April 11, 201411 yr comment_180734 I agree with Josh here, I think people are jumping the gun here, I think we should just wait and see what the finished product will look like
April 11, 201411 yr comment_180741 Yup. Might look alright. Hopefully they paint the buildings back to more than blue. Apparently they were changing the signage at entrance yesterday? Must look better already.
April 11, 201411 yr comment_180743 Let's hope the text is actually legible on this screen, unlike the boards currently up in the park.
April 12, 201411 yr comment_180768 I agree with Josh here, I think people are jumping the gun here, I think we should just wait and see what the finished product will look like Yes, let everyone build up the bile instead. I mean come on really, this is just papering up the cracks, the equivalent of painting a decrepit fence in bright neon colours (oh Cbeebies land, I'm sorry to offend you). The entrance as it stands is poor. Full of cobwebs, dark colours, temporary fencing surrounding the payment kiosks, a portacabin annual pass building. The entrance to the car park is far more interesting and dynamic then the entrance to the theme park. I really wish whoever manages this sort of thing would stop pussy-footing around and just give the parks the investment they are crying out for. Thorpe's entrance could be fantastic but it's just so uninspired and tired. Once you get past the entrance that wonderful skyline is a fantastic visual image. But you have to get past the 80's to get too it.
April 18, 201411 yr comment_181213 Has anyone else noticed that the ride times boards play loads more adverts now, you have to wait a fair while to be able to see the queue and if you missed it you had to sit through the adverts again; I heard a lot of people complaining about this when I went
April 18, 201411 yr comment_181221 I don't pay attention to them anyway as I don't think they've been accurate once since they change to the new signs.
April 18, 201411 yr Author comment_181222 They are more accurate now, one of the problems they used to have was when they updated the old ones the system wouldn't update the board its self for a while, sometimes never. These ones update pretty much instantly and link up with the App so it does all work much better.
April 18, 201411 yr comment_181226 The signs might be more accurate in displaying what they are told to, but they are only as good as the data entered and on my (admittedly limited) experience this season they are utterly useless at gauging queue times.
April 18, 201411 yr comment_181246 When I wen't on Wednesday it was packed and when the park closed the car park was gridlock. We came out about half hour after closing time and the car park was at a standstill until 7.46 (It closed at 6.00). There was no big reason for this like a crash or blockage. It got so bad that people were leaving through the entrance onto the roundabout; that was until security came over and shut the gates off. It seems ridiculous on such a busy day that there was no staff in the car park to try and alleviate the problems considering they have an abundance in the morning but 0 in the evening. Even in the middle of the Summer holidays I've never experienced this. Everyone got so annoyed that they just bibbed for about 20 minutes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHtUcSiwq9c
April 18, 201411 yr comment_181251 Is it because they only have 4 barriers? That's what causes the bottleneck in my experience.
April 18, 201411 yr comment_181258 Don't really rely on the mobile app, said Tidal Wave's queue was 110 minutes when the ride entrance one was switched off. The ride was walk on?!?!?!
April 18, 201411 yr comment_181267 I was there Wednesday as well and the queues to get out were taking forever. They were taking so long because there is one lane that goes straight through the barriers and the other lanes have to join that lane but none of the cars were letting them get through. This is something that really needs to be sorted out because it's ridiculous having to wait so long to get out when you have been in queues for most of the day.
April 18, 201411 yr comment_181277 Its a much needed marketing tool, and its paramount for a theme park of such caliber (ie the teen, up to date brand) to get with the picture. These giant screens are used for Sporting and Concert Events, go to the O2 Outside they have the name of the artist revolving round their signs, adverts, etc, and far from looking 'tacky' it actually enhances the EXPERIENCE, its all part of the build up. It honestly will work, if you don't believe me go to the O2 or a Football mathc, and you tell me it does not work, it does. Just image the potential such signs have, they are needed, and whether you like it or not, Thorpe Park is the type of park that needs to invest in such items, whereas Alton and Chessington are perhaps more involved on the THEME EXPERIENCE, not the RIDE EXPERIENCE (by that I mean Thorpe Park is all about the ride, whereas Alton, etc, are about the story line...generally, not all of the time however) So Bring it On!
April 18, 201411 yr comment_181286 Another moan, but it is not acceptable at all to hold everyone up from leaving to make them pay for parking, as when it was free there was barely any hold up at all. Really riles me up. If they're going to charge for parking, at least have enough barriers to do so!
April 18, 201411 yr comment_181288 It doesn't help that many people are stupid and don't realise they have to pay. They then get to the barrier and have to faff looking for money. Additionally the people queuing up at the AP building to buy a ticket then have someone come out telling them they can just pay at the barriers, again causing a hold up whilst the staff have to give change. I find it interesting that there aren't any machines at all near the entrance/exit (or anywhere) for people that have forgotten to purchase a ticket. This would really help!
April 19, 201411 yr Author comment_181298 Another moan, but it is not acceptable at all to hold everyone up from leaving to make them pay for parking, as when it was free there was barely any hold up at all. Really riles me up. If they're going to charge for parking, at least have enough barriers to do so! The problems really only start when Staines road queues all the way from Staines into the park. 4 barriers is probably enough when you consider cwoa'a main car park has just 1...
April 19, 201411 yr comment_181299 They should look at what Asterix do and take the car park money on the way in. It really works as it stops the stupidly long turnstile queue by regulating how many people can physically park at once and the frustration of barriers on exit leaving a really poor last impression. Or better still, lose the stupid unnecessary car park charge all together and add a quid to each park ticket. Simple!
April 19, 201411 yr comment_181302 The problems really only start when Staines road queues all the way from Staines into the park. 4 barriers is probably enough when you consider cwoa'a main car park has just 1... It's nowhere near enough for a huge carpark's worth of cars. Don't get me started on Chessington's one, I sent them two emails about them not having any members of staff on a faulty barrier, which caused several people to get beeped at and abuse hurled at them because their ticket wouldn't scan. Even after the first email when I went back there it hadn't changed.
April 19, 201411 yr Author comment_181304 That said I think its only one or two less than what towers have? Another problem seems to be are how people all queue for 1 or 2 barriers, I've seen times where theres a massive queue for the far left one and the one next to it is totally empty but people don't seem to like to pull out and use it. The car park could do with a re-design but I guess its quite limited to what they can do.
April 19, 201411 yr comment_181305 That said I think its only one or two less than what towers have? Another problem seems to be are how people all queue for 1 or 2 barriers, I've seen times where theres a massive queue for the far left one and the one next to it is totally empty but people don't seem to like to pull out and use it. The car park could do with a re-design but I guess its quite limited to what they can do. Towers don't have enough either though, there's usually huge queues to get out of there.
April 19, 201411 yr comment_181306 I'd say the barriers make it easier in the long run. I left at Park close yesterday and there weren't any massive queues and most of the time the tickets work and barriers go up very quickly. And because it is filtered a bit more it means when you get to the roundabout you're not having to queue. I think entrance barriers would be worse as that could cause queues onto the roundabout and Staines/Chertsey road. It works at certain parks because they're designed that way or have 20 booths like the American parks but I think it would be a disaster at Thorpe.
April 19, 201411 yr comment_181308 They should look at what Asterix do and take the car park money on the way in. It really works as it stops the stupidly long turnstile queue by regulating how many people can physically park at once and the frustration of barriers on exit leaving a really poor last impression. Or better still, lose the stupid unnecessary car park charge all together and add a quid to each park ticket. Simple! Does it work though? Because on a busy day you might just be queueing to get into the car park, THEN queue to get into the park... And that leaves a bad first impression, which is arguably the most important thing a park needs to get right... Damned if you do, damned if you don't really if you're gonna have a parking charge...
April 19, 201411 yr comment_181309 Does it work though? Because on a busy day you might just be queueing to get into the car park, THEN queue to get into the park... And that leaves a bad first impression, which is arguably the most important thing a park needs to get right... Damned if you do, damned if you don't really if you're gonna have a parking charge... It did cause a queue to get in to the carpark, but I certainly preferred it and it made actually entering the park pretty much the only pain free part of the day. The annoyance of the wait is slightly alleviated by the excitement of what is to come rather than just the frustration of wanting to get home at the end of the day. I'd rather be queuing sitting in my comfy car than in the wind/rain/sun on foot. But most importantly, there is absolutely no need for a parking charge and the chaos and disgruntlement it causes. They just need to charge the right price for an entry ticket, it is simple really!
April 19, 201411 yr comment_181310 They just need to charge the right price for an entry ticket, it is simple really! The trouble is that entry tickets are already outrageously overpriced.
April 19, 201411 yr comment_181314 The trouble is that entry tickets are already outrageously overpriced. And the difference between raising the ticket price against removing the parking cost is.... nothing! It's the same money being collected in a different way. The whole discount ticket pricing structure is insanity anyway in my opinion, but that's another story.
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