DerpyQuark wrote:Am I the only person on here who kinda wants to go and stay in these pods? No? Just asking...
Well there are now two votes for yes in the poll above. So maybe interest is growing :lol. They probably could do something interesting with accommodation at the lower priced entry point, but in my view I'm not really sure they're about to do it here though. But maybe I'm not their target audience for this too!
For those who weren't around the hotels this weekend and are interested in an update, here are some photos from this evening. You can see they've dug a few holes, have received the utility trunking and are in the process of building a wooden fence around the area. They may have also started work on the foundations for the toilet block area, which I'm guessing is the secondary fenced portion at the other end of the site.
I wonder if they came up against opposition for just Stargazing Pods on its own, as it appears there are a few operators in the UK of stargazing glamping and pod based accommodation.
My inner astronomy nerd is going to come out now but for good viewing conditions you need to be somewhere dark with practically zero light pollution affecting the view. If they are going to do try to do this than they will need to lower the amount of light pollution produced by the resort hotels and surrounding area. They should also be using red light in the area of the pods as this will help people trying to view the stars to also be able to view star charts and maps without having their vision being affected by the light as it takes 20 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the dark, but seconds for them to react to light. Will these pods also come with telescopes and star charts and maps I wonder? It would help anybody wanting to look at the stars given that's what this accommodation is going to be advertised as. If AT don't make it easy for people to view the stars, than they shouldn't be called Stargazing pods.
Dom wrote:Will these pods also come with telescopes and star charts and maps I wonder?
Shown on the plans are three "telescope positions" in the central green area. I expect that would mean three telescopes, which isn't really a lot when you have 102 keys with a few guests in each pod.
Dom wrote:Will these pods also come with telescopes and star charts and maps I wonder?
Shown on the plans are three "telescope positions" in the central green area. I expect that would mean three telescopes, which isn't really a lot when you have 102 keys with a few guests in each pod.
Please don't be "telescopes" with television screens in the end giving a simulated view.
I had wondered about the light issue as well Dom. Weren't they trying to increase the flood lighting in one of the nearby areas?
Maybe they named them Stargazing Pods
because 'Queuing for Everything Pods' doesn't roll off the tongue as easily.
Also Swarm Chris, those simulated view telescopes could be added, knowing Merlin. They love gimmicks as much as they love accommodation, sanctuaries and not adding flat rides.
Dom wrote:Will these pods also come with telescopes and star charts and maps I wonder?
Shown on the plans are three "telescope positions" in the central green area. I expect that would mean three telescopes, which isn't really a lot when you have 102 keys with a few guests in each pod.
Could it be a series of telescopes? Hopefully they will put 2 or 3 in a line, otherwise, it isn't very family friendly when only one can do it at a time.
Justin wrote:
Could it be a series of telescopes? Hopefully they will put 2 or 3 in a line, otherwise, it isn't very family friendly when only one can do it at a time.
One of the plans said they were being made by Merlin Magic Making, so hopefully they should have thought through guest use.
Assuming they're not fake telescopes, I'm intrigued to how they'll operate, as I'm guessing there will be no staff stationed with them. Presumably they would need to be motorised, so they can automatically track planets or stars of interest. Then there's the safety of not having people blind themselves by staring at the sun.
Looking forward to watching this develop, may not be exactly what I’d envision for the park however it will certainly open out to a wider audience to be able to stay at the resort and make the most of their visit. It also gives the geeks something to watch over closed season, these going in and being built could add some extra atmosphere to the area instead of it just being a field. Themed nicely it will be a nice addition to the range of accommodation at the resort.
A few people appear to be very negative before anything is on site, don’t judge it on the 2D version online on the plans, wait and see till we get the actual 3D product. I’ll no doubt be giving these a go when they open, if not for anything other than the experience.
I definitely think that it is a great expansion because of the tourism Alton Towers can bring in especially with the theme of Enchanted Village but I definitely feel as if the expansion should start in 2021 and end in 2023 because of how much work the theme park needs rather than the hotel/resort side of the park
These aren't themed. They have a few subtle features, like the telescopes, or the star shaped decor on the facilities building. Apart from that, nothing else is shown in the plans. Everyone here who thinks this will be a good development seem to be holding their hopes on getting some sort of incredible theming – none of which is even shown in the plans.
The only saving grace for these pods is the fact that they will be a cheaper accommodation option, but I doubt they will actually be much cheaper that Splash. Another problem I have from the star gazing geek side is that most children during the summer months will likely be in bed before it gets dark enough to see anything worth viewing. I'm just disappointed that they seem to have had this idea but not enough knowledge of how to execute it to fully reach its potential.
As posted on TowersTimes Facebook, Alton Towers have updated their website to confirm ‘Stargazing Pods’ as the name of their accommodation pods development, along with the reveal of the official logo.
There is also the opportunity for guests to enter a competition to win a stay in a Stargazing Pod, including Theme Park and Waterpark tickets, when they open in Spring 2019.
One thing – I genuinely really like they way they've branded this. Looks very nice, but not trying to oversell itself. It's clever marketing (and pricing) that will be the only way to make this work.
I’ll no doubt be giving these a go when they open, if not for anything other than the experience. 
