Scarefest 2013: Discussion

[BigAl]

I went just as often in the 90s and early 00s with Tussauds passes as I do now and I didn't have the same feeling then as I do now. And besides, there's no legal requirement for every comment to be positive, or to be met by one. If something's bad, why pretend it's anything but?

And as for not being fussed about the Scarefest cuts because it's the rides that people go for anyway, that's simply not true (which is why many more people visit at this particular time of the year). Cutting what makes this time of the year special is only going to have a negative impact.

 

[Slugjc]

Im not saying not be miserable just tone it down. this website has turned from towersstreet to towerstears.

I not angry abut the 7 finish, I'd rather be at a park with an atmosphere. Not an empty park asi did last time I went to scarefest during term time.

 

[BigAl]

If there were more positives, both myself and many others would be all over it. I want nothing other than for the park to thrive and I'd contribute if I got a job there as much as I could to making it better. Seeing things go from bad to worse isn't something I enjoy seeing and I'm sure it's the same for everyone else (whether they admit it or not).

Also, 'Towers Tears'... I like it!

 

[Dylan]

I not angry abut the 7 finish, I'd rather be at a park with an atmosphere. Not an empty park asi did last time I went to scarefest during term time.

The whole 'atmosphere' around Scarefest is surely based around darkness. That's kind of the whole basis around Halloween events. That's not going to happen on a 7pm close? Alton Towers' own website advertises 'rides open in the dark until late'

I think people have a right to be annoyed about this early closing, particularly if they were planning to visit in week one, and especially if they have already booked accommodation for that week. I would be.

 

[DiogoJ42]

Why is there always one person who gets offended when people react badly to something Towers do? We don't get offended by your opinions, let us voice ours without telling us to stop moaning!

 

[Wilsy]

One question to those who have issue with the opening times, why keep the theme park open if it doesn't make any money? Surely as a business you have to make money?

If a business doesn't make money it closes down, which I'd hope everyone here wouldn't want (although I think a few wouldn't mind that!)

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Dylan]

One question to those who have issue with the opening times, why keep the theme park open if it doesn't make any money? Surely as a business you have to make money?

If a business doesn't make money it closes down, which I'd hope everyone here wouldn't want (although I think a few wouldn't mind that!)

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

It seems bizarre to close a park before darkness during a Halloween event, when the website states that rides will be open in the dark, until late?
If the park makes no money during that week and runs at a loss, why run the the event during that week?

 

[BigAl]

One question to those who have issue with the opening times, why keep the theme park open if it doesn't make any money? Surely as a business you have to make money?

If a business doesn't make money it closes down, which I'd hope everyone here wouldn't want (although I think a few wouldn't mind that!)

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

Because that's not the only option in addressing the problem? It's this 'anything other than money isn't important' attitude that has got the parks into the situation of constantly coming under fire. I think that everyone understands and appreciates that they're a business, but that excuse is fallen back on too often. If something isn't working, instead of running from the problem, try tackling it with a bit more imagination (or even common sense, in most circumstances).

 

[IanB]

Because if you keep going down the route of, there is no guests visiting, so we will shut it earlier to save money, you end up reducing the hours, which puts more people off visiting, as they are getting worse value for money, and further cuts to the opening hours happen.

If people are leaving early, there are plenty of things they can do to prevent it.

• Increase Hotel Capacity/Promote Local B&B/Improve Bus Service to Train Stations
• Exclsuive Events after 7pm
• Improve park experience in the dark
• Extend close until 11pm and have a after 5pm ticket

The problem is all of these cost money, and its easier for the Park Management to make a choice which does not cost anything extra, and saves money. The bad thing about this is it reduces the value for money of park guests. It is true a business needs to make a profit to stay open, but a Theme Park needs happy guests who return and spend money to deliver that profit.

Scarefest has become stagnant, and has steadily got worse and worse since the mazes were brought on park. Using the same mazes as last year just proves this point, and I hope I am proven wrong, but my gut feeling is these will be almost identical to previous years if the promotional material is anything to judge things by.

If there was something to shout about, such as a new maze, or anything new for that matter, I am sure a lot of people would be excited about that, but the current offering is less than inspiring, and will hopefully boost other attractions Halloween events as people look for there thrills else where.

It is such a shame, as Scarefest had become a good brand for Towers, which will be worthless if things continue on the downward slope I and many others feel they are on.

Ian

 

[GaryH]

As someone else said, "if it closes at 7, it isnt Scarefest" and I think thats a valid point. Why have an event like Scarefest if people wont be able to ride in the dark or experience the park atmosphere at night? Surely they are better off just cancelling it for that week and running Scarefest for just 2 weeks but put more effort into it.

 

[thefatone]

One question to those who have issue with the opening times, why keep the theme park open if it doesn't make any money? Surely as a business you have to make money?

If a business doesn't make money it closes down, which I'd hope everyone here wouldn't want (although I think a few wouldn't mind that!)

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

Because it does make money. The park needs very little amount of guests to break even. This will be about saving budgets without necessarily thinking of the long term impact or the very reason people visit the park anyway.

The park may feel quiet, but it'll still have a few thousand on park. Those few thousand have paid a lot of money, maybe staying in hotels, to enjoy themselves. They're spending money on hot drinks in evening, they're spending money on the mazes. The park itself will be making money (think each fastrack ticket sold pays for one staff member that hour - they'll still be selling fastrack and people still buying).

Reducing ride closing times, as mentioned before, particularly on an event where these guests do visit for the evening itself, has a negative effect. One which towers will feel themselves if they stick to this stupid idea.

 

[Slugjc]

Why is there always one person who gets offended when people react badly to something Towers do? We don't get offended by your opinions, let us voice ours without telling us to stop moaning!

Hey you can moan away. The point was it used to be constructive, plus if your moaning about me moaning about you lot moaning does that mean your as bad as me for putting that?

 

[Dave]

Why is there always one person who gets offended when people react badly to something Towers do? We don't get offended by your opinions, let us voice ours without telling us to stop moaning!

Hey you can moan away. The point was it used to be constructive, plus if your moaning about me moaning about you lot moaning does that mean your as bad as me for putting that?

I'm not going to moan about you, moaning about people, moaning about you, moaning about people who are moaning (sorry just couldn't resist that)

Though can we roll back on topic please everyone

 

[Scott]

Im not saying not be miserable just tone it down. this website has turned from towersstreet to towerstears.

I not angry abut the 7 finish, I'd rather be at a park with an atmosphere. Not an empty park asi did last time I went to scarefest during term time.

I'd like to state that I don't have a MAP, live 3-4 hours away, have visited once this year and have never been to Scarefest and even I think it's ridiculous to be closing at 7.

Also on the point of closing early to make money etc, I can understand why smaller parks would do it. Pleasurewood have learnt recently and cut back on kiosks and food offerings as well as the number of gift shops and so on in order to help them turn a profit. However when a huge park like Alton is shaving a couple of hours off opening to earn some more pennies it either means something is horrendously wrong with the finances or its simply to hit greedy corporate targets.

 

[Slugjc]

Dare I say cut the event to 2 weeks, BUT, 9pm close every night and lot more effort spent on the event perhaps?

That's too sensible, however I'm wondering if that's the ultimate aim, could be a test to see if they only need two weeks? Could it be a reboot? If people have booked that week maybe they are compromising, next time hopefully they'll just say its two weeks.

I think scarefest needs to change, it has been the same old, same old for too long. It needs to be more X-rated. Get the kids out for two nights, get the heavy stuff in. Zombie invasion, even draft in Freddie......

But also lets try and get some popular stuff, Dr who for example. Something interactive with that would draw in crowd. Get it more mainstream.

 

[Slugjc]

Im not saying not be miserable just tone it down. this website has turned from towersstreet to towerstears.

I not angry abut the 7 finish, I'd rather be at a park with an atmosphere. Not an empty park asi did last time I went to scarefest during term time.

I'd like to state that I don't have a MAP, live 3-4 hours away, have visited once this year and have never been to Scarefest and even I think it's ridiculous to be closing at 7.

Also on the point of closing early to make money etc, I can understand why smaller parks would do it. Pleasurewood have learnt recently and cut back on kiosks and food offerings as well as the number of gift shops and so on in order to help them turn a profit. However when a huge park like Alton is shaving a couple of hours off opening to earn some more pennies it either means something is horrendously wrong with the finances or its simply to hit greedy corporate targets.

Always greedy cooperate targets. Money,money,money. I think it would show a difference on the balance sheet, good couple of hundred people not being paid for 5 days it all adds up. every penny counts I suppose.

 

[thefatone]

Scarefest is popular enough without requiring IPs or any reboots - they still get in the 20ks on their peak week.

They could make it busier by concentrating on the off-peak times, but obviously they don't wanna do this.

 

[hotdog]

All the schools in my area seem to be off for half term on the 7pm close week (Cheshire/Wirral/Liverpool). Its silly really.

 

[swalesuk01]

How about going down the Thorpe route,add a couple of extra mazes and charge the premium on the entry price rather than the mazes. I have been a few times but never pay for the extra mazes. that way you bring back Duel live, maybe add something through haunted hollow.Maybe theme the inside of the log flume also in the tunnel with RMT and rapids. As someone showed before in another post about expansions you could probably fit some mazes in the storage yard behind Katanga canyon. Last year I went to Canada's wonderland Halloween and they did 3D mazes selling the glasses for a dollar which merlin should like but actually added to the mazes. In one it had 3D wallpaper and had someone blended in with the paper which meant even though you knew it was coming you still wasn't sure where they were.

 

[TheMan]

Very few industries "cut" when business is not how it should be.

They incentivise.

It is showing to be a progressively negative business view, based around penny pinching bean counter based productivity models.

This is not a factory. It is a THEME park, and supposedly the UK's finest flagship park?

Yet I find more imagination in Asda. I am not talking the ents team etc, they are marvelous and up against it. I gained a new found respect and understanding for these guys this year, which I am happy to admit, so let's differentiate between where the problem lies.

A split ticket system, with evening opening, exclusive premium events, closing certain shops etc down as Scott mentions, perhaps even restricted rides available such as Summer Nights at THORPE. (Yes, a comparison of something positive Thorpe are doing that beats out Towers!)

So little ones are going to be thinner on the ground on late nights during term time, so why have all the place open? Experiment with things, find out how they are received.

Alton Towers default reaction nowadays?