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  • Ha no, that goes without saying they didn't do it on purpose, no one was suggesting that.   It's the same people who havn't learnt from their mistakes of the past and have seemingly proven t

  • Would it really be a surprise if the delay is down to mismanagement and poor project handling?   Whether Archive knows or not on the actual issues doesn't matter when he's busy hitting the n

  • Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has started 'secret' performances last week and is ENORMOUSLY technical with tons of illusions and it's one of many shows that managed to open/opening on time.  

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  • 2 weeks later...
comment_201526

According to Ride Rater, Merlin are in discussions with the advertising standards authority over the "sale."

 

 

  • The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) says it is “in discussions” with Merlin Entertainments regarding the latter’s annual pass sale. The independent regulator said it has received a “large volume” of complaints after Merlin’s annual passes were placed on sale on Boxing Day last year.

 

http://riderater.co.uk/in-brief/

 

Serves them right, and it's good to see them finally getting what they deserve for dishonesty and lying to customers.

  • 1 month later...
comment_205252

More information has emerged on "Shrek's Adventure", due to open at the South Bank in July:
 

The journey begins on a London Routemaster bus that whisks visitors off to the kingdom of Far Far Away, with the help of 4D animation and special effects. Guests are then set their challenge: to find Shrek and locate a magic portal to get safely back to London. 
 
On the way, they discover a maze of paths and rooms, scattered with characters from the films, including Puss in Boots, Pinocchio, Sleeping Beauty and the Three Blind Mice. Actors appear in full costume in the rooms, each crafted to recreate key locations including Shrek’s swamp home, the Muffin Man’s House and the Poison Apple pub.
 
When guests make it out of Far Far Away and back to London, the journey continues into the worlds of three other Dreamworks films: Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda and How to Train Your Dragon.

 
Unsurprisingly, Merlin plan to clone it like there's no tomorrow. Given that the entire attraction will cost the wizard around half that of The Smiler at Alton, I sense a healthy return...

Sauce: Evening Standard

  • 3 months later...
comment_213054

Merlin have been reprimanded over the annual pass "sale" last year.

 

https://www.asa.org.uk/Rulings/Adjudications/2015/7/Merlin-Entertainments-Group-Ltd/SHP_ADJ_294288.aspx#.VadJSPlViko

 

Too right in my opinion, it was not a sale and was being advertised falsely.

Edited by pluk
Link to source material for story, rather than the source-less one provided.

  • 2 weeks later...
comment_213541

A quote from Towers Street's Facebook...

Following the crash on The Smiler in June, a profit warning has been issued by Merlin Entertainments for its theme park division - with forecasts of a drop from £87m last year to around £40m this year. Overall trading has been negatively impacted as marketing campaigns have been reduced and guests have stayed away. Have you been to Alton Towers recently? What do you make of the downturn in guest numbers?

No source is provided for the figures, however I assume they have been pulled from today's trading update, found here: http://www.merlinentertainments.biz/results-and-presentations

This shows just how badly affected the parks are at the moment due to the incident. This would explain some of the parks' decisions of they are trying to minimise such drops in profits.

Edited by JoshC.

  • 2 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...
comment_218170

Merlin have recently released their September trading update on their website: http://www.merlinentertainments.biz/results-and-presentations

The update says how the UK parks have indeed had a bad year, mostly because of Smiler, and not helped by poor weather and other factors in August. Gardaland have had a strong season so far though.

The presentation also confirms that Thorpe are getting a high investment next year, and both Chessington and Heide Park are earmarked for high investments in 2017 (though not Alton Towers, which was widely assumed to be the opening year for SW8).

comment_218193

The article was an interesting read which clearly shows the Legoland and midway attractions is where Merlin are currently excel right now.

 

Judging from the timeline dates, 

 

2015 was a high investment year for Gardland & Legoland Windsor and a medium year for Florida

 

2016 will be a high investment year for Thorpe & Legoland Billund and a medium one for California

 

2017 will be a high year for Chessington, Heide Park, Legoland Germany and a medium one for Windsor.

 

There's no mention of Alton Towers at all which potentially suggest that SW8 has been delayed until 2018 or worse, cancelled. If these  are true it'll be interesting yet disappointing how the future of Alton Towers progresses.

 

I hope Chessington finally receive something major in the future that isn't Zufari, the park as a whole needs some fresh meat rather than enhancement of something existing.

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