Though everything seems to be focusing on a small part of the article about Museums being Free, Sams final point there about suggesting Merlin should improve their existing attractions to compete is a very fair point.
There does appear to be quite a bit of hostility directed towards some people who question Merlins ethics and general business practice. Remember, we are here to debate the good the bad and the ugly. Some heated debate is very welcome, but lets not do things in a hostile way. The Student Protests topic, for the best part, is a good example of some debate, with both sides giving their views, but very little hostility.
There are often a lot of comparisons with Disney, and how Merlin could never compete. I have always thought that Disney, as far as rides go, tend to go for the cheap option, and then of course apply some fantastic and immersive theming to them. It seems that Merlin are trying to do the same, or at least they have for the last few years. The only problem is, whilst they can achieve some good theming, it is a long way off what Disney are able to come up. Of course you end up then with an attraction which fails to deliver what people expect.
I do hope that what is planned for 2012 at Thorpe Park will prove a turning point, and Merlin investing in top quality rides, and some great theming as many European Parks do.
Merlin may not have, and never will have the budgets of Disney, as Disney have their fingers in more pies than just Theme Parks, but they do have a vast amount of wealth, and with that there should be no reason why they can't put the investment in to Alton Towers, Thorpe, Chessington amongst others to compete and surpass what other parks are doing in Europe.
Also, one final note, can we get back to discussing the actual topic in question rather than discussing debating styles etc.
Merlin Entertainments General Discussion
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Vik
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Dormiens-Dave
On free museums i will direct u to my previous post on one oppinion of the subject.
Also the operational profit of merlin isnt that high at the moment so i dont know which bit you would like to sacrifice. They have only just stopped been a company based in an office over some shops.
Finally as said by hayd he wasnt saying the free museum is bad. Just that little support is given to the leisure industry. Where as VAT is often reduced in other countries.
Merlin are far from perfect and you can view many of my recent posts despairing over there parks and choices the last few weeks. But the recent Merlin hating in recent weeks is odd seen as it comes from:
A) people who very recently worshipped them
B) some are ex employees with a grudge
Wonders if there are some alterior motives
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Also the operational profit of merlin isnt that high at the moment so i dont know which bit you would like to sacrifice. They have only just stopped been a company based in an office over some shops.
Finally as said by hayd he wasnt saying the free museum is bad. Just that little support is given to the leisure industry. Where as VAT is often reduced in other countries.
Merlin are far from perfect and you can view many of my recent posts despairing over there parks and choices the last few weeks. But the recent Merlin hating in recent weeks is odd seen as it comes from:
A) people who very recently worshipped them
B) some are ex employees with a grudge
Wonders if there are some alterior motives
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Vik
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Again, can I request that we stick to the topic in question, and no more discussion on this Merlin Hatred thing and reasonings behind it. It is off topic, and there has already been one request to return to discussing the topic in question. Please lets do so in an adult and mature way, and stop the bickering. There really is no need for it. We are all better than that are we not?
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haydn!
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[quote=""Vik""]Also, one final note, can we get back to discussing the actual topic in question rather than discussing debating styles etc.[/quote]
Do you want me to hold the carpet up why you brush?
Merlin make a pretty healthy operating profit but the bottom line is often negative due to existing loans and debts. The investments into attractions like existing SeaLife, Madame Tussaud's and The Dungeons has to be realistic. They can't go investing huge sums of money that will bring little to no return.
I'd say the existing set up and business model for each of these attractions is already working inline with Merlin's expectations, or they wouldn't be opening new locations at the rate they currently are.
Do you want me to hold the carpet up why you brush?
Merlin make a pretty healthy operating profit but the bottom line is often negative due to existing loans and debts. The investments into attractions like existing SeaLife, Madame Tussaud's and The Dungeons has to be realistic. They can't go investing huge sums of money that will bring little to no return.
I'd say the existing set up and business model for each of these attractions is already working inline with Merlin's expectations, or they wouldn't be opening new locations at the rate they currently are.
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rickydoodle
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[quote=""Sam""][quote=""haydn!""]Also, overreaction on the museum comments or what? He was asked what he thought the government had done to help the tourism industry, and his answer was, however brutal, very honest. He was not insulting free museums, he was insulted the governments one sided approach to the tourism industry. Free museums and lottery funded public sector owned attractions are competition to all private sector attractions. The fact the government has neglected to help the private tourism sector when it's chosen to bail out other private sector markets and businesses is an insult to Merlin and it's private sector competitors. Especially when you consider the significant impact tourism has on the UK economy.[/quote]
The government subsides free museums as they are educational. The benefit the nation's future, they raise the overall knowledge of the nation. They allow people of any background to better themselves through education.
[/quote]
I agree completely with haydn!, 100%. People are looking far too much into that comment and at the end of the day it was a fair comment.
Free entry to national museums was instigated less than 10 years ago, before then you had to pay. He simply stated that there was additional competition when trying to attract day visitors. Regardless of whether they are educational or not, the point stands. It's only made more infuriating for owners/operators when European/American parks are given significant tax breaks/VAT reductions.
For the record, government/lottery funded attractions were both highlighted as playing a part towards the closures of Loudoun Castle & Pleasureland Southport by their owners.
The government subsides free museums as they are educational. The benefit the nation's future, they raise the overall knowledge of the nation. They allow people of any background to better themselves through education.
[/quote]
I agree completely with haydn!, 100%. People are looking far too much into that comment and at the end of the day it was a fair comment.
Free entry to national museums was instigated less than 10 years ago, before then you had to pay. He simply stated that there was additional competition when trying to attract day visitors. Regardless of whether they are educational or not, the point stands. It's only made more infuriating for owners/operators when European/American parks are given significant tax breaks/VAT reductions.
For the record, government/lottery funded attractions were both highlighted as playing a part towards the closures of Loudoun Castle & Pleasureland Southport by their owners.
Last edited by rickydoodle on Mon Dec 27, 2010 1:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Dormiens-Dave
I dont know about loudon but government or millenium projects had nothing to do with southport closing down. There are no significant projects in the area and southport i believe was still in marginal profit. The blame for southport closure lies firmly in the hands of Amanda Thompson.
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rickydoodle
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^ Regardless, I was just saying it's not the first time it has been mentioned and nobody flipped about it.
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Dormiens-Dave
Indeed and i agree with you. Merlins just not popular at the mo. I think the carpark furie is a focus on peoples displeasure over other things such as the poor excuse for a coaster thirteen was and the way older parts of the park are rotting without any investment or care
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[Archive]
Extremely busy, from what I have heard. The reports from the ones in 2009 and 2010 put me off going on annual pass days, apparently it was long waits all round.
I am sure it would be worth it to see something major like Wild Asia, but this year there will probably only be slight touch ups here and there.
Personally I would just go on a quieter day, but if you don't mind long queues go for it.
I am sure it would be worth it to see something major like Wild Asia, but this year there will probably only be slight touch ups here and there.
Personally I would just go on a quieter day, but if you don't mind long queues go for it.
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Adz
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[Edited because actually yes that was a bit mean..]
I'll be curious to see exactly how far Merlin go with the Eye/Sealife/Madame Tussauds/Dungeons brands.. I'm surprised they've not used 'Earth Explorer' a bit more.
I'll be curious to see exactly how far Merlin go with the Eye/Sealife/Madame Tussauds/Dungeons brands.. I'm surprised they've not used 'Earth Explorer' a bit more.
Last edited by Adz on Mon Jan 03, 2011 9:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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[Archive]
And the point of this sarcasm is what exactly? Nobody was talking directly to you, so you had no need to jump in and unnecessarily show off your 'wit'.It NEVER crossed my mind that Merlin may brand an aquarium they just bought with an existing successful aquarium brand they already owned. That's mind blowing insider information. You win the thread!
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Adz
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You know what, you're right.
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Emrys
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Sorry to sound completely ignorant, but what was that about Merlin leasing Towers after buying it? Did they essentially aquaire Tussaurds, then sell Alton Towers land and keep the brand and managing rights? Or sell it off and basically pay rent?
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crofty2009
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in my opinion, the differences in park management style result in many misunderstandings, and in some cases a sense of disorganization.
I have had the pleasure of visiting Alton Towers many times this year, and in my experience it is among the best run parks in the Merlin group, however I have found the parks no smoking scheme, to be totally ineffective. Not once in any of my visits to Alton Towers in 2010 (and there were many) did I see a member of staff walked by someone who was smoking outside of a designated smoking area and tell them to stop, in my opinion it's pointless having a rule if you won't enforce it.
I had the pleasure of visiting Chessington world of adventure and Legoland Windsor this summer, and I found Legoland to be satisfactory and exactly as I expected, however my visit to Chessington was less than satisfactory. Living in Derbyshire I used to visit the American adventure theme park for a day out both because it isn't local and because it was cheaper at the time, however I found the feeling at Chessington to be a poor man's version of the American adventure, it felt like it had been built and then left to rot with no attention paid to maintenance. I also found the layout at Chessington to be misleading and confusing, definitely not the best layout for enjoying a trouble-free day out.
Since I have been critical of Chessington and its management I should at least report my experiences of Legoland. In general I found the park to be of the same high standards I remember from childhood visit, however there were obvious signs that maintenance of the Lego Village or mini land?was not as high quality as I recall from the days of the Lego ownership and management. The wasp problem was evident however at the time of my visit it did not appear to be a major problem, just the usual swamping of wasps around food venues and bins, although it was evident to us that less was being done to combat the problem that Alton Towers and even Chessington!
I have not had the opportunity to experience Thorpe Park so I cannot comment on the management organization of that Park, however I did hear from many people that we should have visited this park as opposed to Chessington, I seriously hope that I will have the opportunity to visit this park in 2011.
In all I have found that most of the parts at least succeed in managing day-to-day operations without issue, however maintenance of the main and even development of beans could be better in almost all parks, but that's just the critical mind of the modern consumer.
Long live Towers times! And many thanks for such a great site!
I have had the pleasure of visiting Alton Towers many times this year, and in my experience it is among the best run parks in the Merlin group, however I have found the parks no smoking scheme, to be totally ineffective. Not once in any of my visits to Alton Towers in 2010 (and there were many) did I see a member of staff walked by someone who was smoking outside of a designated smoking area and tell them to stop, in my opinion it's pointless having a rule if you won't enforce it.
I had the pleasure of visiting Chessington world of adventure and Legoland Windsor this summer, and I found Legoland to be satisfactory and exactly as I expected, however my visit to Chessington was less than satisfactory. Living in Derbyshire I used to visit the American adventure theme park for a day out both because it isn't local and because it was cheaper at the time, however I found the feeling at Chessington to be a poor man's version of the American adventure, it felt like it had been built and then left to rot with no attention paid to maintenance. I also found the layout at Chessington to be misleading and confusing, definitely not the best layout for enjoying a trouble-free day out.
Since I have been critical of Chessington and its management I should at least report my experiences of Legoland. In general I found the park to be of the same high standards I remember from childhood visit, however there were obvious signs that maintenance of the Lego Village or mini land?was not as high quality as I recall from the days of the Lego ownership and management. The wasp problem was evident however at the time of my visit it did not appear to be a major problem, just the usual swamping of wasps around food venues and bins, although it was evident to us that less was being done to combat the problem that Alton Towers and even Chessington!
I have not had the opportunity to experience Thorpe Park so I cannot comment on the management organization of that Park, however I did hear from many people that we should have visited this park as opposed to Chessington, I seriously hope that I will have the opportunity to visit this park in 2011.
In all I have found that most of the parts at least succeed in managing day-to-day operations without issue, however maintenance of the main and even development of beans could be better in almost all parks, but that's just the critical mind of the modern consumer.
Long live Towers times! And many thanks for such a great site!
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Rowe
Professor Burps Bubbleworks Full Soundtrack
Of course it's the former version, not the latter lather duckies
Of course it's the former version, not the latter lather duckies
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[Archive]
Hmm, that's quite bad quality. I will upload a better quality version in a moment... wait a second...
Shame the full individual tracks don't seem to be on the internet. I absolutely adore the full Bottling Depo/Fairground track, it is awesome and magical beyond description. The track on there seems to be much shortened, misses out the best bits, and missing parts when it fades between tracks. But the full, individual, lovely tracks must be out there in some document archives somewhere in the UK...
EDIT
Here ya go!
Shame the full individual tracks don't seem to be on the internet. I absolutely adore the full Bottling Depo/Fairground track, it is awesome and magical beyond description. The track on there seems to be much shortened, misses out the best bits, and missing parts when it fades between tracks. But the full, individual, lovely tracks must be out there in some document archives somewhere in the UK...
EDIT
Here ya go!
