Th13teen Preview Weekend: CANCELLED

[Islander]

[quote=""Dean""][quote=""Alton Towers""]With tight schedules and days of planned training and finishing touches we decided not to include a ride on TH13TEEN as part of this package when the package went on sale last year.[/quote][/quote]
You've gotta wonder why they didn't just have "not included" from the outset, then. Although "not guaranteed" is 100% correct, "not included" would've been more accurate. and would've lead to less (valid or otherwise) disappointment.

Thanks for that, though, Dean

[Anonymous]

Well perhaps it was a possibility until the number of bookings went sky high?

Who knows what will happen at the weekend, a ride is never out of the question, no doubt Alton will do everything they can to give a good weekend

[Chris W]

I think that Alton Towers had got people's hopes up by the wording of the text. It clearly suggested that there was a chance of a ride when now there doesn't seem to be much of a chance.

However, the weather could have been a factor and now as the March 20th deadline approaches time is becoming short.

In hindsight Alton Towers should have said that a ride is not included from the start and then surprised everyone if a ride was possible on the day.

[Spike]

[quote=""Islander""] EVERYTHING HE SAID ABOVE[/quote]

What Islander said AGAIN but in more detail is exactly what I and many others are trying to get across.

[quote=""Dormiens-Dave""]To be fair i don't think Big Dave was attacking your point and calling people dense is rude and not needed.
[/quote]

I don't think it is, especially when the point has been said more than enough times for a person to get and yet they still don't grasp the point.

Now shall I say it again JUST in case some people still don't quite get it yet?

We ALL knew a ride was not guaranteed but I'm damn sure Alton knew that by putting "A ride is not guaranteed" they would attract more to this event with the hope of possibly riding Th1rteen. Now that the event is more than likely booked up solid they have retracted the carrot and it's an extra kick in the teeth that the ride will be ready but due to some stupid marketing competition they are refusing a ride on the basis of adhering to this "first ride" crap. The fact that Wardley and most of the construction crew WILL have ridden the ride so in a sense it will NOT be the first ride for those stupid enough to believe it.

It will still be a great weekend but there will be a lot of annoyed people there knowing the ride is ready but they can't ride due to a competition despite paying a lot of money for the weekend. It's not great the way Alton have done this but It still should be fun none the less. I like Dans idea of at least giving fast tracks for when it does open.

[Mankey]

Spike I think we all get the point here. I grasped the point when I made my initial post! But my point was it never said you'd get a ride and I am correct there. And I think that's what others are making!

Sure, its wicked and horrible that they'd make it seem like you might get a ride, but tbh they're a business. They really wont care in the long run... it's all money money money.

I personally don't care what the excuse is, be it technical problems or their money making stunts. The fact is, it said it wasn't a possibility. You put your name down for something which wasn't guaranteed, you suffer the consequences I'm afraid.

I still don't see why most people didn't wait for the official opening anyway where its actually guaranteed to be open AND it works out cheaper.

[Islander]

Spike, thanks for the support - I appreciate it - but I think the conversation has perhaps moved on, and I do think everyone 'gets' it (I misunderstood that in my somewhat rant-y post).

[quote=""Mankey""]I still don't see why most people didn't wait for the official opening anyway where its actually guaranteed to be open AND it works out cheaper. [/quote]
Well, to be fair, the behind-the-scenes weekend has some pretty awesome items in it: talk by John Wardley, [s:a3w7mqwh]tomato throwing session[/s:a3w7mqwh] talk by Morwenna, behind-the-scenes of Thirteen, Hex and Rita, and other as-of-yet unannounced bonuses (though I'm not holding my breath on them). Not to mention full bed, breakfast and evening meal, and unlimited use of the golf course and water park. I'm definitely peeved that a ride won't be possible (living ~150 miles away means that it will probably be a fair while before I return), but I'm still really looking forward to it .

[Mankey]

Maybe I'm just not as enthusiastic as I used to be. As interesting as it might be... I still feel its not worth the money.

Either way, if you want to complain to them do it! If they get enough complaints about it they will compensate.

[cmpunk771]

I am going to call them up tonight and if there is 200% no chance of a ride then im canceling because to be honest the reason i booked was because of a possible ride (I know it said there might not be) but i am not going to be mad if they say its technical reasons because there is nothing they can do, but if its because of this stupid comp then i am going to be peeved off :@

I will let you know how the call goes :P

[Chris-TT]

Well to be honest by saying we cannot guarantee a ride on 13 is no different than saying we cannot guarantee all the attractions you want to ride will be open on a given day of the season. I think it was quite a misleading statement even if it never listed on the schedule.
If Alton didn't change the wording people would constantly be banging on about it during the visit and if/when it didn't happen it would have put a real downer on the whole weekend for a lot of people.

I honestly believe the original plan from the marketing team was to let us ride Thirteen on the 13th just AFTER the competition winners and the press had ridden.
Perhaps there were delays, perhaps its still on the cards, but there's only a slim chance it will happen. At least if it does now people won't be expecting it at all and it will actually be a real surprise. Where as before I think most of us thought it was more than likely.

All in all its going to be an awesome weekend, we were never going to be the first to ride with this event, so waiting another week really isn't a big deal.

[Big C]

Has anybody got checking in times etc.?

Or will they email them us a week before?

Anyway can not wait any longer all i do say is i hope we see the secret mechanism and Hex's spinning drum...

[nickn5]

Should be a great weekend anyway, after all, backstage events aren't all that common at Alton, especially backstage for a ride not yet even open...

But I hope that at least we come away from it with a FastTrack for Thirteen, it would be a gesture of real goodwill assuming a ride is out of the question.

We'll see...

[Zylos]

Im still looking forward to the trip depsite the fact that a ride on Th13teen most probably isn't happening which is a bit of a let down. We'll all still have a good laugh and an interesting weekend on the resort. It's not like these weekends are a regular thing so thats still something special.

Getting closer to the event

[cmpunk771]

I called them up today and he said there is 200% no chance of a ride at the moment but things may change, i asked him why we couldn't ride and he said it was because of the competition. So i have decided not to cancel but i think it will be an interesting weekend seeing the ride etc so i hope things change by then but if we dont get to ride fair enough but this is a once in a lifetime opportunity and we will never be able to see behind the scenes again.

I am also looking forward ot meeting you guys

SEE YOU THERE

[Dormiens-Dave]

Thats funny because i called today to give the last payment for the weekend and the person on the phone said that she has been told that so long as the ride is ready we will be getting a ride.

It seems Alton Towers itself don't know whats happening, i wouldn't mind but i wish they got the message unified accross the board because if i didn't know what i know from TTF i would be very dissapointed if i turned up on the day and found out we didn't get a ride.

[Islander]

I need some advice... need to book my train tickets for the event (will be travelling to Stoke on Trent), but have no idea what time I should aim to arrive in Stoke, to give myself time to get to Alton, or what time it's likely I'm leaving Stoke on the Sunday.

Any suggestions? Thanks in advance

[cmpunk771]

Islander the person said to me on the phone that we can check in to the hotel at 3 so i guess around then and unless nothing is planned for firday you will see my trying to get served at the bar :P

Thats odd dave, he told me no way are we riding unless things change, but i called the them park number not the hotel so they might be getting more up to date info at the hotel as they are the ones organizing the package.

[Hark]

[quote=""Islander""]I need some advice... need to book my train tickets for the event (will be travelling to Stoke on Trent), but have no idea what time I should aim to arrive in Stoke, to give myself time to get to Alton, or what time it's likely I'm leaving Stoke on the Sunday.

Any suggestions? Thanks in advance [/quote]

I'll probably be getting the 13:25 bus from Stoke train station, failing that the 17:10 bus. For full departure/arrival times see this Topic:

[url=http://forum.towerstimes.co.uk/viewtopi ... =4&t=25546" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;]viewtopic.php?f=4&t=25546[/url]

[AstroDan]

I will be arriving sometime between 5 and 6pm on the Friday.

[Sazzle]

Okay so I'm a little disappointed (slight understatement) but I'm not exactly gutted - I knew there wa sa possibility we may not ride, but from all the information we'd been given from the booking team I assumed it was almost a definite! To echo Dormiens-Dave, they need to brief every team who has contact with guests about the situation and ensure everyone who queries the position is given the same answer.

It is particularly irritating that from our whole forum (as far as is possible to see), no one has been given the same answer as the next person.

We need an official line from Towers on this, as there is evidently still doubt as to the situation - changing the wording on two websites doesn't really cut the mustard for the people who were told at booking that a ride would be almost 100% certain.

*Sigh*

Such is life, guys!

[cmpunk771]

Alton if you are reading this can we get an official announcement or maybe an itinerary?