Water Park Opening Hour Changes & More

General discussion regarding the UK's No.1 Theme Park. Talk about anything and everything Alton Towers here.
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Coke
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New Waterpark Opening Times as of January 9th 2010

The new 2010 Waterpark Opening times have been revealed and many changes have been made, it seems the Waterpark no longer follows a specific schedule and you need to check in front to see when it is open. The waterpark has introduced some later openings and earlier closings on many dates but in August and some of July and September the waterpark has extended it's hours to 9pm. Below is a basic guide to opening times in 2010.

January 2010
9th-31st January - Mon-Thur 11am-4pm, Fri-Sat 10am-6pm, Sunday 10am-4pm

February 2010
1st-11th Feb - Mon-Thur 11am-4pm, Fri-Sat 10am-6pm, Sunday 10am-4pm
12-21 Feb - 10am-6pm daily
21st-28th Feb - Mon-Thur 11am-4pm, Fri-Sat 10am-6pm, Sunday 10am-4pm

March 2010
All of March - Mon-Thur 11am-4pm, Fri-Sat 10am-6pm, Sunday 10am-4pm

April 2010
1st-18th April - 10am-6pm daily
19th-30th April - Mon-Thu 11am-5pm, Fri-Sat 10am-6pm, Sunday 10am-4pm

May 2010
1st-27th May - Mon-Thu 11am-5pm, Fri-Sat 10am-6pm, Sunday 10am-4pm
28th-31st May - 10am-6pm daily

June 2010
1st-5th June - 10am-6pm daily
6th-30th June - Mon-Thu 11am-5pm, Fri-Sat 10am-6pm, Sunday 10am-4pm

July 2010
1st-15th July - Mon-Thu 11am-5pm, Fri-Sat 10am-6pm, Sunday 10am-4pm
16th-31st July - 10am-9pm daily

August 2010
All of August - 10am-9pm daily

September 2010
1st-4th - 10am-9pm daily
5th-30th - Mon-Thur 11am-5pm, Fri-Sat 10am-6pm, Sunday 10am-4pm

October 2010
1st-7th - Mon-Thur 11am-5pm, Fri-Sat 10am-6pm, Sunday 10am-4pm
8th-31st - 10am-6pm daily

November 2009
1st-6th - Mon-Thur 11am-5pm, Fri-Sat 10am-6pm, Sunday 10am-4pm
7th-30th - Sun-Thur 11am-4pm, Fri-Sat 10am-6pm,

December 2009
1st-16th - Sun-Thur 11am-4pm, Fri-Sat 10am-6pm,
17th-31st - 10am-6pm daily (24,25,26 Closed)

Golf and Spa follow same times as previous years with some exceptions.
This is only a guide which I hope you find useful, check the official website before your visit.

EDIT: More Changes at Alton Towers Waterpark
Also from January 9th expect to see no staff around Rush & Rampage start area and new smaller tubes gradually being introduced on Rush & Rampage to allow younger guests to experience the ride. No doubt this will prove popular with youngsters. Also Bubbly Wubbly Pool and Flash Floods will continue to operate selected periods only. Guests are advised to check before their visit for opening times. Investment will continue however with new queue line theming on Master Blaster and repainting and generally refreshing the waterpark over it's short period of closures in January. It is not expected for prices to rise but we will find out in the new year.
Last edited by Coke on Wed Dec 23, 2009 8:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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AstroDan

WHAT A JOKE!

What is the point of a Water Park ANNUAL PASS?

I often go on a Friday after work to enjoy the facilities. Now it's a 6pm close nearly ALL THE TIME, I won't bother.

No renewal for me.

Epic Fail, Alton.

4.00 SUNDAYS!?!?!?

:clap: :clap:
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Coke
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I know it's really not that good is it? Not what I expect from a Resort that calls themselves 'world class'. Only 8pm Scarefest aswell. ;(
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AstroDan

It's abismal, it really is. A news article has gone up on the home page.

This will literally stop me renewing my Annual Pass. The park isn't open enough now.

Sometimes I am amazed at how well AT are doing, then they take backward steps like this.

:roll:
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Coke
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I just had it on my facebook stream, I wonder if the waterpark annual pass price will change though?
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AstroDan

Well I paid £29 last Feb. How on earth they'd expect people to pay the current £65 with such huge reductions in hours I have no idea.

15 hours pw. less opening, x 46 weeks affected = 690hrs. Around 10 staff needed on average £7ph. £70ph x 690 = £48,300 per year and they'll save operating costs too.

:roll:
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NF2
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What happened to 2003 when Cariba (as I still insist on knowing it) would close 8pm or later on most days? My local pool stays open til at least 10 daily, so why should Cariba not?
AstroDan

I know. It's not like this is the first time the opening times have been massively reduced. As you say, when it first opened it was always open really rather late AND was only for hotel guests (and was free for them)... now it's obviously all about the moolah.
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Please don't let this be a return to 2006 when the park would close at 5:00 daily, rendering it useless to anybody wanting a full day in the Theme Park as well.

We need to look at this logically though: maybe Alton have looked at it, and they just aren't getting enough guests in past 5:00 to make the staffing costs viable. I can't imagine why it isn't working though, as surely if it stayed open later they could make a bomb off Hotel Guests returning from the park, they could even market it as a place to relax / have fun when the theme Park closes.

Sheer insanity though ](*,)
oldgitBEN

I'm suprised by this move tbh Alton really seem to be pushing the 'water park' of recent and I actually expected to see the hours going up.

A better marketing and revenue plan would be to offer a reduced rate to the Theme Park ticket holders after say 3pm, when the hotel guests have had the morning and lunch to play, so people will stay on resort even longer - even if they arent hotel guests!
Push it by advertising on the park, on the back of tickets and make it a combined ticket via the website - as another 'perk' like the ERT.

Keep the water park open until 8pm steadily, not faffing about with the hours, then hotel guests have a choice of when to visit over their stay and more people will go.

Rather dissapointed by Altons lack of consistancy at the min. Hmmm, its making me think is the water park struggling financially? Theres alot of staff needed to run the place and I imagine the bills on the place must be expensive. Hmmmm.


*** awaits Morwenna to create some marketing stunt to pass this off

Alton Towers Sharks Swim in Waterpark
Alton Towers attraction "Sharkbait Beef by Sea Life" includes several randy fish which have been disturbing the sharks sleeping pattern at night time.
To combat this move the sharks will travel by the Monorail every evening to take a swim in the Alton Towers Waterpark overnight for some much needed rest on their own.
Marketing whore Morwenna Angove said "The sharks love splashing about in out waterpark and have a good rest in the Carribean theme which they feel at home in. To allow the sharks to swin and rest freely at night time we've ammended our hours to be shark friendly."
DiogoJ42

This is stupid! Who uses the water park in daytime? It should be open till 9-10pm so you can use it after a hard day's coastering.
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Gloomy Dude
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I can only add to the universal condemnation of this hairbrain scheme. Poor form Alton, poor form [-X

I will say this though... anyone think they're spreading the budget a bit thin this year (what with all the on park investment) and something had to give? And in this case, it was Cariba Creek opening hours?

Has SW6 cost us the joy of evening swims?
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There seems to of been a big emphasis over the last couple of years to re-brand the Water Park, and also try to attract people other than hotel guests. Maybe this plan has failed somewhat?

But to close so early really isn't right. Alton Towers like to see themselves as a resort. But what resort shuts a water park at the same time or before a theme park on the same complex? What sort of resort is it where guests who have just enjoyed a day at the Theme Park are unable to make use of the Water Park because it's closed as well? Not a world class resort that is for sure.

It seems to be the same old story. A couple of great leaps forward, then a massive leap back.

Thought to be fair, just like any other business they have to make savings from somewhere. I guess it is the Water park that has bore the brunt this time round. But it seems to be at the expense of the overall guest experience, especially those who dare to visit 'off peak'.

Will be interesting to see if they even offer the annual pass for the Water Park this year, and if so, how much it will be. I certainly wont be renewing. I would only ever use it on a Friday evening and after a day on park on a Saturday, which we wont be able to do now.

I do hope there is a rethink on the situation, especially concerning the closing times on a Friday/Saturday.
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Well, that's made the decision for whether the family_furie renew the waterpark pass or not, or probably go to the the waterpark again.

It's also worth noting they've changed the age limits too. Now four year olds have to pay for entry, unlike when we bought the passes last year. This means that three of us have passes, but because they've changed the age limit, we now have to pay for Maxi-Minor_Furie.

So, it also means we will have to pay to use up the last few months of (reduced time) annual pass. Didn't quite work out the bargain it first appeared to be.

Ah well, as long as they maximise profits, it doesn't really matter if that means losing those pesky, costly guests along the way does it?
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Coke
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Hi Guys, I emailed Alton Towers on the 21st about something myself and I got an email saying they would call me before the Christmas break. Sure enough they did and I got a call from a friendly chap from the Towers. He answered my questions (regarding 2010 Fastrack) and I took the oppourtunity and asked him why they had cut water park hours. His response was that all he knew was that staff contracts had changed, but the waterpark was opening later in it's busier period of July and August when it was lighter for longer so they could open the outdoor slides longer. He added that if the waterpark got excessively busy they may choose to open it later and that all he could say is that the resort are continually investing in the waterpark and it's facilities.

I have updated my first post to reflect some of the details from this call.
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AstroDan

Continually investing in the Water Park and its facilities?

Like, no new attractions in 7 years of opening?

:lol:
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For example, I am going to use the 16th and 17th of April 2010 as these are the dates in which I am at ATH.

Park (16th April): 10:00 - 18:00.
Park (17th April): 10:00 - 18:00.
Golf (16th April): 10:00 - 20:00.
Golf (17th April): 10:00 - 20:00.
Waterpark (16th April): 10:00 - 18:00.
Waterpark (17th April): 10:00 - 18:00.

Right, so Alton Towers is meant to be a resort. Correct?

The Waterpark on these dates should be open at least until 20:00, similar to the Extraordinary Golf times.
It would give people so much more to do in the evening after spending the day in the theme park.

It does seem to me that this is down to costs, but surely the Waterpark should be open outside of park hours to get more hotel guests into the Waterpark?
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Coke
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I know, it's pretty terrible for what's supposed to be the UK's no.1 resort. They better have good entertainment those evenings. Oh wait, it's Pirate Bill again (not that I have anything against him). Surprised Golf is open later than Waterpark though?


[quote=""AstroDan""]Continually investing in the Water Park and its facilities?

Like, no new attractions in 7 years of opening?

:lol:[/quote]

Just what I was told :D
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If they intend on investing, maybe these early closings will be an oppurtunity to carry out the work, although to be honest, i doubt it. It will be all about cutting costs as is the general attitude towards it.

Surely if the hours HAD to be cut, afternoon openings would make more sense...Say 3pm - 8pm on the shortest days. At least that way, park guests can still enjoy the facilites! Either way it's wrong though, and there's no excuse for cutting the hours without explaination, especially to those who have already purchased annual passes later in year which are now pretty much useless to them!
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[quote=""Coke""][/b]
Also from January 9th expect to see no staff around Rush & Rampage start area and new smaller tubes gradually being introduced on Rush & Rampage and Master Blaster. Also Bubbly Wubbly Pool and Flash Floods may only be open for limited daylight hours. Guests are advised to check before their visit for opening times. Investment will continue however with new queue line management systems on Master Blaster and repainting and fixing features of Wacky Waterworks Treehouse. It is not expected for prices to rise but we will find out in the new year.[/quote]

Just to comment on this.

The new Rush and Rampage procedure has been in place about a month now and it is not a budget cut. The old 1.1m and over only height restriction has been removed. Children below this height who are older than 3 can now ride on a parents lap. Which surly is an improvement. The new rings are smaller so younger guests can site more comfortably in them. And the only reason they are different is because the old manufacturer has gone bust in the UK, so they are from a new company.

Also, there is nothing happening to the Master Blaster queue line during the week close, same goes for Wacky Water Works. Wacky's features are fixed year round when they brake, as long as the parts are available.

A few things that are being done during the week close are: alot of painting, new signage, all bridges are being replaced, new flooring installed around the park and alot of other small touch ups.

But as the hours go... yes it's poor. Evening openings would make far much more sense.

Hopefully they will see their mistake and adjust accordingly.

Oh and all of the outside pools and slides have operated a separate opening schedule for a long time. That's not new.

Anyhoo, thats it from me... :)
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