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Towers Loving Care

@matthewgcole Sainsburys coupons are now entirely automated. An absolute treat and an end to "Just scan the damn coupon grandma!" at that particular chain.
 
Doubt they will add automated machines. There where 10 windows in the booths, I would hazard a guess you could allow prebooked to be collected at any window and if you returned all the old windows in coach park building to use you would have at least 15 windows. With prebooked and MAPS you don’t really need to 1980’s volume of ticket windows anymore.

Free up space in the plaza too.
 
@Dave Cedar Point took the same approach and remodelled their plaza accordingly. Except they had a working coaster over the top of theirs!
 
Tibble said:
Alton Towers is no where near as good as it use to be. But I think its more than just Merlin. Changes in what people want, restrictions and a number of other reasons have to be taken into account as to why AT has slipped.
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I get the felling Mellors could do a better job running AT these days TBH.
 
Rick said:
@matthewgcole Sainsburys coupons are now entirely automated. An absolute treat and an end to "Just scan the damn coupon grandma!" at that particular chain.
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To be honest with you, most coupon values are so small the supermarkets just unceremoniously shove them in a bag, send them to head office where no one does anything with them and they eventually get binned. No one ever checks them. So it's a wise decision for JS to automate it for Grandma Rick!

Clubcard and Nectar vouchers are different because they're as good as cash, but they're individually numbered so the EPOS system won't accept them again in any store once they've been redeemed anyway.
 
Moley said:


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Wonder what the cost of this is and if it falls in AT’s budget or Merlin capex budget

I say this as it needs doing but is hardly a priority. The budget could be used operationally.

Perhaps they will set this up as a smaller entrance planning for a future second entrance?
 
Croftybaby said:
Second entrance would be pointless now. Enter through FV and sit on a rock for 2 hours waiting for a ride to open.
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could get food from burger kitchen... oh wait :confused:

could get a coffee... yeah thats prob not be open either

maybe a nice drink from the vending machine next to Sweep while sitting on your rock :p
 
bluesonichd said:
maybe a nice drink from the vending machine next to Sweep while sitting on your rock :p
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I could never work out why they closed refresh@ripsaw rather than just renaming it, every time I was in the area it was always busy. Replaced with vending machines that I have never seen anyone use. Used to love getting something like a beef pastie or steak slice (forget which) from there, not much more than Sayers on the high street once you've had the 20% off too.

I know it's the usual cost-cutting but it must have been making profit most of the time.
 
Sorry for the double post, but Oblivion is getting some TLC

https://twitter.com/AltonTLC

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I once spent a few days painting some railings for a coaster queueline. Didn't think it'd be worth 100 people's attention online haha

Oblivion's queue needs some adequate money spent on it to undo years of neglect. Going back last year I was surprised how shoddy it is now, a marked difference from my first impression on it.

It's meant to give the effect of establishment and dominating style as you get closer to the top, but the true cheapness of the buildings (since everything's for show in a theme park, obviously) has been showing through for some time, so the effect is undone and it seems lame.

Needs repairs, but same could be said for a lot of the park at the moment, it's not the highest priority I suppose.
 
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bluesonichd said:
Or some of us just like to moan :D
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Criticism is important to voice reasonably, as long as it's justified and genuinely felt (ie not just armchair moaning).

Moaning is a chore to write and to read by definition, but the idea that anybody with a negative opinion is just "Merlin bashing" /"Merlin hating", a phrase which I remember has been around since Merlin first took over Alton Towers, is partly the reason the parks have been allowed to get into such a state without anybody doing anything about it til now!

SOME forums like to censor debate that's not pro-Merlin. Merlin themselves like to discourage or shut down anybody internal who has genuine criticisms (not healthy culture for a business to not listen to different perspectives). So at least things arent't like that here, even if it can feel moany at times. :)
 
electricBill said:
Criticism is important to voice reasonably, as long as it's justified and genuinely felt (ie not just armchair moaning).

Moaning is a chore to write and to read by definition, but the idea that anybody with a negative opinion is just "Merlin bashing" /"Merlin hating", a phrase which I remember has been around since Merlin first took over Alton Towers, is partly the reason the parks have been allowed to get into such a state without anybody doing anything about it til now!

SOME forums like to censor debate that's not pro-Merlin. Merlin themselves like to discourage or shut down anybody internal who has genuine criticisms (not healthy culture for a business to not listen to different perspectives). So at least things arent't like that here, even if it can feel moany at times. :)
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o_O Are we on the same forum.
Admin here are constantly deleting my posts ! :eek: :confused: But I guess that shouldn’t be discussed in this topic :oops:
 
I like to give praise where it is needed, but I also like to complain (not moan) where it is needed. I try to keep my posts on here and FB (and other sites too) positive.

However we have been subject to cuts over the past few years and the park is going down hill as a result.

Yes I very much welcome the TLC and its great they are doing it, but like many have said before, this should be a standard practice during the closed season and they should not make a song or dance about it.

I very much dislike the cut in ride times (and ERT) as once time has pass, you can't get it back, Alton is a big place and take longer to get around. Less hours and ride availability is not great, especially on the busy day's/events. Last year the park could not cope with busy days and this year with the reduction in ride times and the new major ride, I can't really see the place coping and it's not going to be a nice place to visit.
 
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bluesonichd said:
o_O Are we on the same forum.
Admin here are constantly deleting my posts ! :eek: :confused: But I guess that shouldn’t be discussed in this topic :oops:
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There are various reasons why some posts get deleted. I've had various posts removed over the years, but I usually know shortly after posting it that there's a decent chance it could 'go'. When it does go, there's usually a reasonable explanation for it. To be fair, the mods are usually pretty reasonable as long as things are posted in the right sections/threads. Don't really want to go off topic too much though.

Edit - I said "usually" way too much in that little paragraph!
 
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