Alton Towers | The Smiler | Gerstlauer Infinity
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Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1
It is, but not by a great deal Joey. I've been doing Alton early season since Oblivion opened and you get a rush those first two weekends, but after that, it's the same if there's a new major ride or not. And to be honest, the park only feels busier around the new ride, the rest of the park is similar if not less busy than normal early season.
I'm sure it does impact early visits, but not by huge numbers - only the real fans or those who can drop things and go. Most people still tend to plan quite meticulously in advance and leave it until the summer or school holidays (or go on free days with "The Sun").
The weeks following the ride opening are pretty dead, though again, the new ride tends to grab people, but look at Air, Rita and even 13 - major problems with the ride almost constantly for the first few months (years... decades...) that mean a half hour queue was often an hour - hour and half, then compounded with more people trying to get onto the new ride. Nemesis and Oblivion mean while run empty seats and are walk on ("Merlin operates a no reride policy, you have to walk the entire bloody queue again - HAHA SUCKERS").
Though I disagree with Erol, it's not a marketing ploy. While I don't think a new ride open early has a huge impact, it does have an impact and professionally, you open your park with everything working (we'll ignore Thorpe for a minute here
) and operational.
You do upset early visitors if your new attraction isn't open at the start of the season and it just plain looks bad. Sub Terror got such a pounding last year because it wasn't finished properly and was rushed. Imagine that on the Facebook meltdown scale you can see at the slightest thing when the ride isn't open on opening day.
Maybe if they'd had earlier access to the site, they could have got to work earlier. Unfortunately, people bitched so much about Enterprise being closed that access may have been restricted. Or maybe they couldn't start earlier due to not having the funds due to people bitching and moaning about their cost cutting exercises
You reap what you sow
Joey said:
It is, but not by a great deal Joey. I've been doing Alton early season since Oblivion opened and you get a rush those first two weekends, but after that, it's the same if there's a new major ride or not. And to be honest, the park only feels busier around the new ride, the rest of the park is similar if not less busy than normal early season.
I'm sure it does impact early visits, but not by huge numbers - only the real fans or those who can drop things and go. Most people still tend to plan quite meticulously in advance and leave it until the summer or school holidays (or go on free days with "The Sun").
The weeks following the ride opening are pretty dead, though again, the new ride tends to grab people, but look at Air, Rita and even 13 - major problems with the ride almost constantly for the first few months (years... decades...) that mean a half hour queue was often an hour - hour and half, then compounded with more people trying to get onto the new ride. Nemesis and Oblivion mean while run empty seats and are walk on ("Merlin operates a no reride policy, you have to walk the entire bloody queue again - HAHA SUCKERS").
Though I disagree with Erol, it's not a marketing ploy. While I don't think a new ride open early has a huge impact, it does have an impact and professionally, you open your park with everything working (we'll ignore Thorpe for a minute here
) and operational.You do upset early visitors if your new attraction isn't open at the start of the season and it just plain looks bad. Sub Terror got such a pounding last year because it wasn't finished properly and was rushed. Imagine that on the Facebook meltdown scale you can see at the slightest thing when the ride isn't open on opening day.
Maybe if they'd had earlier access to the site, they could have got to work earlier. Unfortunately, people bitched so much about Enterprise being closed that access may have been restricted. Or maybe they couldn't start earlier due to not having the funds due to people bitching and moaning about their cost cutting exercises
You reap what you sow
Jools
Giga Poster
Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1
I don't think that the opening date is much of a bother at all, only to those with no common sense, it's clearly advertised everywhere now that it's opening in May, rides quite often don't open until later on in the year, people who are visiting JUST for the new ride should do a little research first, if they turn up in April and they're like "Oh why is it closed" that's their problem. But then I guess people have so little common sense these days.
Anyway, Smiler looking fierce, kind of intreged to see the lift etc still, Blivvy also looking great, but I don't know why, it's bugging me slightly that both SW7 and SW4 are the same colour, wishing SW7 was grey or something.
I don't think that the opening date is much of a bother at all, only to those with no common sense, it's clearly advertised everywhere now that it's opening in May, rides quite often don't open until later on in the year, people who are visiting JUST for the new ride should do a little research first, if they turn up in April and they're like "Oh why is it closed" that's their problem. But then I guess people have so little common sense these days.
Anyway, Smiler looking fierce, kind of intreged to see the lift etc still, Blivvy also looking great, but I don't know why, it's bugging me slightly that both SW7 and SW4 are the same colour, wishing SW7 was grey or something.
Nemesis Inferno
Strata Poster
Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1
>"We're not going to tell you what the secret element is"
>Posts picture of potentially secret element track
Unless that's meant to be the brake run, but the numerous motors and other assorted metallic silver pieces of intrigue make me think it's definitely for SOMETHING...
World's First Earthquake Simulation on a Roller-Coaster it is then!
>"We're not going to tell you what the secret element is"
>Posts picture of potentially secret element track
Unless that's meant to be the brake run, but the numerous motors and other assorted metallic silver pieces of intrigue make me think it's definitely for SOMETHING...
World's First Earthquake Simulation on a Roller-Coaster it is then!
Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1
They don't have to go within two months of each other. They can go back in August/September - next year even - if Alton don't invest big in 2014 (which is likely) the people who visit before May this year still have something new.
That track with spring looks interesting. Vibrocoaster.
elephant58 said:
They don't have to go within two months of each other. They can go back in August/September - next year even - if Alton don't invest big in 2014 (which is likely) the people who visit before May this year still have something new.
That track with spring looks interesting. Vibrocoaster.
Smithy
Strata Poster
Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1
Aye, there's a drop out of the station with no track underneath it in the plans (I think), and we had a discussion a while back about where the transfer track will be. I'd imagine it'll be a dropping platform ala PMBO.
Aye, there's a drop out of the station with no track underneath it in the plans (I think), and we had a discussion a while back about where the transfer track will be. I'd imagine it'll be a dropping platform ala PMBO.
the king
Mega Poster
Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1
A image released by Alton. If I am not mistakened, I see a possible reference to the Black Hole, with the space images instead of a normal sky.
And something off topic.
Quick coasterforce! Hire out X-Sector for two pounds, five hundred pence! :lol:
I found the little mistake on Alton tower's conference brochure.
A image released by Alton. If I am not mistakened, I see a possible reference to the Black Hole, with the space images instead of a normal sky.
And something off topic.
Quick coasterforce! Hire out X-Sector for two pounds, five hundred pence! :lol:
I found the little mistake on Alton tower's conference brochure.
rollermonkey
Strata Poster
Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1
I thought Europeans use a decimal for a comma and a comma for a decimal compared to the US.
And doesn't Winjas have tilting track on one of the courses?
I thought Europeans use a decimal for a comma and a comma for a decimal compared to the US.
And doesn't Winjas have tilting track on one of the courses?
elephant58
Hyper Poster
Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1
Yeah, the 'springy-track' is part of the brakes.
http://rcdb.com/3609.htm?p=18912
http://rcdb.com/3573.htm?p=18530
Yeah, the 'springy-track' is part of the brakes.
http://rcdb.com/3609.htm?p=18912
http://rcdb.com/3573.htm?p=18530
caffeine_demon
Strata Poster
Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1
yup! can anyone remember how much farup sommerland charged us for entry, ert and lunch??
Martyn B said:
yup! can anyone remember how much farup sommerland charged us for entry, ert and lunch??
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