Attraction Source Forum

Not true. Black Hole is well known for having 4 and a half hour long queues back when it opened.

The gardens and Towers really are lovely, and I actually feel guilty that I don't investigate them further. Unfortunately there's just not enough time to do everything in one day.

I recall queuing for the Black Hole in the mid-80s and it NEVER had 4.5hour queues. Even when it had a much-longer queueline than exists today.

I have several first hand accounts in which, in the summer of it's opening year, it did reach that long.

Over-exaggerations, put simply.

Not when the ride had signs saying the queue was that long.

I know it sounds rather far fetched, but the ride didn't have amazing throughput and there wasn't exactly much else there to draw the crowds.

Does anyone think that the gardens should have some sort of information/history building in the gardens which you can go to and learn about the history of the gardens and the surrounding areas e.g. the Towers ?
I also like the idea of a separated park map for those who would like to explore the Gardens in much more detail labeling all of the different parts for example the Swiss Cottage.
I mean what if you had tourists who have never visited and would like to explore the historical Towers and Gardens and would like information about them.

Eurgh, please leave the gardens as they are, I personally don't want them to add stuff that will attract the Public to the gardens, as I enjoy nothing more than a PEACEFUL walk from DF to FV.

That may sound selfish but having cafes and info all over the gardens will ruin the tranquility of the place IMO.

The gardens is a tricky one. The more you do to attract people to them, sadly, the more they get vandalized. That's the way society has become unfortunately. Once a statue that's almost 200 years old has been smashed into 15 pieces, it's never really the same again. I've seen that at least twice in the gardens, amongst other things.

I think the most obvious improvements if the money was available would be the restoration of major structural work. An example would be restoring the missing iron dome on the Orangery. Stuff like that really. Also, there could be plaques to give information about the history of certain features of the gardens. These would have to be seriously heavy duty though as wooden ones would just get ripped out of the ground and probably thrown in one of the lakes or ponds

[quote=""Blaze""]Not true. Black Hole is well known for having 4 and a half hour long queues back when it opened.[/quote]

What about Corky... 6 - 9 hours!

All joking aside now what about opening the gardens as a separate part of the park, where people if they choose can pay to enter the gardens and just the gardens instead of having to go into the park. There is a sizable chunk of the population who enjoy this type of activity if there was a cafe and other services available in there then with the money generated the gardens could be restored.

This would draw in a different type of people to the park, ones that wouldn't go on rides but would go to see the gardens of course this would mean a separate entrance to the gardens and a hell of a lot of staffing.

Someone entering the theme park could have free access to the gardens through an entrance located in the park, and others just coming to see the gardens could pay a reasonable fee and enter through a separate entrance at least this idea would give the gardens the money and the love they deserve.

[quote="".Will""]Someone entering the theme park could have free access to the gardens through an entrance located in the park, and others just coming to see the gardens could pay a reasonable fee and enter through a separate entrance at least this idea would give the gardens the money and the love they deserve.

[/quote]

And how would you get back in to the ride area of the park afterwards? Also this would mean the end to using the gardens as a walk through between rides as you can only go in an out of one entrance.

I still firmly believe that there are members of many families who would come to Alton Towers for a day out with the rest of their relatives but don't want to go on the rides but would pay a modest entrance fee to get on to the park and as part of that be able to go in to the gardens too. They would still want to see their families on the rides though so need access to all public areas not just be restricted to the gardens.

Well you use your ticket as proof or a wristband system could be implimented. To be perfectly honest you can make it across park with out cutting through the gardens even with the Skyride system down it isn't a long walk. Walking around the gardens will take as much time as walking through.

I think towers is too far down the "it's a theme park" route to be able to market the gardens successfully.

Hey, just look at it trying to be a concert venue this year, and you've got proof instantly

Surely the answer is to open the house and gardens for a few hours in the summer evenings after main closing time. Refurb the glass houses so they can serve meals, put a band in the bandstand etc. Attract a different customer. Alton Towers and gardens, not to mention the superb valley full of geology and rock formations, hidden, overgrown carved rock follies (yes - you didn't know about those did you?), are too important an example of Gothic revival Architecture, superb gardens and wonderful landscape both created and natural for them to be hidden away from appreciative people.

[quote=""Alp1ne""]Surely the answer is to open the house and gardens for a few hours in the summer evenings after main closing time. Refurb the glass houses so they can serve meals, put a band in the bandstand etc. Attract a different customer. Alton Towers and gardens, not to mention the superb valley full of geology and rock formations, hidden, overgrown carved rock follies (yes - you didn't know about those did you?), are too important an example of Gothic revival Architecture, superb gardens and wonderful landscape both created and natural for them to be hidden away from appreciative people.[/quote]

*agrees 100%* this is exactly what it needs. i sit on the fence with the wristband idea, id much rather see the park open again the evenings (in summer) for people just wanting to view the gardens and the house.