Early Ride Time 2016

Tue Mar 15, 2016 4:01 pm

I don't think Octonauts will handle the capacity if all the thrill seekers head for it first 8-[

The website should not have the 9.30 in brackets as I would take that as only applies to the previous word.

The web site should read as follows

ERT from 9am CBeebies land only and from 9.30 Oblivion, Enterprise and Spinball.

The problem is that Alton is a very large place, it not as if all the rides are close together, they are pretty much spread out. I wouldn't mind if I lived approx an hour drive away. But like many, I'll be travelling some distance as I've have for the past 30 years. I don't intend to drive 4 hours + to stand in queue lines all day. I want to ride the rides and the ERT helps me do this before the park gets busy.

Now with some of the rides now closed for this season and now with the ERT reduced. It looks like Alton want to eradicate walk-ons as these do not sell fast track tickets which makes them money.

Tue Mar 15, 2016 4:06 pm

The way Alton Towers are chopping and changing ride lineouts / opening times / ERT offerings / F&B offerings is a complete joke. I can only hope that disgruntled ERT thrillseekers go and ride Octonauts between 9-9:30am so that any families - who the ride is aimed at - have to wait longer. Only then might Towers wake up to the fact that they have not got a clue.

SW8 really needs to be a "Pissup in a Brewery" ride. You can guarantee that Alton would have problems getting this right too.

Remember - this is supposedly the UK's No1 Theme Park. Opening this season with just about it's lowest ever ride offering (since the "proper" Theme Park days). Reduced operating hours. Reduced ride / F&B offerings. Reduced prices? Now come on, don't be silly.

Tue Mar 15, 2016 4:12 pm

ROYJESS wrote:It looks like Alton want to eradicate walk-ons as these do not sell fast track tickets which makes them money.

If they wanted fast track sales they'd of kept previous prices or reduced them not increased each package by an additional £10. I can't see a lot of people snapping the fast track packages up unless you are really desperate.

Tue Mar 15, 2016 5:04 pm

What a terrible decision.

This time last year we were looking at Nemesis, Air, RMT and Mutiny Bay ALL from 9:00 and now we're looking at CBeebies Land? For christ's sake towers, have you ever looked at the majority of people who walk in at 9? Have you seen how most of them are not four years old? Have you seen how popular your previous ERT lineup was? I live 3.5 hours away and am getting up at 5am so that I can queue for Octonauts with a load of other enthusiasts? What a magical experience. ](*,)

Might just do a couple of laps of the monorail from 9-9:30, seems more thrilling :P

Tue Mar 15, 2016 6:53 pm

Fully agree with Dan.B (above) - Towers Management have completely lost the plot.

Appreciate they need to make savings after the event of June 2nd last, but there are moderate savings, sensible savings & crackpot savings. Seems like the latter is winning hands-down in the Towers board-room.

Tue Mar 15, 2016 7:55 pm

In a reversal from the information given to me today, Alton Towers have just sent me this tweet:

@dan_nicks: Hi Dan, we would like to apologise for the information you received earlier today. As we stated in January, CBeebies Land, Enterpirse, Oblivion are all available for 9am subject to availabiltity. It is only Spinball that opens from 9:30am.

So it is the original schedule that they announced earlier in the year. I imagine whoever sent out that wrong info will be in for a bit of an ear bashing :lol

Tue Mar 15, 2016 8:12 pm

To Dan.N - the Alton Towers website at the time of posting (20:10, 15/3/16) still clearly states that Spinball, Oblivion & Enterprise are 9:30 opening.
https://www.altontowers.com/theme-park/ ... ride-time/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Tue Mar 15, 2016 8:13 pm

Kraken wrote:To Dan.N - the Alton Towers website at the time of posting (20:10, 15/3/16) still clearly states that Spinball, Oblivion & Enterprise are 9:30 opening.
https://www.altontowers.com/theme-park/ ... ride-time/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The park have had quite a bit of feedback about this very issue so I imagine it will be rectified before too long.

Tue Mar 15, 2016 9:11 pm

Kraken wrote:To Dan.N - the Alton Towers website at the time of posting (20:10, 15/3/16) still clearly states that Spinball, Oblivion & Enterprise are 9:30 opening.
https://www.altontowers.com/theme-park/ ... ride-time/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It's not clear, I get where you're coming from, it's ambiguous though, could easily be taken as Oblivion, Spinball & Enterprise at 9:30, or just spinball at 9:30.

I think this is the most pointless conversation I've had all day :lol

Tue Mar 15, 2016 10:14 pm

I personally read it as Spinball opening at 9:30am, only because of the colon and commas used; however the wording could be misconstrued in various ways and I can see where Dan is coming from how it could be easily misinterpreted by the GP - especially if worded that way on the website! This is probably why AT themselves posted the incorrect info, as they read it wrong too! :lol ](*,)

That aside, I do believe ERT to be poor this year. Mainly because the ERT focuses on one side of the park and does not disperses guests across the park.

Wed Mar 16, 2016 6:40 am

Alton have now confirm on Twitter that Oblivion and Enterprise will be opening at 9am during the ERT with only Spinball opening at 9.30

It's either a case that they have realised that they have made a big mistake and done a U-turn or that the staff didn't know what was going on and if they don't know, then how are we supposed to know?

Sun Mar 20, 2016 12:46 am

I am hoping that they stick The Smiler on ERT when Galactica opens, otherwise there is just no point in ERT with the current line up, I leave at 5:30 to ensure I get to the park for opening, I loved the early Nemmy rides, but there is no way I'm getting up at 4:30 for Oblivion and Enterprise/Spinball, all these rides I can happily miss out on when I go.

Sun Mar 20, 2016 7:12 am

I have a MAP so I'm eligible for ERT. However I'm coming with my family today (they have pre-booked tickets with the MAP discount) so will they be able to enter the park early with me?

Sun Mar 20, 2016 7:57 am

Liam.W wrote:I have a MAP so I'm eligible for ERT. However I'm coming with my family today (they have pre-booked tickets with the MAP discount) so will they be able to enter the park early with me?

Yes

Fri Apr 08, 2016 9:20 pm

If Towers added Runaway mine train, Nemesis, Galactia and Thirteen to early ride time I think a lot more people would go for early ride time, maybe this is a way of putting people of booking online and saving money. This way everyone pays full price on the day making them more money! Also we know people from Merlin and Alton Towers read these forums so take a bit of advice from us and listen to what the gp want!! Let's hope this is improved by May half term holidays!

Fri Apr 08, 2016 11:18 pm

towerslover wrote:If Towers added Runaway mine train, Nemesis, Galactia and Thirteen to early ride time I think a lot more people would go for early ride time, maybe this is a way of putting people of booking online and saving money. This way everyone pays full price on the day making them more money! Also we know people from Merlin and Alton Towers read these forums so take a bit of advice from us and listen to what the gp want!! Let's hope this is improved by May half term holidays!

They might aswell just open the whole park if they went by your list, I think the ERT is fine as it is, maybe add The Smiler in the summer when the parks abit busier and get Spinball open for 9am.
I find Nemesis and Glacactica too far to be practical for ert, the only benefit of having them is using the woodland walk.

Sat Apr 09, 2016 8:40 pm

I disagree, it is not fine as it is. Opening Spinball at 9:30 when it always ends up having one of the biggest queues in the park is just wrong, open it up at 9. There should be another big ride on the list. Galactica would be a good choice due to how poor the throughput is and how many people are wanting to ride it, but of course they want to create a queue to sell fast tracks. They should add Th13teen or Nemesis to ERT.

Sun Apr 10, 2016 1:54 am

Thirteen isn't on due to the 18 rider minimum rule, that's the only ride I don't see ever being added on.

Sun Apr 10, 2016 7:35 am

bensaund wrote:I disagree, it is not fine as it is. Opening Spinball at 9:30 when it always ends up having one of the biggest queues in the park is just wrong, open it up at 9. There should be another big ride on the list. Galactica would be a good choice due to how poor the throughput is and how many people are wanting to ride it, but of course they want to create a queue to sell fast tracks. They should add Th13teen or Nemesis to ERT.

Before you shoot down my post actually read what I post. I said it would be better to get Spinball open for 9. Yes their should be another big ride, The Smiler.
What's the point in opening Glacactica when it's on the other side of the park and one of the more expensive rides to staff?

Sun Apr 10, 2016 8:47 am

Early Ride Time was pretty disappointing on Friday, luckily I didn't go for it (but entered the park at around 9:40). Both Oblivion and Spinball were closed due to technical reasons leaving only Enterprise and CBeebies Land open, which would've felt like a waste of time if you'd actually gone for ERT. Would it have been possible for them to open another ride?