Alton Towers closure....

[pitchnoir]

February 21st 2010 : Heavy snowfall closes theme park


Alton Towers announced via their website at approximately 9am on Sunday 21st February that the theme park would not be opening due to heavy snow in the area, forcing a sudden end to the half term opening period for many guests.

A full closure of the theme park is rare for the resort, and it has been only the second time the theme park has been forced to close due to poor weather in recent years, with the last weather related closure due to gale force winds on a fireworks special night in October 2002.

Its unknown exactly how many guests turned up to visit, but hopefully most people would have avoided travelling with heavy snow forecasted for most of the Midlands area. The park will not have taken the decision likely, with the safety of staff and guests the primary concern.

Alton Towers have also yet to announce any details for people who may have prebooked tickets, but we will keep you up to date with any further news as soon as we get it.

Keep up to date on this story with the latest discussion on our forums right here.

The park re-opens for the main 2010 season from Saturday, March 20th!

Posted by Joel

http://www.towerstimes.co.uk/news/s...ion=showfull&id=1266745619&archive=&template=

 

[Hyde]

Heaven forbid an amusement park close during winter.

You shall receive no sympathy from Northern U.S. on this matter, we have to wait at least another two months! :razz:

 

[Error]

You shall receive no sympathy from Northern U.S. on this matter, we have to wait at least another two months! :razz:

Agreed. Be happy you have it open longer than us.

 

[Ian]

I blame global warming.

Come on, Alton Towers, tax people more money to park their vehicle to discourage them for driving!

That will single-handedly solve global warming/climate change and save the polar bears.

 

[Ollie]

Yeah heard about this. How deep was the snow up there?

 

[Nemesis Inferno]

Thing is, it didn't seem that deep in Stafford, indeed, it mostly had melted away by lunchtime...

But, considering the roads around Towers, I'm not suprised they didn't take much in the way of risk... As the article said, it's all about the safety of staff and guests sometimes, and not just about the money

 

[nealbie]

We barely had any, but even we had closed bus services all day. It's really really silly.

Still not as epically stupid as the H&S Red Flag palava of last year's Malaysian GP, but it's not far off :lol:

 

[Scott88]

From what I've heard from people who work at towers, the snow wasnt even that bad and cleared up pretty quickly, so in all fairness, I am quite shocked they shut the park, as most staff were kept in to work anyway!

 

[gavin]

The park will not have taken the decision likely

Good. I hate it when people make decisions likely!

We really are desperate to create News topics out of any old ****, aren't we?

 

[kimahri]

I shat bricks...

 

[Brookes]

To be honest there wasn't loads of snow, but they were having trouble with Nemesis and other coasters in the week when there was less, and with workers not being able to get in it probably wasn't worth it to try to get everything working.

 

[furie]

From what I've heard from people who work at towers, the snow wasnt even that bad and cleared up pretty quickly, so in all fairness, I am quite shocked they shut the park, as most staff were kept in to work anyway!

I've heard of workers who were snowed in though. Let's put it this way, at 8:30 on Sunday morning, I'd have NOT made my way to Alton Towers from Stafford the snow was that bad.

I guess it depends on where you were coming from, and your point of view - but over this end of Staffordshire it's not a journey I'd have made lightly.

 

[Nemesis Inferno]

I guess it depends on where you were coming from, and your point of view - but over this end of Staffordshire it's not a journey I'd have made lightly.

This...

Simple as, the roads to Alton are a nightmare, and I would rather miss a day than risk my life trying to get through to the park where most of the rides may be shut...

Just because some people can, doesn't mean everyone can, I got to Chessie on the epic snow day back in Easter 08, and they still closed the park, using the 'staff got there so they should have opened it' is bollocks...

There were more road deaths in 24 hours from that Sunday than the entire week before... Wonder why...

 

[LiveForTheLaunch]

Aww shame, gonna have to agree with Matt though; our parks don't open until late April or early May. Besides, who wants to go to a park in the freezing cold anyway? I sure wouldn't.

 

[Will]

Besides, who wants to go to a park in the freezing cold anyway?

Enthusiasts? And... a fair amount of the 'general public' too, it seems.
But I guess to be fair, although 2010 thus far has been ridiculous and come close, British winters probably aren't as cold as on the other side of the Atlantic...

And as for why this is newsworthy? Alton's only closed once before due to weather - high winds cancelled fireworks etc. on October 27th, 2002, thus this... to my knowledge is only the second time in the park's history it's had to happen. An occupational risk of winter openings, I guess.