Bicko said:
How many were installed in the last 25 years? Three? Alton have added over a dozen (okay, some have then been removed).
Sorry Bicko, but you did come in drawing direct comparisons with Blackpool, putting down this plan for Alton saying peple would say it would be derided at Blackpool. I still say if it had been a plan for Blackpool, it would have been very well received because Blackpool have done less for their guests in the last 15 years than Alton have.
Yes, they have limited room and limited cash, but Alton also have tight restrictions on every single thing they do. If Amanda had the desire, she could reach into the coffers today and pull out £10,000,000 for a new massive thrill coaster for next year. She could have done this at any time and could have got it to fit into the park.
Every point raised about Blackpool is equal to that raised against Alton. They are both exceptionally similar businesses, operating in near identical markets.
The difference is in the dynamic of the management (and this goes back to when GT ran Blackpool to). Alton was very poor in the early part of this decade and getting worse year on year. Yes, air was installed, Spinball and Rita - but the park as a whole was suffering from neglect and poor management. Since then, like Amanda, the AT management have been dealing with putting right everything that went wrong. It's taken them about the same amount of time to be honest. However, Alton still have those three coasters - I'd take two of them over Infusion any day.
Yes, Alton need new rides, they need to focus back on the thrill seeker now - this plan shows they are doing. Blackpool needs to be doing exactly the same thing, they need to be giving me reason to come back to them. Their current invisible seven year plan may do that, but a retheme of creaky beaver and taking away Space Invader hasn't got me excited.
Thing is, I like Blackpool, I do really. I've just been on everything there time and time and time and time and time again. I have at Alton, but at Alton I can just mope around and relax. Blackpool is too harsh and in your face for it, plus, it's just not a relaxing park to be in. That makes it a good park atmosphere wise, but not for chilling. Take out the rides, and Blackpool is not a place you want to find yourself for very long.
So without anything to bring me to Blackpool, I'm not going. With the next five years at Alton, I will actually go and actually ride the rides each time - rather than spending my time sitting down eating ice-cream :lol:
So to answer the point raised - if you had presented this as a plan for Blackpool, I would have wept with joy, because it would show that Blackpool were still in the game and I would have reason to return year after year after year as I used to.
) But they don't want to because they think they'd rather have the rest of the part to a high standard, and there's still a little bit of space near other rides.