2012 operational cuts

Fri May 25, 2012 8:32 am

^ That's a shame, because everyone here would be more than happy to help them with suggestions. Even if a lot of suggestions wouldn't be viable. :P

Fri May 25, 2012 9:06 am

Delta79 wrote: Considering the above quote, i am surprised AT don't interact on this forum. If they want informed comment, I can't think of a better place to find informed customers.

We are only a tiny tiny tiny selection of "customers". I say "customers" because we are more enthusiasts, who will spot the smallest thing on our multitude of visits each year.

Dormiens-Dave · Fri May 25, 2012 9:27 am

The only flip side to that is we yravel the world going to themeparks and have a wealth of knowledge about what works... if used correctly i think enthusiast opinion is a powerful tool and the parks that interact with enthusiasts always seem to work well.

That said Towers at the moment do interact quite alot with enthusaist groups so im not complaining.

Fri May 25, 2012 12:21 pm

I don't think it'd actually be too beneficial at the end of the day, I think it would likely result in sycophancy rather than anything more constructive. Their communications now are fine, I think. I still think Alton could be making more money (as I suspect they like to do) off enthusiasts though, through events and special merchandise, as PBB and EP have long managed.

Fri May 25, 2012 1:02 pm

Dormiens-Dave wrote: The only flip side to that is we yravel the world going to themeparks and have a wealth of knowledge about what works... if used correctly i think enthusiast opinion is a powerful tool and the parks that interact with enthusiasts always seem to work well.

That said Towers at the moment do interact quite alot with enthusaist groups so im not complaining.

Oh yeah I totally agree dont get me wrong, I was just making the point that if Alton wanted to announce something to the public, then a forum like this isnt going to be the best place to do it in terms of audience.

I'm just happy that I know Alton do sometimes read the forums, as the print outs found in the Field of 1000 Screams a few years back showed. And as others have pointed out, they are also pretty good with their comms if people write to them.

Fri May 25, 2012 4:11 pm

AstroDan wrote: They use the forum a lot, but don't tend to interact online. I think they'd be worried to. I actually think it would force more reasoned debate rather than too much toys out the pram.

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What's the chances of creating a special forum on TTF that isn't viewable to the public, where they could interact with us? Maybe only TTF'ers who have reached a certain level of posting would gain access to that forum to keep out a lot of newbie nonsense?

Would be a much better system than the old customer council.

Fri May 25, 2012 4:44 pm

Issue with something like that is how do you judge who gets the right to post in there. It should be up to management to decide if they want to post. Heck, if I were them I'd already be on here posting but just not telling them!

The hotel management do interact however. dsteel posts occasionally in order to give updates on the hotels and waterpark.

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Fri May 25, 2012 6:44 pm

mrbrightside wrote:The hotel management do interact however. dsteel posts occasionally in order to give updates on the hotels and waterpark.

Unfortunately David Steel no longer works at Alton Towers - so we won't be seeing any posts from him in future.

David engaging with the forums just shows that it does works well and it does link the enthusiast community more with Alton Towers. I wonder what's happened with David's 'big plans' for the Alton Towers Hotel since his departure.

The chances of a 'special forum' being created are very small. Management already reads these forums on a regular basis and our comments are noted. They choose not to join the forums and talk to us (and I don't blame them!) although nonetheless our posts do count for something.

Sat May 26, 2012 1:01 am

James wrote:
mrbrightside wrote:The hotel management do interact however. dsteel posts occasionally in order to give updates on the hotels and waterpark.
Unfortunately David Steel no longer works at Alton Towers - so we won't be seeing any posts from him in future.

David engaging with the forums just shows that it does works well and it does link the enthusiast community more with Alton Towers. I wonder what's happened with David's 'big plans' for the Alton Towers Hotel since his departure.

The chances of a 'special forum' being created are very small. Management already reads these forums on a regular basis and our comments are noted. They choose not to join the forums and talk to us (and I don't blame them!) although nonetheless our posts do count for something.

Woah thats a quick changeover? I thought he was new at the hotels hence his "master plan" but now he's gone already?

Such a shame, I would have loved to know what he was going to do with the hotels.

I think AT management probably don't post for fear we'd beat them with a stick (not literally) when something goes wrong. It could get very messy, but with a controlled forum specifically for that purpose I think it could work quite well.

Sat May 26, 2012 9:39 am

I will never stay at a theme park hotel. I can go for a weekend at Butlins for 2 with food for the price for 1 to stay at Theme park hotel with a day in the park.
With a baby due in July the next time I be going to Alton Towers will be the 25th Oct with my 2 free Sun tickets. I will miss having a Merlin Annual pass.

Merlin really need to stop theses cost cutting not just at Alton Towers but all the park in the Merlin group. On off peak days they should sell adult tickets for £20 each and under 12's £10 each. A family of 4 will more likely go if a family ticket was around £60.

So with petrol,odd snack/drink,park tickets&parking. A family day out should cost less than £100

Sat May 26, 2012 12:12 pm

PeteB wrote: Woah thats a quick changeover? I thought he was new at the hotels hence his "master plan" but now he's gone already?

Such a shame, I would have loved to know what he was going to do with the hotels.

He was relatively new, apparently he has moved on to work for another company (so he's out the Merlin chain) in a similar role. As to why he left Alton Towers/Merlin though is anyone's guess.

I felt David was one of the few managers that 'gets it', he engaged with us, always open for feedback and he made some wonderful changes to both of the hotels. I've seen more maintenance during his time there than I've seen in years. I guess his big plans have been shelved now - it would be interesting to know what was planned though...

It's a big big shame he's now gone. I'm not sure on who has replaced him, although I hope they continue to do the great work he did on the hotels. I've always felt hotel management are the team that gets things perfect, as opposed to theme park management who seem to be a bit shaky.

Website · Sat May 26, 2012 3:58 pm

It is a great shame the David Steel has left the resort. I met him a couple of times and he was fantastic to speak to and seemed really enthusiastic about what he was doing. The changes made at the hotels over the past couple of years have been really good also and clearly reflected his hard work. Who knows why he moved on, possibly a better job offer elsewhere, or maybe not satisfied with what he had at Towers. This wild speculation on my part but we know what Merlin are like with budget cuts at the moment; maybe his budget was cut meaning he couldn't do what he planned and decided that enough was enough. Whatever it was though, it's a great loss in my opinion.

oldgitBEN · Sat May 26, 2012 4:42 pm

indeed the impact he had on the resort side was very impressive, its a shame to see him leave. I hope whoever replaces him is equally as enthusiastic.

Sat May 26, 2012 6:48 pm

I really hope that his 'big plans' for the hotels will still be followed up. It's clear the guy had a great vision for the resort arm of Towers and the changes he implemented were generally all very well received.

I hope whoever took the reins from him will continue with his plans and ideas and hopefully will also interact on here to keep us up to date as well!

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Sun May 27, 2012 2:55 am

James wrote: and he made some wonderful changes to both of the hotels. I've seen more maintenance during his time there than I've seen in years.

Yeah everything except the bland mast repaint on the ship, but we shall not go there! I hope he wasn't responsible for the "generic sandwich shop" now making an appearance in Cariba Creek?

Seriously though, it's a shame he's gone but maybe he just realised what an evil bunch of crooks M£rlin are and decided his talents were better appreciated elsewhere. All the best to him I say, hope he goes far!

Sun May 27, 2012 11:38 am

^Don't forget the repaint of the SLH water feature, the christmas lights in the foyer and the laminate flooring in the bar. They were tacky and not in keeping with the hotels.

The new carpet in the ATH and the giant deck chair in Splash were good additions though (however the plastic ice cream is tasteless).

Jordan · Sun May 27, 2012 12:09 pm

CoasterCrazyChris wrote:the plastic ice cream is tasteless.

Yes, eating anything plastic usually tastes pretty foul.

Sun May 27, 2012 1:50 pm

Jordan wrote:
CoasterCrazyChris wrote:the plastic ice cream is tasteless.
Yes, eating anything plastic usually tastes pretty foul.

I'll give you that one.. :P

Sun May 27, 2012 3:50 pm

What about the added theming behind the big chair in ATH? The added coffee bar and ice cream kiosk in Splash? The fact the water feature looks fantastic? The classily re-made Dragon's Bar?

So much positive effort has been put into the hotels.

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Mon May 28, 2012 5:29 pm

In addition to previous replies received regarding the Skyride via e-mail, I also received one (though not quite as good as the other one posted):

Dear Mr *****,

Thank you for contacting the Alton Towers Resort, and in particular for your comments relating to the recent unavailability of the Skyride.

Given our reputation as the UK’s favourite Theme Park, we are never complacent about our customer experience and we take the comments and concerns of our guests very seriously as such feedback allows us to ensure that we are continuing to deliver a truly fantastic level of service to each and every one of our guests.

In this instance, the Skyride was temporarily closed as part of a trial based on low usage on off-peak days. We regularly review the experience that we offer in line with our guests’ needs and expectations, and it is through these carefully considered changes to our operation that we remain a successful business and are able to continue to invest in the overall experience that the Resort offers. However, we decided not take the trial any further and the Skyride re-opened last week and will remain so for the remainder of the season, barring mechanical, operational or maintenance issues.

I hope that you are reassured of our intentions to provide the best experience that we possibly can and we hope to look forward to welcoming you to the Alton Towers Resort soon.

Yours sincerely,

Dominic Harding

Guest Services Co-Ordinator
Alton Towers Resort

'Tis a nice little email that explains everything clearly.