Merlin Entertainments General Discussion

[Khalichanan]

Or what if the ticket sales staff turned around and said "that'll be £2,000 today please, I sold 500 park tickets for you".

I have absolutely no problem with this being the case in Merlin...

[Liam B]

on saw alive just before you went into the maze (in the photo bit) There was a heavy metal tune playing. It was only there that I heard it and I dont know if they still do it but if anyone knows what that tune is called it would be helpful. cheers

[adsyrah]

I'm going to Thorpe at the end of August (probably just after the bank holiday).

Any tips as to how to avoid a hellish day of queueing? Other than forking out £70 for ultimate fast track!

[Adz]

I'm going to Thorpe at the end of August (probably just after the bank holiday).

Any tips as to how to avoid a hellish day of queueing? Other than forking out £70 for ultimate fast track!

Get there at opening and go clockwise around the park. This never fails me:

Vortex > Rush > Colossus > Saw > Detonator > Nemesis Inferno > Stealth > The Swarm.

Everyone will run to the Swarm first, by the time you've made it round the park in the above order everyone will start to fill up the queues on the other attractions.  That way you'll only really have to queue for The Swarm. Rides i've not mentioned don't tend to get queues.

[Lord Antaz]

Instead of that Amanda Thompson, I think that Merlin would make great leaders of the Pleasure beach Blackpool

[Stelios7]

Instead of that Amanda Thompson, I think that Merlin would make great leaders of the Pleasure beach Blackpool

Try telling that to Pleasure Beach Experience!

I think there is more chance of Merlin getting Drayton than that! :P

[SubGuru]

I definitely feel that Merlin should calm down on the international expansion for a couple of years and invest in what they have here in the UK. Ok, their midway attractions are fine, and I don't believe much needs to be done with the Sealife Centres (Although I do truly hate the sealife branding), Dungeons etc etc. But their theme parks need some love and repair. Just a couple of years of investment into their theme parks is what is needed, to get those environments back up to how they used to be. Not necessarily attractions, but themeing and experience is what is needed, to bring some of our parks up to standards of other European Parks.

Then having focussed on that for a while...then they can continue on their view of world domination.

[AdrenalineAlex]

I would hate for Merlin to keep expanding, as others have brought up Merlin need the competition, if they end up expanding and eliminating the competition what hope is there for current rides and refurbing them? If there's no competition they wouldn't give a flying monkeys about refurb's which is why I'm opposed to it. Whereas if they were to expand in Germany or Europe they would have upkeep their rides as they install them because of the competition and the aesthetics of other parks are of a much higher standard.

[Stelios7]

If Merlin invest in BPB, that is a extra park to maintain, and BPB needs big additions each year and keeping to this would have to mean cost cutting around their others parks. Chessie has always been treated badly by it's owners and I can only fear the worst if big additions are expected for Thorpe, Alton and BPB each year.

I do think if Merlin take over BPB will be a smart move considering all the work they are doing in Blackpool, but I believe Merlin should let go one of their smaller parks before it dies. It's a big risk to take in these times.

[JaykeAT]

lincoln castle tbh

[RyanY]

I think that a nice small park Merlin should buy is Pleasure island. It has a wide range of trill rides and family and it's a shame they cannot have flat rides that look more permanent these the travelling rides they have in some places.

Lincoln castle. No why should we has to pay loads of money to go round a castle?

[W@LLI$]

DRAYTON MANOR! They need some BIG MERLIN MAGIC!

[CoasterCrazyChris]

MERLIN MAGIC!

There is just no conceivable way that those two words could ever belong in the same sentence together.

:P

[Stelios7]

DRAYTON MANOR! They need some BIG MERLIN MAGIC!

Drayton are basically trying to rival AT with their new hotel and planned waterpark. And many future top scale attractions planned just next door to Alton. Would Merlin really want more theme parks closer together?

MERLIN MAGIC!

Looks like you haven't been reading the forums for the past 5 years then...

[JoeGibbon]

MERLIN MAGIC!

There is just no conceivable way that those two words could ever belong in the same sentence together.

:P

Unless you're talking about Merlin the wizard and not Merlin Entertainments

[Instant Mix]

.. M&D's... Mate , I have no idea what planet you are living on, but there is no chance on earth that any sane company would want to buy that place. It's right next to motherwell , not exactly the nicest of placest and not exactly filled with the kindest of people. Also all it has is second hand rides that aren't that great anyway - and I can't recognize the manafacturer from the track or cars....

I'd be happy though if for some reason Merlin's management team were smoking something suspicious and decided to buy the park and shove in a B&M invert and a nice intamin launched coaster...

[BigAl]

Merlin should concentrate on the attractions they already own rather than trying to buy/make more. The last thing we need is for Merlin to own all major UK attractions so that they have no competition. Competition is what makes theme parks install bigger, better and more technologically advanced attractions.

If anything, there needs to be more competition in the UK. I wish Drayton Manor would build a new coaster on a similar scale (if not bigger) to Shockwave and for a large company to buy Lightwater Valley to provide them with the funds to build bigger rides as they have everything else in place (excellent managements, excellent surroundings, etc...).

[----reece----]

Hey

I am going to thorpe park tomorrow (8th May)  Just wondered if any of you new how busy it would be?

cheers
reece x

[SpinballEdders]

Hey

I am going to thorpe park tomorrow (8th May)  Just wondered if any of you new how busy it would be?

cheers
reece x

It should be quite empty, since it's a weekday and the weather will probably be poor. I'm actually going the day after you.

[Pennywise]

Merlin should concentrate on the attractions they already own rather than trying to buy/make more. The last thing we need is for Merlin to own all major UK attractions so that they have no competition. Competition is what makes theme parks install bigger, better and more technologically advanced attractions.

I more or less completely agree with this, and don't especially think that this topic should exist in the first place. I think my biggest issue with Merlin wouldn't be the way that their run their parks, but with the fact that they more or less dominate the theme park market in the UK, in the way which I don't believe should ever have been allowed to happen. As a result, the likes of Chessington simply haven't received the necessary funding, because they haven't needed to. Thorpe Park and Legoland have been focussed on separate audiences so that varied family groups in the south have little choice.

I grant you that the likes of either Flamingo Land or Lightwater Valley would benefit from Merlin's attention in the short term. But ultimately it wouldn't be of benefit to the industry as a whole. Whichever of Flamingo Land and Lightwater Valley wasn't purchased would probably go bust fairly soon afterwards; they don't have the reputation to compete with Merlin's offers, advertising campaigns, publicity and money. Merlin then wouldn't need to invest much in said other park because it wouldn't have the competition.

The UK theme park industry needs more competition, not less of it. If Merlin insist on buying, let it be either on midway attractions, or abroad.