the rubbish Alton serves and it's quality should bes consistent with that of it's franchise alternatives.

Fast track is available at both but I believe thorpe operations are far better. And I find it odd you say presentation is good at Alton. The last time I went in the loos they were dated, cold and sub par. Only the toilets at the entrance at thorpe for me are below standard.

I'm marking this from a family perspective, not enthusiast. And thorpe for an older family provides a better day out.
 
jon81uk said:
If going to the theatre and the show starts at 7.30, what time do you arrive? It’s sensible to think of a theme park in the same way and arrive at least 15 minutes before opening to get in and sorted.
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A theatre or concert will specify that the doors open at a certain time before the show.

I think it’s reasonable for people visiting a theme park to assume the opening time is just that.

At Drayton the gates very much open at the advertised time.
 
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Bowser said:
A theatre or concert will specify that the doors open at a certain time before the show.

I think it’s reasonable for people visiting a theme park to assume the opening time is just that.

At Drayton the gates very much open at the advertised time.
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Although Alton Towers do state the monorail opens at 9am so that is effectively the doors open time. I expect it’s the same at Drayton Manor, the car park is open at least an hour before the park opens.

I don’t think it’s unreasonable to consider arriving early enough to get the car parked and sorted before the park gates open.
 
jon81uk said:
Although Alton Towers do state the monorail opens at 9am so that is effectively the doors open time. I expect it’s the same at Drayton Manor, the car park is open at least an hour before the park opens.
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AT is somewhat of an anomaly in that it requires advanced knowledge to know that if you don’t arrive early you’ll be facing a very lengthy wait/walk to access the park.

I can’t imagine it’s something most people are aware of on first visit. Other than traffic you probably expect to just park up and walk to the gates at a theme park with perhaps a short queue through the gates rather than researching what time the parks public transportation system opens and the typical queue times.
 
Bowser said:
AT is somewhat of an anomaly in that it requires advanced knowledge to know that if you don’t arrive early you’ll be facing a very lengthy wait/walk to access the park.

I can’t imagine it’s something most people are aware of on first visit. Other than traffic you probably expect to just park up and walk to the gates at a theme park with perhaps a short queue through the gates rather than researching what time the parks public transportation system opens and the typical queue times.
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But even without the additional faff at AT I don’t think many people are driving onto the car park at 10am and expecting to get into the park and onto rides at 10am. Even just with the knowledge of park opens at 10am most people would be expect to need to get parked up and out the car rather than just arrive at 10 thinking the park is open.
 
RIPCorky said:
Except it quite clearly is their fault. They have overseen the removal of many rides since they took over. Enterprise, Wave Swinger, Ripsaw, Submission all gone with no replacements. Had they repaired or replaced these rides then losing a coaster like Wickerman would not be a massive issue.
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It's realistically the current local management for Alton Towers paying dearly for the sins of their predecessors in years gone by and the arrogant complacency of Merlin's corporate as it over expanded by the turn of the 2010s (and I don't know about the business politics with Tussauds vs Merlin, but isn't Merlin essentially Tussauds 2.0 ?).
 
TedShatner10 said:
It's realistically the current local management for Alton Towers paying dearly for the sins of their predecessors in years gone by and the arrogant complacency of Merlin's corporate as it over expanded by the turn of the 2010s (and I don't know about the business politics with Tussauds vs Merlin, but isn't Merlin essentially Tussauds 2.0 ?).
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Personally, one more year of the Retrosquad wouldn't have hurt in my view.

Something like "The Retrosquad: The Final Frontier" with a battle against the bad guys would've been a fantastic close to the storyline.

It is years of rides leaving and no replacement that has meant the park struggling to cope if a major ride is out of action.

If Towers had replaced or maintained their rides, we'd either still have or have got replacements for Ripsaw, Blade, Submission, Enterprise, Toadstool, The Flume, 4D Cinema and CATCF. That is in addition to Wickerman, Project Horizon and additional new attractions including coasters.

The park clearly needs a lot of work and I know this is definitely not an immediate fix.
 
owenstreet7 said:
Personally, one more year of the Retrosquad wouldn't have hurt in my view.

Something like "The Retrosquad: The Final Frontier" with a battle against the bad guys would've been a fantastic close to the storyline.

It is years of rides leaving and no replacement that has meant the park struggling to cope if a major ride is out of action.

If Towers had replaced or maintained their rides, we'd either still have or have got replacements for Ripsaw, Blade, Submission, Enterprise, Toadstool, The Flume, 4D Cinema and CATCF. That is in addition to Wickerman, Project Horizon and additional new attractions including coasters.

The park clearly needs a lot of work and I know this is definitely not an immediate fix.
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I think the decision to end the retro squad was made prior to Hex and Skyride being delayed. It would have helped this year but hindsight is a wonderful thing.
 
Dave said:
I think the decision to end the retro squad was made prior to Hex and Skyride being delayed. It would have helped this year but hindsight is a wonderful thing.
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I agree, Hex and Skyride weren't anticipated to be delayed.

I had a feeling that the Retrosquad was cut short at least a year earlier than planned anyway due to the poor reception as there was a bad guy that programmed Twistatron in the storyline for the Retrosquad.

I think that storyline would've concluded this season with a Retrosquad ride themed to the bad guy in the Rollerdisco spot and Funk N Fly, Spinjam teaming up to save Twistatron and defeat the bad guy, if allowed to run it's course.
 
Hex has been at the park since 2000. The Skyride since the 1980's. If the fun fair flats were intended to be a replacement of them, then the park really is in trouble.

The other permanent flats have been gone without replacement for years, and they decided to remove the temporary replacements before they did anything permanent. They even removed another permanent flat in Enterprise along the way.

It's not getting any better is it? Even if we pretend for a moment that they haven't known about the state of Enterprise, Hex, the Spa, and the Skyride for a number of years, then it's incompetence at best. Unless you really like Helicopters, purple paint, not being trusted to wait on train station platforms, a giant Fisher Price gun being added to a coaster you first rode 30 years ago, and food that's even worse and double the price as the slop served at CrapDonald's, then there really isnt much incentive to go to Towers at the moment.
 
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