JackFish
Mega Poster
Now that i´ve seen it more, I really like the track
Alton Towers | Nemesis Reborn | B&M Retrack | 2024
- Thread starter Matt N
- Start date
VonRolland
Giga Poster
That's still running so slow, with a heavy breeze watch it stall
Coastiesaurus
Roller Poster
That was not my experience of Efteling at all, was there in August last year when the opening hours were 10am - 10pm and had plenty of time to do everything we wanted to. Has Towers recently stayed open until 10pm outside of scarefest?
Personally, I’m still recovering from visiting Legoland Windsor last May when the opening hours were a measly 10am - 4pm…. That felt like an absolute travesty to be honest
Nicky Borrill
Strata Poster
I don’t mean to be rude, but your experience doesn’t change mine. We visited in June 2019, it was packed beyond comfort, and it shut at 6pm.
And yes, AT trialled late summer close times, for their festivals like Oktoberfest, (though it was not 10pm,) and by 7pm the park was mostly empty, with just a few of us drinking on the lawn. (And one particularly drunk strange lad running and sliding up and down the rows of tables.)
Have never spent more than 2 or 3 hours in Legoland… Why would you? It’s a kids park! Are you suggesting they stay open until 10pm?
Coastiesaurus
Roller Poster
I wasn’t suggesting that my experience changed yours at all. Never wrote that anywhere. I guess Efteling must have changed their hours since 2019, on their app from mid-March onwards opening is listed until 7pm. It’s not listed from mid-May but I doubt it would go earlier as the summer progresses. It was certainly 10pm for August last year.I don’t mean to be rude, but your experience doesn’t change mine. We visited in June 2019, it was packed beyond comfort, and it shut at 6pm.
And yes, AT trialled late summer close times, for their festivals like Oktoberfest, (though it was not 10pm,) and by 7pm the park was mostly empty, with just a few of us drinking on the lawn. (And one particularly drunk strange lad running and sliding up and down the rows of tables.)
Have never spent more than 2 or 3 hours in Legoland… Why would you? It’s a kids park! Are you suggesting they stay open until 10pm?
Why would I visit a kids park? I have a 5 year old son who is Lego-mad (and to be honest so am I
). I definitely think that park should open past 4pm in May. It felt like such a rush to do everything we wanted to. And plenty of daylight after 4pm at that time of year
Sandman
Giga Poster
I know we're a bit off topic here (this really belong in the WTF or Yay Merlin threads) but it's all a domino effect. It's not just the early closes with AT. It's an arse to get to for a lot of us, then on top of that, ride availability is fairly tragic. So, it makes the 4pm close a lot more sour when you've spent hours getting there, queuing for minimal rides and then bam... at 3pm, you're already on your last hour.
So, whilst I agree that Merlin/AT aren't the only culprits, the early closes at a park like Towers do form part of the reason I basically avoid visits. And I actually like AT, so God knows how some of the GP feel (esp those forking out for a full family!). Even 5pm or 6pm closes could alleviate some of that frustration!
So, whilst I agree that Merlin/AT aren't the only culprits, the early closes at a park like Towers do form part of the reason I basically avoid visits. And I actually like AT, so God knows how some of the GP feel (esp those forking out for a full family!). Even 5pm or 6pm closes could alleviate some of that frustration!
Tonkso
Hyper Poster
6 should really be the 'off day' standard in my opinion, but then again I'm not an expert on park economics so what do I know?
However, the 4pm closes actually put us off, we've done it before and left unfulfilled and simply won't do it again. We can't be the only ones with that mindset.
However, the 4pm closes actually put us off, we've done it before and left unfulfilled and simply won't do it again. We can't be the only ones with that mindset.
Nicky Borrill
Strata Poster
I wasn’t suggesting that my experience changed yours at all. Never wrote that anywhere. I guess Efteling must have changed their hours since 2019, on their app from mid-March onwards opening is listed until 7pm. It’s not listed from mid-May but I doubt it would go earlier as the summer progresses. It was certainly 10pm for August last year.
Why would I visit a kids park? I have a 5 year old son who is Lego-mad (and to be honest so am I
Ultimately though, and the main point, is that it’s 4pm for a reason.
As somebody that does visit AT all the time during these 4pm days, they’re always quiet mid week days during term time, when the park is empty, we’re honestly always done by 2pm. Have a look back over our 2022 LOG entries for yourself, see how many rides we got in on midweek days when I had to leave the park by 3pm for a 5pm start at work.
Yes ride availability is an arse, but the close time doesn’t really make a difference to that. Generally if a ride hasn’t opening by late lunch, it isn’t opening regardless of the close time, and that’s where my issues usually lie.
If you find yourself there on a 4pm close and the park is too busy to get everything done, then they usually extend opening for the day.
They’re a business at the end of the day, if demand is there, then their opening hours reflect that, and vica versa.
As for Legoland, to reiterate, it’s a kids park. If you’re there on a 4pm close then it’s mid week during term time, as in when most kids of school age are at school. Thus the demand isn’t there. (These are the days I’ve visited too, although I haven’t been too many times, like I said was done and dusted in a few hours.)
This whole ‘meme’ (if that’s what we can call it,) about them closing early, started when it was unreasonably early at times when demand should be higher. As in at weekends, or during the holidays, they don’t do that anymore. I don’t think it’s fair to expect any business to work around you if the demand just isn’t there, like weekdays during term times. And it also just isn’t needed, 4pm closes, at low demand times, have proven, in my experience, not to be detrimental to the experience at all. In fact I guarantee you’ll get two or three times as much done on a 4pm close in May as you will on a 9pm close early November…
This all reminds me of the entitled people that come into my pub, moaning because they were one of the measly 3 guests that tried to visit for a meal the Monday before, only to find us closed. Of course, we’ll pay out £300 in wages, £400 in energy, and every other overhead, just so we don’t miss out on £60 from the 3 guests that may visit!
Coastiesaurus
Roller Poster
The demand was most definitely there on the day I visited Legoland. It was not a quiet day in the park at all. I’ve had a similar experience at Chessington as well. I’m not saying that they should open really late - but when you’re leaving at 4 and the park is still really busy then I think I certainly am ‘entitled’ (to use your own language) to feel a little short changed as a guest on that particular day.
And my original point about Efteling stands - you said that no park in Europe has regular late opening hours but Efteling (at least now) actually does.
And my original point about Efteling stands - you said that no park in Europe has regular late opening hours but Efteling (at least now) actually does.
Nicky Borrill
Strata Poster
No idea about Chessington I'm afraid, been there once, and it was a Coasterforce Live, so it would have been great fun whatever the operations were like...
As for Legoland, I'll have to take your word for it, not my experience, I've only visited during term time weekdays and found it fantastically quiet. But I absolutely believe you, because they do not have a single 4pm close listed this year, some term time weekdays are even 6pm, so they must have done that for a reason, i.e increased demand.
(This does kind of prove my point though, that it's all demand based, and that they WILL respond to changes in demand, both positive and negative.)
And as for Efteling, again, it's great to see that they too have responded to demand... (I need to take the missus to Efteling, as she'd love the place, so perhaps I'll give them another go during term time this year.)
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VonRolland
Giga Poster
Was*
Nemesis was good
ScottLann
Mega Poster
Nicky Borrill
Strata Poster
Not really sure where to put this, or if it's already been posted, but for anybody that missed it, Hex is confirmed as returning this season...
If Hex is back (and more reliable than it's been for years,) Nemesis is back, Sub Terra is back... and we DO get another flat, then capacity this season is going to feel so much better.
Call me a pessimist, but I can't help thinking that there's always a kicker, will the kicker be the availability / reliability of other rides... Or will there be a surprise closure / removal? 
Great pic, Thunderlooper hiding out there in the top left corner... Also I think those buildings in the top left are the same buildings still stood there today, Nemices Donuts etc.
If Hex is back (and more reliable than it's been for years,) Nemesis is back, Sub Terra is back... and we DO get another flat, then capacity this season is going to feel so much better.
Call me a pessimist, but I can't help thinking that there's always a kicker, will the kicker be the availability / reliability of other rides... Or will there be a surprise closure / removal?
Nothing new to report but whenever I come across this rare image of the Nemesis site in ‘92 before construction started I find it fascinating so thought i’d repost it.
Great pic, Thunderlooper hiding out there in the top left corner... Also I think those buildings in the top left are the same buildings still stood there today, Nemices Donuts etc.
Howie
Donkey in a hat
That's a good point actually, do we know that Sub Terra will be back this year? Or was it just a temporary thing while Nemmy was out of action? Maybe that will be the kicker that you were on about?
spicy
Giga Poster
Good spot those do look like the existing buildings.
Kind of crazy that the Nemesis helix now wraps around that last visible monorail support in the image.
Makes it more intriguing that there aren't many images from the original construction. A far cry from the daily images/videos on multiple YouTube channels a project of that scale would recieve these days.
That's a good point actually, do we know that Sub Terra will be back this year? Or was it just a temporary thing while Nemmy was out of action? Maybe that will be the kicker that you were on about?
I think it will be for next season at least, it's still listed on the website if that counts for anything:
Nemesis Sub-Terra
Discover the story of Nemesis Sub-Terra, your worst nightmare underground.
www.altontowers.com
The kicker could be Submission returning as the new flat ride