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WTF Merlin?

Yeah, Desert Race's logo is so sad. :( To be honest, the ride isn't much better either!
 
OK well not quite "WTF Merlin" in terms of what odd decisions they take, but they announced today flat performance this year compared to last, and their share price promptly dropped 20%....

http://www.cityam.com/274005/shares-merlin-entertainment-slump-terrorist-attacks-and-bad
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/terror-hit-merlin-shares-plunge-082000191.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2017/10/17/merlin-shares-plunge-terror-fears-hit-attractions/

(they also announced a tie up with the Peppa Pig people (for non-UK because Paultons) and that adventure park in Birmingham (this) is going to be branded with Bear Grylls)
 
The thing is, they're stretching the terrorism angle a bit too much and using it as a scapegoat - I was recently at BlooLoop Live where two economists discussed the UK tourism industry and they mentioned that terrorism has indefinitely had an effect on the tourism industry IN LONDON. They stated that most of London's domestic tourists were travelling North to attractions as opposed to staying in the vicinity of London.
 
Did you go to Blooloop Mark?

Should mention it in some posts really!

Also visits are up in some areas - for example more people this year I’ve visited more than one attraction in a month than before. Merlin are just making some excuses.
 
"However holders of Standard passes purchased after 28th November will no longer be able to enter Alton Towers on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays or in fact any day, ever."
 
Jesus Christ. Having alienated a lot of their regulars, there seems to be no plan to win them back with announcements like this.
I shall do my best to ensure they make no more than £50 out of me in 2018. In the northern hemisphere anyway.
And that includes the grabbing machine with stuffed sloths in.
 
It really is only beneficial to get an annual pass if you visit more than just the theme parks to be honest. I remember my last annual pass it was £110 and it included everything :(
 
For me it's a question of how often I actually plan to hit up a Merlin attraction in a year, so am
Pink Cadillac said:
I still think the Merlin annual pass is one of the more value-for-money things Merlin do.
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Agreed, as long as you plan to hit up a Merlin attraction at least twice within a year.
But for me it was more a case of "I have to get the most of this, so I'll visit" instead of "I was planning to visit all attractions anyway."
 
It's a really strange decision as well considering they're not exactly heaving during August these days (aside from Legoland maybe?). It would have made more sense, say, 6-7 years ago when the parks were a lot more popular in the summer than they are now.

I still think the Merlin Annual Pass does represent great value for money. Sure, you need to perhaps make the most of it a bit more ('oh, we can visit here for free - we wouldn't go otherwise but it'll be a fun day so let's do it'), but it still is great value in that case. But it's a shame they keep chipping little bits away here and there..
 
There's a line in a Tom Petty song that always makes me think of Merlin:
"While we celebrate mediocrity, all the boys upstairs want to see
How much you'll pay for what you used to get for free..."

I'm not convinced that being 'good value for money' and simply 'being cheaper than visiting without an AP' are the same thing.
The AP remains cheaper than a single visit to each major attraction across a year, and would certainly save money for anyone intending to visit the London attractions or who has a fondness for Sealife centres (worth pointing out that aside from London and arguably Birmingham, non-Merlin aquariums are better and more varied). However, this is only because of the ludicrous on-the-day prices across most, if not all of their attractions. Therefore, it may seem good value for money, when as an overall product, this is far from the case.

I know what I'm trying to say, but it's proving hard to put that point into coherent words. While my interest in theme parks has certainly had a resurgence in the last twelve months or so, a MAP would not have been a good investment for me this year - the only thing I miss is being able to go to Alton on a whim, and to be honest, my last trip there left me with little desire to return.

There's also the point that it's become progressively worse value over the decade or so whilst Merlin have tightened their ruthless stranglehold on the UK's entertainment industry, but others have already gone into this :)
 
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Seen Alton's operating calendar for next year yet?
Closed on Mondays, Tuesdays AND Wednesdays throughout most of September and October.
Great way to big up the 'world class new attraction', Merlin.
 
Howie said:
Seen Alton's operating calendar for next year yet?
Closed on Mondays, Tuesdays AND Wednesdays throughout most of September and October.
Great way to big up the 'world class new attraction', Merlin.
Click to expand...
TBF, they may change their mind. The calendars change all the time and I'd much rather they later opened days they planned to be shut than the opposite, right?
A few years ago I remember looking at one of the park calendars and it said open until 7 in August... And then like, the week before I go, they changed it to 6.
Such a ****ty thing to do.
Like I get it, it's difficult to guess how busy it's going to be and there is no point opening if you've got under a thousand people, tbh... But that summer hours cut was just obnoxious.
And to be fair, all the American parks are like... Never open. Ever. They open like 3 days a year. We've all been spoilt our entire lives so it feels sore now. Same deal when carpark charges came in.
 
Joey said:
And to be fair, all the American parks are like... Never open. Ever. They open like 3 days a year. We've all been spoilt our entire lives so it feels sore now. Same deal when carpark charges came in.
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If we are being fair, American parks seem to be extending their opening times lately, whereas Merlin is just shortening them with every year to come...
I was just thinking the other day, how UK seems to be the only of the European places where a park trip is very much doable when I have the most free time (which is mid to late September). But with places like AT shortening their opening times and cutting the public transport options, that comfort seems to be departing as well...
 
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