Turning a corner or a False Dawn? Towers and it's future

[AT86]

Merlin did well out of the 2008 crash. Folks cut back on longer holidays and replaced them with short breaks and days out.

 

[BarryZola]

I know that they started cutting back on staff following the crash in 2008, as I know people who lost their jobs in the estates teams. What else were they deciding to cut back on because of it? Although yes, it might (and probably is) too simplistic of me to suggest that everything started going downhill just because of the financial crash. It certainly didn't help at all though. Let's not forget that mutiny bay would have already been planned and accounted for before the 2008 crash so it still would have been going ahead regardless.

 

[Matt.GC]

I understand all of this from a business perspective, and have the same gut feeling as you. Just chipping in as a perhaps representative casual visitor in that cost of living crisis myself.

The guest feedback for Alton Towers is visibly dire, and the word-of-mouth is unlikely to be much better. You don't need to be a nerd procrastinating on a forum to be aware of this, although in the age of theme park 'lifestyle', there are more guests lurking in places like this than ever, even if the hardcore don't particularly seem to be keen to vote with their feet. In terms of the future, I'd tend to side with the more cynical of the two Matts on this thread; For all the obvious enthusiasm and stellar PR that someone like Bianca brings to the business, I think there might be too much rot to stop without huge vision and financial resources. The profile and size of the park has not been reflected in how it is operated for nearly two decades now. As occasions like the launch of Nemesis Reborn prove, the passion is there to pull it out of the bag when needs be, but the whole place is just far too temperamental of an experience.

Yes, I keep telling @Matt N "you've got to stop being so cynical mate" but he never listens.

New investors won’t change anything, the facts are still the same.

I’m not as gloomy about the future though, I have said pretty consistently that we won’t know what’s happening regarding the future of the park until at least 2025 as there was so much money needed spending just to stand still. This on top of one of the worst summers as far as weather is concerned and it’s hardly a shock.

Uptime on rides is a problem, but again you have so much neglect to fix.

Not saying it’s certain things will get better just that we can’t know yet.

New investors in any business have the potential to change everything, for better or worse. Business strategies aren't rigid. It won't change the facts of where the parks are now, but different ownership could bring new investment with it. It could also do the opposite.

There's no way of knowing for sure, but looking at the Merlin portfolio, I still don't think being tied to this group is good for the RTP's. They're high risk and high investment entities, vastly different from eachother and anything but cookie cutter formats like Legolands, Dungeons, aquariums and waxworks. The UK parks seem like these annoying money drains that are useful anchors in which to sell annual passes.

I understand that planning and large investments take time, but after 5 years I think we'd know by now if mountains of cash were coming. They must have spent a fortune already just to stand still, with some of the rot like the knackered Spa and upcoming monorail removal being fires that couldn't be put out. As impressive and passionate as Bianca is, and as much cash that's been injected into Towers as it has, it's not enough to sort the parks long term issues. Meanwhile, there's other group wide attractions to worry about.

 

[Dave]

Yes, I keep telling @Matt N "you've got to stop being so cynical mate" but he never listens.

New investors in any business have the potential to change everything, for better or worse. Business strategies aren't rigid. It won't change the facts of where the parks are now, but different ownership could bring new investment with it. It could also do the opposite.

There's no way of knowing for sure, but looking at the Merlin portfolio, I still don't think being tied to this group is good for the RTP's. They're high risk and high investment entities, vastly different from eachother and anything but cookie cutter formats like Legolands, Dungeons, aquariums and waxworks. The UK parks seem like these annoying money drains that are useful anchors in which to sell annual passes.

I understand that planning and large investments take time, but after 5 years I think we'd know by now if mountains of cash were coming. They must have spent a fortune already just to stand still, with some of the rot like the knackered Spa and upcoming monorail removal being fires that couldn't be put out. As impressive and passionate as Bianca is, and as much cash that's been injected into Towers as it has, it's not enough to sort the parks long term issues. Meanwhile, there's other group wise attractions to worry about.

I would agree if it was a proper 5 years but 2 years were consumed with Covid hence why I think we need to wait until 2025 to see even the first signs of change (if they are going to happen).

 

[Ash]

For me, I’d say 2003 it started. The quality of the additions really went downhill. Starting with Duel, more filler attractions removed and the general principles of what a quality, modern theme park should be seemed to disappear.

There was little to no investment in park infrastructure from around this time onwards, and probably more interest in the hotels. The “financialisation” of the park and group really took hold. And we had DIC involved first, then Blackstone. The eventually Merlin.

The UK industry seemed to be more a cash cow for private investors rather than a business founded to make people have a “better” day out and compete in terms of attraction quality. They took the short term of options of squeezing money out of people, short terms stays, out sourcing staffing, food even accommodation. And look where it’s got them?

A pretty crappy product. I’d argue as soon as the Tussauds group was sold the parks have never recovered. The focus about what they should be about, innovation, quality, experience has all got worse. Car parking charges, worse food, less perks, new model of annual passes.

Look at the additions since Tussauds sold up, IMO only Wickerman is of the quality of what came before and is “new”. In 20 years.

I think it will take 10 years to recover now, but I think the underlying principles of Merlin now will make it extremely hard.

 

[Euro Theme Park Archive]

While Pearson Tussauds did invest an awful lot into new rides and other CAPEX, I gather that they still had a certain unwillingness to invest in improvements and proper long-term preventative maintenance that didn’t have a direct return on investment.

For example, John Wardley came on here and revealed that he and Keith Sparks had multiple new scares planned for the Haunted House, to be added year on year to keep it fresh… but Pearson Tussauds refused to grant the money for these, because the ride had already been built and been a success and further improvements wouldn’t provide an adequate return on investment.

On the topic of the Haunted House, Merlin were often lambasted for letting Duel get into a state… but I’ve had people tell me before that the Haunted House was poorly maintained and in a state since as early as 1998.

The Haunted House had changes ranging from a new props to whole revamped scenes almost every other year until it closed, so this doesn't really hold true. However this just made it more incoherent really and it certainly had declined a lot by the end.

There is no hard fast rule, Tussauds parks had varying flaws under every owner they had. Normal show maintenance of dark rides was a problem for many years in the UK and is better now than it probably ever was, which unfortunately classic rides didn't really get the benefit of. For some reason this seemed to not be an issue for big parks outside the UK.

 

[TedShatner10]

I've been to Legoland Windsor and while I really enjoyed myself, I still faintly felt the aftershocks of many years of Merlin arrogance and laziness through the 2010s within the feel of the place, and I'm not surprised to hear that Alton Towers as a supposed flagship UK themepark was in an comparatively appalling state of repair by the turn of the 2020s.

I don't think Alton Towers from 2024 to 2029 will necessarily get massive new themed areas (outside of revamps of existing areas), but will likely get a couple of big rides, and is clearly getting a major facelift with how things are run (Alton Towers got a nice Merlin manager but a mediocre Merlin CEO).

 

[James]

Considering that in 2024, the 'new' attractions we've seen across Merlin have, in fact, been projects commissioned by the 'old Merlin', I feel it's still hard to judge where the 'new Merlin' stands in terms of investments.

Alton Towers is a mess, and it would probably take ten years to get the park back to an acceptable standard with steady investment in new and existing attractions and infrastructure. Unfortunately, there is not an unlimited pot of money to delve into, and it's still a business. I wouldn't expect miracles, and I feel we will see more of the same for a long while, with perhaps the odd improvement here and there.

 

[Matt N]

Considering that in 2024, the 'new' attractions we've seen across Merlin have, in fact, been projects commissioned by the 'old Merlin', I feel it's still hard to judge where the 'new Merlin' stands in terms of investments.

Alton Towers is a mess, and it would probably take ten years to get the park back to an acceptable standard with steady investment in new and existing attractions and infrastructure. Unfortunately, there is not an unlimited pot of money to delve into, and it's still a business. I wouldn't expect miracles, and I feel we will see more of the same for a long while, with perhaps the odd improvement here and there.

One interesting sign I would potentially point to with regard to the investment mentality of "new Merlin" is that both Nemesis Reborn and Hyperia supposedly had money granted to them for extra theming by Scott O'Neil.

To me, this suggests that they may have a long-term mentality of being willing to invest that bit of extra cash to make things brilliant. Whether that translates into major CAPEX is yet to be seen, but I think the granting of extra money for theming on both projects proves that Scott O'Neil may not necessarily be as tight or as short termist as some on here make out.

 

[Matt.GC]

If Brake Run and Nemesis actually had extra money thrown at them, it was completely wasted on me! I dread to think what the queue lines for both would have looked like without it

It's interesting that the narrative in numerous threads a year or so ago was that everything that people seem to like was down to these new, sunlit uplands that are 'New Merlin'. Yet everything we don't like was blamed on 'PLC Merlin'.

Now that we know that 'New Merlin' signed the Aramark contract, closed Alton's Spa, are currently presiding over operating hours cuts, and jacked the hotel prices up a couple of years ago, it's now become a Varney Vs O'Neil thing. As if Varney didn't also work for the exact same investors that O'Neil now works for.

The money that's needed to truly turn things around just isn't there. And to be fair on Kirkbi, I don't think the business case to invest such a sum is compatible with their portfolio. So saving face from years of rot for parks with the stature of Alton Towers is probably the best strategy for the group going forward, as sad as that is for the park itself.

 

[TedShatner10]

are currently presiding over operating hours cuts,

There was a major handicap with abruptly short park opening hours, alongside the myriad negative "soft" factors mentioned here many times (but main park grounds closing times shot up two hours from 16:00 to 18:00 this year as a matter of fact). Judging from recent YT vlogs, Merlin are spending money on Alton Towers, but their spending is still lacking in coherency and is scattershot (a few building facades still look dilapidated and they spruced up the cable car terminals, yet the cable car pylons in the garden valley are either crying out for a replacement or overhaul, etc).

Alton Towers is one of Merlin's crown jewels still on paper but still needs polishing and still in the running as one of the better European theme parks in spite of Merlin's decade of laziness, with the elephant in the room being the Smiler coaster collision that threw the park into many years of spiralling crisis that it never quite recovered from yet (and why many pessimists here think it'll take Alton 5 to 10 years to get back to what is was in the 90s, 00s, and early 10s).

 

[venny]

Taking the point that a lot of the now praised recent additions were commissioned under the old regime, it’s interesting to isolate the decisions which we can attribute to the current regime. In my view, it’s not a pretty picture: -

- indefinitely halting Project Horizon.
- cuts to opening hours of the theme park.
- cuts to opening hours of the water park.
- cuts to the event lineup.
- closure of the Retrosquad with no immediate replacements.
- introduction of RAP booking procedure.
- resurfaacing a car park.
- continued poor ride availability.
- perpetual F&B price increases, with some isolated improvements in offering.
- construction of a new flat ride on the Ripsaw site.
- extended closure of Hex for maintenance.
- extended closure of Skyride for maintenance.
- staggered openings introduced across the park.
- introduction of a charge for tours of the Towers, but seemingly no intention to reopen to the public generally.
- More communication aimed at fans.


I’m sure I’ve forgotten some bits, but I don’t think by those metrics show there is any material improvement. Arguably, we’ve gone backwards.

 

[rob666]

For those with mobility issues, due to the shambles that is the skyride, and the once great mess that is the monorail, we have gone backwards a long way, quite quickly.
Big fat false dawn for me, no access, no pass.

 

[jon81uk]

indefinitely halting Project Horizon.

Do we know this as a fact?

 

[TedShatner10]

Also Hex will be opening this Autumn after many months of refurbishments and Skyride will plausibly be operational in the next 12 to 18 months, while rumours abound the Ripsaw site is where they're rebuilding a Ripsaw upgraded replacement - the park itself is opening longer, but YMWV with its specific attractions (due to staffing or upkeep issues).

Be realistic, but the whole place has been going into awkward but meaningful transition in the past year or so.

 

[James]

Hopefully, 2025 will be brighter with Hex back full-time, the Skyride back and at least one new flat ride.

Improving entertainment is something I think is achievable without heavy investment. Why not consider returning the pirate show to Mutiny Bay for a season or two until something more permanent can be considered?

When Project Horizon happens, it ideally needs to be part of a massive reimagining of David Walliams World and that surrounding area. I assume the original intention was for PH to be its own thing in its own area, separate from everything else. Hopefully, Alton Towers can make it something more than that and be a part of a much more significant investment covering that whole side of the park which is argubably the weakest area at present.

 

[Mick]

Taking the point that a lot of the now praised recent additions were commissioned under the old regime, it’s interesting to isolate the decisions which we can attribute to the current regime. In my view, it’s not a pretty picture: -

- indefinitely halting Project Horizon.
- cuts to opening hours of the theme park.
- cuts to opening hours of the water park.
- cuts to the event lineup.
- closure of the Retrosquad with no immediate replacements.
- introduction of RAP booking procedure.
- resurfaacing a car park.
- continued poor ride availability.
- perpetual F&B price increases, with some isolated improvements in offering.
- construction of a new flat ride on the Ripsaw site.
- extended closure of Hex for maintenance.
- extended closure of Skyride for maintenance.
- staggered openings introduced across the park.
- introduction of a charge for tours of the Towers, but seemingly no intention to reopen to the public generally.
- More communication aimed at fans.


I’m sure I’ve forgotten some bits, but I don’t think by those metrics show there is any material improvement. Arguably, we’ve gone backwards.

A few things you could probably add to that:

- Introduction of permanent roaming actors
- Revamp of events (Mardi Gras, Festival of Thrills, CBeebies)
- Alton After Dark
- Bluey and Bingo
- Improved presentation in some areas
- Bins and benches!
- New permanent scarefest structures

Not saying any of these things are either good or bad, just extra stuff that came into my head

 

[Squiggs]

Also Hex will be opening this Autumn after many months of refurbishments and Skyride will plausibly be operational in the next 12 to 18 months,

Just to set expectations, they are hoping that Hex will be opening in Autumn and that the Skyride will be operational in due course.

There are actually no guarantees here, given that neither of them were planned closures, and both have already had overoptimistic opening schedules. In the case of Hex, it has now had two (and more realistically three) expected periods when they thought it would be reopening and it has failed to do so.

 

[Bert2theSpark]

The Pirate Show returning could be an easy win as they wouldn't necessarily need extra staff for the show, they can put it into a rotation of Street Team. A new iteration of the Pirate show with Captain Finn could be written and executed quickly and would be an easy win with the public.

Then by Fountain Square, they could have another stage with Darwin and Eric again, akin to what happens at Oktoberfest.

Before the Cuts of '16, they used to have stilt walkers that would roam around the park and put on impromptu stunt shows dressed as park maintenance, they always gathered a large crowd.

Looking back at this forum there used to be large-scale venues like various Circuses and the Ice Shows over the years. This doesn't exist in UK parks anymore, but really does limit the appeal of theme parks to thrill-seekers and families that just want to see their favourite IPs.

The park was built off of the heritage and shows in addition to the rides between the 1920s and the 1980s. I'm not arguing for a return to festival scale events where they blow seven figures for a few days on something like Alton Towers Live. I actually think they should look towards Warwick Castle in terms of what they could actually offer because I think they're really shooting themselves in the foot by limiting their audience by not having Entertainment being a major draw to the Resort!!

 

[TedShatner10]

There are actually no guarantees here, given that neither of them were planned closures, and both have already had overoptimistic opening schedules. In the case of Hex, it has now had two (and more realistically three) expected periods when they thought it would be reopening and it has failed to do so.

I'm more sure about about Hex (though nothing's is set in stone) but much more pessimistic about the Skyride being functional in the next 6 to 8 months (it's far larger infrastructure across uneven forested grounds and well over a decade older than the Hex attraction) and that darn entrance monorail looked naff by the time of the Bush Jr. Administration (and been on life-support since Obama's), but if Drayton Manor can keep their very similar the Haunting flat/dark ride on the road after 20+ years, so should better funded Merlin with Hex (but it sounds like Alton suffered badly from "getting robbed to pay Paul" after dropping the ball with the Smiler incident, if its parent company is tending to 139 other operations worldwide0.