JoshC. Posted September 1, 2019 Report Share Posted September 1, 2019 Given that it's adding extra staff, midway through the season when budgets are already set and such, I'd assume (and hope) that there's a reason behind this other than 'trying to improve the experience'. If the park wanted to improve guest experience, there's plenty of other ways to do it and plenty of other parts of the park. Given the experience was designed 20 years ago, it's possible that by-and-large, audience reactions have changed. Maybe the park feel there's a need to guide people through the experience more explicitly. Maybe there's been a reasonable number pieces of feedback suggesting that. Saying "it's been fine in the past" is a narrow way of looking at things. Of course, if that is the case, it could be Merlin's own doing that people have responded in such a way. Many of their recent experiences have been actor-led and spoon feed people throughout the experience. So maybe that's what people expect now. Nonetheless, the changes don't sound great, so hopefully they are reversed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glitch Posted September 1, 2019 Report Share Posted September 1, 2019 Are the parks no longer allowed to trial new additions then..... in the case of negative feedback? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benin Posted September 1, 2019 Report Share Posted September 1, 2019 If they're having issues with guests coming up the stairs (because people need their hand held apparently now), why not just get one of the two staff members to appear and invite guests onwards? Cheaper and certainly wouldn't detract as much as a shouty intrusion as described... Matt A and Ringo 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveJ Posted September 1, 2019 Report Share Posted September 1, 2019 6 hours ago, Glitch said: Are the parks no longer allowed to trial new additions then..... in the case of negative feedback? They are free to trial things, and we are providing the feedback. There's only a problem with trialling things if they dont listen to feedback. Plus this idea sounds like its such a bad fit that they may as well trial painting Nemesis pink, putting VR on The Blade, getting Durex to sponsor Oblivion, etc 8 hours ago, JoshC. said: Saying "it's been fine in the past" is a narrow way of looking at things. It was fine in the past because it was maintained properly in the past. If you remove or don't maintain the lighting that was designed to guide people on cue then they're not going to realise an entrance has opened up, and they don't understand that they're supposed to move forward. If there is a group that still refuses to budge, use a pre-recorded announcement to tell them to move forward. It's really basic operational show stuff, there's not been some kind of cultural shift that means people no longer move through dark rides. It's the same story with all of Merlin's dark rides, bad maintenance. Hex on the whole has seen better days, and people no longer respond to it as well as they used to. It needs a proper refurbishment to get it back to its original standard. The lighting was bodged a fair bit in the TLC redo (people woudlnt have noticed specific changes, but you probably noticed it isn't as dramatic anymore, with lights going up and down at random.. meh). The cinema video needs a technical update too, find an inventive solution to keep the video but make the room more interesting ie Wickerman's preshow. Easy! But it won't happen sadly. pluk, Mer and Ringo 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt 236 Posted September 2, 2019 Report Share Posted September 2, 2019 Not very keen on the inclusion of actors in Hex. There are some attractions that benefit from actors but this is not one of them. Hex is a marvellous attraction as it is and just needs some updates here and there, but not with actors. Use the money to fix the effects and hardware instead they should. Coaster 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yeah Posted September 3, 2019 Report Share Posted September 3, 2019 When I went on at the start of the month, all we had was two staff members in high vis and a hardhat. The first time, one of them pointed a torch at us and shouted "follow us guys, quick" just after the octagon preshow ended but after that, that was it. They told us to use both doors and then did the usual. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan C Posted September 3, 2019 Report Share Posted September 3, 2019 It seems to have been closed the last couple of days so I wonder if the changes they have made have been because the actual ride has a problem or whether it’s just coincidence that it’s now closed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mer Posted September 4, 2019 Report Share Posted September 4, 2019 Christ, this change sounds horrendous. Cringey. Bloody awful. Hex is one of my favourite things about Towers, and always a highlight when I visit. It’s sad and frustrating to hear that they’re destroying the atmosphere in there with annoying, cheesy “Come this way guys!” stuff, which it was doing absolutely fine without. What’s more, this is an attraction that relies so strongly on the atmosphere, whilst also creating its own atmosphere (I.e by utilising the Towers themselves). You can’t just plonk shouty staff members in there. Also, it hardly ever has a queue - so what’s the issue if the odd guest is a bit slow to leave the Octagon scene anyway? I can hardly imagine people have actually been left behind in there! (Or maybe they have, and Towers are now retrieving their skeletons, hence the ride closure.) Matt 236 and SteveJ 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuntman707 Posted March 13, 2020 Report Share Posted March 13, 2020 It looks like we've been viewing the HEX pre-show wrong for all these years! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spoonablehippo Posted June 8, 2021 Report Share Posted June 8, 2021 Hex has always been one of my favourite rides, but the last couple of times I've been on it, the music on the actual ride section has been really quiet and only comes from one side of the room. It really robs it of the atmosphere and excitement :-( Its so quiet you can actually hear the ride mechanism creaking over it lol Mattgwise 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LK_ Posted May 2, 2022 Report Share Posted May 2, 2022 anyone actually know whats up with hex? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuntman707 Posted October 14 Report Share Posted October 14 Well this isn’t good… 😳 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inferno Posted October 15 Report Share Posted October 15 I know it sucks, but really is it that bad? It’s just a bit of the facade over the door that’s been bent and come off. 🤷♂️ Hopefully it’s a quick fix to that wire that been broken and that’ll be it done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benin Posted October 15 Report Share Posted October 15 Seemingly reopened today. So yeah, not that bad. Funny though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parm Pap Posted October 15 Report Share Posted October 15 let's all meet up in the year 2000, won't it be strange when we're all fully grown, be there, 11 o'clock, by that fountain, near the skyride Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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