Is Alton Towers losing its Magic?

[BenBowser]

^ See, that's exactly what I was going to say. If anything, the park has regained some of its magic since 2008, the new brand and altered logo are effectively just a modern version of what we had in the 90s.

"Escape to Alton Towers Resort" still sounds magical (granted it would sound better without the 'resort')

Nothing about the park is loosing magic, CBeebies Land is the perfect example. Just stand by PPPP and watch the grins on the children's faces as they enjoy their dreams.

I'll agree with most though. Dark Forest seriously lacks any atmosphere, excitement or entertainment. But hey ho, loosing one area isn't going to really effect much.

Oh, the only other negative is Scarefest. What the heck happened to that?! We're now down to two (out dated and overused) mazes, and two scare zones. What ever happened to things like Duel: Live? Hopefully Scarefest attendance is poor this year, showing Merlin that more money is needed!

[TheOutpatient]

I've had a lot of time to think about this and I think for the most part, the magic exists partly in your head, partly in the visual stimuli of the park (things like design and places being clean and tidy) and partly in the human interactions you have with, such as the staff. I'm sorry if this offends people but when you add a ride with dark themes you do challenge the magic but its remedied somewhat by blending some light into the darkness. A classic example is UV lights in a dark ride; They're a lovely violet colour and they make everything glow in the dark and you escape some darkness through them. Another example would be Nemesis hot pink water. NOT the red water that they've experimented (to make things more evil) with but the hot PINK water stands out against a pretty raw landscape and when you change the water to red its too dark for me. I know you're supposed to scare people but if you just toss people from the frying pan into the fire, its not magical in my opinion,dark themed ride scenery needs redeeming features like this. I kind of embodied this mentality when I said blue and green LIGHT SOURCES should be added to dark forest. They've got the darkness down -great, they just need a few things to glow in that darkness. It wouldn't be that hard for Merlin to sit and think this out.

Another big factor in creating magic is luxury such as in the architecture and the gardening like we have in the Towers and the gardens themselves. There's a street in one or all (I dont know I've never been to) the Disney parks where all the buildings/shop fronts are beautiful...But we currently have not been able to afford to spend that kind of money on shops but we did try and thats why we have towers street.

[Zach]

go In Oct (before Scarefest) and ride RMT, then tell me AT has no magic left.

I have to agree with CV here, and add my own two Peneth, if you think the magic is gone then I think you've either out grown the magic or you're too blind to see it! Magic isn't just down to merlin or Alton, it's down to you allowing your inner child out when you go and forgetting the outside world! Do what it says on the tin and ESCAPE! :moj

[TheOutpatient]

Sometimes I feel magical just coming here - That really makes me wonder how its made.

[nemyjoe]

I started loving alton towers about 4 years ago just after 13 had been opened and the first two years i just very excited when i found out i was going and i thought it was very magical but this year and last year it hasn't felt the same when i visited

[TheBeast]

Yeah, I think it is. Merlin have ruined it trying to swipe our money with fastpasses and extra charges and everything else on top of that in my opinion. I think it has gone from being a magical park more like Disneyland to a tourist magnet like many of the other Merlin attractions. I think the one park that hasnt lost it just yet is Thorpe, but it wouldnt suprise me if that does too. Bring back the old time Merlin!

[Altontowersbarlow]

Yeah, I think it is. Merlin have ruined it trying to swipe our money with fastpasses and extra charges and everything else on top of that in my opinion. I think it has gone from being a magical park more like Disneyland to a tourist magnet like many of the other Merlin attractions. I think the one park that hasnt lost it just yet is Thorpe, but it wouldnt suprise me if that does too. Bring back the old time Merlin!

In my opinion, Alton Towers has retained more magical appeal than Thorpe Park has managed to. I have never experienced a welcoming or warm atmosphere at Thorpe Park and the park itself seems to lack any differentiation in atmospheres while passing through each themed area. This does not mean I dislike Thorpe Park however I do feel that Alton Towers has far better standards in atmosphere. The portrayal of "magic" within AT's attractions is considerably better than at Thorpe Park which is understandable as Thorpe Park has a different target audience than Alton Towers however the point still stands.

[Tom]

Similar topics asking the very same question have existed on this and every other Alton Towers forum. This question has constantly come up for the 10+ years that I've been actively interested in Alton Towers. I think honestly it's more down to just growing up rather then anything really changing.

The magic is still there, just you don't feel it as much when you're older.

In my opinion the magic is basically just the Towers and The Gardens, that's what brings the true magic to the park and what makes it special.

[Milgod]

I don't think it is at all.

I took my daughter to Thorpe Park in August and couldn't believe how 'unmagical' it felt compared to Towers.

[Ryan.B]

Look at younger people and you will see that the magic has more than ever, most of us prefer original magic from rides such as toy land tours,and over rides, you,eventually,will grow out of it watch younger children in cBeebiesland and you will see they find it more magical than we found it when it was there for us, the reason the magic has gone isn't because of money grabbing, everywhere needs money to be magical (parents might have found it money grabbing when we were younger (around the ages of 2-8'but then we all realise you have to pay to get stuff but the kids don't understand money, times have passed since people found original ideas 'magical' Magic is stronger than ever now but Magic is now considered meeting characters around parks which are loved by children a around the world, it just clicks as the children consider the program's characters magical so when they meet them in real life it is even more magical look at children meeting the zingzillas and Postman Pat, it's basically making dreams come true, gone are the times when everyone loved characters alton invented e.g Alton Bear and Here are the times Children watch more TV than going outside but now if you add an place such as Cbeebies land one year aimed at 2-8 year olds and take that out and replace the rides with original ideas e.g Postman Pat as Vintage Cars, Pie o matic without the Justin theme, just the alton bear making some Jam tarts and in the night garden into a ride where you see the alton bear dancing around and park mascots, you will see that much less children are attracted and the reason is, they Don't know these characters, to them it's just a random bear and a random mascot, not someone world re known, it's just not as magical as an ip nowadays for children!

Wow, this has been a really long post...

[Aidan Lowe]

A 2 month hiatus from towers cannot rekindle the magic for me, managed 3 hours on park today.

Time for me to plan some overseas trips in 2015 as home soil is lacking in what I hunger for

[Dan]

Having just spent 3 days at Towers after a 1 1/2 month break I can say without a shadow of a doubt that the magic is still there.

The fact it was Scarefest and the atmosphere on park was phenomenal may have something to do with this but I still get as excited as ever before a trip to Towers.

It's gonna be a long old closed season after Fireworks next week :tears:

[Dom]

God no. Alton Towers will never loose the magic. It is just a magical place. 'Nuff said really

[JustWill]

In my personal opinion, Alton Towers is the ONE theme park which retains it's magicalness...? :yes: every time I visit.

Personally, on a cold wet scarefest day stuck in The Smiler's queue pen, practically waist-deep in all the water which had rained in Cbeebies Land, Adventure Land And X-Sector, directly after you have been stuck on the lift of air in horizontal hailstone for 20 mins, yes the magic deteriorates a bit (a lot.)

But when you are walking into the park at ten, mildew glistening off the grass in the glinting morning sun, yes I can feel the magic. And when leaving, the sun disappearing behind the entranceway and that ice-cream truck is playing the jingle, yep I can feel the same magic. Ooh and Charlie, if you don't re-ride that for sheer pleasure and that magical feeling, then I want to know why you re-ride!

Oh yeah, and Get Set Go in rain
And Monorail at 10-11 & 3-Close :W