A few thoughts on the recent cuts...
Loosing baggage holds is a shame. Merlin are the only company in the world who had baggage holds like that, and they work so well. And their inclusion in the actual design layout means they come not from parks retroactively making additions, but planned, forethought and consideration from designers... I moan a lot about lacking forethought in the design process, so I should take a moment to celebrate how great of an idea and how well they actually worked. But on the flip side, they’re not necessary. And if cuts need to be made, they’re a logical removal, as across the park you’ve cutting 2 staff members from every major coaster. And they can and may return one day, when a manager realises the hourly throughputs are nightmarish and guest services report higher complaints about queue times and round and round we go, flip flopping between short term goals. But I’m in favour of their removal, I guess in a weird way, because it’s a sensible choice if cuts need to be made?
Like someone else mentioned a few posts ago, the main problem is short term profits and not long term sustainability. This is a human problem, not a Merlin problem, but it is weird. Everything feels like a quick neutering to regain lost funds from last season, rather than improvements to make profits higher next season, ya know? And as also mentioned by someone else, they’re not loosing money, they’re just not making forecasts. With shareholders and the like to please, they panic and do anything they can to recoup, then seem shocked when profits continue to plummet. Oh no we’re not making enough money, quick, make the product worse! OH CRAP NOW NO ONES COMING WHO COULD HAVE FORESEEN THAT??
I’m not going to pretend I could do a better job at running the company, because let’s face it, if I attempted it there would just be other, worse, gaping, fundamental issues... But that doesn’t mean they’re doing a good job.
I don’t have an issue at all with reduced open days, but I do take issue with reduced hours. It’s weird that UK parks were open every single day in the past. Why be open for 4 annual pass holders who brought their own lunch with them? It’s stupid. But reduced hours on the days they are open ruin the product. On a 4pm close, you couldn’t do everything at Alton Towers. You couldn’t have the full experience. What I wonder though is why they continue to insist on opening at 10... why not run 11-6? God even 12-7. No one wants to come in the bloody morning. Attendance must peak at 2pmish, surely? But go to American parks, open all summer till 10pm, and regular day guests turn up en mass just for the evening.
They cost too much for too little experience and if they keep this up, it’ll be too late to fix it. Might already be.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk