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Ride Availability/Operations 2022-24

djtruefitt said:
The rapids has now been added to the website, along with Hex, Sub-Terra and Skyride.
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This is really disappointing, I’m here now at the park, will see what availability is like tomorrow and Thursday.

Hoping Sub-Terra may at-least be back by then, it’s been over two weeks… can’t be too much longer if work has been taking place.
 
Whenever there are closures like this, don't forget that Bianca boldly claimed this would be the "best season ever"...
 
mo237 said:
Whenever there are closures like this, don't forget that Bianca boldly claimed this would be the "best season ever"...
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I mean, in Biancas defence, she (and the park) can't forsee these maintenance issues and ride closures popping up as frequently as they have. I'm sure their "plans" and "aims" for the season were for it to better than it has been in reality.
 
Proof is in the pudding - it's been a long time coming with neglected rides and not enough time/budget for works to be carried out properly. Also not to mention that it's half-way through the season and there's still no word on Hex...
 
mo237 said:
Proof is in the pudding - it's been a long time coming with neglected rides and not enough time/budget for works to be carried out properly. Also not to mention that it's half-way through the season and there's still no word on Hex...
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In fairness it’s more like 1/3 of the season and they still have the two busiest parts to come (Summer and Halloween). I can imagine it was possibly always the intention for it to open at least several months after Nemesis so it has its own fanfare.

The issue as you say is the rest of the park is falling to bits.
 
PhalanaxOperativeA1127 said:
I mean, in Biancas defence, she (and the park) can't forsee these maintenance issues and ride closures popping up as frequently as they have. I'm sure their "plans" and "aims" for the season were for it to better than it has been in reality.
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Over promised and under delivered (so far). That’s a pretty basic error in my opinion.

I don’t feel like all that much has really changed and the worst aspects (availability and reliability) are certainly getting worse and worse. This has to be the most important part of the theme park experience, having rides open and operating and wait times (capacity reliability high).

While she seems popular, for whatever reason that may be, perhaps it’s because she walks the park or seems more visible than a director normally is. I want to see the problems they’ve had over the past what will now be 4-5 seasons eliminated.
 
PhalanaxOperativeA1127 said:
I mean, in Biancas defence, she (and the park) can't forsee these maintenance issues and ride closures popping up as frequently as they have. I'm sure their "plans" and "aims" for the season were for it to better than it has been in reality.
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But they probably could have foreseen that there would be maintenance issues. The group of rides that are now down are the same rides that have been having issues for the past few years due to the park's long term issues surround maintenance. All we need is for The Smiler to go on the fritz and we're basically just reliving the same cycle as the past few seasons. If a ride needs a full refurbishment, it is not just magically going to fix itself after standard closed season maintenance.

And even if they couldn't foresee specific maintenance issues, it doesn't seem sensible to be making bombastic statements about 'the best season ever', given the past few years they have had. I get it's marketing speak, but it just feels like shooting themselves in the foot, when no one needs them to be so extra in how they market the park.
 
PhalanaxOperativeA1127 said:
I mean, in Biancas defence, she (and the park) can't forsee these maintenance issues and ride closures popping up as frequently as they have. I'm sure their "plans" and "aims" for the season were for it to better than it has been in reality.
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It's a mess and I think if people have a bad experience this season then they will probably think twice about renewing passes. I hope the UK Universal Studios comes off to give Merlin a rocket to improve its parks and quickly.

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Squiggs said:
But they probably could have foreseen that there would be maintenance issues. The group of rides that are now down are the same rides that have been having issues for the past few years due to the park's long term issues surround maintenance. All we need is for The Smiler to go on the fritz and we're basically just reliving the same cycle as the past few seasons. If a ride needs a full refurbishment, it is not just magically going to fix itself after standard closed season maintenance.

And even if they couldn't foresee specific maintenance issues, it doesn't seem sensible to be making bombastic statements about 'the best season ever', given the past few years they have had. I get it's marketing speak, but it just feels like shooting themselves in the foot, when no one needs them to be so extra in how they market the park.
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It’s funny how we can all see the maintenance issues and what needs doing on rides. Yet the people who work for the park or Merlin in general keep doing the same thing and expect a different result.

It’s all down to cost. How far can they push customers before they don’t return. I wouldn’t imagine it’s too far if it carries on at this rate of deterioration. I feel like park numbers are possibly down this year anyway.
 
In terms of this "best season ever" comment; I think people are reading into it too deeply. A park representative is always going to say that the current season is "the best ever" regardless of what the actual state of play is, as they need to encourage people to visit.

If Bianca had said "it's going to be a bit mediocre compared to previous years", that wouldn't have encouraged people to visit!
 
Blackhole_Sun said:
It’s funny how we can all see the maintenance issues and what needs doing on rides. Yet the people who work for the park or Merlin in general keep doing the same thing and expect a different result.

It’s all down to cost. How far can they push customers before they don’t return. I wouldn’t imagine it’s too far if it carries on at this rate of deterioration. I feel like park numbers are possibly down this year anyway.
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Bold statement how do you know they are doing the same thing as previous?

We already know the wage for tech services has increased, we don’t know what else is or isnt happening.

If this shower doesn’t improve this season and massively improve in 2025 then clearly they are continuing the mis-management but the verdict is still out due to the sheer scale of neglect the previous leadership inflicted.
 
Come on, did we expect anything different this year? Just read the reviews of the park and hotels, the place is going downhill big time. Nearly every review mentions either closed rides or the food.

So sad to see a place I loved so much going down the toilet like this. The sooner Merlin sell it to a company that cares and brings the magic back the better.
 
GaryH said:
Come on, did we expect anything different this year? Just read the reviews of the park and hotels, the place is going downhill big time. Nearly every review mentions either closed rides or the food.

So sad to see a place I loved so much going down the toilet like this. The sooner Merlin sell it to a company that cares and brings the magic back the better.
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Drama much?

Nemesis refurbed, new flats coming, new scare maze locations, refreshed elements in x-sector.

Reliability is shocking but again how would you fix 18 years of neglect in 10 months?
 
GaryH said:
Come on, did we expect anything different this year? Just read the reviews of the park and hotels, the place is going downhill big time. Nearly every review mentions either closed rides or the food.

So sad to see a place I loved so much going down the toilet like this. The sooner Merlin sell it to a company that cares and brings the magic back the better.
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There have been considerable positive changes this year. Ride availability isn’t one of them, but other areas of the park and resort are improving.

It isn’t good enough as a whole package yet, but the direction overall is up not down.
 
Separate note, it looks like the issue with the Rapids is one of the drums that gets the boats onto the lift hill. Is anything known about Sub Terras reason for closure? Or what the issue is with Hex that has clearly delayed it by months?
 
Dave said:
Drama much?

Nemesis refurbed, new flats coming, new scare maze locations, refreshed elements in x-sector.

Reliability is shocking but again how would you fix 18 years of neglect in 10 months?
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I hardly call 4 caravans in X Sector selling overpriced food a refreshed line up. It’s just filling the gap where rides once stood.

And all this stuff coming….. that’s fine when it’s finally built and open but as it stands at present, for the cost of the visit, it’s very poor.
 
GaryH said:
I hardly call 4 caravans in X Sector selling overpriced food a refreshed line up. It’s just filling the gap where rides once stood.
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I’m not sure how more people aren’t making an issue of these crappy food stalls when everyone went on and on about the retro rides. What we’ve got this year is much worse
 
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