Queue Times Discussion 2024

[Poisson]

The bit I don’t think the parks realise is bringing the family to a park and seeing queues over an hour is miserable. It makes you angry. It makes you not want to return. It’s an awful experience. It has long term negative effects.

All the parks in the UK are big enough other than the absolute busiest days for this not to become the norm. They are failing by design

These are the busiest days right now. I think they need to consider the capacity cap and bringing it right down. Swing it as making the place more premium by making it sell out. Create the demand.

 

[rob666]

Funny you say that because from what I’ve seen the queues are always worse at Thorpe

They really aren't in my humble experience...not that I visit often.
This year's visit, we got a couple of walk ons, and excluding the new one, typically queues were around twenty minutes for all the other coasters.
It is also easier to plan and manage around constant ride closures...no long walks to find an open ride!

 

[Bowser]

I would strongly advise not visiting tomorrow.

I only just noticed this weekend is MAP exclusion (except Platinum)... The parks absolutely raking it in!

The bit I don’t think the parks realise is bringing the family to a park and seeing queues over an hour is miserable. It makes you angry. It makes you not want to return. It’s an awful experience. It has long term negative effects.

As per the above, people visiting this weekend will likely be non-MAP holders, i.e infrequent visitors. Yet the parks dictate these exclusion dates a year in advance precisely because they know how busy it will be and seemingly infrequent visitors are not put off.

 

[Themeparksandy1981]

Just checking with Nemesis still on 1 train will they close the queue line before 9pm?

 

[Tom]

I only just noticed this weekend is MAP exclusion (except Platinum)... The parks absolutely raking it in!



As per the above, people visiting this weekend will likely be non-MAP holders, i.e infrequent visitors. Yet the parks dictate these exclusion dates a year in advance precisely because they know how busy it will be and seemingly infrequent visitors are not put off.

Despite what has been said, there is zero interest in true dynamic pricing to boost guest experience. They could have easily shaved off thousands of people these past days to make the park less horrendous queues-wise. As ever, the income stream from ticket sales is simply too difficult to turn off.

 

[GooseOnTheLoose]

Despite what has been said, there is zero interest in true dynamic pricing to boost guest experience. They could have easily shaved off thousands of people these past days to make the park less horrendous queues-wise. As ever, the income stream from ticket sales is simply too difficult to turn off.

That's not strictly what was said about Dynamic Pricing. It was to encourage people to go on cheaper days, and discourage people from going on popular days. Keeping that in mind, some people aren't cost sensitive; some people will only want to go on certain days, no matter what; we don't know the impact (if any) MAP pre-books have on dynamic pricing.

Dynamic pricing didn't put off Oasis fans from buying standard tickets at 4x the price, which had been inflated due to the demand. If you're savvy you'll follow the ticket prices, if you don't give a scooby you won't be fussed. For some people, possibly a majority, it's October half term weekend or bust.

 

[Tom]

That's not strictly what was said about Dynamic Pricing. It was to encourage people to go on cheaper days, and discourage people from going on popular days. Keeping that in mind, some people aren't cost sensitive; some people will only want to go on certain days, no matter what; we don't know the impact (if any) MAP pre-books have on dynamic pricing.

Dynamic pricing didn't put off Oasis fans from buying standard tickets at 4x the price, which had been inflated due to the demand. If you're savvy you'll follow the ticket prices, if you don't give a scooby you won't be fussed. For some people, possibly a majority, it's October half term weekend or bust.

Actually, it is what was said.

O'Neil said "dynamic" pricing would help "protect the guest experience" during busier times of the year by managing queues, where waits of more than an hour are routine.​

Legoland and Alton Towers owner to charge more at peak times

"Dynamic pricing" will see families pay more to enter a Merlin Entertainments venue at peak times.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[GooseOnTheLoose]

Actually, it is what was said.

O'Neil said "dynamic" pricing would help "protect the guest experience" during busier times of the year by managing queues, where waits of more than an hour are routine.​

Legoland and Alton Towers owner to charge more at peak times

"Dynamic pricing" will see families pay more to enter a Merlin Entertainments venue at peak times.

www.bbc.co.uk

You're right, it is what was reported, although difficult to tell what was said because there's no actual direct quote, just fragments.

Merlin hat on. Key get out of jail word here would be "help", which is similar to encourage, which offers a lot of wiggle room and inevitably puts the blame at the customer's feet for ignoring it and booking anyway.

 

[AT86]

I suspect they had every intention initially to operate with slightly lower capacity at a higher price point per ticket.

…until visitor numbers were down across the season and they were missing their numbers and it went out the window. Charge the higher price and keep the capacity as is to make up the shortfall.

 

[Poisson]

Nemesis is back on 2 trains so would imagine the queue will be open until the end.

 

[Danscott22]

Not too sure why this has been reversed, but the latest app update allows queue times to be viewed outside the park again

 

[GooseOnTheLoose]

Not too sure why this has been reversed, but the latest app update allows queue times to be viewed outside the park again

I'm presuming that this is in the iOS app? I'm running the latest available Android version from the Play Store, 5.10.8 (618), which was updated yesterday, and queue times are still geo-locked to the resort.

 

[Skyscraper]

I'm presuming that this is in the iOS app? I'm running the latest available Android version from the Play Store, 5.10.8 (618), which was updated yesterday, and queue times are still geo-locked to the resort.

Yeah it must've been an error as they're geolocked again.

 

[AT86]

Yeah it must've been an error as they're geolocked again.

Still showing for me on iPhone.

 

[Matt N]

On my iPad, they’re not showing at the moment. Although I’m not 100% sure if the app would have updated, as I haven’t migrated to iPadOS 26 yet.

 

[GooseOnTheLoose]

On my iPad, they’re not showing at the moment. Although I’m not 100% sure if the app would have updated, as I haven’t migrated to iPadOS 26 yet.

Apps update independently of your operating system, providing that your device meets the minimum requirements of the app. You can check if you have the latest version by forcing app updates through the App Store, without having to update your OS.

TLDR whether you're running iPadOS 26, or not, will not have any impact.

 

[Matt N]

Clearly my iPad just hasn’t updated the app yet, because funnily enough, I bought a new iPhone today, the Alton Towers app downloaded on it when I transferred data, and I can see all the queue times from 2.5 hours south of the resort on my new phone!

I wonder why iOS users can see them and Android users can’t?