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Park Map

Blizzard

Blizzard

TS Member
Favourite Ride
Gotta be Oblivion tbh!
It tends to be that every three years, the park changes its style of park map, in cooperating new attractions in new ways.

For the past three years we've had a very artistic & crammed map with highly exaggerated attractions, but unfortunately meant that much of the paths were hard to see, meaning many guests found it hard to navigate.

alton%20towers%202011_picnik.jpg


From 2008-2010 we had a very cartoonish map with quite distinctively separated areas and not too different from the true park layout. Unfortunately quite a few people found it a little boring, not making attractions look exciting enough.

2008_map_clean.jpg


There were obviously many more before this with their own styles, pros & cons. But what map did you like best? And what kind of style do you think the park should opt for in the new season?

newmap_zpsbdc273a4.jpg


Discuss!

:D
 
Blizzard said:
From 2008-2010 we had a very cartoonish map with quite distinctively separated areas and not too different from the true park layout. Unfortunately quite a few people found it a little boring, not making attractions look exciting enough.
Click to expand...

Really? I've seen no evidence that suggests people found the 2008-10 map boring.

If anything the general consensus within the enthusiast circle is that the 2008-10 map style was 10x better than the current one.

Heck, even friends and family of mine who have seen the different maps have all said the 2008-10 one looks more appealing.



I think a map similar to the one used in 2008-10 would be nice. However I would be interested in seeing Towers try something new - I'm not sure what they could do though.

The map needs to work simply though and be understandable. With CBeebies Land and an expected increase in families they certainly need a functional map that is also visually interesting.
 
The 2008-10 map was by far and away the most visually pleasing.

However, the only map of recent years that has actually functioned as a map and showed visitors all the areas correctly laid out and the pathways that run between them was this one:

Zirwarb.jpg


Simple, schematic, very easy to use, and as a fan of mathematical, diagrammatic mapping, I find it by far the most visually pleasing and least cluttered. :)
 
While I found it abit soulless and bland to look at, but it served the park well. You could easily work out where you were and how to get around.

The current one is awful.
 
James said:
Blizzard said:
From 2008-2010 we had a very cartoonish map with quite distinctively separated areas and not too different from the true park layout. Unfortunately quite a few people found it a little boring, not making attractions look exciting enough.
Click to expand...

Really? I've seen no evidence that suggests people found the 2008-10 map boring.

If anything the general consensus within the enthusiast circle is that the 2008-10 map style was 10x better than the current one.

Heck, even friends and family of mine who have seen the different maps have all said the 2008-10 one looks more appealing.



I think a map similar to the one used in 2008-10 would be nice. However I would be interested in seeing Towers try something new - I'm not sure what they could do though.

The map needs to work simply though and be understandable. With CBeebies Land and an expected increase in families they certainly need a functional map that is also visually interesting.
Click to expand...


Don't get me wrong, I personally love the 2008 style maps, they're my favourite! I've seen a few comments on here in similar topics in the past statin that they were a bit bland.
 
Sam said:
The 2008-10 map was by far and away the most visually pleasing.

However, the only map of recent years that has actually functioned as a map and showed visitors all the areas correctly laid out and the pathways that run between them was this one:

Zirwarb.jpg


Simple, schematic, very easy to use, and as a fan of mathematical, diagrammatic mapping, I find it by far the most visually pleasing and least cluttered. :)
Click to expand...

REALLY!??!??

That map was awful and made it look like The Flume was beside Nemesis and Katanga Canyon was right next to the entrance. For me, the best ones were the late 90's.
image.php
 
I really liked the 2008-10 maps. They were visually pleasing, made the park look exciting and fun, and you could actually use them to get around. A million times better than the current map.

They need a new map this year for many reasons. Firstly because the current one is awful. Secondly because you need a map that actually allows you to navigate the park. And thirdly because they will want a map that emphasises CBeebies land, that is not really possible on the current map, it would all be too crammed in.

We will probably have to wait until early/mid March to find out if there is a new map though, unless there are any leaks before then.

:)
 
When does the Sun promotion normally start? The map is usually revealed in that...
 
I think it's usually either in the first or second week of March.

:)
 
Sun offer is usually the first week. We may see the 2014 map before that though if Towers upload it to the official website beforehand (unlikely, although it has happened in the past before The Sun has revealed it).
 
A new map is definitely needed, the current one looks like it was drawn with crayons. For me there are two extreme diffrent styles of park maps, there is the thorpe park option, using the map as an advert for the rides and ignoring any navigation properties. Or there is the towers map from 2005, totally unattactive but does the job well.

At the moment, I would say the current map is closer to the thorpe style than any other. The chessington map however, gives the best of both worlds and is definitely the style that I think towers should aim for.
 
I think Alton should get a new map this year. It is normally a rotation of every 3 to 4 years so another revamp is expected. No doubt that the current map we have is dreadful for navigation, despite how nice it looks.
 
I imagine it will be identical to 2013's maps but with 2014 in all the correct spots
 
I can imagine how hideous the current map format would be if they kept it for this year. A gigantic The Smiler sat practically inside an awful attempt to cram in all the rides and attractions in CBeebies Land, whilst a huge "New for 2014" is stuck around it in what little space is left.
 
The 2005 version of the Habbo Hotel map was appalling, don't kid yourselves. The forums at the time were rife with abuse and criticism. Nobody liked it at all. To see anybody actually saying it was a decent map, please.

Yes, there needs to be ease of use, but so to does it need to put forwards the image of Alton Towers. The 2005-2007 map did not. At all. It symbolised the loss of magic that the mid-00's brought with them.

Just no, no. The 2008-2010 map was fine, for me.
 
There's no conceivable way they can continue to use last year's map format. The thing already had necessary space removed (the Gardens) to accommodate for The Smiler and Sub-Terra. They have to do a redesign, it would be ridiculous to squeeze the space even further.
 
They need to stop giving the resort a third of the map, yes put the resort on there for advertising but it takes up so much space the rest of the map is squashed.

You don't need to put every path in accurately what needs to be accurate is the relation of the rides to each other as that's how people navigate. Then get more signs pointing people in the tight direction.
 
Could they not put the resort on the back of the map? Could work just as well. Have the one side dedicated to the theme park and the other site with the usual info and half covered with a map of the resort.
 
They have a separate resort map anyway. Just inidcate on the main map where the hotels are in relation to the park and then ensure the resort map is readily available for those who need it.

:)
 
Should they be thinking about scrapping the free map, and having a easy to use app which can be downloaded?

Ideally, it can be used to encourage people to the less busier areas, and can alert users when they are near something that they might find interesting? It can also be updated throughout the season as things change, or rides close/break down?

You could then have a paid for map, which is a higher quality and longer lasting. It would make Alton Towers more environmentally friendly as less paper/printing is been used, they are not getting thrown and dropped all over the place so you do not have to worry about picking them up later in the day?

Just throwing it out there :)

Ian
 
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