Ian-S Posted November 11, 2015 Report Share Posted November 11, 2015 The problem with being a public company is the markets expect, scrub that, demand you make an increase year on year profit-wise and if you don't increase your profits, you get punished by the institutions who dump their stock onto the market trashing your market value. The markets do not tolerate it if you do not increase profits year on year, while the real people running the company will just be glad they've still made a profit, Goldman Sachs won't give **** about that, Merlin didn't increase profits so dump stock. This is Merlin's way to try and keep these vultures happy. Capitalism, ladies and gentleman. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pognoi Posted November 11, 2015 Report Share Posted November 11, 2015 At an accountants forum in April I attended the main sort of head of accountants guy said that if anything was to happen to a single place in merlin the business would only be bumped thanks to their world wide, audience wide attractions. One of the reasons businesses scale across continents is for security. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraX Posted November 11, 2015 Report Share Posted November 11, 2015 There's also a Merlin back up plan where they 'would' sell off the Lego Discovery Centers and Sealife attractions, if they needed too. The parks are at the bottom of that list. HermanTheGerman 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerfuffle Posted November 12, 2015 Report Share Posted November 12, 2015 There's also a Merlin back up plan where they 'would' sell off the Lego Discovery Centers and Sealife attractions, if they needed too. The parks are at the bottom of that list. But wouldn't selling off SeaLife have an impact on Merlin in a way, as it plays a big part in their conservation charity? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian-S Posted November 12, 2015 Report Share Posted November 12, 2015 It's also naive to this the businesses would only be 'bumped' by the markets, never underestimate the vindictiveness of a scorned stockbroker, plus isn't Sealife pretty much integral to their business model? As all sites but Thorpe have one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraX Posted November 12, 2015 Report Share Posted November 12, 2015 Just sayin.. It's a thing. Doubtful, but I guess they have to have a plan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AstroDan Posted November 15, 2015 Report Share Posted November 15, 2015 Tomorrow, staff at Alton Towers will find out where the cuts are going to come. Liam T 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattyMoo Posted November 20, 2015 Report Share Posted November 20, 2015 TowersStreet saying the following: "Sources close to the park have stated Alton Towers are to close Sub-Terra, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Driving School, Hex, Flume and Ripsaw for the 2016 season." Ouch. Biggest surprise on that list to me is Hex. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattyMoo Posted November 20, 2015 Report Share Posted November 20, 2015 Update to say - Ripsaw & The Flume being removed entirely. That doesn't bode well for Loggers does it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevenVig Posted November 20, 2015 Report Share Posted November 20, 2015 How reputable is the source? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benin Posted November 20, 2015 Report Share Posted November 20, 2015 All the Merlin flumes are pretty much buggered... Sub Terra is clearly in need of a big fix, as is Charlie (one lift operation is death)... Dunno what state Hex is in, sure no-one really cares about Driving School, and Ripsaw is near the end of its life (as is Blade)... At the end of the day, if you don't maintain your rides, this is what happens... If this ends up being true, what else is next? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark9 Posted November 20, 2015 Report Share Posted November 20, 2015 I can't quite see them closing all but one of their dark rides. That's insane. One thing they all have in common though, is they are staff intensive (aside from Ripsaw I'm assuming). Is this where the majority of the staff cuts are going to come from? To have four SBNO rides is pretty unprecedented. JoshC. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.S217 Posted November 20, 2015 Report Share Posted November 20, 2015 I just want Hex to be a false rumour Celia Mae, pognoi, OldFarmerDean and 3 others 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshuaA Posted November 20, 2015 Report Share Posted November 20, 2015 Hex being SBNO for next year is really sad. Hex isn't broken or in deseprate need, it is also the parks best dark ride. Having six rides down is disapointing to say the least.. I guess The Flume getting the scap is news that I'd been wanting to hear for the last decade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlieN Posted November 20, 2015 Report Share Posted November 20, 2015 Surely The blade should go not ripsaw. Ripsaw is one of my favourite flat rides and the blade seems much less popular than it. As for Hex....nooooooo! It's a popular ride which is thoroughly enjoyed by most. What surprises me the most is that forbidden valley will be 3 rides down and the park will be 3 dark rides down. I'm hoping for some decent replacements...please. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HermanTheGerman Posted November 20, 2015 Report Share Posted November 20, 2015 Wouldn't surprise me at all if it's true. They were planning on binning Ripsaw this year a long time before the crash happened anyway. The Flume and Charlie won't be missed whatsoever, and Sub Terra, well... good riddance. So the only real casualty is Hex, and what a shame that is. This is the only real shame. Such a good ride (the only good ride on this list) and I'd imagine if there's any ride here that they'd rather have open- it's Hex. Oh well, I wasn't planning on visiting Alton Towers next year anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshC. Posted November 20, 2015 Report Share Posted November 20, 2015 Mark raises a good point about staff numbers for the rides; would make sense given what we've all heard. Hex is of course going to be the biggest missed on the list. But even the closures of NST, Ripsaw and Flume are going to be missed by a fair few people. By biggest worry about all this is how it takes a good chunk away of the non-coaster options from older visitors. Of course, rides aren't everything at a theme park, and Towers still have the gardens, but aside from the coasters, there's not exactly much which entices me at the moment. Curious for an official announcement, to see what the park themselves say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt 236 Posted November 20, 2015 Report Share Posted November 20, 2015 Yay for Merlin in 2016! I hope they're not closing all those rides. Closing a massive chunk of attractions (most of which are in the family market) is not a good move IMO. If they're trying to get visitors back in to the park, this is not the way of doing so as for me I can see the opposite effect occurring. It makes me more concerned for What Chessie is in for and that more could be happening at Thorpe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glitch Posted November 20, 2015 Report Share Posted November 20, 2015 HEX LIVE new for scarefest 2016. You heard it here first kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benin Posted November 20, 2015 Report Share Posted November 20, 2015 HEX LIVE new for scarefest 2016. You heard it here first kids. It's been done... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexander Posted November 20, 2015 Report Share Posted November 20, 2015 Guess I'm not going towers next year then Matt 236, Mattgwise and OldFarmerDean 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celia Mae Posted November 20, 2015 Report Share Posted November 20, 2015 Pretty sure every time I've been on park Charlie has had one of the longest queues of all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EC! Posted November 20, 2015 Report Share Posted November 20, 2015 I can understand the other rides being shut, but hex ?!! Surely not! I just feel that Alton will just get worse and worse. Hopefully the saying, worse before it gets better is true here Kerfuffle and Celia Mae 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coaster Posted November 20, 2015 Report Share Posted November 20, 2015 What a great way to get guests back through the gates! Starting to wish I hadn't bothered renewing my MAP, as I can't see myself visiting Alton next year if this turns out to be true. Also, what did Hex do wrong?! alexander 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pognoi Posted November 20, 2015 Report Share Posted November 20, 2015 It had like 9 members of staff, probably the most heavily staffed ride on the park that wasn't a coaster Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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