Selected rides opening from 11:00am - Reversed

[PeteA]

Re: Selected rides opening from 11:00am

Are you going to stop going cause air and thirteen open an hour later? I know i wont because i can go on other rides then go on those. What about the Flume and Rapids? They open later than other rides!

If is does back fire on them and they find people not coming cause of it they will soon change it back, its all about trail and error but i cant see it being a problem.

As I mentioned it wont affect me because I have an annual pass and if I am perfectly honest, other than Duel and maybe Thirteen I am not bothered about any of the other attractions.

If this was about my needs, I would say move ERT to 10am so that I can have a bit of a lie in and then have park opening at 11am. Thats a whole hours worth of attractions closed to fill Altons and Merlin's pockets. Oh hang on, should I actually put that on here as someone from Merlin may read it and think its a good idea and implement it !!!

However, I have never been a person who thinks, "Well I'm alright, I dont lose anything from this", I try and look at the bigger picture.

I just feel sorry for the staff, who are losing pay and customers who only go once a year or even every other year as they are going to have a reduced experience and for what? Merlin to make more money... :-\

 

[Tom]

Re: Selected rides opening from 11:00am

Are you going to stop going cause air and thirteen open an hour later? I know i wont because i can go on other rides then go on those. What about the Flume and Rapids? They open later than other rides!

If is does back fire on them and they find people not coming cause of it they will soon change it back, its all about trail and error but i cant see it being a problem.

As I mentioned it wont affect me because I have an annual pass and if I am perfectly honest, other than Duel and maybe Thirteen I am not bothered about any of the other attractions.

If this was about my needs, I would say move ERT to 10am so that I can have a bit of a lie in and then have park opening at 11am. Thats a whole hours worth of attractions closed to fill Altons and Merlin's pockets. Oh hang on, should I actually put on here that as someone from Merlin may read it and think its a good idea and implement it !!!

However, I have never been a person who thinks, "Well I'm alright, I dont lose anything from this", I try and look at the bigger picture.

I just feel sorry for the staff, who are losing pay and customers who only go once a year or even every other year as they are going to have a reduced experience and for what? Merlin to make more money... :-\

Unfortunately their actions affect anyone, regardless of when you visit.

They are effectively attempting to make it so that you get similar amounts out of your day regardless of when you go.

Take a quiet September weekday - a great time to go if you ask an enthusiast. This sort of day has had its opening times reduced to a mere six hours, closing at 4pm. Some rides on that day will be open for five hours. Other rides will be, or probably soon will be on reduced capacity.

 

[Scott]

Re: Selected rides opening from 11:00am

Well thats ok then, they are a business....

However, there is no business if you have no customers. There is a vicious cycle which HAS started at Alton. Reduced customer service = reduced customer satisfaction, which in turn results in loss of customers. Make some more cuts = reduced customer service etc etc

But hey its only an hour after all isnt it.... Well two if you visit in September on a 4pm close

Lets hope it doesnt back fire on them eh? My bet is that it will.

Yea but i cant see people deciding not to come cause two rides will open an hour later! Are you going to stop going cause air and thirteen open an hour later?

No, you are right, people won't stop coming because of this but when they arrive to find this out, or get affected by this in any way which annoys them slightly or slightly ruins the spirit of their day - they will be less likely to come back to the park.

It's a move which won't stop people coming, but will probably disgruntle many. The worst thing Merlin can do right now is make people feel even less value for money at their attractions - last week's price rise combined with this will not help that situation at all.

 

[Ollie]

Re: Selected rides opening from 11:00am

I don't think this perspective has been looked at, but if Th13teen and Air open at 11am, they will be testing much later than the other rides I imagine and these tests will very much be in the eyes of guests as the park will be open. I feel this will further infuriate guests as they will see the rides testing, but not be able to ride them.

 

[thefatone]

Re: Selected rides opening from 11:00am

The two coasters being closed is pretty unacceptable - I don't understand why people are thinking this is acceptable.

Majority, if not all, guests start off by going to one corner of the park and working their way around to the other. If you wish to go Valley first, you'll have to wait til 11 to do Air (another major ride people WILL want to ride), any water rides or duel, or skyride to go elsewhere.

If you went to Rita, you'd have to come back for thirteen.

It'd just irritate people. There ARE people trying to get on the rides from 930 (remember, the park opens to all guests from 9 at the moment, its just a case of those entitled can ride rides).. so thats a potential 90mins of people noticing and getting stuck with rides being closed. Huge sour taste.

I'm sure they could get away with, and majority would find it acceptable, if smaller rides opened late, or they had an area opening late (Dark forest opening at 11, as an example, means everyone would plan to go elsewhere first then visit that area en route). This one just means you have to dash to and from every part of the park with no logical way of working around due to the dotted rides closed.

As for staffing, it does not help staffing. The rides closed are the ones most people only work on - therefore that's 5hrs a week cut. 10hrs come september, if they're still short termist enough to keep the 4pms.

This is not business sense, this is pure short termism which only goes to damage the reputation and revenues of the park.

 

[AstroDan]

Re: Selected rides opening from 11:00am

I think the general consensus from looking back on this thread thus far, is that people are willing to tolerate cuts in terms of a few extra rides opening at 11:00am.

However, Air and Th13teen opening at 11:00am is very, very poor indeed. Duel, to a degree, is also a poor one. The others, whatever.

Air, Th13teen and Duel are staple attractions within the theme park. With Air and Th13teen, commanding 30 minute + queues on all but the quietest days!

Other European parks may well open some rides later too, but two of the top 5 rides in the entire park? Sorry. Just no.

 

[LordOfDarkness]

Re: Selected rides opening from 11:00am

I'm annoyed at the decision to close Duel, as really they have closed off the whole land. Its just going to feel empty walking past duel with out it open.

I also normally go in a circle around the park, So this will mean having to revisit certain ride areas to fulfil the most of my day.

 

[DiogoJ42]

Re: Re: Selected rides opening from 11:00am

To be honest, blind Merlin haters are just as annoying as blind Merlin fanboys.

But it isn't 'blind Merlin haters' is it? This is a decision which is admittedly the best they have come up with, but it is a decision that should not be happening at the UKs top theme park whose parent company want to compete at the highest level!

It's not blind hate, just logical.

To be fair... That was meant as a jibe to slightly antagonise Diogo...

Wow, So funny.

 

[Aly]

Re: Selected rides opening from 11:00am

I'm annoyed at the decision to close Duel, as really they have closed off the whole land. Its just going to feel empty walking past duel with out it open.

I also normally go in a circle around the park, So this will mean having to revisit certain ride areas to fulfil the most of my day.

Actually, this is another strange move. As with no Skyride open for the first hour, and with this area being a natural 'stop off point' enroute to Forbidden Valley - it will be strange with nothing being open. It's really a wasted opportunity as people coming off Duel, or 'hanging about the area' are more likely to spend whilst waiting on people on Duel, at the toilets etc. ??? ???

 

[Squiggs]

Re: Selected rides opening from 11:00am

Just to pop one in for the familes out there....

The Driving School opening at 11am is a bit off as well, this is surevely the family equivelent to Thirteen and Air staying closed, since it's effectively the park's second most popular kids ride? Though at least with all of the Farm and SBL open, families can head there first thing and enjoy all of the rides there before heading to CCL.

As for general guests you surely have to want to do pretty much every single ride in a verys specific order for the cuts not to affect your day in some way if you arrive before 10am. And it's all very well saying "most guests arrive at 10:30", but what about the guests who arrive at 9am because they want to get the most out of their day and get the product they've actually paid for (ie. a theme park which is open between the advertised times)?

 

[Blizzard]

Re: Selected rides opening from 11:00am

WE NEED ARABS!

No problem then whatsoever!

;D

 

[pluk]

Re: Selected rides opening from 11:00am

A few times over it's been asked 'Air and 13, why? They are the most popular rides!'.

Well, maybe that is why. Think about it, they save money in running costs by keeping it shut, and then make money by fleecing people for farcetrack tickets to jump the inevitably longer queues. Win win for them, lose lose for us.

Maybe I'm being cynical, but it really would not surprise me at all if that was the thought process they've gone through. And I'm sure as hell it will go through the minds of those having to pay extra to fit everything they want to into the day out they have already paid for.

I've had it before at Thorpe, but never at Alton - they engineer problems for you to pay your way out of, and that disgusts me.

 

[Spark]

Re: Selected rides opening from 11:00am

All this comparing to other parks doesn't work as I am pretty sure most other parks don't close at 4 or 5pm either? Especially ones abroad

It's just like the government, everyone accepts there needs to be cuts but when cuts continue and get more sever people start asking when will it all stop?

 

[Lady Sol]

Re: Selected rides opening from 11:00am

With the choices of attractions shut, I can't see it not affecting customer satisfaction, certainly of anyone who uses ERT.

I don't mind late opening major costers so much when I go to Blackpool, as the park is much smaller and backtracking round to what you have missed out is much easier.

However, if you have used your ERT for Nemesis, what are you going to fill the rest of the next hour with? You can go on Sub Terra as soon as it opens, then if you want you can do the flats. After that though it will still be long before 11am and Air opening. Anything else that is open will involve a long steep walk across the valley or hiking past a shut Gloomy Wood to get to RMT or Mutiny Bay. Remembering you don't have the Skyride until 11am. If you used your ERT for other rides then Rita, then you have another long hike to backtrack back to Thirteen later when it opens.

It can be hard enough to get on everything in one day with the short opening times Alton Towers has anyway. If you need to backtrack, it makes the task even worse. The distances between the areas at Alton are too big. It makes sense to pick one edge to start with and work round the rides in a giant circle to get on everything.

As far as I can tell there's more people using ERT now as so many people have annual passes, book online or stay in the hotel. They would expect an extra hour in the park to help them get on everything they want to. Non ERT guests can now get in earlier and just not ride until 10am. Which means they will probably have managed to get as far as a closed Air and Thirteen and seen it testing, but closed. Yet more rides going round that they cannot access until later.

People aren't seeing Alton Towers as a value for money day out. Reduced customer satisfaction isn't going to help the gate figures.

I think they'd do better shutting the whole of Dark Forest, or X-Sector, and maybe some of the flats until 11am. If they aren't going to run the Skyride until 11am then it makes Forbidden Valley a bit of a trek if Air, Duel, Rapids and Flume are closed along the path and there is no easy transport back to the rest of the park. If visitors leave without the chance to do one of the major coasters because it opened late and they didn't have time to backtrack the long distance back, I don't think they are going to be impressed.

 

[delta79]

Re: Selected rides opening from 11:00am

wow, it has just taken me well over an hour to read this topic.

Well i think the trip with my daughter is going to change now. RMT, Oblivion, Rita. by this time it should be 11am on to skyride , Nemesis, air, thirteen, oblivion.

Shame really, wanted to take her on air first.

 

[Ollie]

Re: Selected rides opening from 11:00am

wow, it has just taken me well over an hour to read this topic.

Well i think the trip with my daughter is going to change now. RMT, Oblivion, Rita. by this time it should be 11am on to skyride , Nemesis, air, thirteen, oblivion.

Shame really, wanted to take her on air first.

Your situation is an example of how these cuts are crazy! Closing two (arguably three with Duel) major rides AND the Skyride is ludicrous!

 

[AstroDan]

Re: Selected rides opening from 11:00am

The following cuts are also to take effect from Monday:

Spinball Noodles. Closed entirely.

Rehydrator. Closed entirely.

Rita Shop. Closed, photo's only.

Towers Family Restaurant. Closed after midday.

Kiosks - range of closures and reduced hours.

Karts - range of cuts.

Entertainment - the acorn character is cut.

It is now quite clear that these are the worst days for Alton Towers in the past ten years. The theme park is unable to run itself and, with gate prices having recently risen, the value aspect is slipping.

 

[pluk]

Re: Selected rides opening from 11:00am

The most obvious closure for me would be at the archway to Hex, close everything in there until 11 (all of CCL, Dark Forest, Hex and the Skyway station. Along with the water rides as really, no one wants to do that first thing.

You can't see what is in there until you are through there, so it does not look anything like as bad. It also gives people plenty to do in either direction form from Towers street - either Farm - Spinball - X sector, or Mutiny - Katanga - Duel - Valley, before 11 without having to do massive amounts of backtracking later on.

 

[Ollie]

Re: Selected rides opening from 11:00am

The following cuts are also to take effect from Monday:

Spinball Noodles. Closed entirely.

Rehydrator. Closed entirely.

Rita Shop. Closed, photo's only.

The Rita shop is strange - how can they just close one side? You pay at the same desk for photos and gifts? Closing Spinball Noodles really is unacceptable also, people use that to get a drink while kids play and is busy after about 11am.

 

[AstroDan]

Re: Selected rides opening from 11:00am

Rita shop requires a member of staff, which obviously they cannot afford.

Spinball I would suggest takes two, and they would require a relief host.
They'll probably be able to save on 6-7 staff members a day on food, beverage, retail with these cuts which will amount to a good £2-300 a day, that's ten guests at half price.

It is so petty, they're on such tight margins...

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