Merlin - Are they really that bad?

[Fred]

Still remember those days of what John Wardley calls "the dark patch". Didn't he say that when it was announced that Merlin took over, you could hear the CHEERS of everyone in the company!

Yes we've gone a long way from new attractions being a pathway (haunted hallow) or absolutely nothing (Cwoa)!

[th13teen]

Merlin have made further gains in profit and visitor numbers for the first half of 2014!

 

Read here, as well as a statement from Nick Varney.

 

http://www.attractionsmanagement.com/detail.cfm?pagetype=detail&subject=news&codeID=310564

[Deleted Users]

 

"Use a picture of me by a wooden rollercoaster. That'll really annoy the fanboys."

[th13teen]

I thought that exact thing when I saw it! haha

[Benin]

Think Varney has always seemingly be for a wooden coaster being built, but they always hide behind the "Public don't want one" wall whenever it gets brought up...

 

As for a rise in profits, well there should be, considering they keep building things... They've expanded the Mehway market to ridiculous levels in recent years, so one would hope they'd get some form of profit from them (though apparently a 5% odd rise is a poor performance)...

[th13teen]

if you read the magazine from that site, the section with Varney and Merlin...you can see that Merlin intend to focus mainly on Medium Attractions, as it seems assets, Beta and all sorts play their part in larger attractions...not least risk factor, especially with Share Holders now in toe, all looking for their fair profit. 

 

I am just hoping Merlin can see the success of the new Wooden Roller Coaster in Ireland and follow suit! 

[GladiatorFanKyle]

Merlin really need to take better care of their rides. For example when I was in the Colossus queue I saw that a part of the lift hill was black which is not wonderful. Instead of buying new rides if they spruce up the parks and reinforce the areas again it would make more people want to visit

[Matt 236]

The following Merlin attractiones (at least) could do with major TLC or refurbishment

Thorpe/

Colossus

Canada Creek (especially loggers)

Rumba rapids

Ranger county

The dome and surrounding area

Towers

The gardens

Smiler

Charlie

Rita (or just replace with a Mack launch while they're at it)

Flume

Chessie

Everywhere except wild Asia, market square, Africana, Zufari and parts of Mexicana and Transylvania

[JoshC.]

Instead of buying new rides if they spruce up the parks and reinforce the areas again it would make more people want to visit

 

You see, the trouble is, I don't think if you simply spruce up the park, it'll make people want to visit.  It definitely will make people who are already there want to visit again, but it won't necessarily entice people to want to go there in the first place.  They'd need more.

 

In the case of Thorpe, they've had such large amounts of investments (the last time there was nothing new was 1997; before a fair few members on here were born!), so people could well 'expect' something new, otherwise they won't feel the need to go there.  Whether that new thing is a new ride, a new show, some gimmicky event, whatever, they'll need to get something new to entice people in.  Simply sprucing up areas won't be enough (unless it's a large retheme).  

 

It will have to be a slow process - adding new things and sprucing things up until such a time they've given people enough reason to want to return that they can afford to just take a year to not add anything new.  And I just don't think that year will come for another 2-3 years..

 

 

The care of rides is certainly one of the highlighted problems with Merlin's parks.  Of course, they can't take all the blame, but still, it's something which really needs to be addressed.  We don't want to see more cases like Loggers tunnel, Dragon Falls theming, RMT, etc.

[Kerfuffle]

Come to think of it, all we see from Merlin are shipping containers for buildings and petrol drums for bins! (glares at Thorpe)...

 

...Gee, what's next? Individual tin cans for toilets?

[HermanTheGerman]

I have to say, whilst the list of factors that make Merlin crap isn't far off endless, there is a fair few things they do well, in fact most things they have improved. Hell, they've

even improved a fair few cock ups from the supposed 'glory days' in the 90s, such as: Cred Street and the Burger Kings etc.

Things have definitely changed massively from the early to mid noughties. Some of their parks are now growing by leaps and bounds. Chessington went from a rapidly decaying park barely held together by sponsorships and second hand rides, to somewhere with two hotels, very impressive new areas (Wild Asia) and extremely creative themes (Scorpion Express). Attendance at the park is very close to what it peaked at in 2000. Only a few hundred thousand difference as opposed to around one million differance in 2006!

Alton's deserted Black Hole tent as now become their most popular attraction, and areas like Mutiny Bay are immersive and atmospheric. Even small things like the Monorail refurb go along way, that is something we certainly wouldn't have seen before, even during the 90s.

Although, having said that, the only thing they have done to Thorpe that I've enjoyed is The Swarm, the rest they managed to completely spoil. From the (previously immersive) Amity Cove, to the generalization of the whole park.

Some of the things that they do work wonders, and are really very enjoyable, but some things, like letting Nemmy's monster and Katanga Canyon fall into the state they're in now really gets under my skin!

[OldFarmerDean]

limited to 1000 free tickets for fright nights for VIP and premium pass holders... now I know people complain about extra perks which change (probably for the worse), but they don't even have to give any perks - but the point of premium merlin passes (which we bought) was so there was no extra to be paid on events like this, so how pis**ed am I going to be closer to the time when I decide to go and find there's no tickets left for the day I want to go and it states 'once these have sold out, tickets will have to be booked for another date.' which I can't just change plans with other people to go a different day, it doesn't work like that... way to s**t on your loyal customers. so I feel bad doing it, but I know others will as well... I'm just going to book a ticket for every night of fright nights so I'm not left out paying when I leave it closer to the time. so just from that aspect of merlin it leaves a bitter taste in my mouth, although I do love theme parks, and what would we do without merlin the UK!