March 15, 201510 yr comment_205216 I actually really like Nemesis Sub-Terra and still scares me silly every time... this news of midday opening if true is going to be mega annoying as I go forbidden valley in the morning for ERT and would leave by 11 once I've done ripsaw and sub-terra when they opened at 10, and most likely not return to forbidden valley for the rest of the day. See this is why I prefer Thorpe Park... Alton Towers is becoming such an effort of a day out with the monorail, miles to walk say if you get somewhere and a ride is broken down etc. and now areas not having all the rides opening together, and rides that could really be open for the season just choosing not to in order to save money (losing flat rides and not having them), it's just getting worse and worse for what should be the UK's world class theme park.
March 15, 201510 yr comment_205219 Sub Terra opened at 11am for nearly the whole of last season along with Rapids, Flume, Hex and one or two other smaller rides.
March 15, 201510 yr comment_205224 wow, how I didn't realise that lol... forgot most of my visits I didn't actually use ERT partially due to getting there a bit later just before 10, but I'd rather do that and go straight to sonic, then rita and th13teen and accross the valley to forbidden vally by 11 so wasn't too much of an issue... I just feel bad not taking advantage of ERT most of the time but literally messes my day up as by the time I move aorund the park the rides in dark forest then have pretty big queues.
March 16, 201510 yr comment_205232 Unsure if this has been mentioned yet but... I have heard "Rumours" that Nemesis Sub-Terra will only be opening from 12pm onwards each day this year and will no longer have the 2-3actors at the end it used to due to the budget cuts. The way Merlin runs completely baffles me sometimes. Doesn't surprise me in the slightest. Way too many staff members on it and not enough people riding. I'm surprised it's opening during off peak at all to be honest.
March 16, 201510 yr comment_205237 It's a shame, because it is at heart, quite a good experience... There are very few rides in the UK that put the ride portion as part of an overall larger experience, and whilst my riding of it has lowered since the addition of the scare corridor of pointlessness, I have always liked the ride, even in it's original first weekend format... Unfortunately, we seem to be suffering more and more with minimal budgets or Merlin squeezing every possible ounce out of people, which does ruin the day out for people... DLP's lack of budgets in certain areas is a similar situation, as some parts of the park do not conform at all to the Disney standard... Towers SHOULD be the gem in the UK crown... It should look clean, tidy, presentable... We shouldn't have rides opening late (perhaps Flume and Rapids are an exception to this, would be interesting to note down ridership if they did open with the park), nor should we have operating budgets cut completely to shreds... The way Merlin operate is not healthy to the actual theme park side of life... But it's "Good Business"... I'm very glad I've dropped out of the MAP life this year...
March 16, 201510 yr comment_205258 For a Merlin standards dark ride [like experience], Sub Terra is quite a good addition to the park [bar it's mediocre queue where the only interesting thing is watching the monorail trains pass]. I think for a park that 'appears' to claim it's world class and on a par with parks such as Phantasialand & Efteling [both which are better], It's very disapointing that a park of Tower's prominence in the uk/europe is doing these petty cuts just so their owners can get a little more cash especially at a time when the park is actually seeing increased visitor numbers. They should actually be improving the ride lineup and hours, not cutting corners with staggered openings, ERT lineup reduction and closing one of it's veteran ride's [even if it's likely to close properly when SW8 construction likely begins next year]. Whilst they have their own problems, at least Thorpe [as we know] haven't cut back on costs. If anything they've actually increased their budget as apparently they're investing more in to this year's Fright Nights.
March 16, 201510 yr comment_205264 For a Merlin standards dark ride [like experience], Sub Terra is quite a good addition to the park [bar it's mediocre queue where the only interesting thing is watching the monorail trains pass]. I think for a park that 'appears' to claim it's world class and on a par with parks such as Phantasialand & Efteling [both which are better], It's very disapointing that a park of Tower's prominence in the uk/europe is doing these petty cuts just so their owners can get a little more cash especially at a time when the park is actually seeing increased visitor numbers. They should actually be improving the ride lineup and hours, not cutting corners with staggered openings, ERT lineup reduction and closing one of it's veteran ride's [even if it's likely to close properly when SW8 construction likely begins next year]. Whilst they have their own problems, at least Thorpe [as we know] haven't cut back on costs. If anything they've actually increased their budget as apparently they're investing more in to this year's Fright Nights. *Looks at Saw Alive and the complete lack of Ents department, and the constant one train op due to a 'lack of demand'*
March 17, 201510 yr comment_205350 Doesn't surprise me in the slightest. Way too many staff members on it and not enough people riding. I'm surprised it's opening during off peak at all to be honest. I'm in half mind as to whether it's a good thing Sub Terra is open from 12 everyday, or whether it should be just Weekends and school holidays only. As good as the attraction is, it gets a maximum 0 minute queue outside of holidays, and everyone knows it costs a fortune to run. Thorpe has had cuts for years, we've just been used to it. Towers seemingly do their cuts in a far more blatant way.
March 17, 201510 yr comment_205356 So I haven't got the picture but Alton Towers have said on twitter they have reconsidered the decision with Blade and it will be open until further notice.
March 17, 201510 yr comment_205365 Think it's a little far-fetched to say there's a lack of an Ents department at Thorpe, considering that they are still around operating additional events during Summer Nights on the beach; Shark entertainment in the evening; Live events during summer, easter egg hunts at Easter... Okay, it's not what it was, nor is it to everybody's taste; but they do still operate. Shame about Sub Terra, but it's not popular. I've done it a handful of times and I wouldn't be too bothered if it closed altogether, and losing actors at the end doesn't bother me too much, Hex is a far more enjoyable dark ride. And I've never ridden Blade, it's the only Merlin UK Pirate Ship I haven't been on, and again, I just don't care if it goes. I've come to accept that Thorpe Park has flat rides in excess, to cover for when half of them break; and Towers just rip things out and replace them with gimmick coasters.
March 17, 201510 yr comment_205370 Think it's a little far-fetched to say there's a lack of an Ents department at Thorpe, considering that they are still around operating additional events during Summer Nights on the beach; Shark entertainment in the evening; Live events during summer, easter egg hunts at Easter... Okay, it's not what it was, nor is it to everybody's taste; but they do still operate. Tis the bare minimum though, no shows on a daily basis (used to do that), no roaming actors (used to do that)... Chessie's Ents department is better than Thorpe's...
March 18, 201510 yr comment_205408 Tis the bare minimum though, no shows on a daily basis (used to do that), no roaming actors (used to do that)... Chessie's Ents department is better than Thorpe's... Wouldn't be difficult, I think the ents department at Lidl even overtakes TP, and they don't even have one!
March 19, 201510 yr comment_205536 I'm in half mind as to whether it's a good thing Sub Terra is open from 12 everyday, or whether it should be just Weekends and school holidays only. As good as the attraction is, it gets a maximum 0 minute queue outside of holidays, and everyone knows it costs a fortune to run. Thorpe has had cuts for years, we've just been used to it. Towers seemingly do their cuts in a far more blatant way. I was sort of thinking this too, the staffing level is an issue, plus the ride is not as good without it being full of guests, so it is pointless running unless you have at least 20 in each batching. But if it is closed all morning it may mean guests are going to ride Nemesis & Air and not return to the area. Its a shame as it is the sort of highly themed direction AT should be heading in. They could run with slightly fewer staff possibly, bags, batching two on ride, one on exit, but I'm not sure on how many are needed for safety as well as good show. As others have said, the other issue is that it isn't great for repeat riding.
March 21, 201510 yr comment_205638 So it would appear that these are the following staggered openings: 11am - Dark Forest, Hex, Cloud Cuckoo Land 12pm - Flume, Rapids, Sub Terra, Ripsaw The late Dark Forest opening is a bit dreadful... Guess the money-men just expect people to either be in CBeebies Land or X-Sector...
March 21, 201510 yr comment_205639 The Sub Terra and Ripsaw one is just irritating. I understand Sub Terra but it means you have to leave FV and go back to it later after ERT instead of being able to get it all done in the morning!
March 21, 201510 yr comment_205642 So it would appear that these are the following staggered openings: 11am - Dark Forest, Hex, Cloud Cuckoo Land 12pm - Flume, Rapids, Sub Terra, Ripsaw The late Dark Forest opening is a bit dreadful... Guess the money-men just expect people to either be in CBeebies Land or X-Sector... What a joke! This means that they are now the worst park in the UK for staggered openings, with 15 rides opening late. One of the worst decisions I've ever seen from Towers here, and that's saying something!
March 21, 201510 yr comment_205655 Thing is, as a theme park Alton is heads and shoulders greater then the majority of parks in Europe. It's everything else that is really souring the experience. What's the point in visiting when now everything open has massive queues because of the amount closed and when everything opens up, they also has massive queues because of the greater demand. In retrospect, two weeks later, Thorpe really did have the best open of the three. That says a lot about how low the standards have become.
March 21, 201510 yr comment_205657 Alton was already hard to get everything done as it is too large. Glad to see they have made it even harder. Truly terrible decision by the park to have staggered openings. The loss of single rider also makes it harder. Budget cuts which also happen to drive up fastrack sales.
March 21, 201510 yr comment_205658 Okay cuts have been made (and it shouldn't be done in the first place) but at least some logic should have been used when doing it! Surely FV is quieter than DF in the mornings (ignoring the ERT people in the area). So if you made ERT to include Blivvy and Rita again or similar and take off Nemesis and Air (as much as I love Nemmy on ERT it's just illogical now!) Then you could keep FV and Duel closed to 11 as even fewer people head that way first. Okay it's still a cut that no one wants but it just seems more logical (especially as Rita always gets a horrid queue). As for SRQ, yeah it's not great but they do severely slow down batching on rides that aren't designed for it. On Rita it was always awful and on Nemesis it used it's own staff member purely monitoring the SRQ.
March 21, 201510 yr comment_205659 Ha they also removed the RMT head choppers. Sort of happy I have only chosen to go for 2 days not 3. What is up with Merlin this year. I hated them last year but this is just a whole new level.
March 21, 201510 yr comment_205662 Appalling day today. Terrible capacity on some rides, masses of late openings and removal of SRQ in some cases. Not managed to do anywhere near all the coasters. This place is going down.
March 21, 201510 yr comment_205663 Appalling day today. Terrible capacity on some rides, masses of late openings and removal of SRQ in some cases. Not managed to do anywhere near all the coasters. This place is going down. Great, so all three Merlin parks seem to be going rapidly down the pan. There won't be any good parks left in the UK soon!
March 21, 201510 yr comment_205664 Great, so all three Merlin parks seem to be going rapidly down the pan. There won't be any good parks left in the UK soon! Paultons is fully open and investing well
March 21, 201510 yr comment_205665 I have been visiting this park since 1990 and held a pass for 10 years. I have never known such bad practise here.
March 21, 201510 yr comment_205666 Paultons is fully open and investing well Yeah, just a shame that it doesn't have enough rides that appeal to me, but I will visit next year as it was my childhood park and two new coasters! There's only really one major UK park that I rate, aside from that I enjoy days out at smaller parks more than Merlin ones these days, purely because they aren't so dire with operations and know how to open rides! I have been visiting this park since 1990 and held a pass for 10 years. I have never known such bad practise here. I've had a glance over at the queue times page and they aren't listed as that horrendous (aside from Thirteen being closed), are they longer than stated?
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