Do UK parks make the most of winter?

[slappy mcguire]

Most people probably have as much time off at this time of year, as during the summer, and yet most UK parks either close down, or have very limited opening times. With the likes of the Halloween events becoming an ever more important part of a theme park's revenue stream, even though the weather is generally inclement, do uk parks need to have more in the way of winter events, like many of the American and European parks do, or is that simply unfeasible?

Oh, and not a seventies TV sitcom in sight...

 

[Nemesis Inferno]

*Looks outside*

Well obviously right now is a good enough reason... But look at what's happened to Thorpe and Towers opening in Feb Half Term, they've worked punter-wise but with rides being tempermental when our weather is **** (as it often is) I cannot see them doing much risk-taking in the time of year where renovating rides is the main focus...

And I wouldn't particularly wanna spend a cold December day at any of our parks tbh...

 

[gavin]

It can work.

Off the top of my head, Lotte World and Everland are extremely busy over the winter period, with temperatures generally colder than we get here and with everything operating. They make the most of it, having winter/christmas themed parades, shows and decorations around the parks. Granted, Lotte has a huge indoor section and is in the middle of the city, but Everland doesn't have those benefits and still does very, very well throughout the year. Even the smaller Asians parks stay open and make some sort of effort.

Would the great British public be up for visiting parks if they were open is really the issue I think, and I'd say the answer is no. Got Facebook? Go on now and see how many people are whining and moaning about a bit of cold weather...

 

[peep]

It works pretty much everywhere else in Europe and even the coastal attractions in the UK stay open but I think, like Mr Inferno and Gavin have already made note of, British public hate the cold and going to an outdoor attraction isn't really what they want to do. Sure, some peeps will go but the majority will moan about the weather and decide it's a bad idea.

I quite like how the parks use the time to develop the park too, means that when the park is open they don't have to close off lots of paths etc for construction causing havoc amongst guests - the Disney parks face this issue on a regular basis and it's not fun.

 

[slappy mcguire]

I do wonder if half of the reason that the cold is such an issue in UK parks is that so few rides and attractions over here are indoors, so you don't get any respite from the cold. Remember also that there are several 'winter wonderland' type attractions that are frequently rammed, even if there is bugger all there...it's all about captivating the audience.

 

[Tim]

Sometimes the parks are freakin' dead in September for the majority of the week

If they held on any later (or earlier) in the year, they would be running at a constant loss.


I'm sure they could open for a week-long Christmas event or something- but organising and preparing that event would cost money, advertising it so people actually know its open would cost money, bringing in employees that are otherwise off would cost money and it would seriously interrupt their off season maintenance schedule.

Just wouldn't be worth their while

 

[Waffleman]

I think that the British Public just stop thinking of days out like this right after summer.

Having said that, I don't think that the general public plan on visiting theme parks as late as Halloween. But I think that if the parks made the effort, and advertised a bit, it could work.

but just because I think it could work doesn't mean that i think major theme parks will do it, because they probably won't. I'm just saying that 10 years ago we probably didn't think British Halloween events would get this big, so let's just see what happens.

 

[slappy mcguire]

That's pretty much my own opinion on it; there is clearly a market out there, but it is unlikely to come easily, and as others have said, it really depends whether the initial spend would garner the returns it could, or whether the British weather could scupper it too easily, making it risky.

That said, I'm sure I remember reading somewhere that Christmas at Thomas Land generates something like a tenth of the parks profits for the year, but I suppose it is arguable whether that counts as Drayton 'being open.'

 

[SaiyanHajime]

I had a convo with one of the entertainments managers at Chessington about just this. WHY don't our parks utilise the Christmas period? He sort of said he doesn't really know but doesn't think it would take off big like it has elsewhere in the world.

Apparently there is a lot of money to be made in Christmas Meals, because families just don't like cooking anymore, so the hotels utilise this as far as I know?

The halloween period can be the busiest of the year... I don't understand why Christmas isn't utilised at family parks in a similar fashion.

I went to BGW on the 27th of December last year for Christmas Town. It was good. They even ran Griffon. Had nice food, went on a few rides, it was really pretty. Nice. Enjoyed it. And it was dark pretty much the entire time because it opened at 3pm-10pm, so the place was lit up with amazing decorations.

 

[A-Kid]

Majority of the UK are Chavs that will never think outside the box. These sheep don't 'do' cold because 'nobody else' does it. Its all part of their conforming. It seems alien to them, just like mud on their trackys or thinking. They wouldn't survive. Theme Parks are a summer and halloween thing to them. Do an event with achohol and football involved on a friday and saturday night and the sheep will flock in though.

I think so highly of our wonderful public!

No really on a serious note, I bet with enough marketing and gimmicks it would work. Run the park for the evening hours, Some sort of Xmas theme and music over a portion of the park, maybe 1 coaster and a few rides instead of the whole park sorta like BGW. Perhaps shows, fireworks for New Years/later in the day? With the BBC coverage of the Eye on TV screens? I dunno the posibilities are endless...

 

[jokerman]

I've quite enjoyed the limited amount of time I've spent in parks at Christmas. Paultons springs immediately to mind, mostly because I went on the 23rd December, and it was absolutely dead. It was also rather beautiful.

However, it was too cold to really be a "great" day.

 

[furie]

I've been to Alton several times for their "Winter" openings in January and February. We're just not prepared for the cold. I managed an hour I think before having to give up on several occasions simply because your ears, feet, hands and face are painfully cold - never mind the kids. I have lots of photos of snow at Alton

Of course, if there was somewhere to shelter inside and have a hot drink to warm up before heading out again, it would have made a massive difference. It's just not made available though.

Add in the fact our road and public transport systems just cannot cope with the slightest adverse weather and the parks just aren't ready for this at all.

The parks that seem to stay open (or have special winter opening days) are those that are near the larger conurbations. Adventure Island, Gullivers, Twin Lakes and Drayton (limited rides) for example. Though it's worth noting that they're also quite "kid friendly". I suspect that families are always on the look out for some kind of entertainment like this even in the winter. It's okay, as long as they don't have to drive too far out of the way down nasty little roads.

Of course, somewhere like Thorpe should also thrive, but it seems to me that we're just not geared up to a rolling maintenance procedure. The big parks are stuck in a "closed all winter for complete check ups" mentality, rather than scheduling it correctly, or using the long summer evenings when the park closes bloody early!

 

[Dave]

Well I wouldn't, when I went and rode Furius Baco at the CF-Live 2 years ago in the winter, it wasn't particuarly cold around 9 degrees I think. But the speed of the ride mixed with the somewhat chilly air helped give me cracked lips for the next few weeks.

 

[Thekingin64]

Well, I see why parks close for the winter, (e.g. snow and ice) but I think they should shut a bit later, like at the start of december or something near there as that's when you could do the christmassy stuff without special opening and/or being too early or too late.

Also, In the middle of October, I looked to see if Tir Prince was open for Me and my dad (maybe with brother aswell) to go but it was shut for the winter already, so that definatly needs to shut later.

May not get many customers but they still would get a few (e.g me and my dad).

In conclusion, British theme parks should shut for the winter a bit later in the year.

 

[slappy mcguire]

Actually, that's not a bad point. I can see sense in being closed for Jan to April, but it wouldn't be a great leap of faith for the parks to be open another four weeks, to take in Christmas. Remember the snow is actually unseasonably early; it's January onwards where the weather tends to really turn.

 

[gavin]

Well, I see why parks close for the winter, (e.g. snow and ice) but I think they should shut a bit later, like at the start of december or something near there

That's a great idea. we'd never get any snow or ice in late November/early December.

I looked to see if Tir Prince was open for Me and my dad (maybe with brother aswell) to go but it was shut for the winter already, so that definatly needs to shut later.

It needs to shut permanently. There was nobody there even in the height of summer. The delightful, tattooed families that go to Towyn for their holidays are too busy getting their kids drunk and/or pregnant to take them to an amusement park.

 

[T0M]

While there may be many things a park can do during winter. Elf'n'safety in the UK is bonkers so when paths become icy it would definitely be a no-no. Rides do require several months of inoperation for servicing etc. Particularly at the big busy parks.

 

[Scott88]

Pleasure Beach used to open on Christmas Eve, Boxing day and on NYE and new year's day, when PMBO was new.

Those days are long gone though.

 

[rickydoodle]

I think it's a culture thing!

Culture of the people; As said above, I think people are content not to to to the parks during the winter period. Outside of the hardcore enthusiast market - I think a lot of people are happy to visit the parks during the summer and that's their fix for the year - they don't need to visit year round.

Culture of the parks; Having rides open year-round or for the majority of the year means the way the rides are maintained would have to change. If you take the Australian parks for instance, most of their rides go down for maintenance once or twice a year for a period of two weeks or so. To have the rides open in January, for instance would require major coasters to be closed at another time during the year. It also makes larger building projects difficult.

I quite like the closed season, personally. When the park season comes round once again there is more of a novelty about it than there would be if it was never ending.