Opening Times

[JoshC.]

aren't the 6pm close on fridays in april-june new?

 

I think they are (though I never really paid attention to Friday opening times to be honest).  Is a good idea though!

 

Good relative to the other merlin parks. Globally they are still terrible. They should be open till 9 or 10pm in the summer. That would attract more guests as there day wont be as rushed and queues will be shorter as people wont feel the need to stay the whole day. People would be willing to travel further if the park was open from 10 till 9.

 

Well, technically speaking, Thorpe are open till 10pm in the summer, what with Summer Nights.  Yes, it's a paid extra event, but from a business standpoint, it seems to be the only viable option to keep people to stay that late.  In the past, Thorpe have tried with late summer openings, and it just never really worked.  

 

It would be interesting to see them try it again (with say evening entertainment or something like Mark suggested).  I think there's a bit of a culture thing behind it though - on the whole, people in Britain have the idea of a 'day out' and a 'night out', and it's rare that people will spend both day and night in the same place.  Maybe I'm way off the mark here, but that's just how I see it.

 

If they advertise it correctly and maybe have a few extra things like a dance show with lasers or fireworks like many other parks then it will certainly attract more guests, leave a good memory so they are more likely to return. You have to take risks to make money and I'm sure this is a risk that they should take.

 

Just for the record, I think laser shows are out of the question at Thorpe - something to do with the many planes that go over the park or something I heard.  

 

Personally, I'd prefer fireworks to be brought back for end of season / bonfire night rather than appearing during summer.  As I say above, I do agree that it'd be interesting to see them try late openings with evening entertainment, but I'd still be surprised if it actually worked!

[Project LC]

When they tried it back in 2006 it was possible to get all the rides done easily. Now its not, the 5 coasters in the peak of summer means a lot of people don't get them all done. If they introduced a ticket to allow entry after 4pm I'm sure some would go for that. I'm also sure that people would be more willing to stay in the crash pad on days where it is open later. I'm not suggesting all of summer but just fridays and saturdays in august. 

[JoshC.]

When they tried it back in 2006 it was possible to get all the rides done easily. Now its not, the 5 coasters in the peak of summer means a lot of people don't get them all done. If they introduced a ticket to allow entry after 4pm I'm sure some would go for that. I'm also sure that people would be more willing to stay in the crash pad on days where it is open later. I'm not suggesting all of summer but just fridays and saturdays in august. 

 

Last season, the park did do a ticket that allowed entry from 2-7pm during summer for £15.  Not sure how popular it was though!

 

Sounds like, to me, what you're suggesting here is just scrapping Summer Nights and instead making those dates have a longer opening.  I'd personally prefer the idea of Summer Nights; it gives that exclusive feel for a small price, and you can still get all the rides done in a day, plus many rerides on the coasters.  So that sounds like a better option.

 

Maybe that's a long-term plan for the park though, starting off with Summer Nights to test the water / to encourage guests to stay later?  

[TPJames]

Last season, the park did do a ticket that allowed entry from 2-7pm during summer for £15.  Not sure how popular it was though!

 

That's so expensive! Considering you could get a full day ticket for £15 anyway and all the major rides had 120min queues after 2pm on peak days! I doubt many went for that deal considering how busy it was.

[Project LC]

I agree that summer nights is fun, but I feel as a business move for the long term that just staying open is better. Maybe if they kept Fridays as summer nights and Saturdays as long opening with a show. It would make the place more of a resort. 

[Matt 236]

Opening hours for 2015 are satisfactory so far. As much as I'd like to see them close 8pm or later in the summer, they do have the best opening hours for uk parks IMO.

[MachoMachine]

I always thought their closing times were really good, I think you have to take into consideration travelling issues and when families go kids often get tired around the end of the day, also makes time for eating after. Summer Nights has always appealed to me though because it's still pretty light out and it's good weather. Even when FN was on I didn't stay till the end though!

[coastercameron98]

Opening hours for 2015 are satisfactory so far. As much as I'd like to see them close 8pm or later in the summer, they do have the best opening hours for uk parks IMO.

Considering Adventure Island closes between 22:00 and 23:00 in the Summer with all rides open without charging extra to stay at night I think its safe to say that AI has the best UK Park Hours tbh. The best UK Merlin Park hours, yes and compared to Alton's and Chessington's hours they're very good and second best in the UK overall.

 

I'm happy with their hours this season, assuming Summer Nights is returning as well so that's more night rides in the dry which is good. I wonder if 2015 will see another price hike in on-the-day tickets....

[Project LC]

If a a tiny park like AI can open to those hours and oakwood doing similar on certain days they must be worth doing. Smaller parks have much less room to play with, money wise, so for Thorpe it should be easy and I'm sure the market is there for it. I would be amazed if late summer openings had a negative or neutral impact on the park.

[Marc]

If a a tiny park like AI can open to those hours and oakwood doing similar on certain days they must be worth doing. Smaller parks have much less room to play with, money wise, so for Thorpe it should be easy and I'm sure the market is there for it. I would be amazed if late summer openings had a negative or neutral impact on the park.

They also have significantly smaller operating costs. The amount of people needed at AI / Oakwood to be running at a profit will be much less than needed at Thorpe.

[Coaster]

Opening hours for 2015 are satisfactory so far. As much as I'd like to see them close 8pm or later in the summer, they do have the best opening hours for uk parks IMO.

Adventure Island is open until gone 10pm int he holidays, and BPB is open until 8pm every day in the summer with a few 10pm closes as well as later closes across the year than Thorpe in general. Whilst AI are a small park, BPB have high running costs so are a good comparison, even if their location lends itself to later closes.

[Matt 236]

Adventure Island is open until gone 10pm int he holidays, and BPB is open until 8pm every day in the summer with a few 10pm closes as well as later closes across the year than Thorpe in general.

Considering Adventure Island closes between 22:00 and 23:00 in the Summer with all rides open without charging extra to stay at night I think its safe to say that AI has the best UK Park Hours tbh. The best UK Merlin Park hours, yes and compared to Alton's and Chessington's hours they're very good and second best in the UK overall.

 

I'm happy with their hours this season, assuming Summer Nights is returning as well so that's more night rides in the dry which is good. I wonder if 2015 will see another price hike in on-the-day tickets....

Yeah, ok Thorpe may not have the best uk opening hours, but I still think they're very good (best Merlin ones). In comparison we have Chessington's which are less although have steadily improved over the last few years with 7pm summer closures and the return of 8pm Haloween days, Towers which bar Scarefest is a bit meh and rarely closes after 6pm these days, then Legoland who don't open as late as the others (at Haloween) but are open 6pm every weekend as I know.

[Dan9]

In addition to what Marc said Adventure Island has no entrance fee and is incredibly accessible. You can come and go as you please and when you do leave you're in the centre of a pretty big seaside town. Means in the summer you can just turn up for a few hours at whatever time and when you've finished what you want to do you're in Southend already. The two aren't really comparable. 

[TPJames]

From an enthusiasts point of view the hours are generally looking good, get there half an hour early to garuntee the best rides with no queue and you will have everything done easily with plenty of time for re-rides. Personally, I have no problem with the opening hours as I am able to complete everything easily with time to spare on a regular basis.

From a general guest point of view, I think the opening hours are lacking. Those who travel once a year to the park from a long distance especially in the summer months are left disappointed with the openings hours. Let's face it, the majority of guests won't get there for opening, most will come at around 11 and many still come after midday. In the summer, with the long queues you are bound to not get much done if you are only there for around 8 hours, 4-5 rides at most. At the heavy price tag it is really not the amount of rides you want to be doing in a day.

Across Europe, there are parks which are open past midnight and will have a steady flow of guests right into the middle of the night. Where I feel thorpe is defeated by these European parks is the entertainment it offers. These parks will attract their guests to stay on right through the night with added shows, parades and firework performances. Thorpe simply does not offer this, it is rides or simply nothing.

I appreciate the amount of entertainment has been steadily improving in the last few years, however it is not free. Any added extra entertainment will be included in an added price of some sort; for example Brainiac live is £5 to watch for annual pass holders this February. I feel what thorpe needs is free entertainment, especially in peak months in order to keep those at the park staying on late until the night.

Facing up to the truth, money is not an issue. Ticket prices are yet still rising, gate figures are high and investments from the park have been lacking recently and of a poor quality. Putting on a firework show to attract guests to stay late is not hard. Live music performances late into the night would also be a good idea with extra mini-shows across the park, I can think of several good locations to do so. Advertising these will then encourage guests to stay later and I can garuntee evenings will be busy.

Summer openings of rides till 10pm followed by a firework show at 10:30pm across the lake would be beautiful. With added performances from 6pm onwards I can garuntee guests would stay extra for the full experience. They could even make some extra money by selling a 6-10pm ticket for £15 or so to experience the entertainment.

It's not hard, and it can be done. It just requires a decent amount of effort on their part. An average theme park could turn into one which is absolutely brilliant with a couple of small changes.

[Jordanluke2009]

Just thought I'd put it out there Matt. Some days in the summer lego was open till 8. Even at Halloween I remember leaving work at 9 because we were open until 8.

[James Allgood]

They might add more fright night dates closer to the time! Never say never

[Mark9]

Adventure Island is open until gone 10pm int he holidays, and BPB is open until 8pm every day in the summer with a few 10pm closes as well as later closes across the year than Thorpe in general. Whilst AI are a small park, BPB have high running costs so are a good comparison, even if their location lends itself to later closes.

 

I wonder what AI and Blackpool have in common that could mean they do stay open later..

 

From an enthusiasts point of view the hours are generally looking good, get there half an hour early to garuntee the best rides with no queue and you will have everything done easily with plenty of time for re-rides. Personally, I have no problem with the opening hours as I am able to complete everything easily with time to spare on a regular basis.

From a general guest point of view, I think the opening hours are lacking. Those who travel once a year to the park from a long distance especially in the summer months are left disappointed with the openings hours. Let's face it, the majority of guests won't get there for opening, most will come at around 11 and many still come after midday. In the summer, with the long queues you are bound to not get much done if you are only there for around 8 hours, 4-5 rides at most. At the heavy price tag it is really not the amount of rides you want to be doing in a day.

Across Europe, there are parks which are open past midnight and will have a steady flow of guests right into the middle of the night. Where I feel thorpe is defeated by these European parks is the entertainment it offers. These parks will attract their guests to stay on right through the night with added shows, parades and firework performances. Thorpe simply does not offer this, it is rides or simply nothing.

I appreciate the amount of entertainment has been steadily improving in the last few years, however it is not free. Any added extra entertainment will be included in an added price of some sort; for example Brainiac live is £5 to watch for annual pass holders this February. I feel what thorpe needs is free entertainment, especially in peak months in order to keep those at the park staying on late until the night.

Facing up to the truth, money is not an issue. Ticket prices are yet still rising, gate figures are high and investments from the park have been lacking recently and of a poor quality. Putting on a firework show to attract guests to stay late is not hard. Live music performances late into the night would also be a good idea with extra mini-shows across the park, I can think of several good locations to do so. Advertising these will then encourage guests to stay later and I can garuntee evenings will be busy.

Summer openings of rides till 10pm followed by a firework show at 10:30pm across the lake would be beautiful. With added performances from 6pm onwards I can garuntee guests would stay extra for the full experience. They could even make some extra money by selling a 6-10pm ticket for £15 or so to experience the entertainment.

It's not hard, and it can be done. It just requires a decent amount of effort on their part. An average theme park could turn into one which is absolutely brilliant with a couple of small changes.

 

Thing is James, I can count the amount of parks in Europe that do stay open really late on one hand. Places like Liseberg and Tivoi open at Mid-day and are city parks where majority visit for a couple of hours.  Even the holy grail Europa Park closes at 6 in Summer and only adds on 1-3 hours if the park attendance is particularly high.  Adding hours on is fine, but closing at 10 and then only getting 6,000 guests all day means the park starts budget cutting things to hell. It's fine for the odd exception like PortAventura to do night closings but their climate and the Spanish lifestyle almost caters for that need. The English one doesn't really.

[Benin]

Europa doesn't have any 'night-time' incentive for summer days and they open till 9 (depending on how busy the park actually is, it's very flexible but they rarely close at the advertised time)...

 

In order to keep people in the park for longer periods of time, there needs to be more varied things to do... I'm sure people get bored of doing ride after ride at Thorpe with very little variation of other things to do in their day...

 

A good comparison is Walt Disney Studios, which tends to be dead in the last hour or two of it's day... Why? Disney Dreams mainly... I've always thought Towers would greatly benefit from a night-time show, I don't think Thorpe has the space to pull one off with a suitable viewing area (especially since Saw Alive exists, get rid of that, and it could be a possibility)...

 

Concerts could be the way to go, but again it's a location thing, though of course redeveloping Neptune's Beach into a massive plaza which could hold mini-concerts would be an excellent idea, plus give the park a much nicer looking opening...

 

Comparing it to the likes of AI and Blackpool isn't ideal though, as they as supported by their inner city locations... Oakwood can be looked at, but that suffers from having bugger all to do during the day so you have to turn up late... There's also the point that the park would have to look at employing more people to work the later hours if they did it on a regular basis with the entire park open (which is already done for FN), which is a much higher cost to invest in...

 

If people don't stay, it's not worth it, it's the British culture though that needs to be addressed first and foremost, something that the parks can't necessarily do...

[Marc]

Adventure Island is open until gone 10pm int he holidays, and BPB is open until 8pm every day in the summer with a few 10pm closes as well as later closes across the year than Thorpe in general. Whilst AI are a small park, BPB have high running costs so are a good comparison, even if their location lends itself to later closes.

The BPB which often runs at a loss?

[Mark9]

The BPB which often runs at a loss?

 

 

 

(Please don't delete me Marc)

[Coaster]

The BPB which often runs at a loss?

Yes, and they still manage to provide better opening times than Thorpe.

[JoshC.]

Yes, and they still manage to provide better opening times than Thorpe.

 

Across the year, BPB also manage to provide better opening times (ie - they are open for more hours) than Phantasialand.

 

 

PHANTASIALAND ARE SUCH A BAD THEME PARK AND NEED TO INCREASE THEIR OPENING TIMES AND STAY OPEN LATER, ESPECIALLY DURING SUMMER.

[Coaster]

Across the year, BPB also manage to provide better opening times (ie - they are open for more hours) than Phantasialand.

 

 

PHANTASIALAND ARE SUCH A BAD THEME PARK AND NEED TO INCREASE THEIR OPENING TIMES AND STAY OPEN LATER, ESPECIALLY DURING SUMMER.

Well I can't comment on Phantastialand as I haven't been there, but considering how busy Thorpe gets in the summer it could be open a lot later (and I don't mean Summer Nights).

[Mark9]

Well I can't comment on Phantastialand as I haven't been there, but considering how busy Thorpe gets in the summer it could be open a lot later (and I don't mean Summer Nights).

 

Yes but as we keep saying, it has been proven time and time, year after year that the majority of people don't stick around after 6. There is no incentive to stay in the park.

[Project LC]

I don't think it is proven. Also what stops them changing that attitude. People will stay if there is a reason to and now Thorpe is at a point where there is a reason. Another coaster and there will definitely be a need to stay open late.