AstroDan

With all this talk of improvements... I look forward to seeing this new attraction in a couple of weeks!

5 more years of this misery? *looks at emigration*

I work in schools. After dealing with Gove for 4 years, the Tories can do one. This education spending "increase" has gone on vanity projects like academies and free schools...

The above is a pack of inaccurate rubbish and reads like a Tory press release. Do you actually read anything other than the Daily Mail? The Conservative Party are a risk to the public sector and the recession was not caused by Labour. They failed to regulate the banks but were not the reason we went under.

Alton Towers have really upped it since opening day. Yesterday was the best day I have had at the park for at least 2 years. Operations were amazing.

It's probably to reduce noise.

I'm at DMP today - they've certainly had the paint cans out! Park looking pretty good!

Still unsure. Alton Towers weren't tracking throughputs with much rigour 12 months ago. They are now and throughputs have risen.

Or get to Walt Disney World for the enhanced edition!

...nobody is doing anything anyway.

The 'weird spider thing' is Jack. A creature which lives with Max (who is seen in the Paradise Alley scene). He makes 'Jack Fire' and in the films the characters are seen drinking it.

Throughputs have nothing to do with operations?I don't really get that. I'd rather have high operational throughputs and open to 5pm than awful operations and longer queues to 6pm. Of course - both is preferable.

Everything on this is incredibly beautifully amazing. Layout aside. Oh I do love Efteling! <3

I don't think it's fair to say Towers have wholesale operations of a regional park. Opening times (on Saturdays in particular) should be later (we have been saying it for years) but the way they run rides is much stronger than most in Europe. Better throughputs than anyone else in the UK and apart from Disney and Europa-Park, can't think of a large theme park stronger this side of the Atlantic. And yes - the problem is the BOGOF. It's of their own doing, a remnant from Tussauds. They need to get rid of them and instead charge £30 online. Then they could drop the headline gate price. At least they've actually done it (extend) this weekend though.

Rather than bickering about the age old closing times, perhaps at least celebrate it's been extended by an hour this weekend. It's a lot better than the grave situation of opening weekend - that's for sure. With ERT, the park is open 9 hours on Saturday, Sunday and Monday which is fine. It'll probably be dead after 4 on Monday anyway!

Ride close has been extended to 6pm this Saturday, Sunday and Monday. The first such closes this season.

I've been on 15 B&M inverted coasters and unfortunately, Inferno just blends in with all the standard ones in the lower half.

There are far more than 1100 staff. There are several other staff car parks and many hundreds live in the village and walk to work.

From EuropaStreet today:

The opening times are set 10 days in advance and are based on crowd projections. The hours on the website are wholly inaccurate. Alton Towers budgetary constraint is limiting hours this season.

EuropaStreet: Proudly part of TowersStreet We're pleased to announce that TowersStreet, which was formed in 2012 from the ashes of the old TowersTimes, are branching out with a new Facebook page and forum dedicated to the leading seasonal theme park in the world - Europa-Park! We'll be bringing you regular news, updates and developments from this bustling theme park resort, where there's never a moment to stand still. We look forward to welcoming everyone off TPM to the page and hope to share many great moments with you all. EuropaStreet Facebook EuropaStreet Discussion Forum

Any chance of Europa-Park being added?

Perhaps Thorpe choose to save money by having a less than ideal technical team whilst Alton Towers choose to close at 5pm most of the time. Either way it's irritating.

Disneyland Paris certainly has its fair share of problems. They should stay open later given a) the crowds and the prices!

The issue of trains running is more a Thorpe issue as it's not the case at Alton Towers. Surely Thorpe need technical service shifts to start earlier? I know Alton Towers have cuts of their own but today Nemesis throughput was over consistently high with minimal stacking on 2, Smiler consistently 1000pph+ on 4 trains, Oblivion running 6 shuttles with 1300+, Air 3 crafts 1200+ etc... The only low capacity at ATR today was Thirteen as they're without 1 train due to technical issues. No rides were closed... Yet at Thorpe...