Merlin Entertainments General Discussion

[Ritadz]

While BPP hasn't seen the greatest amount of investment in it's history under Mandy, I couldn't hate the thought of Merlin buying it any more than I do. They would ruin the place and, with them owning the UK's three main parks, the UK industry in general.

Pleasure Beach has been family owned since it opened, and in my opinion should stay that way till it shuts.

[Lord Antaz]

DRAYTON MANOR! They need some BIG MERLIN MAGIC!

I live about 5-9 mins away from Drayton. Definitely needs some magic feel.

[Charlee]

When did Merlin/Tussauds buy Gardaland and Heide Park?

[BigAl]

Tussauds purchased Heide Park in 2001. Not sure about Gardaland.

[Scott]

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

No thanks!

The only thing I can think of which is worse than that happening, is PB closing down!

I appreciate that Merlin might well be pleasing fans of Thorpe and Towers, but PB fans would hate to see them take over PB and would be very fearful of the five woodies' futures along with a lot of the other classics there. I know they'd put money into PB and probably put in a lot of new stuff, but for me it is something I never want to see happen, I think Merlin should worry about what they have rather than sniffing around PB.

[Sam]

I appreciate that Merlin might well be pleasing fans of Thorpe and Towers, but PB fans would hate to see them take over PB and would be very fearful of the five woodies' futures along with a lot of the other classics there.

Yeah, because Amanda is all about the protection of classic woodies...

[Islander]

I appreciate that Merlin might well be pleasing fans of Thorpe and Towers...

Heh, you don't read these forums much then, do you :P

[Scott]

I appreciate that Merlin might well be pleasing fans of Thorpe and Towers, but PB fans would hate to see them take over PB and would be very fearful of the five woodies' futures along with a lot of the other classics there.

Yeah, because Amanda is all about the protection of classic woodies...

Oh you're not one of these idiots still crying over Cyclone and that poor man's Wild Mouse at Southport are you? 

Geoffrey Thompson actually closed the Water Chute originally and it was Amanda & Nick that went ahead with the removal of it a few years later, it was always going to come down. GT also closed Frontierland and had Texas Tornado removed which was a much better ride than Cyclone but nobody seems to moan about that. I am not complaining about either, both were the right decisions in the end.

Pleasure Beach may well have lost a few classics in the last few years, some I don't agree with and others I do, but the five woodies still stand along with the other popular ''classics''.

There's no place for Merlin at Blackpool Pleasure Beach, they should stick to what they have and sea life centres.

I appreciate that Merlin might well be pleasing fans of Thorpe and Towers...

Heh, you don't read these forums much then, do you :P

Not as much as I used to in fairness, I am aware TTF aren't the biggest fans of Merlin but there's plenty of people out there who think Merlin (and Towers) can do no wrong, but they are always quick to put down Thorpe oddly.

[Sam]

Oh you're not one of these idiots still crying over Cyclone and that poor man's Wild Mouse at Southport are you? 

I love how you basically just said that people who are concerned about heritage and preservation of historic buildings and structures are "idiots". 

You didn't answer my point at all, just called me an idiot (because that's pretty much your level of discourse). You implied that Amanda Thompson would be much better at preserving Blackpool's woodies than Merlin. Yet even you acknowledged that in the past ten years, she has demolished two and dismantled another. Of all the woodies in her care when she took over the parks (eight), nearly half (three) have been removed! So it's a bit weird that you say we should be "very fearful of the five woodies' futures" if Merlin take over. 

[mrbrightside]

The only positive that I could *actually* see happening if Merlin owned PBB would be the chance of them installing a *new* woodie there.

At a park that already has old ones, and proves they are popular, maybe it would be the only place in the country, world where they might actually experiment with a modern one. The popularity of the existing ones would probably teach them something!

Having said that, PBB needs to remain independent in order to try and fuel competition.

[Scott]

I love how you basically just said that people who are concerned about heritage and preservation of historic buildings and structures are "idiots". 

It's pathetic, they were two of the worst woodies going and yet everyone moans about them being removed, but funnily enough when they were open, all the people moaning about the removals couldn't be bothered to go to Southport and actually ride them.

Maybe if the people who are so offended by their removals had spent more time bigging up Southport, spent more money there and give the place more publicity, they'd of had half a chance of staying open.

There was probably more people moaning on internet sites about the removal of Cyclone than people that actually bothered to go and ride it in its final season.

You didn't answer my point at all, just called me an idiot (because that's pretty much your level of discourse). You implied that Amanda Thompson would be much better at preserving Blackpool's woodies than Merlin. Yet even you acknowledged that in the past ten years, she has demolished two and dismantled another. Of all the woodies in her care when she took over the parks (eight), nearly half (three) have been removed! So it's a bit weird that you say we should be "very fearful of the five woodies' futures" if Merlin take over. 

Two of them were in a defunct amusement park, the other one was rotting away and hadn't run for years, it was no surprise the three of them were removed.

The other wooden coasters have had plenty of work done to them since Amanda and Nick have been at the helm at the Pleasure Beach, including RollerCoaster which at one point everyone was saying should be removed, but instead PB gave it a new lease of life when they could of easily removed it before Nickelodeon Land was introduced.

I would be a lot more fearful of PB classics if Merlin were in charge, as things stand I am not that fearful of any of the woodies at PB anyway.

[Sam]

Two of them were in a defunct amusement park, the other one was rotting away and hadn't run for years, it was no surprise the three of them were removed.

Yeah, Southport was defunct because the Thompson family closed it! It wasn't shut down by some divine order from God. They completely failed to invest in the park over decades which eventually led to its closure. Even then, instead of doing the honourable and decent thing, and saving the Cyclone and handing it over free to the council, they decided to demolish it in a cynical and cruel attempt to prevent competition to the Pleasure Beach arising. The current Thompson generation are the enemies of heritage.

[AstroDan]

Scott and Sam:

There are actually some valid points within both sets of your posts but please, keep the petty insults away.

Thanks.

[Ritadz]

On the topic of removing classic attractions, remind me what Merlin did to Corkscrew?

It's not just the situation of the classic rides that makes me dislike the idea of Merlin ever owning the Pleasure Beach. For example, expect the current system in which you can just pay a small fee to access the park to be gone and replaced by the £42 regardless of what you want to ride system like at Alton and Thorpe.

Adding on to this, Merlin aren't exactly renowned for looking after their rides are they? I hate the thought of Valhalla getting the poor level of looking after that Hex does. Plus I'd much prefer PBB how it is now than cluttered with up selling and advertising.

[Scott]

Yeah, Southport was defunct because the Thompson family closed it! It wasn't shut down by some divine order from God. They completely failed to invest in the park over decades which eventually led to its closure. Even then, instead of doing the honourable and decent thing, and saving the Cyclone and handing it over free to the council, they decided to demolish it in a cynical and cruel attempt to prevent competition to the Pleasure Beach arising. The current Thompson generation are the enemies of heritage.

Pleasure Land was a sinking ship, Geoffrey Thompson put plenty of money into it and it still wasn't bringing in the numbers, it'd of probably been better spent on the Pleasure Beach and closing Frontierland & Pleasure Land at the same time.

Amanda did what GT would of done eventually, afterall GT did the same with Frontierland.

Another thing to throw into it, if Merlin took on the Pleasure Beach and were to start charging £42 for entrance, you could wave goodbye to all of the rides then, people are still grumbling about the fiver entry charge, so start messing around with the way PB is currently run and it would be curtains for them, regardless of what rides they've got.

[Sam]

On the topic of removing classic attractions, remind me what Merlin did to Corkscrew?

The Corkscrew may have been a classic attraction to Alton Towers, but it's not historically significant in any way. There are dozens of them all over the world, it is a clone. Same with Black Hole. Many are in a much better condition than Alton's was. The Texas Tornado and the Cyclone were both unique attractions, even if there were similar rides, it's impossible to completely clone a woodie.

For example, expect the current system in which you can just pay a small fee to access the park to be gone and replaced by the £42 regardless of what you want to ride system like at Alton and Thorpe.

Just because that's what they do at all their other parks, it doesn't mean they'd do it at the Pleasure Beach. All their other parks are well-known for being pay-one-price, whereas the Pleasure Beach has a history of admission into the park for free (though Mandy and co jacked it up to a fiver). I'm sure Merlin would maintain that if they bought the park, there'd be no reason not to.

Pleasure Land was a sinking ship, Geoffrey Thompson put plenty of money into it and it still wasn't bringing in the numbers, it'd of probably been better spent on the Pleasure Beach and closing Frontierland & Pleasure Land at the same time.

I'd hardly call a crappy SLC putting "plenty of money into it", when PBB were adding rides like the PMBO. If they'd invested in it properly, it could have been profitable.

[Scott]

The Corkscrew may have been a classic attraction to Alton Towers, but it's not historically significant in any way. There are dozens of them all over the world, it is a clone. Same with Black Hole. Many are in a much better condition than Alton's was. The Texas Tornado and the Cyclone were both unique attractions, even if there were similar rides, it's impossible to completely clone a woodie.

Double standards, Corkscrew was just as much iconic to Alton Towers as Cyclone was to Southport, both were removed for different reasons but probably the right reasons in the end.

I get the feeling, if Corkscrew had been at PB and they'd of removed it for a new ride, it would not be acceptable. 

Just because that's what they do at all their other parks, it doesn't mean they'd do it at the Pleasure Beach. All their other parks are well-known for being pay-one-price, whereas the Pleasure Beach has a history of admission into the park for free (though Mandy and co jacked it up to a fiver). I'm sure Merlin would maintain that if they bought the park, there'd be no reason not to.

Oh come on it's Merlin, they aren't going to keep it the same, they are going to hike the prices up and that'd be enough on its own to kill off the Pleasure Beach.

As for it being 'jacked up' to a fiver, I'd hardly say that was badly priced, I have no idea why people complain about it so much, without that entry charge Nickelodeon Land would not exist and that wouldn't be such a good thing.

I'd hardly call a crappy SLC putting "plenty of money into it", when PBB were adding rides like the PMBO. If they'd invested in it properly, it could have been profitable.

As ever from someone trying to get at the Thompsons, the assumption that putting money into an attraction is by spending millions on rides and nothing else. GT didn't just arrange for Traumtizer to be built at Southport, other rides were refurbished, money was spent all over Pleasure Land and nothing was coming back in.

It was a lost cause which like I've said previously, should of shut when Frontierland did and Traumatizer should of gone straight to Pleasure Beach without stopping off at Southport for a few years first.

[Ritadz]

On the topic of removing classic attractions, remind me what Merlin did to Corkscrew?

The Corkscrew may have been a classic attraction to Alton Towers, but it's not historically significant in any way.

UK's First coaster with two inversions.

Much more historically significant than a mediocre woodie in my opinion.

And paying £5 to enjoy the park atmosphere and shows is considerably better than being forced to pay £42 regardless of what you intend to ride. (EDIT) Furthermore, the £5 charge has prevented, well lets just say idiotic tools, from entering the park with the sole intention of causing damage to the park and harming the family friendly atmosphere. The park seemed like a much nicer and less crowded place then I remember on Sunday, and I enjoyed it more than my last visit, which was back when anyone could just turn up and get into the park for free.

[Charlee]

Thank you.

When did they buy Alton Towers, Thorpe Park and Chessington then?

[BigAl]

Those three parks were purchased in 1990.