Thorpe Park Reserve 'n' Ride

[Martyn B]

Isnt this similar to what Disney does with its Magic Wristband+ system?

You can reserve via your smartphone/tablet or at kiosks throughout the park?

Yeah its essentially the same, apart from Thorpe are closing the normal queues, so booking your slot is the ONLY way to ride the coasters.

 

[Screaming Coasters]

I don't follow the park that closely but according to this thread they tested this last year on a smaller scale. Clearly they saw results that were positive to the business (including guest satisfaction) otherwise they wouldn't have rolled this test out.

Maybe you should follow the park more closely, because you'd have discovered that the test they did on Swarm last year, failed miserably as complaints went through the roof. This is why we question its return and are mostly against it.

It wasn't successful. They just want more people on foot to buy stuff, its simple really.

 

[rtotheizzo17]

^No interest in anything other than casually following the park that is an 8 hour flight away.

A handful of coaster nerds on the internet are against it. If you could please direct me to links (other than this website) that says it was a burden to the guest. I did a quick google search and cant find anything other than positive spin. Of course they are looking to increase their per cap, it is a positive move for their business.

I ask again how many theme park and attractions you operate around the world? My guess is Merlin has a tad more experience then the 20 something's making $8/hr living at home that riddles this website.

 

[Screaming Coasters]

Then why comment if you don't know the situation?

Also, my family used to run a tiny amusement park, if thats anything to add weight? It doesn't at all, but still, its probably something you didn't expect to hear. Sometimes it pays not to be a smart-arse, LOL

Swarm was a big flop and there was a big outbreak on their FB page. So you may want to trail through that.
At the end of the day, its the $8 an hour people who are the end users of their attractions. If you don't keep those people happy, then you aint got a business.

Also, Thorpe Park have informed me on their FB page that trials have been halted for today. That most like means it didn't work as well as they had hoped and they said it'll be back next Friday with a "few tweaks".

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... to_comment

 

[MouseAT]

I don't follow the park that closely but according to this thread they tested this last year on a smaller scale. Clearly they saw results that were positive to the business (including guest satisfaction) otherwise they wouldn't have rolled this test out.

Yet another statement that makes it obvious you don't know the park. At all. Customer satisfaction has never been high on the agenda at Thorpe Park. This is a simple matter of "can we get away with it, and will it make us more money?", nothing more.

 

[Smithy]

^No interest in anything other than casually following the park that is an 8 hour flight away.

A handful of coaster nerds on the internet are against it. If you could please direct me to links (other than this website) that says it was a burden to the guest. I did a quick google search and cant find anything other than positive spin. Of course they are looking to increase their per cap, it is a positive move for their business.

I ask again how many theme park and attractions you operate around the world? My guess is Merlin has a tad more experience then the 20 something's making $8/hr living at home that riddles this website.

Mental how you're trying to shoot people down by lumping them into one big group, patronise them in an attempt to devalue their opinion yet show an absolute and complete ignorance that you yourself fall into this very same category, and thus in shooting down all of their opinions in turn are shooting down your own as well.

Erol nails it. Why comment if you don't know the situation? You don't know the park, you don't understand the relevance of the issues people in here have raised.

 

[Ian]

It's a bit like booking a table at a busy restaurant. You get your table at your allotted time.

I don't like this at a theme park though. I like the freedom to choose when I go on a ride and if I'm willing to queue for it. It is not freeing up my time to go on other attractions, it is removing my choice to do things at my pace. Terrible idea. It's like going to a football match but being told that you can only watch for three ten minute periods between 05-15, 35-40 and 60-70.

I bet it boils down to market research. By having people sign up they have contact details and an easy way to gather data about the popularity of a ride. It also allows them to keep people happier when they do their weekday one-train operations.

I feel it's a little draconian and removes the spontaneity from the day. Let people buy fastrax if they don't want to stand in a queue.

 

[rtotheizzo17]

^No interest in anything other than casually following the park that is an 8 hour flight away.

A handful of coaster nerds on the internet are against it. If you could please direct me to links (other than this website) that says it was a burden to the guest. I did a quick google search and cant find anything other than positive spin. Of course they are looking to increase their per cap, it is a positive move for their business.

I ask again how many theme park and attractions you operate around the world? My guess is Merlin has a tad more experience then the 20 something's making $8/hr living at home that riddles this website.

Mental how you're trying to shoot people down by lumping them into one big group, patronise them in an attempt to devalue their opinion yet show an absolute and complete ignorance that you yourself fall into this very same category, and thus in shooting down all of their opinions in turn are shooting down your own as well.

Erol nails it. Why comment if you don't know the situation? You don't know the park, you don't understand the relevance of the issues people in here have raised.

So what this thread has decided is unless you have visited a park or follow them on Facebook you cant comment on a thread...is that what you are getting at?

By the way, please explain to me how "I don't follow the park closely" translates to "I don't know the park, or understand the relevance of issues of the people"?

I admit I came off abrasive with my opening comment, but most of you are bent out of shape because it is contrary to your opinion, or I summed up your personal matters in a sentence. Sorry I didn't land on the "this totally sucks omgz" side of the fence.

 

[marc]

The problem is in the UK queue jump tickets don't work well, parent swap does not work well and when they tried other ideas they have not worked either.

This is why we have very little faith in this idea.

To shut a normal ride queue and only have you use this is a bit much as people have said.

Plus I don't want to keep getting my phone out to show I have a ride slot booked. I'm on a day out I don't want to keep looking at my phone or walked back and standing in a queue at the dome.

 

[Ethan]

^No interest in anything other than casually following the park that is an 8 hour flight away.

A handful of coaster nerds on the internet are against it. If you could please direct me to links (other than this website) that says it was a burden to the guest. I did a quick google search and cant find anything other than positive spin. Of course they are looking to increase their per cap, it is a positive move for their business.

I ask again how many theme park and attractions you operate around the world? My guess is Merlin has a tad more experience then the 20 something's making $8/hr living at home that riddles this website.

Mental how you're trying to shoot people down by lumping them into one big group, patronise them in an attempt to devalue their opinion yet show an absolute and complete ignorance that you yourself fall into this very same category, and thus in shooting down all of their opinions in turn are shooting down your own as well.

Erol nails it. Why comment if you don't know the situation? You don't know the park, you don't understand the relevance of the issues people in here have raised.

So what this thread has decided is unless you have visited a park or follow them on Facebook you cant comment on a thread...is that what you are getting at?

By the way, please explain to me how "I don't follow the park closely" translates to "I don't know the park, or understand the relevance of issues of the people"?

I admit I came off abrasive with my opening comment, but most of you are bent out of shape because it is contrary to your opinion, or I summed up your personal matters in a sentence. Sorry I didn't land on the "this totally sucks omgz" side of the fence.

You insulted everyone by making comments about a park that you haven't experienced, and tried to sound clever. Watching YouTube videos of a park isn't the same as visiting it.

Thorpe Park doesn't leave me satisfied, the queue times are horrible, it's crowded, it lacks atmosphere etc... Seriously, we're not just against this for no reason. Maybe even though you're "not interested" in this park, you should fly over here and visit it before trying to make everyone else look inferior.

Or just stop commenting in this thread, you're "not interested" anyway.

 

[owentaylor121]

100% agree with Ethan, if you have never experience the park personally you will not know why we are so against this!
Merlin don't care to much about guest satisfaction, they care about money. Thorpe Park has tested this last year with just The Swarm what failed completely, the thing what has annoyed me about your comments though is the fact that you have just said it's only a few coaster nerds about are annoyed about this. It isn't. The general public visiting the park are also against this. That's why we are so confused why the park is doing again this year.

The thing what people are trying to say is you are allowed to comment on what you want on this website, but they are unsure why you have posted in a topic what has no relevance to you. You even said it yourself that you aren't bothered about the park. It seems like you were looking for an argument and trying to be smart but have just been completely outed by a number of people.

 

[Smithy]

So what this thread has decided is unless you have visited a park or follow them on Facebook you cant comment on a thread...is that what you are getting at?

No, or I'd have said that.

What is clear though is that you're criticising the validity of opinions held by people who've visited the park several times a season for the past ten years. They're in a far better position to hold concerns about this trial, and voice them, than you are.

By the way, please explain to me how "I don't follow the park closely" translates to "I don't know the park, or understand the relevance of issues of the people"?

Comparitively, these people have a far greater understanding of the park, the unique issues related to the park and this trial, and the overall effects it'll have, than you do.

I admit I came off abrasive with my opening comment, but most of you are bent out of shape because it is contrary to your opinion, or I summed up your personal matters in a sentence. Sorry I didn't land on the "this totally sucks omgz" side of the fence.

No, people are annoyed because they're able, using their own experiences at the park, to understand how it will negatively affect them.

There's nothing wrong with thinking this is a good idea, or suggesting that it may work (if you could logically defend it). But just deriding peoples opinions because ''they don't know best'' doesn't quite cut it.

Disagree with people above saying he shouldn't post in here etc... As long as it's relevant to the system being trialled and the positives/negatives of it and it steers away from just mud-slinging then it's worthwhile.

 

[Martyn B]

By the sounds of things, the trial tomorrow and Saturday is still going ahead, however the normal queue lines will be open. They're saying that priority will always be given to those who have used reserve n ride.

 

[Nemesis Inferno]

By the sounds of things, the trial tomorrow and Saturday is still going ahead, however the normal queue lines will be open. They're saying that priority will always be given to those who have used reserve n ride.

And Fastrack will also be in operation...

Sounds like a lot of fun...

 

[jj23w]

Make it the new fast track.