I can't blame people for taking hotdogs in flasks when Thorpe now charge obscene prices for them.
£12 for a hotdog and chips now. In the same venue that used to sell an entire (amazing) BBQ meal for about £7.50. And they had music. A hotdog on its own was £7.00 and people wonder why they're considered a rip off.
On the whole my issues with Merlin aren't the frequency of the investments, but the overall quality that goes into the parks in terms of customer experience.
Also, many of the investments that have been made were (IMO) not where the priorities should have been in terms of ensuring the parks offer a well rounded day out for visitors.
Wicker Man is an exception and it has clearly done very well for Alton, which is fantastic.