Derren Brown's Ghost Train: Rise of the Demon

[JoshC.]

17 minutes ago, Coaster Jamie said:

It's a shame that every major attraction Merlin attempt nowadays is met with delays/opening unfinished, 

Saw, Th13teen, Raptor, Swarm, Polar X-Plorer, Flug, Oblivion Black Hole all say hi. 

[alexander]

1 minute ago, JoshC. said:

Saw, Th13teen, Raptor, Swarm, Polar X-Plorer, Flug, Oblivion Black Hole all say hi. 

I think SAW being claimed to be finished even in its state now is subjective  

[Mark9]

1 minute ago, JoshC. said:

Saw, Th13teen, Raptor, Swarm, Polar X-Plorer, Flug, Oblivion Black Hole all say hi. 

 

Not to mention that Thorpes track record with major rides is pretty good actually. Tidal Wave, Colossus, Inferno, Stealth, Saw and Swarm have all opened on time.

[alexander]

It's annoying but I feel for the people who booked hotels like stretchy :/

[Coaster]

Just now, JoshC. said:

Saw, Th13teen, Raptor, Swarm, Polar X-Plorer, Flug, Oblivion Black Hole all say hi. 

Saw failed to open on its opening day. Thirteen was not ready for the winners preview day. The Swarm did open on time which was good.

No idea on the others.

[Mark9]

Just now, Coaster Jamie said:

Saw failed to open on its opening day. Thirteen was not ready for the winners preview day. The Swarm did open on time which was good.

No idea on the others.

 

Saw did open on time. It broke down about an hour into the opening day due to a major incident. Winners preview day, seriously grasping at straws there.

 

The other rides opened on time.

[Marc]

1 minute ago, Coaster Jamie said:

Saw failed to open on its opening day.

Saw was open on its opening day, it had a technical problem during the day which required Gerstlauer to return to make some changes to the ride, the were on site that evening working on it. 

[Coaster]

Just now, Mark9 said:

 

Saw did open on time. It broke down about an hour into the opening day due to a major incident. Winners preview day, seriously grasping at straws there.

 

The other rides opened on time.

Oh well that's alright then, as long as it was open for an hour!

Thirteen also opened unfinished I believe, as there were originally plans for more effects/props in the crypt.

Then you have The Smiler (delayed at least twice) as a more recent example as well as Zufari (unfinished and still is), and last year at Thorpe The Big Top (not a big investment but another example of something planned poorly and opening unfinished).

[Ryan]

7 minutes ago, ItsHurtingMeInside said:

It's annoying but I feel for the people who booked hotels like stretchy :/

Thorpe are refunding people who have booked Shark Hotel. Most other hotels have a cancellation policy so depends where he and others booked really.

[Roodie]

1 minute ago, Coaster Jamie said:

Oh well that's alright then, as long as it was open for an hour!

Thirteen also opened unfinished I believe, as there were originally plans for more effects/props in the crypt.

Then you have The Smiler (delayed at least twice) as a more recent example as well as Zufari (unfinished and still is), and last year at Thorpe The Big Top (not a big investment but another example of something planned poorly and opening unfinished).

I think you are being a little harsh on Thorpe/Merlin Jamie.

Delays are unfortunate and not welcome by anyone, no doubt Thorpe themselves.  However I'm sure they are not the only ones who have had delays opening attractions.  It is sad it won't be open for when they originally advertised.  But they are doing it for the right reasons, as it can't be cost cutting.

What is good is that they are going to be issuing refunds to people, surely that is a god thing? Right?

[Ryan]

4 minutes ago, Coaster Jamie said:

Oh well that's alright then, as long as it was open for an hour!

Thirteen also opened unfinished I believe, as there were originally plans for more effects/props in the crypt.

Then you have The Smiler (delayed at least twice) as a more recent example as well as Zufari (unfinished and still is), and last year at Thorpe The Big Top (not a big investment but another example of something planned poorly and opening unfinished).

You are complaining that rides are opening unfinished, so Thorpe are doing the good thing and waiting for Ghost Train to be fully finished yet you're still moaning!

[JoshC.]

To complain that a ride wasn't open for a preview event is laughable. 

Th13teen opened as it is now I believe. 

Smiler and Zufari are the only previous examples of major attractions which have opened late under Merlin.  And to elaborate on what Mark pointed out, every attraction (major or not) at Thorpe bar Vortex and Big Top, has opened on time, finished. 

[Mark9]

Just get your facts straight next time then Jamie. You said it wasn't open on its opening day which it was. Doesn't matter if it was only an hour, it was ready (and open) for its first day of public operation.

You're so desperate just to make digs. Thirteen didn't open finished. Well guess what, lots of rides open unfinished. Blue Fire at Europa, Black Mamba at Phantasialand, Shambhala at PortAventura, the whole of Disneyland Shanghai is going to open in June with lots of unfinished rides and areas. It isn't just Merlin, its a theme park industry problem.

As for delays and poor plans, well guess what. I'm still waiting for my night tube on the London Underground, I was looking forward to Inhumans from Marvel which has been indefinitely delayed. Chiapas at Phantasialand was delayed for an entire year. I'm not defending any of these things, I just can't be bothered to get worked up about something so inconsequential. Besides, on one hand you want it opened finished but you don't want it delayed. Which is it would you prefer with Derren Browns Ghost Train because you can't have it both ways.

[Ryan]

In other boring news, Merlin Magic Making are doing a shopping trip at Staines Jewson

 

[Ian-S]

45 minutes ago, Coaster Jamie said:

 

8 minutes ago, Mark9 said:

 I was looking forward to Inhumans from Marvel which has been indefinitely delayed

WHAT?

[Owen]

Goodness gracious it's delayed people, deal with it. It's not like they've said it's delayed a day early or refused to offer refunds. It's a huge attraction with a extremely large team behind it - don't be all stroppy and silly now just because it's delayed for a maximum of three weeks - come on it's just not necessary.

I hope those who have dedicated time and money to this do receive compensation and that everyone ends up happy

[stretchy]

13 opened on time BUT had a few things finished in the weeks after. Amusingly I heard that the queue line for 13 hadn't even been paved at 5pm the day before it opened.

1 hour ago, ItsHurtingMeInside said:

It's annoying but I feel for the people who booked hotels like stretchy :/

Thank-you for your empathy. Yes that's 90 quideroonies down the drain. But such is, pointless me winging. It just means that when the ride does open there is little chance of me affording to come down and do a live. It was the same for you guys when The Smiler failed to open over and over again. It worries me why Merlin keep making these schoolboy planning errors. If you have a project then you should be able to spec the time to do it. So you add buffer times and then baring a disaster, its ready for opening. If the last 2 huge projects Merlin UK underwent both failed to open on time and both of them sat in a limbo state of the users (us) not knowing the current state of the project then that just shows bad planning and project management. (not saying that I can do better).

This seems to be my current battle cry - Come on Thorpe, we know you can do better.

[Coaster]

Just now, Ryan said:

Thorpe are refunding people who have booked Shark Hotel. Most other hotels have a cancellation policy so depends where he and others booked really.

It is good of them to be offering refunds, but to look at it on a wider scale, people who have booked hotels/accommodation near (but not owned by) Thorpe are still losing out due to this

Just now, Roodie said:

I think you are being a little harsh on Thorpe/Merlin Jamie.

Delays are unfortunate and not welcome by anyone, no doubt Thorpe themselves.  However I'm sure they are not the only ones who have had delays opening attractions.  It is sad it won't be open for when they originally advertised.  But they are doing it for the right reasons, as it can't be cost cutting.

What is good is that they are going to be issuing refunds to people, surely that is a god thing? Right?

Issuing refunds is good, but it doesn't cover the fact that Thorpe have let a lot of people down, and it could have all been avoided by not advertising a date so far in advance. This would have prevented the disappointment as well as meaning that Thorpe wouldn't be in a situation now where they are having to give out refunds.

Just now, Ryan said:

You are complaining that rides are opening unfinished, so Thorpe are doing the good thing and waiting for Ghost Train to be fully finished yet you're still moaning!

Of course I would rather the attraction opened finished. But Thorpe shouldn't have advertised an opening date so far in advance - especially given all the supposed new technology being used, they should have foreseen that there may be possible delays and therefore not announced an opening date until they were sure it would be ready.

Just now, Mark9 said:

Just get your facts straight next time then Jamie. You said it wasn't open on its opening day which it was. Doesn't matter if it was only an hour, it was ready (and open) for its first day of public operation.

You're so desperate just to make digs. Thirteen didn't open finished. Well guess what, lots of rides open unfinished. Blue Fire at Europa, Black Mamba at Phantasialand, Shambhala at PortAventura, the whole of Disneyland Shanghai is going to open in June with lots of unfinished rides and areas. It isn't just Merlin, its a theme park industry problem.

As for delays and poor plans, well guess what. I'm still waiting for my night tube on the London Underground, I was looking forward to Inhumans from Marvel which has been indefinitely delayed. Chiapas at Phantasialand was delayed for an entire year. I'm not defending any of these things, I just can't be bothered to get worked up about something so inconsequential. Besides, on one hand you want it opened finished but you don't want it delayed. Which is it would you prefer with Derren Browns Ghost Train because you can't have it both ways.

I would prefer it to open finished, but they shouldn't have advertised a date so far in advance - this would have prevented the disappointment as well as preventing Thorpe from having to give out refunds.

Regarding Thirteen, that's a fair point that it opened on time, but it was plagued with downtime throughout its first season, as was The Smiler.

[Marc]

1 hour ago, Coaster Jamie said:

Either that, or advertise a date very far in advance and then soft open the attraction if it is ready before they expect it to be.

 

9 minutes ago, Coaster Jamie said:

it could have all been avoided by not advertising a date so far in advance.

 

9 minutes ago, Coaster Jamie said:

and it could have all been avoided by not advertising a date so far in advance

 

10 minutes ago, Coaster Jamie said:

But Thorpe shouldn't have advertised an opening date so far in advance

 

10 minutes ago, Coaster Jamie said:

I would prefer it to open finished, but they shouldn't have advertised a date so far in advance

I'm sure what ever Thorpe did you would be unhappy with it  

[Coaster]

Just now, Marc said:

I'm sure what ever Thorpe did you would be unhappy with it  

Nonsense. Thorpe have let a lot of people down here and they (myself included) are right to be annoyed. The main issue is that the opening date was released too early which is what has caused the backlash on their social media pages as well as them having to give out refunds and a damage to the park's reputation.

Holding fire on releasing the date would have prevented this.

[Ryan]

5 minutes ago, Coaster Jamie said:

Nonsense. Thorpe have let a lot of people down here and they (myself included) are right to be annoyed. The main issue is that the opening date was released too early which is what has caused the backlash on their social media pages as well as them having to give out refunds and a damage to the park's reputation.

Holding fire on releasing the date would have prevented this.

Guarantee you would've complained if they hadn't released an opening date, like you continuously did when Towers didn't release their opening information until late.

You just moan about everything, I think us on here just have to get used to that.

[Marc]

I'm not denying they've let people down - naturally people are disappointed but they've let people know in advance and are advising people who have booked train / hotel tickets to contact them.

My point was more that an hour ago you suggested the should set a date in advance and them slate them for setting a date.

[swooddow]

strechy, can you not get a refund and come back for the opening day? , I love the Live that you and the others Do , always gets me so excited for when I can't get involved in things up at towers, as I live so far away haha. 

[Mark9]

27 minutes ago, Coaster Jamie said:

Regarding Thirteen, that's a fair point that it opened on time, but it was plagued with downtime throughout its first season, as was The Smiler.

Now you're just moving the goalposts. Now the complaint is that they both suffered downtime. Everything suffers downtime in its first season, thats obvious because we know that engineers have to get to grips with the technology behind these increasingly advanced rides. 

I understand the frustrations. But I don't think Thorpe have really done anything wrong here. Rides delayed, they have informed people and urge people to contact them. Thats it. The outrage and sense of entitlement by people never fails to surprise me. The delay will cost Thorpe more then it costs individual people but of course, peoples sense of 'its my right to be angry about something out of anyones control' is more powerful then common sense.

[Coaster]

4 hours ago, Ryan said:

Guarantee you would've complained if they hadn't released an opening date, like you continuously did when Towers didn't release their opening information until late.

You just moan about everything, I think us on here just have to get used to that.

That was in response to having 6+ rides closed for the year, a completely different situation which is not comparable to the opening of a new attraction.

4 hours ago, Marc said:

I'm not denying they've let people down - naturally people are disappointed but they've let people know in advance and are advising people who have booked train / hotel tickets to contact them.

My point was more that an hour ago you suggested the should set a date in advance and them slate them for setting a date.

No, I made two suggestions.

The first suggestion was that they could release a very late opening date, giving them a longer window between the ride's predicted "ready" date and the opening date. Doing this, they could soft-open IF it was ready before the advertised date.

The second suggestion was that they could hold back on releasing a date until they could be certain that the date would be accurate.