For us our High was the awesome interactions from the entertainment staff. We felt a big difference at Christmas when the awesome Viking duo wasn’t present making all of their interactions that more memorable as we look back on the main season. Our low for the season however was for us the Rapids never being open due to staffing issues. We was hopeful to get on as a family when they lowered the high restrictions however from the moment they did this, the rapids never seemed to open. We are hopeful to be able to experience the rapids as a family in the 2024 season.
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2023: General Discussion
- Thread starter Wilko
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For me 2023 has been a good season for the park with many highs for us as a family.
Highs
Thomas & Percy's Submarine Splash-A really nice addition to Thimas Land & a new ride was needed after many years of under investment in the area. Whilst I personally don't enjoy the ride, my kids do. It offers a different ride experience to the rest of TL (not another spinning ride) & is pretty well themed. Personally we don't like the AEG version but that's sadly the times we are in.
The park have really gone to town on the events this year. I think we enjoyed them all with Christmas & Late night (summer) riding being our favourites. Sadly, the late nights were not well attended & I think this is more a slant on the British public being so used to poor operating hours on this country & I fear they will scrap it next year. But...from our point of view, it was great & shorter wait times in the summer are always a hit!
Lows
Although I said the events have been a highlight, there is room for a lot of improvement! They need to scrap the half hearted fireworks during the Halloween event. They are substandard to what they used to be & people go to Halloween for scares be them little scares or thrills). Extend the Halloween event for more days & make the scarezones a lot bigger! Then, final weekend, bring back the big fireworks!
Christmas needs more rides & a small firework show to end the day. Other than that, we thoroughly enjoyed the event.
Biggest low however, ride offering in the main season (especially after the summer). They were so understaffed it was unreal & having rides on rotation is just shoddy & not fitting of a major theme park!
Sad the season is ending & gutted the weather is looking so pants for last 5 days. We were planning on 2 trips this week to enjoy the end of season & minimum wait times!
Highs
Thomas & Percy's Submarine Splash-A really nice addition to Thimas Land & a new ride was needed after many years of under investment in the area. Whilst I personally don't enjoy the ride, my kids do. It offers a different ride experience to the rest of TL (not another spinning ride) & is pretty well themed. Personally we don't like the AEG version but that's sadly the times we are in.
The park have really gone to town on the events this year. I think we enjoyed them all with Christmas & Late night (summer) riding being our favourites. Sadly, the late nights were not well attended & I think this is more a slant on the British public being so used to poor operating hours on this country & I fear they will scrap it next year. But...from our point of view, it was great & shorter wait times in the summer are always a hit!
Lows
Although I said the events have been a highlight, there is room for a lot of improvement! They need to scrap the half hearted fireworks during the Halloween event. They are substandard to what they used to be & people go to Halloween for scares be them little scares or thrills). Extend the Halloween event for more days & make the scarezones a lot bigger! Then, final weekend, bring back the big fireworks!
Christmas needs more rides & a small firework show to end the day. Other than that, we thoroughly enjoyed the event.
Biggest low however, ride offering in the main season (especially after the summer). They were so understaffed it was unreal & having rides on rotation is just shoddy & not fitting of a major theme park!
Sad the season is ending & gutted the weather is looking so pants for last 5 days. We were planning on 2 trips this week to enjoy the end of season & minimum wait times!
manwithstick
Member
the staffing issues are unacceptable for a major attraction. For all the good Looping are doing, if they don’t sort the people side out then it will really put people off coming.
RustyShackleford
Member
A great question to the thread...Thank you sir!!
I've done a quick totting up on the app and it tells me we have been at least 31 times this year, the opportunity to pop in for an hour or so after school really does bump up the count and opportunity.
The highs...i reserve the right to add to this later as other people remind me of things...
The first dinosaur event. Really special. Set a really high bar for the whole season.
The continued investment in the park. There is a feeling that the park keeps moving forward.
Some responses to feedback - it seems that a number of ideas which are mooted here are then actioned which I think is really good. Everyone here wants the park to do well and even if we don't like something we raise it not to complain but so it can be addressed. I hope its perceived as such.
The socials team are really good as far as I can see. I don't engage on all channels but what I do see is great.
Some of the interactions with staff have been really good. There was one lady on James Red Balloon last week whose interaction with a young disabled boy was absolutely fabulous. She really made his day.
Lows...
Ride availability. Sometimes really shocking
Lack of communication - the lack of a customer service line is a real pain. Contact us gives a response aim time of 10 days and that's frankly rubbish.
Lack of communication - are the rides closed because of lackof staff or is this actually policy now? For a park which is so great at taking praise they are remarkably tin-eared to criticism.
Oh and the return of Drayton Talk! (that's a high by the way)
Is there an argument for opeing the 2024 thread so we can talk about our hopes for the new season?
For high it has to be trying some of the rides for the first time which in previous years had scared me off, and lows was probably the amount of negativity on social media surrounding the park generally which as a fan is pretty hard to see.
Themeparksandy1981
Member
Well thank you I think it should be started for the start of the 2024 Feb half term as all chat about the park improvements, shockwave rebrand and the new coaster should just be kept in there own topics.
My highs and lows
Highs
The dinosaur event for the feb half term was the best event for the 2023 season with so many interactions with the dinosaurs.
My son been over 1m tall and enjoying 5 more rides and his now near the 1.05m mark so he be able to go on all the Thomas land rides, Loki and Jormungandr next year.
The late night openings to 8 or 9pm with 2 firework displays during the year.
The Black Friday sale where I got 20% an annual pass so paid £92 each.
The special treats for annual pass holders with free refills all day back in Summer and exclusive ride time for the new Thomas ride.
The Improvements the park done over the year.
The Haunting been updated for the Halloween event I wonder if it will be updated again when the new area opens.
Lows
Now I think this year has been the worst under the looping group.
Some events they didn’t even make the effort for and it was should a shame. Like the march of the dinosaurs like I’m glad they kept the indoor interactive show but the only other bits was Rory’s dino dance party and staff bringing out the baby dinosaurs during the day. Even the Thomas land 15 birthday celebration looked cheap with just that cake out front and new banners with the trains getting new party hats. The summer event where it was good to see the park open to 9pm on Saturdays and up to 8pm on Sundays having just a dj was lazy. The Vikings event was so cut back it was only on to 5pm but the fire eaters were excellent. The Halloween event yes it was a big improvement but the lack of planning didn’t help. Like the castle of shadows as the queue outside gone so big I felt so rushed with maybe 1 jump scene it was better when it was free and the train was so over booked they were so out of there time slots we were lucky we got to do both paid events, 2 walk thou attractions and the Haunting before the firework. Didn’t get on any more rides so can understand why the park got no many complaints.
The staff as I went to the park over 30 times also talking to the long term staff they were not happy with the hours the park was making them work as I could understand they were use to working 10:30am to 5:30pm and now at weekends forced to work to 8.30 or 9.30 depending on the queue length for the standard hourly rate. That’s why a lot of the staff had left and the temporary staff was only taken on to work in the catering or retail. Resulting in only 1 train in use in Thomas land, Rapids closed for half the year or just open on the mornings only with all staff going for there break then coming back to work on Stormforce 10 instead. Then staff rotating between rides in Thomas Land and the rest of the park.
Ride availably the worst ever with nearly every ride having down time over the season.
Think this will be the last year my daughter will have an annual pass as she now prefers the rides at Alton Towers and Thorpe Park. She not liking that was park removing the bigger rides.
It’s slightly different but when you go into Thomas land by the driving school there is a black board that has show times on. They update this every morning to let you know the day’s entertainment. We are also going to be their on 30th and 31st
Ollie
Member
What is on? Is the Christmas Cracker Party still on?It’s slightly different but when you go into Thomas land by the driving school there is a black board that has show times on. They update this every morning to let you know the day’s entertainment. We are also going to be their on 30th and 31st
Ollie
Member
Do we know what the lineup is?
I don’t know the name of the song but rusty told my lad last week that it’s a fan fav song about clapping hands and stomp your feet but outside of that song no. They don’t announce what songs there are. You just have to turn up and find out on the day but during the events the songs will be the same each day just to the themed event. I’d place my bets there will be a new years song.
For me I'll keep it brief I think probably an incomplete list but here we go;
Highs -
Some brilliant events this year
Brilliant character interactions
Fun trails around the park
Lows -
Some events didn't quite hit the mark
Ride availability / staffing levels
Some rides in need of some good TLC
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Themeparksandy1981
Member
Well as we say goodbye to 2023 I really hope with the new coaster opening in roughly 5 months time this new coaster will be opening and letting all the hype of the other new uk coasters to died down. Happy new year everyone
I remember 2023 like it was yesterday
They should’ve started promoting it months ago. We’ve had I think 3 official teasers from the park, if even that.
I don’t like how they are so secretive all the time about what they’re doing especially when it comes to massive projects like this, but I guess there’s nothing we can do to change that.
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