Alton Towers General Discussion

[MattyMoo]

SW8: "It's not a John Wardley ride, but it's a great, fun, ride" #burn

 

[Benin]

News for 2018:

 

Wickerman will be on ERT with Spinball and CBeebies Land.

 

Then there's this:

 

Quote

In addition to the rides in Early Ride Time, our other fantastic rides, attractions and areas around the theme park open from 10am - Young families can enjoy CBeebies Land and thrill seekers can head to X-Sector for The Smiler, Oblivion & Enterprise in X-Sector with Marauder's Mayhem and Heave Ho! in Mutiny Bay also open. Selected rides & attractions opening later include:- Dark Forest, Cloud Cuckoo Land, Sharkbait Reef by SEA LIFE, Battle Galleons, Runaway Mine Train and Hex which open at 11am, the Skyride which opens at 11.30am and Forbidden Valley, Duel and Congo River Rapids* which open at 12.

We have different ride close times throughout our season, but it is the queue lines which close at this time. If you are in the queue at the closing time, you will still get chance to ride one last attraction! The Theme Park will be close an hour after ride close.

* Congo River Rapids will be open 26th May – 4th September 2018

 

*dives for cover*

 

 

N.B. ERT only available for hotel guests and MAP holders...

[Matt 236]

Right, so Alton Towers have updated their website with some updates to ERT and ride openings. You can see all information on the park’s website here.

 

The good news is Wickerman will now be open for ERT.

 

The bad news is Cloud Cuckoo Land, Hex, Duel, Runaway Mine Train, Sharkbait, Galleons and Dark Forest won’t open until 11am with skyride at 11:30am. 

 

Whats more Forbidden Valley won’t open until 12 and Congo is only classed as a seasonal attraction with a May to September opening.

 

Edit- Benin just beat me to it.

 

 

[Marc]

6 minutes ago, Timber Creek said:

 

The bad news is Cloud Cuckoo Land, Hex, Duel, Runaway Mine Train, Sharkbait, Galleons and Dark Forest won’t open until 11am with skyride at 11:30am. 

 

Im not defending it but was this not the case last year too with these rides / areas? 

[HermanTheGerman]

[Benin]

A quick check states that Dark Forest, CCL and Hex opened at 10:30 (and Skyride/Rapids at 11 IIRC)...

 

Two major attractions opening 2 hours after the park is possibly the worst decision Merlin have actually made... Nemesis will be open for 4/5 hours on most days...

[Matt 236]

8 minutes ago, Marc said:

 

I'm not defending it but was this not the case last year too with these rides / areas? 

I’m pretty sure Dark Forest was 10:30am last year along with Skyride 11am.

 

Not too sure about Hex but I’m pretty sure Mutiny, Katanga and Forbidden Valley were previously unaffected by stsggered openings. 

 

 

[Martin Doyle]

4 hours worth of Nemesis and Galactica (5 for Rita and Thirteen) yet putting the prices for entry up!! 

 

Nicely done!! Honestly it just gets more and more ridiculous every year now. This is the supposed “number one park” in the uk and Merlin “second to Disney” entertainments supposed “flagship park” and the state it’s in with SBNO rides and all these unacceptable in every sense of the word opening hours is nothing short of an utter disgrace. Sad thing is it’s not going to change anytime soon as they have naff all competition in the uk that affects their business (paramount is NEVER going to happen) so they can get away with all of this. As long as they rule the roost, expect more compromise!!

[Marhelorpe]

Never forget:

 

2ND BIGGEST COMPANY TO DISNEY.

 

What a joke. M£rlin have reached a new low. 

[JoshuaA]

Closing one of the most popular and reliable rides in the UK for two hours is seriously just plain laughable..

I can understand some staggering in places like PA (they usually close at around midnight)..

But in a park that closes at around 4-5PM its pretty much daylight robbery with the prices they charge..

 

You know you have fu**** up when Chessington is better value than you..

 

[CharlieN]

Ridiculous. Do Merlin not realise that Alton could be a really special park? Do they not even wish this? Does mediocrity suffice?Embarrassing.

[Stuntman707]

Not happy at all about the staggered opening times if that happens. Fair enough some rides have ert, but when the park opens the rides should be open as well. Really there’s no excuse why they should do this. I mean closing Forbidden Valley until the afternoon? Really? Is that a joke? That’s the first area I’ve always usually gone to get on Nemesis.

[Coaster]

I... I have no words.

 

What a truly atrocious theme park operator Merlin are.

 

Like, they're opening a new coaster next year for Christ sake.

 

TWO HOURS LATE FOR THE BEST AND MOST RELIABLE RIDE AT THE PARK?!!  WHO MAKES THESE DECISIONS!?

 

The layout of the park makes staggered openings even more of a burden.  Wicker Man will have insane queues early on as it's one of the only rides open!  Since when were rapids seasonal, yet other parks operate water rides in February?!  It's the only water ride at Alton Towers!

 

(Okay, I lied.  I have some words)

[JoelAllen]

I doubt they’d stay the same now due to the colossal backlash from the GP. I just hope the forbidden valley opening time is moved back and also the Congo river rapids to have increased operating days in the year.  I hope...

[HermanTheGerman]

More interesting news from Alton Towers...

 

[Benin]

So only place to eat lunch in FV is the mediocre at best Rollercoaster restaurant?

 

And the closest place to that is..... Pizza pasta in Katanga Canyon...

 

Sad!

[MattyMoo]

FV opening at midday is utter lunacy and nothing short of a massive Vs up to Alton Towers paying guests. 

 

I literally cannot fathom it. Most ridiculous decision since opening IAC at Thorpe

 

With a reduced line up, it means that when rides are down the effects are even more noticeable. Get those complimentary Fast Tracks ready, lads in Guest Services.

[holtjammy16]

They keep making cuts due to decreased visitor numbers but surely this is just going to help decrease them further? I don't understand their logic

[Stuntman707]

I'm glad there's a lot of backlash over this. Honestly think that Merlin have crossed a line here with cutbacks. If they can no longer afford to keep Alton Towers fully operational for a season, it's time they need to go, sell it to a competent operator who can run it the way Tussaud's used to and move on.

[Mark9]

2 hours ago, holtjammy16 said:

They keep making cuts due to decreased visitor numbers but surely this is just going to help decrease them further? I don't understand their logic

 

This really is the problem. The more they cut, the less people feel the need to go, the more they feel the need to cut, thus making the cycle more vicious. Four hours for Nemesis and Galatica is the absolute pits though. After the initial Smiler incident I defended their cuts because it was inevitable that there would be a backlash to what happened. Three years later though, these cuts are indefensible and Towers (more specifically Merlin) need to decide their priorities because opening your theme park with four big rollercoasters closed for the first hour is simply unacceptable. 

[JoshC.]

Interesting how Towers made a Wickerman post a couple of hours after all this was announced, talking about finding a hidden clue in the poster, which was naturally overrun with backlash over this.  Seen some speculation that Towers did this on purpose to try and get the powers above to give them more money so they could reconsider these changes.  

 

Those opening hours are bad.  Very bad.  Dread to think what the mornings will be like when one of the Intamins throws a hissy fit or or lovely new GCI has some teething problems...

[pluk]

It'll be a shame not to get to ride WickerMan this year, but I won't be if this lunacy remains. Not worth my effort trecking up from Essex, and I'd begrudge giving them any money.

 

It's really saying something when you are so shit you cannot even entice a rollercoaster enthusiast to a new rollercoaster, a woodie they've been waiting for for decades at that.

[Matt 236]

One strange occurrence which happened yesterday after the cuts were announced was Towers made a random post relating to ride’s concept art (see below).

Unsurprisingly the post was the victim of much complaint as hundreds of fans expressed their disgust and hatred towards these new controversial decisions.

 

But one has ask the question of this park status, was it poor social media  planning or a potential tactical ploy in a way to express what management are doing is unacceptable and they need a greater budget to prosper?

 

I also say this to all which strongly object Merlin’s decisions over the park’s budget cuts. 

 

1/ Don’t take it out on front line park staff. They are usually hard working individuals who are not responsible for any of this and are too perhaps disappointed with what is happening.

 

2/ If you are strongly against these decisions to the point you are put off visiting, vote with your feet. Stop visiting. Why not support the other UK parks such as Blackpool,Paultons or Flamingo Land. Because complaining about something but still using there service makes no difference. 

 

We will have to see what happens.

[1729]

As someone who has never visited towers, but was planning to visit off peak early this year. this staggered ride times really put it into question, especially on a day where the park would close at 4pm.

 

Though I can predict now what would happen on any day apart from dead off peak

 

Wicker man, Smiler and Oblivion will have multi-hour queues due to the GP seeing there open when the park opens and would stick like that all day.

 

while 13, and especially Nemesis and Galactica will be almost dead as the GP will try head for the rides earlier in the day and find them closed, assuming there closed all day

 

guest services gives free fast passes and u know which rides the GP will go for, the new roller coaster.

 

it almost feels like this is a ploy to give a reason to scrap the rides in forbidden valley as merlin can say "well Nemesis and galactica had 5 min queues all day so there not popular and earmarked for replacement"

prob not there intention but I feel this heading of guests will not end well

 

I do hope they change there mind, even opening forbidden valley at 11 would partly solve the issue (not completely but it would prob be the best we can hope for now)

[MattyMoo]

I asked Thorpe on social media if they plan to open Nemesis Inferno at midday for synergy across the brand