Awesome... Was at Thorpe last week so wasn’t sure. They were, however, staggered the week before.

Not that I blame them, EVERYTHING was walk on, and even with the openings like that, we had done everything, some things multiple times, by 1:30.

Come to think of it, Monday was busier (and normal openings, I assume, we headed straight for WM then X-Sector and around that way on the Monday) but Tue and Thurs that first week were dead, dead, dead.

Edit: My apologies, missus has just corrected me, it was 11 not 12, but it DID include FV on the Tues at least, can only be sure it included KC on Thurs as we saw that and didn’t bother heading any further in. My memory is not what it once was apologies.

I went to the park for the first time in 6 years yesterday and whilst I had a great time and the Wickerman was brilliant, I cannot help but feel that the park is really starting to lack in flat rides. Submission gone, Ripsaw gone, Enterprise not looking like its going to be open for a while, Twirling Toadstool gone. Anyone else feel that instead of putting in paid for attractions the park really needs a couple of good new flat rides adding maybe 2 in the same season so they don't get over crowded just so people have something more to go on than just coaster after coaster.

Wortho wrote:

I went to the park for the first time in 6 years yesterday and whilst I had a great time and the Wickerman was brilliant, I cannot help but feel that the park is really starting to lack in flat rides. Submission gone, Ripsaw gone, Enterprise not looking like its going to be open for a while, Twirling Toadstool gone. Anyone else feel that instead of putting in paid for attractions the park really needs a couple of good new flat rides adding maybe 2 in the same season so they don't get over crowded just so people have something more to go on than just coaster after coaster.

This isn't an uncommon belief and I personally agree with you. I believe in the next few years we'll be seeing a redevelopment of Cloud Cuckoo Land and possibly Spinball Whizzer. With the redevelopment it's likely that some medium thrill flats will come as there isn't much for young children too old for cbeebies and too young for Wicker Man and Th13teen. From what I've heard, The Alton Towers Dungeon has been successful but I think the money would have been better spent on some more filler attractions. Hopefully we'll see an improvement soon!

I was using google street view to look around Alton Towers the other week. The pictures are quite old so you can see ripsaw in full swing and the crowds queuing, watching and using the food outlets. That area is a shadow of its former self.

Looks to be quite busy today. Cars were queued in both lanes up to the resort entrance when I left this morning.

Good to see that guest numbers appear to have remained at similar levels so far to those of last year.

Queue times haven’t quite matched this time last year, but I’m guessing that’s because operations are better? 

Operations seemed pretty good on largely everything other than Oblivion. Wicker Man on two trains was nearly as good as three last year, so hopefully they'll have the third train running in the peak summer to help eat the queues. Even Th13teen was somehow operating far more efficiently, even though bags are still stored in the station.

The other slight difference to last year may be the staggered school holidays with a late Easter. I heard one family yesterday saying they were going back to school today, which certainly isn't the case for all schools.

I'd very much doubt that a school would be going back today. Schools either broke up on Friday 5th or a week later. Some schools around Alton broke up on the Thursday just gone.

Operations on the whole were good. Th13teen was in particular, along with Galactica which was pushing them through! Oblivion was the disappointment this weekend, but not enough to spoil the weekend!

Justin wrote:

I'd very much doubt that a school would be going back today. Schools either broke up on Friday 5th or a week later. Some schools around Alton broke up on the Thursday just gone.

It seemed odd timing to go back before Easter. Perhaps private school, or just the parents simply lying to their kid as they had a surprise planned for today?

And yep, Oblivion's operations are the worst in the park, but not currently terrible. For me it's mostly disappointing knowing the only reason it is running slower, is because they won't hire two more staff to operate the second station.

Here in Leeds, the Easter holidays finished today and kids were back. They’re having a long weekend over Easter instead.

Same in Sheffield - kids have had the last two weeks off and are back today. I think they're trying to standardise when the Easter holiday is so it's not necessarily at Easter itself?

That is a first! I've never heard of that before, but it might have something to do with the length of the Summer Term.

Hopefully, it benefits guests visiting as numbers are more spread out.

Anybody know what's going on with Enterprise? It's nearly May and it still hasn't opened, it usually takes a week or two to assemble this model of ride.

From what I heard, they are doing “extended maintenance” on Enterprise, and is set to reopen in June.

Wayne Burton confirmed on Facebook that it’s awaiting a part from HUSS and the park themselves confirmed that they hope to have it sorted and reopened by June.

I was on park yesterday and notice that our named bricks at the entrance looks better.  I don't know if they just gave them a clean or they have added gold and purple colour paint to the engraving, they are very much more readable compared to the start of the season  

I believe they were given another clean. Not sure how, but hopefully not by the same pressure washer used before the season.

Alton Towers have recently installed touch screen digital photo units for most of their rides. You can use these with your Digipass but there is an option for those without a pass. The other 2 rides that I'm aware of where these are available are The Smiler and Oblivion. You simply scan your Digipass when selecting the Digipass option, enter your on ride photo number and it should been load it onto the card.

Unfortunately, most of the touch screens were not working except for The Smiler's yesterday. What do you make of these touch screen units?

Can you use annual pass discount on them?

MakoMania wrote:

Can you use annual pass discount on them?

As most of the machines weren't working, I was not able to see what other options they have. At the moment, I know you can use your digipass with them. I'm not sure about one off download pictures but I presume not as you'll have to make a payment which a staff member would have to help with.