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The Great Parking Debate

Let's see Paramount London open with a £10 parking charge and see what happens ;-)

(Of course we have no idea what they will actually charge but £10 is in line with USA parks & Disney Paris)
 
jon81uk said:
Let's see Paramount London open with a £10 parking charge and see what happens ;-)

(Of course we have no idea what they will actually charge but £10 is in line with USA parks & Disney Paris)
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Think that would be the minimum charge, and rightly so. They are using a new train station with transport from there to the park. There will be plenty of buses and even probably a river transport.

So unlike Alton there are other transport options, so you will have a choice.
 
Ketz said:
Think that would be the minimum charge, and rightly so. They are using a new train station with transport from there to the park. There will be plenty of buses and even probably a river transport.

So unlike Alton there are other transport options, so you will have a choice.
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Should Chessington also increase parking to £10? They have a very good train service from Waterloo and good bus links to the surrounding area.
As you have to take a bus from Staines to Thorpe Park (which always felt quite expensive for the length of the journey) I don't feel their transport links are as good as Chessington.
 
Ketz said:
Think that would be the minimum charge, and rightly so. They are using a new train station with transport from there to the park. There will be plenty of buses and even probably a river transport.

So unlike Alton there are other transport options, so you will have a choice.
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Totally agree, I don't have a problem with the charge of £10. They plan to create a new motorway junction and possible a public transport monorail.
 
jon81uk said:
Should Chessington also increase parking to £10? They have a very good train service from Waterloo and good bus links to the surrounding area.
As you have to take a bus from Staines to Thorpe Park (which always felt quite expensive for the length of the journey) I don't feel their transport links are as good as Chessington.
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I don't have a problem with chessington increasing it. At least some goes to charity. Alton's got no excuse to charge so much.
 
I don't mind parks charging if there are other ways to get to them. So if the one in London opened with a £10 parking charge, so be it, I know I could use the train instead. Then I have CHOICE whether to use the car or not.
 
Some people have said that Merlin are greedy. Name me a company that's isn't greedy/after better profits for its investors. Merlin is just like any other huge company. The more they can get the better. If they want us to pay £6 to let us use there loverly car parks, they can. Do they care if that money is spent on local infrastructure, as long as the roads/ traffic isn't stopping people getting to the towers and it doesn't affect profit probably not.

Alton Towers is where it is, in the middle of nowhere. Its hard to get too. Its even harder if you don't drive, but as long enough people in a car turn up, what's it matter to them. The Scrooge Mcduck in charge can still count his profit at the end of the year.
 
Be interesting to see if Paramount charge, they could take advantage of having free parking as a positive over the other Merlin parks...

Assuming they'll be wanting to draw people to them over Merlin, I wouldn't be surprised if they did initially go for free parking for the first season or so...
 
Benzin said:
Be interesting to see if Paramount charge, they could take advantage of having free parking as a positive over the other Merlin parks...

Assuming they'll be wanting to draw people to them over Merlin, I wouldn't be surprised if they did initially go for free parking for the first season or so...
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There's no way that they will go for free parking. They will be wanting to encourage guests to arrive via public transport rather than car. Free parking isn't going to do that.

:)
 
Plus, its London. No way on earth will there be free parking, but, as others say, there is plenty of public transport around there!
 
Lets be honest, there are very few people who arrive on their own in a car (without AP's at least). Even with 2 people, £3 each, with a car full your looking at just over a quid each. Personally, I can't see the major issue. These day's you pay to park almost everywhere, especially at tourist attractions. Most of us don't even pay. At least there is ample parking at AT rather than Warwick Castle for example.
 
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Ketz said:
Will Towers ever invest in new electronic timed lockers, I thought they were really good when visiting Universal.

If anybody doesn't know what I'm on about, they have lockers in front of or in most attractions which you have to place your bags in, then you get however long you will be on the attraction for free. And are charged if you overrun. It was pretty nifty, you didn't need t worry about your bags as they where secure, and quickened up both the line and the throughputs. And it must save a small fortune in staffing costs.
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The new lockers next to the entrance are a very similar system to Universal's. I think they also have some next to Oblivion.
 
Didn't know that, I was just thinking that have automated the parking reducing the need for as many staff, so on of the next logical steps is to introduce lockers.
 
Rob said:
There's no way that they will go for free parking. They will be wanting to encourage guests to arrive via public transport rather than car. Free parking isn't going to do that.

:)
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Don't get me wrong i think Paramount will be a good thing and all that but why is everyone assuming they will be some sort of Robin Hood of the theme park world? They have to raise at least £3 Billion from ALOT of different investors. They wont be charging parking out of some altruistic concern for the environment, just like Merlin they will be aiming to make as much money as humanly possible.

Paramount may if we are lucky drive up the quality of the UK industry but i very much doubt it will drive down the price.
 
Dave said:
Don't get me wrong i think Paramount will be a good thing and all that but why is everyone assuming they will be some sort of Robin Hood of the theme park world? They have to raise at least £3 Billion from ALOT of different investors. They wont be charging parking out of some altruistic concern for the environment, just like Merlin they will be aiming to make as much money as humanly possible.

Paramount may if we are lucky drive up the quality of the UK industry but i very much doubt it will drive down the price.
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No of course not. But that's not how they'll present it to local authorities/stakeholders/public etc. All businesses exist to make as much money as possible.

:)
 
Well I've never once paid for parking at Towers. Never will. I don't know why other people do it. It's entirely optional.

SuperMuscleMan said:
I have stopped visiting the towers now. Its an ugly dated park that seems to represent a traveling fair in the way its run and maintained. (Look how dated it is, late openings, rides closed then reopened. (Blade)).
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Precisely the reason why I've almost completely stopped visiting the park. It IS just a glorified fairground, and a total sh!thole. They had my custom for over 20 years and enough is enough. I only visit in exceptional circumstances now.

As soon as Paramount Park opens, if I can get a train from Newcastle to there in a reasonable amount of time then all of Merlin's parks will become a thing of the past for me.

Not too concerned about pricing. High prices are always worth paying if the quality matches, but I think for the first few years it will be reasonable. They'll be looking to siphon as many guests from other parks as possible.
 
PeteB said:
Well I've never once paid for parking at Towers. Never will. I don't know why other people do it. It's entirely optional.



Precisely the reason why I've almost completely stopped visiting the park. It IS just a glorified fairground, and a total sh!thole. They had my custom for over 20 years and enough is enough. I only visit in exceptional circumstances now.

As soon as Paramount Park opens, if I can get a train from Newcastle to there in a reasonable amount of time then all of Merlin's parks will become a thing of the past for me.

Not too concerned about pricing. High prices are always worth paying if the quality matches, but I think for the first few years it will be reasonable. They'll be looking to siphon as many guests from other parks as possible.
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I visited theme parks a lot less in 2014 too. My only trip was AT for fireworks.
I disagree that AT is a poo-hole. It is still the best theme park in the UK. But I had a Tussaud's/Merlin pass for 12 years and overdid it. They got stale and too familiar. Going once a year makes me appreciate the park a lot more. The main thing I miss from not having a Merlin pass - the London Eye & London Aquarium. Living in London we did these about 4 times a year. Just a nice relaxed afternoon.

So I would quite happily pay £6 for the car, (or stay in the hotel) after using my club card points for entry for our annual trip now and feel like on those firework days, I had as good a day as if I had gone to a Disney park
 
PeteB said:
Precisely the reason why I've almost completely stopped visiting the park. It IS just a glorified fairground, and a total sh!thole. They had my custom for over 20 years and enough is enough. I only visit in exceptional circumstances now.

As soon as Paramount Park opens, if I can get a train from Newcastle to there in a reasonable amount of time then all of Merlin's parks will become a thing of the past for me.

.
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I know Merlin bashing is popular and all that (god knows i love it) and i agree the parks have all got worse over the last 10 years but i have to say:

1) Towers is not a glorified fairground, having traveled to quite a few parks it is still in my top 1/3 when it comes to appearence and for operations the top 10 (doesn't do well on opening times and price).

2) It's a big assumption that A) Paramount will open and B ) that it will be any good. It's heading towards having more investors attached to it than Merlin and they will want a quick buck.

There are so many worse parks out there, i worry for Towers future but a fairground it aint.... Yet
 
Dave said:
I know Merlin bashing is popular and all that (god knows i love it) and i agree the parks have all got worse over the last 10 years but i have to say:

1) Towers is not a glorified fairground, having traveled to quite a few parks it is still in my top 1/3 when it comes to appearence and for operations the top 10 (doesn't do well on opening times and price).

2) It's a big assumption that A) Paramount will open and B ) that it will be any good. It's heading towards having more investors attached to it than Merlin and they will want a quick buck.

There are so many worse parks out there, i worry for Towers future but a fairground it aint.... Yet
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I would say the park is currently better than 10 years ago, but maybe not as good as 12-15 years ago.
 
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