May 8, 201312 yr comment_158686 The fact that you'd pay for that shows how not ridiculous it is from their point of view. It's a con and a cheek, but understandable if people are going to keep paying and not moaning (to them). The only reliable way to get a big business to change anything is to stop giving them your money.
May 8, 201312 yr comment_158688 The problem with paid parking is that Merlin have now found the loose string between their guests in terms of earning more money. If the park does well, they can use it to take advantage of their visiting guests but if they're not doing so well, they can also use the system to make up for losses in the business. Unless some regulation comes in and says its mandatory an establishment has free parking facilities (which is extremely unlikely), I can't see the park (or any) lifting their parking fees for a long time (if ever) which for the visitor is a lose lose lose situation.
May 9, 201312 yr comment_158693 Might opt for the premium pass next year to overcome the cost of parking... ridiculous. After buying a ticket for parking the last time I visited, it did not work at the barriers. The person monitoring the barriers came over and scanned her pass on the barriers for us. The pass she was using was a standard one so does this mean standard passes actually work but they just don't want you using them?
May 9, 201312 yr comment_158695 The problem with paid parking is that Merlin have now found the loose string between their guests in terms of earning more money. If the park does well, they can use it to take advantage of their visiting guests but if they're not doing so well, they can also use the system to make up for losses in the business. Unless some regulation comes in and says its mandatory an establishment has free parking facilities (which is extremely unlikely), I can't see the park (or any) lifting their parking fees for a long time (if ever) which for the visitor is a lose lose lose situation. Its not unusual to go to a visitor attraction and have to pay for parking, for example a football match parking will be atleast £8 unless you find some dodgy street to park down. Then of course across the states they charge for car parking (and much more for that matter). Whilst its a little annoyance, when you compare our parks (especially when you have a MAP), they are actually pretty good value for money. After buying a ticket for parking the last time I visited, it did not work at the barriers. The person monitoring the barriers came over and scanned her pass on the barriers for us. The pass she was using was a standard one so does this mean standard passes actually work but they just don't want you using them? No they dont work, She probably had a staff pass printed on the back of a Standard card.
May 9, 201312 yr comment_158697 In the States you can see up to (and sometimes over) $20 to park your car... Indeed, for a long long time, the UK was the exception to the industry in regards to paying for parking, we Brits over the years have been extrememly lucky in the sense of being reasonably different from the foreign parks, including longer seasons and free parking... Until people stop going though, this charge will still happen, like most expenses anywhere leisure based... The business world for you...
May 9, 201312 yr comment_158698 I see it will end up just being like Fastrack. That used to be free, when the park realised people would pay for it, boom, they starting charging. It'll be exactly the same with the car parking charge, the only difference being high Fastrack prices are good, whereas high car parking prices aren't so good...
May 24, 201312 yr comment_159392 Didn't Thorpe have planning permission denied for a planned re-landscape of the car parks including tarmacing it all etc?
May 27, 201312 yr comment_159509 It's HOT HOT HOT today at THORPE PARK and as we don't want the fun the end, we are pleased to announce that all our coasters will be staying open an extra hour until 7pm this evening!!! Jolly nice of them. Guess it is a busy bank holiday then?
May 28, 201312 yr comment_159562 In the States you can see up to (and sometimes over) $20 to park your car... I think at Six Flags New England it was about $5 extra for a season pass with parking included, than to pay for a day ticket and car park. Brill.
May 28, 201312 yr comment_159564 When I went to Thorpe on Saturday I was pleasantly surprised because for once, for most part of the day, every single ride was open that day! Extra brownie points to Thorpe form EC!
May 28, 201312 yr comment_159611 Ride operation (loading/dispatching etc) so much more efficiently today with next to no fasttrack ticket holders.
May 29, 201312 yr comment_159675 Ride operation (loading/dispatching etc) so much more efficiently today with next to no fasttrack ticket holders.Thorpe have definately improved their ride dispatching. Whilst the loading for rush was slow and completely messed up the other day (they put too many people through compared to the amount of seats) the coasters had great dispatching and were going out really quickly!
May 29, 201312 yr comment_159681 be nice if thorpe actually ran 2 trains when queues are like over 30 mins
May 29, 201312 yr comment_159683 be nice if thorpe actually ran 2 trains when queues are like over 30 mins All the coasters were running 2 trains when the queues were 0 mins.
May 29, 201312 yr comment_159684 I know why can't they do it when coasters queues are like 30 mins on a school weekday
May 29, 201312 yr comment_159688 Well before I've seen 15 mins queues with 2 trains running never empty when I've been to thorpe Edited May 29, 201312 yr by IanNem Corrected spelling and grammar
May 29, 201312 yr comment_159689 Why does Fastrack make any difference to the dispatch times of rides? Potentially the most complex ride to batch (Stealth) SHOULD still be able to fill the batching pens with both Fastrack and normal queue riders each train. If they are being batched properly then there is no reason that Fastrack can affect dispatch times. If on the other hand the staff members were working efficiently then that is to commended and is great. Sorry made it sound like I was saying the dispatch times were quick due to the fastrack. I purely meant for them to be two separate points, So firstly I was praising the efficiency of staff despite the place being empty and meant as a second point that next to no fasttrack was used. Which I guess is obvious seeing as the park was so empty for a half term.
May 30, 201312 yr comment_159702 Are you asking why can't they, or why don't they? Due to the extra cost involved in running the ride with 2 trains. It would result in the queue dying right down (it takes over double the time compared to two train operation) and therefore empty rows/trains being sent around. This will in turn bump the cost of running the ride up as well as the extra costs in staffing (engineers to check the train, etc). I'd rather the park decided to bring out the second train whilst its busy and then take it off when it quietens down rather then just to keep people waiting in a half an hour queue all day. Then again, the Merlin parks take so long to do anything when it comes to adding/removing trains that keeping the half an hour queue is the quicker option.
May 30, 201312 yr comment_159722 yea I would like that when it hits like 30 mins+ they bring the 2nd train on and when the queue is near empty put it back to 1
May 30, 201312 yr comment_159727 Dispatch times were awful on The Swarm today. Some of those staff need rockets shoved up their backsides!! Honestly, they were leaving it a good two minutes between trains getting back into the station on some occasions whereas others it was sent beforehand. No sense of urgency, it was more like they sent the trains once they had finished their conversations. Also, they all looked so grumpy. One of them was nearly asleep - he literally tapped our harnesses instead of actually checking them. SORT IT OUT!
May 30, 201312 yr comment_159747 Annoying hearing they have slowed right down. However on your last point - I would far rather have a member of staff 'tap' my harness than shove it down on me like some staff do! There's no need..
May 30, 201312 yr comment_159759 Annoying hearing they have slowed right down. However on your last point - I would far rather have a member of staff 'tap' my harness than shove it down on me like some staff do! There's no need..Yeah, but a happy medium would be nice...
May 31, 201312 yr comment_159768 Would be nice, when the park is busier during offpeak times than before, to have 2 trains anyway. Start with two, reduce if the park is empty. The cost surely cannot be that much more, particularly relative to the amount of guests they've got on. They've just got a negative attitude to doing something other than they're used to, rather than for the benefit of guests. Towers ran two trains Nemesis earlier this season, even though gate figure wasn't hitting 2k and they were filling one row per train. That's how it should be if it's quiet, not half hour queue on one train.
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