News: Reduced Attraction Operating Hours *Updated*

[JAMMYD777]

Even though I have sympathy with resort in these hard times, I still feel frustrated at the magnitude of cut-backs that are being set into action. The future seems quite uncertain to me.  :sadblink:

[roary01]

they shouldn't be touching the ents department what so ever!
they have hardly any money or shows at the moment anyway, so surely cutting actors isn't going to help..

plus the acorn was one the best! lol

As for re-hydrator/noodles thats not well though as there isnt another noodle bar in the park, and will re-hydrator be closed next year too?? that wont look good

[Hurri]

It's true that pretty much every park is suffering this year, partially as a result of further incompetence from our glorious government coupled with absolutely awful weather, but really Alton? Really, Merlin?

"Attendance is down! We need more people to visit! What can we do?"
"Hmm, why don't we remove reasons for people to visit?"

It may save a few quid in the short term but really this seems incredibly short-sighted by Merlin. And it's the latest in a long line of decisions that have turned several parks many people used to love with a passion into a soulless joke. I didn't renew my AP this year, mostly due to decisions regarding Thorpe, but this is something else to confirm I made the right choice.

I think Merlin need to realise that people visit their parks for a good, fun experience. As more and more is stripped away, people aren't getting the experience they pay for, which results in them not coming back, or not coming back as often. Attendance is down - yes, the weather and the recession are factors - but a great deal of it comes down to mismanagement and providing a poor guest experience.

It's been mentioned that several parks do staggered openings, but most of the non-Merlin parks that do are open till late evening, so you still have plenty of time to enjoy everything. Incidentally, there's a certain small seaside park down in Essex which opens till late every day throughout summer peak and opens every single attraction with the park gates. If they can manage to operate a park properly, giving people the joy they want and getting regular repeat visitors, surely the 'second biggest entertainment company in the world' can?

[ubagel]

I'd prefer no cuts but the cuts they have made seem pretty sensible to me.

The 'big' rides that are closed are the ones furthest from the entrance...and there's something in each direction to do. Really, we were all going to do Nemesis and Air...now we have to do Nemesis first. And the same for Rita and Thirteen. Oblivion doesn't have a partner (yet ) but as the only thing in the area it's remained open. Basically, if you've put the effort in to get to the edge of the park you will find something open

From memory, I think Universal Studios staggers the opening so rides open towards the back of the park throughout the morning. If you go to to the back of the park early, everything will be closed. But all of AT's signature rides are at the 'edges' so I think what they have done suits their layout best. If I'd walked 20 minutes to get to Air and found Forbidden Valley closed I wouldn't be happy. I can deal with finding Air closed and doing Nemesis instead

Food...well, there are plenty of other places to eat so I doubt this will affect sales. And I've never like queueline kiosks anyhow. I don't like the way it disrupts a queue and I suspect by removing them the'll just increase sales in the exit shops.

Gutted that I never get to see Scrat's acorn though!

[johnbroom]

Please leave Entertainments Alone with only one show on park please leave it alone we need them.

And leave Halloween and Fire works Alone. we do not wont to see any cut's at these event's PLEASE 

[johnbroom]

now a bit of news for you from the 25th of june Portaventura is open from 9am till midnight and a few special days open 9am till 4am well they must be long shifts to work lol.

[roary01]

Is it just me who thinks the UK parks have to suffer, whilst the Merlin parks abroad get new shows, longer opening hours....

just my thoughts, but why should the UK parks suffer and cut back to allow foreign parks to get benefits??

[TB2]

What the hell is wrong with you people!?
Its a far better solution than having to close an attraction all day! Theme Parks around the world stagger opening times, admittingly they could have been a little smarter about what rides to open, but still!

If its not one thing its the other! Gee. Its a fine solution! Just go on a different ride in the morning! Why let a ride be completely empty for an hour or so!? Just don't open it, untill the park actually starts to get busy, at around 11-12!

So calm down! Its not WW3...Yet! Although the way Alton are having to cut and save, there may well be, and if its not the 'national socialist TT' it will certainly be the liberal facebookers! LOL!

If Alton had been a little sensible, they should have shut maybe x-sector or Dark forest completely, rather than all over the place because they could have at least staggered the park, like Port Aventura, and other such parks!

However, many parks shut there rides either first thing, last thing or at lunch time, depending on what and where the park is! Its not a total disaster! Gee! Keep calm and carry on!

Just saying it like it is! There are far worse things the park could have done, and just think, in about a week or so, they will recoil this system and it will no longer exist!

Air and Thirteen are hardly quiet in their first hour of operation. Instead, the park is just putting pressure on Nemesis and Rita because thats where all the excess people are going to go. Port Aventura keeps coming up as an example of a park that has staggered opening. Well having a 2 hour queue for Furius Baco at 10:15 in the morning or an hour for Dragon Khan isn't that nice when having the majority of rides going eases the pressure and allows guests to get more rides in during their visit.

I don't understand Alton's logic in the slightest.Why do they keep tip toeing around the issue of budget cutting by going for things that are going to annoy the majority of guests. Logic would dictate you go for the quietest rides if you want to cut some money out. So instead they go for the parks busiest roller coaster and the newest roller coaster.

[crofty2009]

this is getting ridiculous, Spinball noodles wasn't very good in my opinion so it's about time that closed, although i will miss the opportunity to fill up my free refills cup there.

i put forward that they could close areas early, as most people leave the park around 4, and the coach parties which alton are increasingly working towards to keep congestion down, usually leave by around 3 due to the distances they travel.

it's silly, have reduced opening towards the end of the day, allowing the flow of people to steadily move towards the entrance/exit.

i put this down as the opinion of a businessman and a student of business studies.

it of course would also make sense to close down children's areas an hour early, due to the fact that children tend to leave the park early due to tiredness, and they make up such a small proportion of the guests.

[PeteMadden]

it of course would also make sense to close down children's areas an hour early, due to the fact that children tend to leave the park early due to tiredness, and they make up such a small proportion of the guests.

This definitely needs to be suggested. 75% of the children below 10 at Alton Towers won't stay past about 5.

This whole new operating hours scheme is just awkward for my usual schedule when I go to Alton Towers. I'm always in the park at opening time and usually start on Air. Air is my personal favourite ride to do first thing in the morning. If that and TH13TEEN aren't going to open until 11 I'll have to completely reschedule. The only reason I go on Air and TH13TEEN at particular times is because of the queueing times being fastest at these points and my personal favourites to do before lunch.

I completely understand the need to reduce operating hours with the recession and all, but cutting down on two of the parks busiest rides seems ridiculous. Cutting down on Storybook Land and the likes, even Sonic Spinball, would make so much more sense to close down around dinner time (5ish)

[siralgenon]

So they've reduced the hours of the Rita Shop, yet kept the photo kiosk open. So technically they have closed one till and got rid of one staff member - Well im sure that will make a huge difference 

[iriderides101]

So they've reduced the hours of the Rita Shop, yet kept the photo kiosk open. So technically they have closed one till and got rid of one staff member - Well im sure that will make a huge difference 

I was in the park on Friday and i'm pretty sure all stock was removed from the shop and it was closed off?

I could be wrong

[roary01]

I will say this...
I know the Rita shop barely ever did much in terms of sales, except drinks/snacks and they have probably used this as there chance to finally close it for good...
Although it has been said on occasion that Piscolve would of liked to extend the photos as the unit is very crampt when it is fully staffed however with all these cuts the plans for a picsolve extenstion have probably been cancelled too but it is going to look extremely messy having one shutter open and the other closed as guest will still see an empty shop unless it is closed off from public view or the photo booth gets extended which probably wont happen during open season...

[NickT04]

Despite having an Annual Pass I have only visited once this main season, on opening day. Reading about actions like this don't make me want to go back! It could well be I don't go again until Scarefest, when last year I went once a month!

[Krazycoaster]

So they've reduced the hours of the Rita Shop, yet kept the photo kiosk open. So technically they have closed one till and got rid of one staff member - Well im sure that will make a huge difference 

I was in the park on Friday and i'm pretty sure all stock was removed from the shop and it was closed off?

I could be wrong

I went to the Park on Saturday 16th and the Rita Shop was closed all day; i'm guessing it's shut permenantly. I hope they extend the photo booth, although I don't think they will, at the moment you get a massive group of people all trying to view their picture which crowds the path.

[Rob]

Not very impressed with this. I'm due to visit in September after booking a while ago so now not only do I get 1 hour less in the park due to it closing at 4pm I also get 1 hour less in the morning on certain rides.

I just don't get closing shops and food outlets as I would have thought this would have given the park most profit.

[stu1980]

Hi again folks this is the 3rd post on this subject and sorry i hate to do it again. I see a few people here saying that it is a bad year for the themeparks in the UK. I am sorry and dont think it is really. I had the upmost pleasure of going to Blackpool Pleasure Beach today and have to say i was happy as a pig in **. Last time i went was 2005 and ive not been since then and today loads of work going on a new mulit million pound ride being built as we speak. No rust or paint missing anywhere. At 4pm i was tripping over people dressed up as meet and greets and it was busy too. So to Merlin shutting shops etc and things sorry what for i said in my other post and i,ll say it again yu can only cut back so far then people get really upset and unhappy and while i know times are hard so what maybe Merlin are trying to get there millions back from the tower and Blackpools new places?????.
Sorry merlin Pleasure beach is small to you and every shop and ride and games stall was open till 6pm today even though the park shut at 5pm. They can do it so can you....Get burnt once or ripped off you dont go back...
while i wish Merlin and the towers all the luck in the world with this move i hope they change there minds very soon. OH yea and another point the all day food tickets since you have now shut a load of the eating places on the list dose this mean its now cheaper than £22.50pp oh sorry no its not.... Has the magic gone for me.... Almost

[jackgcse]

Basicly you are all (or most of you) saying that anything Alton do, to try and save money will not work!
However you all suggest ideas, but they are all different. So how can they possibly please you all!?

So what, if you have to re-plan your trip around the park!? Who cares, go on a different ride, its not that hard!
Sorry to be blunt, but the way I see it, Alton have fairly trialed lots of cost cutting techniques and this is probably the best one they could have done, but the only thing I would have changed would have been, instead not open forbidden valley untill 11, instead, simply because it is the furthest from the main entrance!

Overall though, most have just got to face the facts, and although I compare to Port Aventura, PA, is by far more profitable and popular, so they can, and will extend opening times, if you have never been in summer, I can assure you, they need every hour they can get a day!

[TB2]

So what, if you have to re-plan your trip around the park!? Who cares, go on a different ride, its not that hard!
Sorry to be blunt, but the way I see it, Alton have fairly trialed lots of cost cutting techniques and this is probably the best one they could have done, but the only thing I would have changed would have been, instead not open forbidden valley untill 11, instead, simply because it is the furthest from the main entrance!

Agreed. Because currently they open Nemesis at 9, Three other rides at 10 and then the parks most popular rollercoaster at 11. It's ridiculous..

[bohoboy]

Basicly you are all (or most of you) saying that anything Alton do, to try and save money will not work!
However you all suggest ideas, but they are all different. So how can they possibly please you all!?

How can they please us all? Well that's quite easy, if you are paying more for entry this year than you did last year the least you should expect from your visit is a minimum level of service equal to what you received last year if not better.

Closing unprofitable outlets and a reduced food and beverage option (during quieter periods) is fine, but to significantly reduce ride operating times at the start of the high season is ridiculous, especially when you consider the profit maker that is the car park charge. The whole thing reaks of profit milking, squeezing every ounce of cash out of the park and it's customers.