Ride Availability/Operations 2022-25

[Matt N]

If this weekend is anything to go by, it would appear that things have not improved in terms of ride availability thus far this season.

I get that it’s opening weekend and things are rarely tip top on the first weekend of the season, but this currently is a continuing trend from the end of last season rather than an anomaly.

Of all the parks I’ve been to, I’d think I’d genuinely struggle to name one with worse routine ride availability than Alton Towers at present, even ones with ostensibly worse reputations for operations. PortAventura, for example, always gets terrible flack in terms of operations, but last September, I felt that their ability to get things open on time and keep them open consistently was, on the whole, notably better than Towers’ seems to have been as of late. Thorpe Park has also had a historically poor reputation for availability, but on recent visits, I’ve felt that their availability seems better than Towers’.

I quite frequently feel that people overcook the rock bottom rhetoric surrounding Alton Towers (and Merlin more widely) on here, and that things are not nearly as bad as people on here make out. But ride availability is the one issue where I think something needs to change ASAP. I’d argue that some of the issues discussed on here are nice-to-haves, but open rides is a bare essential, really.

 

[Manchester1894]

Pot luck as to whether people have good or bad days as I've said in the past. Did Smiler Oblivion, and Toxicator before 1140 today. Now eating lunch in 50 min Nemmy queue. If I'd started at any other section of the park I'd be having a considerably worse time due to late openings

 

[Ash]

Said it before

If return guests don’t matter due to MAP
If getting people through the gates don’t matter due to MAP

Why are people surprised that the parks don’t care about your custom?

Once people have paid for their ticket or Annual Pass, the transaction from Merlin’s side is complete. They’ve got your money.

It’s the fact that the park is now SO much worse than it was. Opening day 10-15 years ago you could get on park with all rides open and nominal downtime with running on full capacity.

Said it before

Trip advisor
Google reviews
Merlin complaints email

They have to feel the pain

The place needs a fundamental shift in how it operates, what attractions it invests in and the direction it’s heading. It needs 8/10 (quality wise) reliable, high throughput attractions. And it needs them ASAP.

Surely the aging ride line up is what's hurting them now. I'm no expert on ride maintenance but Alton do push their coasters to the limits and seem to complete a limited amount of maintenance on them.

An idea of the age of the coasters:

Runaway mine train 32 years
Oblivion 26 years
Galactica 22 years
Spinball 20 years
Rita 19 years
Thirteen 14 years
Smiler 11 years
Octonaughts 9 years
Wicker man 6 years
Nemesis reborn 1 year

With the bulk of this lineup now 20+ years old, Alton have been relying on these workhorses for a while now. Even with the best maintenance they won't be up to peak performance. The gaps between new thrill coasters grew bigger obviously down to the Smiler incident and covid. The 3/4 year big investments made the park what it was, the 5 year gaps with no flats either has hurt the park for both availability and reliability.

Will it be 4 more years before we see another thrill coaster going by the track record. Looking at when the Smiler opened followed by octonaughts 2 years later this looks like the same cycle with nemesis reborn and the Postman pat replacement. This won't do anything to help the thrill ride capacity and reliability.

A very expensive 10-20 years for Alton incoming.

I think Oblivion warrants a re track if it’s needed.

However i could see Galactica, Spinball and Rita all being removed (and some with no replacement)

It needs PH starting to try and deal with that. And has been said many times over, they’ve leaned into the coasters, barely replaced or added to them AND removed and not added support rides.

Terrible long term planning and management. There’s no excuses. If they’d added shows, entertainment, support attractions and other dark rides and been able to extend operating times they could deal with these upcoming challenges better.

Instead they’re now in the worst of wall worlds.

 

[GooseOnTheLoose]

Said it before

Trip advisor
Google reviews
Merlin complaints email

Three times, in this very thread, in the past 24 hours alone...

Trip advisor…
Google reviews…

Only way they’ll learn

Trip advisor, Google reviews, blogs/vlogs, time for the content creators to speak out (unless they like their cushy perks too much)

Said it before

If return guests don’t matter due to MAP
If getting people through the gates don’t matter due to MAP

Why are people surprised that the parks don’t care about your custom?

Once people have paid for their ticket or Annual Pass, the transaction from Merlin’s side is complete. They’ve got your money.

It’s the fact that the park is now SO much worse than it was. Opening day 10-15 years ago you could get on park with all rides open and nominal downtime with running on full capacity.

Said it before

Trip advisor
Google reviews
Merlin complaints email

They have to feel the pain

The place needs a fundamental shift in how it operates, what attractions it invests in and the direction it’s heading. It needs 8/10 (quality wise) reliable, high throughput attractions. And it needs them ASAP.

 

[Ash]

Three times, in this very thread, in the past 24 hours alone...

You’re right

I forgot to add there’s guest services, the surveys on the way out the park and Merlin feedback form here: https://support.merlinannualpass.co.uk/hc/en-us/requests/new?ticket_form_id=360000430132

 

[Manchester1894]

One spit of rain and I mean one spit and Spinball fully shuts. All stood here when completely dry. Madness. Forecast doesn't have proper rain till 4.30pm. sigh.

 

[GooseOnTheLoose]

One spit of rain and I mean one spit and Spinball fully shuts. All stood here when completely dry. Madness. Forecast doesn't have proper rain till 4.30pm. sigh.

Which would indicate that there is likely another reason why the ride has shut...

 

[Blackhole_Sun]

Which would indicate that there is likely another reason why the ride has shut...

To be fair, it states “weather delay” on the app. Not in the queue as such myself but appears as though it’s struggling because of weather.

 

[Manchester1894]

Which would indicate that there is likely another reason why the ride has shut...

Literally being told that be the staff. It's not rained for 20 mins.

 

[Willemgorman1]

How has this happened, all thrill rides open at once, surely not?

 

[Skyscraper]

How has this happened, all thrill rides open at once, surely not?

 

[Alphe86]

If Rita was on two trains it’s basically reasonable . Shocked.

 

[Willemgorman1]

I predict 12 minutes before something goes down. 4.00pm

 

[Loui Richards]

I predict 12 minutes before something goes down. 4.00pm

Spinball is down. So you'd be correct HAHAHA

 

[Willemgorman1]

Spinball is down. So you'd be correct HAHAHA

Maybe i cursed it! Sorry to everyone in the spinball queue

On a serious note, does anyone know why battle galleons hasn’t opened yet this season?

 

[Loui Richards]

Maybe i cursed it! Sorry to everyone in the spinball queue

On a serious note, does anyone know why battle galleons hasn’t opened yet this season?

It was open last weekend so not too sure

 

[John]

I spotted boats moving at one point yesterday but by lunchtime today they had a custom sign at the entrance saying it would not be opening, this replaced a sign saying it would close at dusk.