Th13teen to close on Friday 13th?

[rctwik]

Ugh what an awful publicity stunt. Merlin really are a joke.

EDIT - They've just blocked me from commenting on stuff on their Facebook simply for saying it's a publicity stunt. What a pathetic company Merlin are.

Someone doesn't want the "Secret" to be discovered lawl.

Yea they'd close it cause they know that superstitious people will say "It's Friday the 13th, I'm on 13... *gasp* that means something!" *throws themself out the carridge*

 

[Snoo]

I'd hate to be 13 years old today.

 

[Brookes]

Yeah I went today and can confirmed they covered up pretty much every single sign with the "Fourteen logo". It was a pretty smart thing to do I think, I was going to get a photo with Fourteen on it but it didn't come out too well so didn't in the end. They went to a lot of effort for one day. Oh and the wraiths were back.

^EDIT: Saying that I did see someone outside "Fourteen" wearing a 13 today badge.

 

[Naemuti]

So, the ride is being re-named Fourteen....and has a 13 in the logo?

Impressive math, Alton!

 

[Anonymous]

It isn't the greatest coaster, and what could go wrong anyway?

 

[Markeyed]

Lmaoo awhhh good old alton...
but too be fair, thirteen isnt all what its cracked up to be in my opinion :/

 

[jjjjustin]

Can someone please explain this one to me? I'm not going to sift through four pages of spam to figure out what's going on, but that picture is leaving me with a bald spot from all the head scratching going on.

alton announced the ride would be closed on Friday the 13 but day before they make it fourteen open it up and sell special merchandise.

 

[furie]

Or in English for you UC

A few weeks before Friday the 13th August, Alton Towers Resort announced that due to the sheer number of people who are scared of the number 13, they would not be opening Th13teen on that day. As much as it may disappoint, apparently too many people would not ride it due to the bad associations with the number to make it a good idea to open.

Silly, silly PR stunt...

Then on the Thursday, Alton announced that indeed Th13teen would not open, but would just be renamed Fourteen instead.

To be fair, they did go all out and produce special, limited edition merchandise and stuff for it. So, it was a pretty huge silly, silly PR stunt in the end.

 

[Snoo]

It does nothing but draw attention to the ride.. because they know it sucks.

 

[CPcisco]

While it is an extremely stupid PR stunt, does anyone have any thoughts that they will be using this whenever a Friday the 13th comes around? Or do you think it is just this year due to trying to hype the ride a little bit more?

 

[jokerman]

^I was just thinking that actually. This might be used every time Friday 13th comes around. They'll want to get rid of any unsold merchandise.

 

[A-Kid]

^ The merc sold pretty well by the looks of things. On the phone to them when we ordered the 14 stuff, they said there were only about 100 special shirts etc... They were selling so much on the phone that they were worried they wouldn't have enough for the ride store!

They were shocked at the attention this was getting basically...

On a different note, a few non-enthusiast friends went to do Th13teen the other day. Aged in their 20's expecting a thrill ride, they thought it was rather crap other than the drop, and that Nemesis/Air/Oblivion were far better.

 

[Hixee]

On a different note, a few non-enthusiast friends went to do Th13teen the other day. Aged in their 20's expecting a thrill ride, they thought it was rather crap other than the drop, and that Nemesis/Air/Oblivion were far better.

Well duh!

I rode it a few weeks ago with some friends and they thought it was smooth, fun and that the drop was a massive surprise and really well done. They did agree that the re-ride-ability of it is quite low though.