Late-night opening

[Gavin]

I pretty much agree with Furie here. In the UK, we've got it pretty much ingrained in our heads that most stuff, not just theme parks, closes around half five. Even though these days plenty of shops, for example, stay open later, five thirty still seems to be our cut-off point.

Seaside parks will be different because people on holiday in the area will be outside of their normal routine and more willing to stay out "late".

It would be great for us if parks stayed open longer, but what's the point in them doing it if they're only going to lose money?

Even in the US, where a lot of parks are open well into the evening, they seem to be pretty much dead by 6-7pm.

 

[owentaylor121]

Who cares if the parks loose money, no queue's all around

 

[andrus]

I was a bit surpriced when I started to go to parks outside of scandinavia. Here it's standard procedure that people go to parks in the evening. Sure the parks are open from 10-11am. But often, or at least most parks used to, not open their big rides until 2-3pm. Here most adults go in the afternoon/evening, grab a beer and hang out with friends. Theme parks is more an option instead of going to the pub.

Ok, so it's a different culture and different conditions. Tivoli Gardens, Liseberg and Gröna Lund are all situated in the center of town. The same late night opening obviously wouldn't work for Alton situated in the middle of nowhere! And of course the parks has to change strategy as well with more focus on pubs etc to bring in an adult audience at night, and with separate entrance fee/attraction tickets!

 

[CoasterCrazy]

^I too was pleasantly surprised that Gardaland seems to be closed for solely about 9 hours in the morning, the website might not agree, but on my last visit, I was riding Raptor until 12 o'clock, and was incessantly checking my watch to see if I could get one more ride in....but as OwenRita stated, the Uk is freezing and some sort of summer nights extended opening hours would be ingenious.

Saying that however, Thorpe Park does open for Fright Nights, meaning this can occur:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1onS__Fd9nI[/youtube]