Minor Issues: A Rant

General discussion regarding the UK's No.1 Theme Park. Talk about anything and everything Alton Towers here.
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James
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It's not good that there closing rides but at least there doing something to them. I also saw the effects in Hex that I've never seen before which was great.
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Voni86
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I'm not sure if it's a minor issue, but when I went last Sunday Ripsaw was making a godawful squealing noise when it was going round, as if it needed a gallon or two of WD40! It was so bad I actually refused to get on, which is rare for me.
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[quote=""Voni86""]Ripsaw was making an awful squealing noise when it was going round, as if it needed a gallon or two of WD40! It was so bad I actually refused to get on, which is rare for me.[/quote] I think that's what most TopSpins do after they have been in operation a few years. It is the same with Rameses Revenge at Chessington, but it didn't affect the ride. I think it adds to the experience a bit!
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Voni86
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[quote=""ElectricBill""]I think that's what most TopSpins do after they have been in operation a few years. It is the same with Rameses Revenge at Chessington, but it didn't affect the ride. I think it adds to the experience a bit![/quote]

Hmm. However, I did notice the ride ops actually evacuating the ride at one point... should we be worried?
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Vik
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Ripsaw is running better now than when it did at the start of the season. It was awful then, with the gondola slipping out of position.

It is slowly getting its programs back as well now, but it does still sound a bit rough around the edges.
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Russell
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Does anyone know if Rita's back up yet?
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JordanMansell
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[quote=""AstroDan""]Today on the theme park I happened to notice several things which I really don't think should be happening at the theme park - as they have a subtle impact (in a negative way) on the majority of guests experience.

Alton Towers has taken many strides in the past 3 years to improve its image, park atmosphere and quality. However, there are some (small) things which they reall should change - and it wouldn't take much.

1 > Queue Line TV's
Hundreds of thousands of pounds is spent theming rides and attractions, and on the audio for the ride. Therefore, it seems stupid to allow generic pop/rock/rnb music to blast out of the speakers. How does this add to the "theme" of Katanga Canyon which, in 1992, Tussauds worked so hard to create? How does it "fit in" to the theme of Nemesis? Why should it create a racket over the Thunder Rock Rally playlist in Ug Land? And the same goes for Oblivion. Countless rides at Alton Towers now have this racket in the queueline's and it's bloody awful if you ask me! Turn the sounds OFF!

2 > Monorail Queue time "advice"
If Alton Towers don't want a queue for the Monorail at the end of the day, then why bother painting the cattle pens? I arrived at the station to be informed that the queue was "30 to 35 minutes". It's not the first time either - someone from Welcome often informs guests of such a queue. However, when you turn LEFT inside and go straight up to the platform - the wait is not more than 10 minutes. Even if ALL cattle pens are open, the wait is 20-25 minutes. Why do they blatantly lie to the waiting guests?! The Monorail is just what people want to carry their weary legs back to the car parks...! Telling guests there's a queue four times longer in duration that what it really is seems silly...! Also, open the cattle pens! Why have them and not use them!?! If you have 15,000+ on park as I believe was the case today, surely they should be open.

3 > Disabled Re-Rides
How is it fair that today on Heave Ho, that with a queue of 15 mins, disabled children were able to re-ride wihtout even leaving their seats!? Surely they should have to wait one ride cycle. This is just blatant abuse of the system. They same can be said of Spinball Whizzer. The queue for the ride was 45 minutes, yet Disabled guests were riding via the exit, getting off, and then waiting again immediately. It's just NOT FAIR! You don't get this abroad and it shouldn't happen here. Isn't there a fairer system...? I saw a group of about 30 going down the Rapids exit at one stage...!

So yes... /RANT

:)[/quote]


I think i can help, i could break you r legs and arms(Problems Solved) :D
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Altonator
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[quote=""PETER MOWBRAY""]Oh I forgot about Spinball being down too... :x

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Just looking at the pics :) and was wondering was the car stuck in that postion?
I didn't think that would be possible :)
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PETER MOWBRAY
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[quote=""Altonator""][quote=""PETER MOWBRAY""]Oh I forgot about Spinball being down too... :x

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Just looking at the pics :) and was wondering was the car stuck in that postion?
I didn't think that would be possible :)[/quote]


It was a Rollback..
Basicly the car loses momentum and doesnt make it up the other side..
I have to say though I felt sorry for the poor engineers that had to crank it back up.. :clap: :clap:
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Just a comment on the Monorail drivers and the audio....

Just think of other members of Staff that work around the resort - Ride Hosts/Ride Operators having to suffer Ride Theme Music all day such as Oblivion, Duel, Nemesis etc. Yes.. some do have earplugs, but at the same time they have to put up with it and eventually will just shutoff from it. I don't see why the Monorail drivers should be any different, especially after the money has been put in by Merlin/Alton to get the recordings done for the monorails.
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monkeywool
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[quote=""Russell""]Does anyone know if Rita's back up yet?[/quote]

Not sure, I was talking to a guest today who thought they saw Rita working this afternoon, but I didn't follow up and check officially.
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As far as music goes, give it a few years and the EU will ban ALL music in workplaces anyway.... including nightclubs!
(slightly off topic, but the EU are thinking of re-classifing LEDs as minor laser diodes, which would effetivly BAN them! To quote the Pub Landlord, "Back off Brussels!")

The whole disabled/re-ride issue is just outrageous. I'm guessing the majority of these people are not in wheelchairs and are perfectly capable of walking down the exit, across the turntable and into a boat. If they can do that then they should wait with the rest of us.

Having said that, is it that different to a group of friends using single rider to beat the Q? Lets be honest, most people will take any opertunity to 'legitimatly' Q jump.
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James
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[quote=""Russell""]Does anyone know if Rita's back up yet?[/quote]

Yes it is, AstroDan mentioned it here yesterday.
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xEmmax
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[quote=""RC3_Taz""]On the topic of queue times being over exaggerated, I have had the opposite issue on several occasions. It was basically that, we decided to hve a quick whizz on Hex, as the queue boards all around the park had advertised 5 minutes. 45 minutes. When we left the ride the boards were still advertising 5 minutes, yet the queue was out of the door. These boards need to be sorted.[/quote]

This isn't just a problem with Alton Towers, I've seen it with all theme parks, it's just a fact of life, as much as they try to keep on top of queue times it's not possible. If a ride is showing say a 60 minute queue not many peple will join so in time it will quickly go down, or if it's earlier in the day staff might bring out extra trains/boats whatever which reduces the queue. Vice versa a 5 minute queue can quickly build once it's broacast.

At Islands of Adventure the other week, we joined a queue with was supposedly 75 minutes....it was a walk on now that was a coup. :D
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Jon
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People are right when they say the monorail drivers should put up with the audio like all the other members of staff, but I think the reason it gets turned off more is because there's more of a compulsion to turn off the monorail audio than ride audio. Its easier to press a button that's in your isolated little cabin, but if you work around the park, you'd have to go to where they control the audio and turn if off, then other staff members would be questioning it etc. etc.

That wasn't excusing if, btw. I honestly don't understand why the drivers speakers cannot simply be turned down or off?
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AstroDan

Few things today

ALL queue line TV's off! - Brilliant, Wondrous, Much Better!

Monorail at close: Still being told "30 minute wait" and even with ALL pens open inside, we waited only 11 minutes (i timed...) - indeed itw as only 16 minutes for the queue AND journey...

UGH!
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AltonThorpe
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The problem with the tv's is that half of them never seemed to work either!
Last edited by AltonThorpe on Sat Apr 18, 2009 12:23 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Chris W
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I'm glad to hear that the TV's have been switched off.

They could be used in such a better way. Issuing important information, Queue times and Park closing time. They could even be used to advertise Annual Passes, Scarefest and the Hotels and the Waterpark.

They don't need to sound on for those kinda things.
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xEmmax
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[quote=""Dagoo""]People are right when they say the monorail drivers should put up with the audio like all the other members of staff, but I think the reason it gets turned off more is because there's more of a compulsion to turn off the monorail audio than ride audio. Its easier to press a button that's in your isolated little cabin, but if you work around the park, you'd have to go to where they control the audio and turn if off, then other staff members would be questioning it etc. etc.

That wasn't excusing if, btw. I honestly don't understand why the drivers speakers cannot simply be turned down or off?
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To be fair I'd imagine it's much worse for the monorail drivers, who are sat with JUST that to listen to. Other workers in the park, have got the everday noises of the people and the park
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Keira
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Yesterday there was no music on the monorail at all when I was on...It didn't exactly ruin my day, but it was disappointing, it's part of the experience for me.
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