I had a look for a thread on the wp but couldn’t find one. Currently it is open to hotel guests only but from Jan it just says closed. I know it closes for a period every year but usually you can book again for when the park reopens. It currently isn’t even showing it’s open for in the Feb half term. Anyone got any insight into what’s happening. Apologies in advance if this has already been answered.
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Water park closed
- Thread starter P4dstar
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Squiggs
TS Team
It will most likely be that they just haven't updated the website yet.
They have never been great at updating the website/opening online bookings in good/regular time. (for example, when the Christmas event first went on sale, they didn't put the last week on sale, so initially it looked like the whole event finished on the 31st December). It's all very erratic what goes on sale, and when.
There's a good chance that the waterpark will be closed for exactly the same period as normal (i.e. three weeks or so over January), so you might just need to keep an eye on the website for when they finally update the booking system. Alternatively, if you give them a call it may well be that the booking line will have access to the dates that aren't yet available online.
They have never been great at updating the website/opening online bookings in good/regular time. (for example, when the Christmas event first went on sale, they didn't put the last week on sale, so initially it looked like the whole event finished on the 31st December). It's all very erratic what goes on sale, and when.
There's a good chance that the waterpark will be closed for exactly the same period as normal (i.e. three weeks or so over January), so you might just need to keep an eye on the website for when they finally update the booking system. Alternatively, if you give them a call it may well be that the booking line will have access to the dates that aren't yet available online.
AT86
TS Member
From the short breaks booking options you can pretty much glean that the Waterpark (and the hotels, spa and golf) will be shut from 8th to 26th Jan inclusive.
As squiggs mentioned they are pretty pants at updating the hours in a timely manner, will probably be updated in early Jan along with ticket sale for 2024.
As squiggs mentioned they are pretty pants at updating the hours in a timely manner, will probably be updated in early Jan along with ticket sale for 2024.
Bowser
TS Member
I actually spoke to customer services about this yesterday coincidentally and they said:
"The tickets are usually released mid Jan - based on previous years"
Earthwürm
TS Member
On a slight tangent, I've heard that the spa will not be reopening with the other facilities and I'm not sure that they have yet informed guests with bookings. No idea whether that is permanent, for an extended refurb or otherwise.
Of course, take all of this with a pinch of salt.
Thanks @Squiggs. I’ll keep an eye on the website. I’m in no desperate rush. I was a little aggrieved that they only opened the water park to hotel guests over the main Christmas break but we’ll hold out until the new season now I think. Part of me did wonder if they were going for a bit longer and giving it a good refurb this year, we went in August and some of the netting at the back behind the bucket and the flooring around there was particularly green
Squiggs
TS Team
Just as an update to this. The Resort are currently offering their Stay, Splash & Play packages from the 27th January, so you've got to assume the Waterpark will be open again then as tickets are included in the package.
Whether it will be open to non-residents at that point is another matter. But you've got to assume they'd be looking for as many people through the door as possible by then, as it's a quiet time of year.
Whether it will be open to non-residents at that point is another matter. But you've got to assume they'd be looking for as many people through the door as possible by then, as it's a quiet time of year.
I thought the same with Christmas though. This years offering is very poor and opening the water park to all would have put some extra money in the pot. I wonder if they’re going for the strategy of hotel guests only so people book the hotel where they would have just booked the WP, thus increasing revenue with less staff required than a packed WP
if you reserve the WP for hotel quests it makes the hotel much more appealing and I wonder if they would struggle to sell the rooms without it.
AT86
TS Member
I thought the same with Christmas though. This years offering is very poor and opening the water park to all would have put some extra money in the pot. I wonder if they’re going for the strategy of hotel guests only so people book the hotel where they would have just booked the WP, thus increasing revenue with less staff required than a packed WP
Christmas season has always seen the water park be hotel guests only.
Since water park entry comes with the Santa Sleepover packages (and these packages have always sold well) you can have up to 600 rooms booked out, all with water park entry included.
The Waterpark cannot cope with day guests on top, so they simply don’t sell tickets.
I fully expect the Waterpark to be open to all when it reopens from maintenance at the end of this month.
That is interesting. I must admit I’d never noticed before. That makes sense and chimes with what I was saying I think. That they wouldn’t sacrifice the additional hotel revenue with general WP access. I can also see that it won’t be such an issue in Feb. I wouldn’t be confident the Santa’s sleepover will be as successful next year if they up their game though. Worth noting that rooms for every date were available outside of the ones immediately around the Xmas break.
jon81uk
TS Member
Santa Sleepover has been going in some form for about twenty years and has generally been successful, there has been varying levels of the park open over that time, but the basic offering of a visit to Santa, panto, waterpark, breakfast and dinner has been popular. I don't see it changing significantly.
djtruefitt
TS Team
I’m not sure how well the Santa sleep overs did this year, they did seem to keep pushing it on social media and online, where as previous years they have completely sold out. But I guess with people trying to save money it would be a easy way to cut back.
I visited the hotels a couple of times during Xmas and they never felt particularly busy to me.
I visited the hotels a couple of times during Xmas and they never felt particularly busy to me.
Bowser
TS Member
Is there a better way of being able to check for availability at the park?
The only way i can see is you pick a date, then pick a pass type, then pick how many people and only then does it show you slots for that date but you can't change the date and have to start the process again.
The only way i can see is you pick a date, then pick a pass type, then pick how many people and only then does it show you slots for that date but you can't change the date and have to start the process again.