AT - Sold

[gouldy]

I just saw a news story on my local news program, the story was about Alton Towers. This was the first I had heard of this, I don't know if anyone else knew about this but Alton Towers has today been sold to a company called "Dubai ..... somehting or other" I wasn't listening really.

I have no idea what this new company is about or what it is like, but it means that the park is not run by the tussauds group anymore, does this mean that the way the park is run will change at all? What does everyone else think and does anyone else have any more information?

here's the story:

click me!

wow, I never knew that the Tussauds Group runs the London waxworks museum lol. It sounds like the execs all get to keep their jobs (plus get a huge chuck of cash); it's just the ownership of the group that is changing hands...from Charterhouse to a Dubai investment firm. I believe this should benefit the group because the new ownership says they want to expand operations. park operation should stay the same, but we shall see...

It has pledged to retain the existing management team and further expand the business, which has attractions in New York, Las Vegas and Hong Kong.

That does not sound good to me at all. I dont know why, but i dont have a good feeling about this...a group controlled by the government of Dubai? Well as long as its like that awesome Water Park they have in Dubai (the one that is always on discovery channel) then i'll be happy

[Dirk_Ermen]

dubai sounds more like dumbai

i wonder if they will run the park good and not like six flags... ?????????_?????????

I wonder if you guys realize that they arent running things, hence why they said they wish to keep management.

Obviously they see how good the existing mgmt. team is and is happy with them.


This sort of thing is normally just one business trying to aquire another to benefit both companies, but mainly the host company because the host company will only be as good as the one that was bought. If one suffers, they both do.

So its in their best interest to keep things the same, just pour more money into it.

[Brtnboarder495]

I just hope they do not drive one of Europe's if not Europe's best park into the ground. I guess the money factor played a big role in this scenerio.

[gouldy]

Ok, I think some of you might have missed the point here, like Real said, the management is not changing, so neither is the way the park is run ... They'll just have more money thats all. I don't see how they can run the park into the ground when the only change is how much money the park has. Personally I think its a good thing, rides that were planned for the future might be built sooner, or newer, bigger, better rides might be added in the future, I think it can only bode well for the park .... probably

*Shakes fist violently and runs off into the woods

Well they should start by telling the managment team to lower the entrance prices. I must say i am put of going at all this year, now its a bog standard fee of ?????????28 wheather you go on a peak day or of peak

[Brtnboarder495]

How much is that in $ Edge? It would be sad to see an excellent park to just fall to pieces.

[gouldy]

Thats close to $50 probably more like $45 actually.

Edge, just do what I do, there is almost always some kind of offer going in newspapers or even just on the AT website, for instance the print off vouchers and stuff. For example, I'm going this weekend and its costing me ?????????27, BUT thats not just for the entry to the park, thats the bus there from Wolverhampton, then the entrance fee and the bus back to Wolverhampton again. THEN, I'm going on April 1st, and its costing me ?????????18 to get in because I have got a print off voucher, so yeah, just keep your eyes open I guess. Although I would prefer them to drop the price because it is expensive.

even if this company put less money into alton towers(or other parks) i bet they can run on their own cus they would get a BIG income.

im going to alton towers on the 1st aswell but it only cost me ?????????13[:D]

Even though AT has some awesome rides...that price makes me feel a whole heck or alot better about CP, since its only 48 bucks and you get enough rides to fill at least 1 day, sometimes 2.

CP is actually on the shorter end of the stick when you compare the number of rides, quality, park condition, location and prestige of park. The Florida parks which, if you want to only count Universal, are like 60 bucks a person. Same for the Disney parks, well over 50. (though, they are worth it, it makes CP seem like a bargain)

well $48=around ?????????28/27 and AT's price is ?????????28 so CP has way more value for money

[Brtnboarder495]

I guess that is a bit pricy, I would lower it buy at leats 5-7 dollars.

[gouldy]

Yeah, but Kurtis you know as well as I know that almost everything is more expensive here than most places, Alton Towers is no different. Plus think about the size of Alton Towers compared to CP, seriously, I think that AT is about 10 times the size of CP, just not as filled up with stuff . I think that AT has close to the same amount of rides as CP just not as many coasters, but not everyone is a fan of coasters don't forget. I think AT apeals to a broader scope of people, what with the gardens, kiddie parks and everything else........Still think that ?????????28 is too expensive though

[coolbeans326]

why would they invest money into the park (Rita) and turn around and sell the park right away before they got any pay off for it?

[gouldy]

Yeah, I thought that myself, also, the park was only sold for ?????????8 mil which is the same amount as it cost to build Rita anyway so it makes no sense to me. The only reason I can think of for tussauds to sell at such a low price would be that they were running on only a small profit margin or even a loss. But from the ticket prices and extortionate prices of everything else in the park, I fail to see how they would be running the park with little or no profit, so the whole thing makes no sense to me .... anyway, we'll just have to wait and see what comes of the whole thing.

You have 68 rides? I think on various websites I counted something in the mid 30's for Coasters + attractions. CP has 68 coasters + attractions.

AT is an awesome park, but still, that price is a bit steep. Reminds me of the Northeast Coast prices here in the states.

[gouldy]

Yeah, I didn't think CP had quite so many, but seriously AT is a much bigger park in terms of size than CP, not that that should be included in the price or anything. But like I said before, everything is more expesnive here and Alton Towers is no different. I'm sure everyone would like to see the price of everything drop if I'm honest, things in this country have got very expensive over the last few years I think. For instance, Ice cream men across the country sell things called "penny chews" so called because each sweet costs a penny, well that was 5 years ago anyway, ask for 50 pence worth of penny chews now and you get a bag of 25. So I guess its the country, not just the park.

Im really not sure if this will be good for the tussauds company or not. Firstly i thoguht it wouldnt be because why should the current owner sell up when business was going so well. But then i thought the actual management for each palce isnt changing so nothing bad will really be able to happen. In fact it could be better. I really hope it is for the good of the Tussauds attractions. Although they are expensive, they are the best at5trcatiosn in England IMO. Alton is fantastic, and i had my first experience at Madame Tussauds today and it was great. "the chamber" scared me, and i dont normally get scared. Some of the actors were great, and really did make me jump. Especially the mental patient lady, who hid in the corner and looked like a dummy, and then suddenly ran down the dark corridor at you making you run and stumble into the person in front!

Yeah Gouldy is totally right. We are paying a ridiculous amount for anythign and everything. The UK is very expensive.

"Yeah, I didn't think CP had quite so many, but seriously AT is a much bigger park in terms of size than CP"


..how big is AT? cp is 365 acres and that's not including the parking lot, hotels, resorts, campground, and marina.it's one mile from the front gate to mean streak! and the travel channel said it's the biggest amusement park in the world. how big is AT? i cant imagine it's anymore than 200 acres given the amount of rides it has.

AT is pretty big dude...Theres quite a few more parks larger than CP. I can walk the perimeter in not much time. But at other parks, it takes a bit longer.

But you cant be fooled, CP isnt small either.

Alton towers hasn't been sold its the hole of tussauds and it was for ?????????800m. and charter house(or what ever it was) said that they where only going to have tussauds for 6 years then sell it.

Originally posted by coaster992001

"Yeah, I didn't think CP had quite so many, but seriously AT is a much bigger park in terms of size than CP"


..how big is AT? cp is 365 acres and that's not including the parking lot, hotels, resorts, campground, and marina.it's one mile from the front gate to mean streak! and the travel channel said it's the biggest amusement park in the world. how big is AT? i cant imagine it's anymore than 200 acres given the amount of rides it has.

AT is a 500 acr estate, complete with Mansion, gardens, and the park covering the surrounding land, although the gardens have not been touched. It is a really beautiful place, even my parents who d not like rides think the park is very nice.

http://www.towerstimes.co.uk/rides/gardens/gardens.htm
^^Welcome to the side of Alton Towers people dont see unless they have been their. Ive never actually walked through the gardens, but walking over the bridge past them heading between Ugland, and Merry England gives a really fantastic view.





Why hasnt Alton won the most beautiful park in the world for a while. Doesnt Busch Gardens Williamsburg always win it. I cannot compare the two as i have never been there, but this year i dont even think alton was in the top 5!!! [?][?][?][?][:O]

The rides are the main attrcation to Alton, but the gradens are still an attraction at the park. Some OAP's actually visit the park with their family and they will just go and spend a day in the valley and gardens. I often see Older visitors walking through the gardens while i head from Corky to the flume.

[gouldy]

500 acrs, is that it? Where is that info from? I thought it was closer to 800, or at least thats what I had been previously told. Maybe that was including the parking lots and hotels or something. But still, look at the second picture of the gardens that you posted up there, look how far the trees go back, surely you could fit CP in that picture alone!?