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2014 Season


Marc

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Wait... The hotel will open in April 2014?!! We sure about this? That is extremely soon!

Fingers crossed this will be a lovely Alton-Towers-esque sort of hotel and not a rushed botched effort, a la Crash Pad.

Unless this is a horrendously mis-sold Crash Pad 2.0....

There's no way they can build a proper hotel in 4 months :P It'll be a new and improved version of Crash Pad.

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Please...for the love of god, at least put a lick of paint on a few things...please! Freshen things up a bit!

I've never stayed in the Crash Pad, so don't really know what to expect of it to be honest! But glad they're cutting ties with Snoozebox, meaning they'll keep a bit more money for themselves.

Shame about the 2015 rollercoaster not set to appear until 2017, would that not mean Alton Towers gets another coaster the year before Thorpe (2016)?

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Does it really matter if Towers does get a new coaster before Thorpe?

Tbh, neither really need a new coaster that desperately, and both need to focus on their other offerings in regards to the look of the park, events, entertainments and just general upkeep...

EDIT - Though it is more likely that Towers will get a new coaster sooner rather than later, as they need a junior coaster to bridge the gap Beastie left many moons ago, in regards to major coasters, neither park desperately needs a new one...

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Does it really matter if Towers does get a new coaster before Thorpe?

Tbh, neither really need a new coaster that desperately, and both need to focus on their other offerings in regards to the look of the park, events, entertainments and just general upkeep...

THIS. The amount of "smaller things" £15m on a new coaster could fix and make for happier guests... and happier guests mean guests that are more likely to spend out on ORPs, food, merchandise... and come back!

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THIS. The amount of "smaller things" £15m on a new coaster could fix and make for happier guests... and happier guests mean guests that are more likely to spend out on ORPs, food, merchandise... and come back!

Yes but they need to ensure the price of the ORP, food and merch is value for money.

2013 saw the prices for the ORP almost double with the con of the photo pass loosing MAP discount, being reduced from 5 photos to 4, then digital downloads now an optional extra. Picsolve and Merlin have been trying all sorts of cons this year like when you ask for the price of a photo, they say it is £10 and you get a free digital download when what they are hiding is the photo is only £8 and if you pay £2 you get the digital download. So basically charging the full price rather than giving the guest the option.

When it comes to food, most people complain that the Burger Kitchen is over priced, with my MAP discount I find the price ok, but I guess with out the discount it is expensive. Look at PIzza Pasta, cheap at Chessington and Alton Towers, but a good 30% higher price at Legoland for no reason at all.

On the merch side, look at the cost of the Alton Towers Monopoly game £30 with NO MAP discount, many people have refused to spend £30 on the game, with the MAP discount it would have been a reasonable price, but why not MAP discount? Seems a bit mean if you ask me.

But on the plus side we do get some very good deals, like the drinks capsules £16 for an entire year or for me I paid £16 for for 15 months due to when I renewed my pass. Less than £1 per month and unlimited refills, you really can't argue it isn't value for money. I have filled my drinks capsule 50 times this year!

I have got 20% discount at the food outlets 19 times

also 20% discount in the shops 20 times as well

(Sad I know I keep track of what rides I go on and what I spend!)

For me the cost of the Merch was ok, apart from the cost of the Smiler themed items, way over priced. The food with MAP was good value, but the ORP were just a rip off this year and only purchased 1 physical photo and 2 digital only downloads this year. It would have been a hell of a lot more if the price was lower or the offer was similar to 2012.

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You haven't been able to get MAP discount on ORPs since 2007... You still can on the Photopasses if I recall though...

Food is expensive, but at least the quality is decent, lot better than most parks (including the basic Disney offerings)...

Towers Monopoly is the only thing that doesn't garner discount (though we managed to get discount, Wahey), considering the increase in quality of the park merch since Merlin took over, I don't really see an issue with the pricing, as it's all pretty normal... Besides, Europa charge nearly €100 on a jumper, and Disney charge €50 for a hoodie... That's bad...

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Towers monopoly doesn't offer discount because they'd be making a loss. Not even staff get it, because it's profit margins are not there.

Least it's not chessie, which doesn't allow discount on almost everything (Nectar for birds, any sort of offer regardless of if it's cheaper to buy those products with discount SEPERATELY etc).

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Regarding the ORP prices - I was a bit gutted on my first trip to Thorpe this year that you only got 4 photos in a photo pass - a bit annoying considering that they have 5 big coasters - I believe (sure I was told this but not 100%) that last year you got 5 photos in a pass plus MAP discount. The prices of the ORPs have changed a tad over the year - on one visit to Thorpe this year, all ORPs were £5 each which I think isn't too bad. Then on my first ever trip to Towers I wanted a photo pass but it was £5 extra for digital downloads - which I don't really need as I have a scanner. Last trip to Thorpe they were charging £10 per photo (same at CWOA) which included a digital download - so, effectively taking away that option - stupid, considering that if you have a scanner you may aswell just pay an extra tenner and get a photo pass (which at TP/Chessie were £20). I generally just get a photo pass as it works out cheaper - that, or go halves with someone where you buy one and get the second half price.

Saying that though - next year I am determined not to buy any ORPs as I have got SO many this year having been on so many new rides having not visited TP since 2001 and had my first trip to AT.

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