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WTF Merlin?

bob_3_ said:
Isnt that a fairly standard price?
Efteling €15
Europa €10
Port Aventura €15
Disneyland Paris €30
Parc Asterix €20
Plopsaland €15

I know that public transport to the park isn't great. But singling out Alton when it pretty much matches the industry standard parking fee (plus it's £13 when booked in advance and free if you do mini golf,have an annual pass or staying in the hotels) is a little unfair.
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I don't drive so this change doesn't affect me so much, but I would like to add that I think public transport is indeed a huge factor. 2 and 1/2 journey from the nearest big city (Birmingham) for example, even I haven't done it more than once.. A big factor to why I avoid Alton is that public transport is so poor, you're literally forced into driving.

Plopsa/Europa are so doable in comparison, Portaventura particular is honestly just fine without a car. I wouldn't mind Merlin upping Parking charges at Chessie or Thorpe, as both are very easy to get to from London (Chessie in particular). But Alton feels a little cheeky due to it being one of the worst theme parks for public transportation. The only way to avoid the charge is to get a Merlin Gold Ultimate Mega Express pass, as nobody is bothering with public transit when it's so bare bones like it is now..
 
roomraider said:
I'm a coaster enthusiast for god's sake and I haven't been to Alton since Corkscrew was there. And that is pretty much entirely thanks to the lack of public transport.
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The most annoying part is that the 32X that runs between Stoke and Uttoxeter via Alton Towers doesn't seem to stop anywhere near Uttoxeter or Stoke Railway stations for connections... You'd think that'd be so easy and obvious...

Not sure if the X52 still runs from Nottingham and Derby, that was a good option for those coming into the area on train, but the last mention of it that I can find is from 2023 season. :/
 
Nicky Borrill said:
The most annoying part is that the 32X that runs between Stoke and Uttoxeter via Alton Towers doesn't seem to stop anywhere near Uttoxeter or Stoke Railway stations for connections... You'd think that'd be so easy and obvious.
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32A bus apparently goes from Stoke on trent station to the park, so you can use that for nearby connections. (I hope the website is correct that’s part of my plan to get from nottingham to towers on the 21st of march)
 

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The X41 from Stafford to Towers will not run in 2026, for people that don't drive this is a joke. Not only will this effect guests but also staff, absolutely ridiculous
 
It keeps baffling me that AT could even grow as large as it did with this kind of location. Obviously it somehow worked, but I can’t wrap my mind around how a park that can only be reached by car and only by driving for 40 minutes through narrow roads with a stone wall on one side and a steep drop on the other whilst somehow still allowing for 60mph.

Of course, if you live nearby you can avoid most of the roads. But as a foreigner, I got to say that the road to AT is one of the scariest drives I had.

Sorry for going OT, it just needed to vent this. This one’s not on Merlin.
 
Trax said:
It keeps baffling me that AT could even grow as large as it did with this kind of location. Obviously it somehow worked, but I can’t wrap my mind around how a park that can only be reached by car and only by driving for 40 minutes through narrow roads with a stone wall on one side and a steep drop on the other whilst somehow still allowing for 60mph.

Of course, if you live nearby you can avoid most of the roads. But as a foreigner, I got to say that the road to AT is one of the scariest drives I had.

Sorry for going OT, it just needed to vent this. This one’s not on Merlin.
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If you think that drive is bad should see some of the other roads I drive down
 
Trax said:
It keeps baffling me that AT could even grow as large as it did with this kind of location. Obviously it somehow worked, but I can’t wrap my mind around how a park that can only be reached by car and only by driving for 40 minutes through narrow roads with a stone wall on one side and a steep drop on the other whilst somehow still allowing for 60mph.

Of course, if you live nearby you can avoid most of the roads. But as a foreigner, I got to say that the road to AT is one of the scariest drives I had.

Sorry for going OT, it just needed to vent this. This one’s not on Merlin.
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Just in case it’s not obvious, a ‘no speed limit’ road in the UK doesn’t mean that you’re expected to drive at 60 mph… you just drive at whatever pace feels comfortable to you.

As for scary roads, the Amalfi coast / Switzerland both come to mind.
 
People are now complaining about the colour of the corkscrew over the entrance, as if returning it to its original colour and refreshing the entrance is somehow a bad thing?
 
Tonkso said:
People are now complaining about the colour of the corkscrew over the entrance, as if returning it to its original colour and refreshing the entrance is somehow a bad thing?
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Regardless of the colour it's gonna look sh*te with those purple tents anyhow
 
Trax said:
It keeps baffling me that AT could even grow as large as it did with this kind of location. Obviously it somehow worked, but I can’t wrap my mind around how a park that can only be reached by car and only by driving for 40 minutes through narrow roads with a stone wall on one side and a steep drop on the other whilst somehow still allowing for 60mph.
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I've heard people complain about this before and i can't understand the route they are taking. I come from the south and other than the bit from the JCB place to Alton Towers which is as you describe and takes about 10 minutes, the rest is motorway.

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I don't think the parks popularity is surprising just because it's only accessible by car. It's a family park and most families in the UK have a car, especially outside of London and have done for generations. There are plenty of other popular attractions and locations that equally require a car to access (such as Center Parcs which trumps Alton Towers for inaccessibility).

There are lots of very popular European parks that similarly require a car. Ok you can technically get to Europa Park by public transport but it's basically an entire day of travel without a car.
 
If you come from the M1, you have Alton and Denstone to contend with - or from the M6 there's Cheadle, Oakamoor and that last little bit through Farley. The roads are very narrow in some places, and there's a corner or two on Oakamoor Road that still catch me out!

Like most enthusiasts, I've driven it hundreds of times - so I can see why an overseas visitor (especially an American) would go 'WTF?'

That one's not Merlin's fault obviously - and in a way, it's actually part of the charm of the place.
 
Will said:
If you come from the M1, you have Alton and Denstone to contend with - or from the M6 there's Cheadle, Oakamoor and that last little bit through Farley. The roads are very narrow in some places, and there's a corner or two on Oakamoor Road that still catch me out!

Like most enthusiasts, I've driven it hundreds of times - so I can see why an overseas visitor (especially an American) would go 'WTF?'

That one's not Merlin's fault obviously - and in a way, it's actually part of the charm of the place.
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Well you say it's not Merlins fault but years ago there were plans for a bypass to Uttoxeter but alas they were cancelled
 
VonRolland said:
Merlin or Tussuads the staff were for the most part the same
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Yep... to be fair I don't think it went public 'officially' until Merlin had just taken over...

But in 2004 the Staffordshire County Council held a meeting and ruled out providing any funding towards it. It was dead in the water then. But also, there were other issues, like JCB's land, and local opposition to it drawing traffic from the North down through the Uttoxeter route.
 
Nicky Borrill said:
Yep... to be fair I don't think it went public 'officially' until Merlin had just taken over...

But in 2004 the Staffordshire County Council held a meeting and ruled out providing any funding towards it. It was dead in the water then. But also, there were other issues, like JCB's land, and local opposition to it drawing traffic from the North down through the Uttoxeter route.
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and now Uttoxeter is a sh*tshow at rush hour so wouldn't of mattered anyhow! Oh well!
 
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