Mark9 Posted September 1, 2012 Report Share Posted September 1, 2012 Seems more a Merlin thing surely? The fact that people got excited the "UK's Number One theme park" will open past 4PM during September / October says alot. What relevance does that have for this topic Marc? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AstroDan Posted September 1, 2012 Report Share Posted September 1, 2012 Thorpe Park: 31st August 2012 Having visited Thorpe Park on three occasions earlier in the 2012 season, and having enjoyed each and everyone - I was keen to visit once more this season. Thus, myself and a few others drove down from the Midlands. The park quickly returned to the Thorpe Park that used to be mocked and ridiculed back in 2006/7/8/9, and the day really became more of a chore than anything else, at least in terms of getting on rides. Perhaps it is because Thorpe Park target themselves to young people, that they think they can get away with things that would not be possible at some of the other Merlin parks. Here are examples: - Colossus opened on 1 train. There was instantly a queue, and the 2nd train was brought out later. Why not just start on 2? The ride commanded a 70-90 minute queue all day. - Storm Surge queue was advertised ‘99’ minutes, with fastrack bulging out of the entrance. This ride is an absolute, abhorrent joke and a mess to boot. It squeaked and leaked its way through yet another day of operation... it says everything you need to know about THORPE PARK, that the Fastrack entrance and signage is FAR more obvious than the main entrance on the ride!!! - The queue for Swarm was 90-100 minutes all day. Fastrack was massively oversold. You can possibly just make out the ‘99’ for Swarm and Storm Surge on here: - Flat rides should be the supporting attractions in a theme park. Samurai, however managed a wait of over 1 hour for most of the day, with Vortex and Zodiac both 30-50 minutes. - Rush went down to 1 swing from mid afternoon. The queue line was ¾ full - we didn’t even wish to find out how long the queue was, especially as there were a fair few people in the fastrack line. Our guess was 90 minutes. - Slammer was closed all day due to technical problems. This wasn’t particularly frustrating and I understand that the ride is a technical nightmare - however, regardless - it was closed. - There was downtime on Loggers Leap, Stealth and Rush (in addition to obviously Slammer). - Saw: The Ride commanded a queue time of 90 minutes + all day long. With a massive number of fastrack guests, the poor souls in the main queue were left with a long, long wait. - The park extended the closing time of some of the rollercoasters by 30 minutes. However, this was not communicated well at all. Also, given that most major rides still had queues of 45 to 90 minutes at 6pm (Swarm said 100 minutes at its entrance), 6:30pm was still completely inadequate. - Fastrack was massively oversold. Look at this farcical queue line to buy it near Nemesis Inferno: YouTube clip of queue: - Throughputs, whilst satisfactory on some rides, was wholly inadequate on others. Samurai was taking forever, and was probably the worst example. It was, by far and away, my worst visit to Thorpe Park since the Annual Pass day in 2011. The sheer volume of fastrack sales, and completely inadequate opening hours for such crowds, left a bitter taste in the mouth after a 3 hour drive from the midlands. A busy Thorpe Park is not necessarily the problem - after all, it is/was the summer holidays, and queues are to be expected. But when every single major rollercoaster and major thrill ride has a queue of over 50 minutes, with the majority upwards of 80 minutes - you begin wondering where to turn, where to escape to. With Saw Alive, Time Voyagers and the railway all sitting motionless, extra capacity on rides would have slightly helped at least. There was simply nowhere to go. No dark rides with minimal queues, no garden areas, no zoo area, no aquarium and no show. Nothing but massive queues in every corner. The park need to reassess how they sell fastrack because, on anything other than quiet days, it seems to be that a fastrack ticket is now essential to enjoy the rides at the park within the times permitted. On all but the quietest days, the park has by far the worst queues in the country, and arguably Europe. It was awful and a shame after some good trips earlier in the year. Fastrack was being sold at many ride entrances, thus making the problem worse. I think, that because my three visits earlier in the 2012 season were (unexpectadly) fairly quiet, that it led me to think that THORPE PARK had changed. However, just throw them more than a few guests and the whole place seems to fall apart. BAH! L Tom, Luke_A, Sidders and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark9 Posted September 1, 2012 Report Share Posted September 1, 2012 When I see a picture like this it makes me realise how criminal Thorpe really are with the fastrack systems. They're marketing geniuses for convincing people that the only way to have a good day is with a nice expensive fastrack. And people just act like sheep and jump on the chance to fund the system. Wish there was a way around it but aside from visiting on quiet days, Thorpe has just become a place to avoid and a trip report like yours just shows me why I've avoided Summer for the last three years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AstroDan Posted September 1, 2012 Report Share Posted September 1, 2012 I was at Drayton Manor Park last weekend, and it was busy. Therefore, they extended ride close to 7:30pm! This would have gone down rather nicely at Thorpe Park. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pluk Posted September 1, 2012 Report Share Posted September 1, 2012 I never want to be anywhere near anything like that, and I doubt anyone standing in a queue like that to pay extra for the privilege of riding what they have already paid for will want to go to Thorpe ever again. That's what is so stupid about it, short term cash in the bank but long term it'll get harder and harder to persuade people to go. Merlin are killing themselves with greed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Posted September 1, 2012 Report Share Posted September 1, 2012 Stealth as well? Or did you mean Swarm. He said Stealth on the radio but could've just been wrong himself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshC. Posted September 1, 2012 Report Share Posted September 1, 2012 A few words from my short trip to the park today. The park was really rather busy today, as expected for this Saturday which is likely to be the last before most school kids go back. Yet again, Swarm opened on just one train. I genuinely cannot understand why this is; cost cutting is not a good enough reason in my eyes. I think Colossus was also on one train today at some point. I didn't do many rides today, as the day wasn't really about doing rides, but rather just a day out with the family. Flying Fish was done, and the staff were great - a real good laugh and exactly what the ride needs. Woo. Inferno was running well today, with the operator pushing throughputs an awful lot, letting riders to board quickly as the train was due to leave in 20 seconds, etc. Was a great ride, as ever. Saw only had a 20 minute queue by the time we made our way over to it just after 11, so we decided to give it a go. Staff we pretty average really, but getting the job done I guess. Good to see all the effects indoors were working and that the problems that were had with it in 2009 have been ironed out - hopefully the same can be said for Swarm soon. Also had a REALLY intense ride on it; greying out. To date, Saw remains the only ride I've ever greyed out on - once back in 2009 after 4 rides in quick succession (the days of SRQ <3) and being slightly dehydrated, and today. So yeah, great ride. Zodiac was also done, with a ride team who really were plodding along, taking their time and so forth. Not really how staff should be at this busy period. I don't think there were many breakdowns whilst I was on park (till 2ish), however. I assume Colossus and Swarm had short periods of 'downtime' to add on second trains (which seemingly didn't help Colossus' queue, which still fills up..) and I saw Rush down for about 5-10 minutes; opened again on 1 swing. The Fastrack queue at about 1ish looked like the photo that Dan posted above - absolutely horrendous! Thorpe seriously need to sort out their caps on the number of Fastracks they sell; there has to come some point where customer satisfaction outweighs profit. Lunch was had in the Bar/Grill 360 and was mighty nice; that double beef burger is beautiful. There was a slight grumble in that the ribs my mum ordered were covered in bits of foil. After mentioning it, we were offered a new meal (even though it had been about half eaten by the time it was released) and given a fair reason (their cooked in foil, and sometimes these things unfortunately happen). Very good service, and in general, the staff in there were great. I now have another reason to curse Merlin as well - more good quality merchandise! Don't know how to describe it, but it's a plastic model of Swarm's train in a box. They're designed very accurately, just missing the bars which join the cars together. I tried to get a picture of it, but it's hard to get a good quality one - here's the best I could get: Hopefully that can be made out alright. Also, standard photo of me with the newly added telephone box: The sound effects are quite nice - long ringing sounds, and the general 'Please help us' 'Is anyone there?' I do feel this could have been a chance to add something more interactive - having it the right way up, though a bit crushed into the ground, and then being able to step inside and hear the sounds much more clearly. Nonetheless, it's still a great addition! pluk, Luke_A and Mer 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benin Posted September 1, 2012 Report Share Posted September 1, 2012 I can attest to the whole "To have a good day at Thorpe you need to purchase Fastrack" point... Those queues for Inferno's Info and Sales though... Absolute hilarity and stupidity in one fell swoop... S'ok, shipping container hotel guests will get Fastrack as a perk as well no doubt, just to make the problem worse... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattgwise Posted September 2, 2012 Report Share Posted September 2, 2012 Here is the response I got from Thorpe Park regarding my complaint about the filming and fasttrack causing the Saw queue line to take 1 hour and 50 minutes. Funny thing is the have offered me 4 fast track tickets for a future visit when the whole problem was me thinking too many were sold/given out. Still I appreciate they have offered something and apologised. Thank you for taking the time to email into us regarding your recent visit to THORPE PARK. We appreciate all guest comments and queries as without guests such as you contacting us we would be unable to improve our services for future visitors. THORPE PARK is the Nations Thrill capital and attracts a very high volume of guests each year to come and experience our thrilling and exciting rides and attractions, and this does impact on our queue lines and waiting times for our rides. As it is currently peak season, our queue lines are longer than they would be on an off peak day. Please also be aware that THORPE PARK does have a maximum capacity for guests who can enter the park, and should this capacity be reached, no further guests will be permitted entry. Due to the nature and complexity of our rides there may be times where we may need to take a ride out of operation briefly. This can be due to many reasons such as a technical fault or a guest's actions. However, in any circumstance we have a dedicated team of engineers and ride operators on standby to ensure that the ride is back in operation as quickly as possible. We understand that any shutdowns can increase the wait time and so we would like to apologise for any delays that may have been caused. We can understand that shutdowns can be extremely frustrating and would like to apologise for any disappointment this caused. Regarding Fastrack, they have allocated time slots in which certain allocations are sold by the sales team. Therefore there is only a limited number of Fastrack for each ride. Our rides team dispatches the ride in proportion for Fastrack and non-Fastrack holders and so that the Fastrack queue does not extend the main queue line. I apologise you do not feel that this was effective and that the queue lines were extended as a result of Fastrack ticket holders. Please be assured that I have passed your comments on to ensure that the dispatching of both queues is being carried out fairly. I apologise for the difficulties you encountered regarding the film crew on the day of your visit. Incase you were not aware, both ITV and Dave Berry himself on the radio made a formal apology for the frustration caused to guests during their visit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AstroDan Posted September 2, 2012 Report Share Posted September 2, 2012 "So that the fastrack queue does not extend the main queue line" EH!?!?!?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benin Posted September 2, 2012 Report Share Posted September 2, 2012 In natural expectation, the expectation and reality of the effect Fastrack makes on queues is ignored by the park's management... Then again, it doesn't help that Retail don't get told the overall effect their upselling makes on the Rides mob... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattgwise Posted September 2, 2012 Report Share Posted September 2, 2012 "So that the fastrack queue does not extend the main queue line" EH!?!?!?! I think they meant to avoid extending the wait of the main queue line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AstroDan Posted September 2, 2012 Report Share Posted September 2, 2012 I think they meant to avoid extending the wait of the main queue line. A Fastrack system, by definition, is naturally going to extend the waiting time for guests without the fastrack ticket. A Q-Bot system, arguably does not do this. I wish they would go down the Q-Bot avenue! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Posted September 2, 2012 Report Share Posted September 2, 2012 The biggest problem with fastrack being oversold is the fastrack queue gets so long, the staff are then left with the impossible task when they have a busting fastrack queue of people who have paid a fair amount for the privalage, making it impossible to give a fair fastrack / main queue ratio. The only real answer to it is to sell less, and by the looks of it far less. Inferno 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred Posted September 2, 2012 Report Share Posted September 2, 2012 A Q-Bot system, arguably does not do this. I wish they would go down the Q-Bot avenue!I really don't. They're a nightmare to work with at legoland, and they'll definitely go down the route legos already done and make it a ridiculously expensive fastrack option. Hate Qbot - far easier to up fastrack prices and reduce limits. At least they've only got two places to buy fastrack (apart from on-the-door sales). Far prefer this to a few years ago. Anyway, thorpe closing at 6pm?! What happened to the ride and rave event? Or does that finish just as the busiest week of the summer holidays start (and therefore longest opening hours needed)?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AstroDan Posted September 2, 2012 Report Share Posted September 2, 2012 I guess my experiences of Q Bot are perhaps in parks where it isn't oversold. I have used it at Mirabilandia, where it was truly superb, and Movie Park Germany, where again - it was well managed. I have not seen how it is used at Legoland, sadly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattgwise Posted September 2, 2012 Report Share Posted September 2, 2012 A Fastrack system, by definition, is naturally going to extend the waiting time for guests without the fastrack ticket. A Q-Bot system, arguably does not do this. I wish they would go down the Q-Bot avenue! Of course I know that, I'm not a complete idiot! What I meant was the person probably meant to avoid extending the wait any more than it should as the whole problem was that far more fast track guests were let through than normal queuing guests which was not normal procedure. AstroDan 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Posted September 2, 2012 Report Share Posted September 2, 2012 Anyway, thorpe closing at 6pm?! What happened to the ride and rave event? Or does that finish just as the busiest week of the summer holidays start (and therefore longest opening hours needed)?! Ride and rave was only a one day concert event, is strange how as soon as times go from 7pm till 6pm the parks suddenly packed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AstroDan Posted September 2, 2012 Report Share Posted September 2, 2012 Alton Towers was the same today. It went from 6 back to 5pm today, and queues were all around 50-60 minutes for major coasters. Air was at the entrance even at ride close! There is no money in the pot to extend' opening times, though. I suppose they are thinking we should be grateful it isn't 4pm. EP extended to 8.30pm today! PFFT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred Posted September 2, 2012 Report Share Posted September 2, 2012 Whatever the bloody dr pepper events called. Their names are so god damn similar that they mingle into "thorpe park" in my mind. Anyway, last week of summer holidays are always very busy. Always. So why did thorpe have lower opening times for that week?! Surely they remember, or can look at previous years to see that thats what bloody happens?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Posted September 2, 2012 Report Share Posted September 2, 2012 Anyway, last week of summer holidays are always very busy. Always. So why did thorpe have lower opening times for that week?! Surely they remember, or can look at previous years to see that thats what bloody happens?! Alton Towers was the same today. It went from 6 back to 5pm today, and queues were all around 50-60 minutes for major coasters. Air was at the entrance even at ride close! There is no money in the pot to extend' opening times, though. I suppose they are thinking we should be grateful it isn't 4pm. EP extended to 8.30pm today! PFFT. I guess the same reason as Alton? Thankfully thorpes open till 6, and they can extend open hours, even if its just a little bit when needed for the moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattgwise Posted September 2, 2012 Report Share Posted September 2, 2012 EP extended to 8.30pm today! PFFT. What is great about Europa Park is that they decide a closing time at lunch time then advertise the time on the website and around the park. It's great as it means the park can close any time between 6pm and usually 9pm depending on weather and how many people went through the gates by lunch time. However I bet it is annoying for the staff never knowing when they will finish before their shift starts. When I visited it was open until 7:30 the first day and 8pm the second. If only the same thing happened with Merlin parks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark9 Posted September 3, 2012 Report Share Posted September 3, 2012 If only the same thing happened with Merlin parks. Amen to that. The irony of course being (and I am aware you know this ) that Europa Park is the one park that doesn't have fastrack so doesn't have any problems with first class guests and secondly, its park can handle 20,000, 30,000, 40,000 guests because its rides are built to take the load and the ride staff take no prisoners. Our parks crumble apart at 15,000. It's embarrassing being a UK enthusiast sometimes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AstroDan Posted September 3, 2012 Report Share Posted September 3, 2012 Alton Towers have, traditionally, had more flexibility. I am under the impression that in 2012, due to financial pressures, they simply don't have the flexibility they did previously. Regularly over the past 10 years, ride close has been extended by 30 or 60 minutes on some days. In fact, extensions at weekends were the norm! I always thought TP and CWOA were less easily 'extended'. However, I am aware that Alton Towers today has extended by 1 hour, to 6pm. The park is actually quieter than yesterday, so I reckon there was some sort of mistake made yesterday. Liam T 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benin Posted September 3, 2012 Report Share Posted September 3, 2012 Chessie had a fair few extended park hours back when I was working there, not many but still a few... Nothing is more deflating mind, but such is the way... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.