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Ride Availability/Operations 2022-24

Thameslink Rail said:
I think it might be worth asking D&G buses (the employee bus operators) if they could run some shuttle services between Towers Street (preferably through a building into an employee car park to avoid the turnstiles), Forbidden Valley and David Walliams using the exterior roads as a stop-gap.
I know it's a terrible solution but it's better than nothing.
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The park have managed over half the season without the Skyride they're not going to do anything about it now
 
They might have managed just fine but a significant proportion of their guests have not. Some visitors (as I’ve seen online) have not visited as the Skyride being closed means they can’t. Whatever the reason is, it’s very poor. Hex I can just about live with as long as it returns but the Skyride closure has been dealt with unacceptably. The park opened on March 18th and it’s taken until August 1st for any communication.
 
Danscott22 said:
They might have managed just fine but a significant proportion of their guests have not. Some visitors (as I’ve seen online) have not visited as the Skyride being closed means they can’t. Whatever the reason is, it’s very poor. Hex I can just about live with as long as it returns but the Skyride closure has been dealt with unacceptably. The park opened on March 18th and it’s taken until August 1st for any communication.
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The intention was likely to have it open by now. But that hasn't happened so they've decided not to bother this year. Shame they don't say why it's been shut
 
Danscott22 said:
They might have managed just fine but a significant proportion of their guests have not. Some visitors (as I’ve seen online) have not visited as the Skyride being closed means they can’t. Whatever the reason is, it’s very poor. Hex I can just about live with as long as it returns but the Skyride closure has been dealt with unacceptably. The park opened on March 18th and it’s taken until August 1st for any communication.
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Yeah a friend of mine who has mobility difficulties is spending a few days at Towers soon and is dreading it now due to the Skyride being unavailable.
 
Ethan said:
The intention was likely to have it open by now. But that hasn't happened so they've decided not to bother this year. Shame they don't say why it's been shut
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I doubt it’s a “not to bother” decision.

I think people are really not understanding how much Brexit has messed up parts replacement and logistics. In the NHS we are constantly waiting weeks for medical equipment replacements and drugs, and these are classed as urgent imports.

Add that to the supply chain issues globally and it’s completely messed up at the moment.
 
Dave said:
I doubt it’s a “not to bother” decision.

I think people are really not understanding how much Brexit has messed up parts replacement and logistics. In the NHS we are constantly waiting weeks for medical equipment replacements and drugs, and these are classed as urgent imports.

Add that to the supply chain issues globally and it’s completely messed up at the moment.
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Yup, we ordered some Allen Bradley PLC (which incidentally are also used for control on some Towers rides) parts for work in July 2022, our latest delivery update says they will arrive with us Jan 2024, so 18 months!

We have also been told they are prioritising major infrastructure projects and ours are for a major airport so Towers rides will be way down that list.
 
So there might be a parts struggle, but why wait until August to tell us...and still not on the website, that a main transport route for disabled people will be out of service for the year?
Why no support system for disabled guests?
Why no advice for disabled guests?
Monorail next no doubt.
 
rob666 said:
So there might be a parts struggle, but why wait until August to tell us...and still not on the website, that a main transport route for disabled people will be out of service for the year?
Why no support system for disabled guests?
Why no advice for disabled guests?
Monorail next no doubt.
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I think it's a total culture shift.

For years, Towers have been silent. Utterly silent. Why? Who knows. Marketing crapping themselves?

This is a step in itself to actually say that rides are unavailable.
 
When have we had rides closed all season like this before though?
Completely unacceptable.
I insist they build a scaffolding ramp and bridge right across the valley from Nemesis to rita.
That will sort things in the short term.
 
rob666 said:
When have we had rides closed all season like this before though?
Completely unacceptable.
I insist they build a scaffolding ramp and bridge right across the valley from Nemesis to rita.
That will sort things in the short term.
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Yeah it's not great, including Nemesis they are three rides down this season, kind of think I should request a discount on my annual pass.

More likely they will up the prices next year to reflect the "increase" in number of attractions 🤣
 
It's really frustrating; we unfortunately cannot even think about a visit until accessibility improves BUT it's good to see transparency & comms regarding this issue.

They have Buggys at Blenheim palace that tour the vast grounds at set times. They seat a reasonable amount of passengers and are very novel! Perhaps something like this or a land train would be a good solution? Could even be a small upcharge?
 
BooMT said:
It's really frustrating; we unfortunately cannot even think about a visit until accessibility improves BUT it's good to see transparency & comms regarding this issue.

They have Buggys at Blenheim palace that tour the vast grounds at set times. They seat a reasonable amount of passengers and are very novel! Perhaps something like this or a land train would be a good solution? Could even be a small upcharge?
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I don't see why they can't have a land train, at least hire one in temporarily whilst skyride is down. Or mobility buggies as you say, I don't think that would be too hard.

Reliability is also compounding the issue - you could trek all the way to forbidden valley only for the one coaster in the area to go down and then find yourself trekking all the way back again, only to have to return later when it might have reopened.
 
Is it beyond Towers to hire a truck or van and physically drive to these factories in Europe (if they are in Europe) and pick up very important parts? Or is it just that there's a backlog in manufacture which is actually the main issue, as opposed to not being able to get them delivered in a timely fashion?
 
Matt878787 said:
A land train would be the most logical short solution, sadly can’t see that happening though with how health and safety mad they have to be.

Imagine all the please remain seated announcements echoing from the trains as staff shout move out the way please x100.
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Land trains = zero chance. Even the mighty Disney [who of course Merlin are only second to] have ditched the Parking Trams at EPCOT & Hollywood Studios - it's walk from the relevant car park to the park entrance now.

To be honest, the throughput on these trams was pretty dire, as due to the litigious nature of the USA, a cast member had to make sure everyone was behind the yellow line before the empty tram could pull up at the stop [cough, Towers Monorail]. Then they had to check you were all properly seated when on the tram / small children not on the outer seats. Then a pre-recorded safety announcement in both English & Spanish - then you could go.
 
I don’t agree that there has not been communication in previous years. It’s just been dressed up differently under different regimes. Whether it be “essential for the long term delivery of the attractions” or a programme of “Towers Loving Care”, we’ve been promised improvements over very many years, all for said promises to fall flat.

Whether this time is different or not, there’s definitely a whiff of the emperor’s new clothes in all of this.
 
Land trains could work if the monorail went down, but the idea of having land trains inside the park these days is pretty much a non starter. You’d have to completely redesign the crowd flow because pedestrians would be constantly in the way otherwise.
 
BarryZola said:
Is it beyond Towers to hire a truck or van and physically drive to these factories in Europe (if they are in Europe) and pick up very important parts? Or is it just that there's a backlog in manufacture which is actually the main issue, as opposed to not being able to get them delivered in a timely fashion?
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That’s not the issue:

First you do have a global supply chain issue, partly due to the war in Ukraine, partly due to manufacturing slow downs over covid taking time to ramp back up again (particularly microchips).

But for brexit the issue is 2 fold

1) The European companies have no real desire to fill out the paper work and pay the duties required to send stuff here, they can make more profit selling within the EU.

2) Haulage companies are finding it hard to find drivers who will cross the channel. The holding areas are badly supported (lack of toilets means drivers are having to poop where ever they can) and often drivers are held for days waiting to cross. Towers could try and hire a van but they also need a driver qualified to make the journey.

There are other complexities around how UK haulage now can’t reduce costs like they used to by running multiple jobs in one truck with multiple on continent pickups but the bottom line is we are now often at the end of the priority list for export since brexit.
 
Why are people giving them excuses? Hex has been sick for 5 years and was apparently given much loving care as part of the PR stunt of TLC. Alton towers is the worst of all Merlin Europe theme parks. Chessington has better ride availability and maintenance than Alton! And at least Thorpe doesn't have flat rides from a second hand carnival.

The parks a mess. Late openings, early ride closures, bad attempts a pr .. but they will still flog you a fast pass! More ques.. longer lines = more sales of FP.

I'd have to say this is the worst season in a long time. It's an embarrassment of a park and it's former self.

M£rlin stop with the pr, invest heavily and stop with the BS. My group has already cancelled our trip to AT on today's news. For a bit more we are off to DLP next month and it's open till 10:30!
 
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