With cutbacks and recent news of staff redundancies within Merlin Magic Making at Towers we can't see how a Galactica retheme is even possible and speculate the possibility that the retheme which was set to go ahead may have now been cancelled.
Personally, I know that the theme is a bit out of place in the park (especially without the VR) but Galactica (when it was air) was the first sort of proper coaster with an invert that I had ever done so I do prefer it with the colour it has now because of all the memories I have of it but I wouldn’t mind if it got a re theme especially if it would suit better to Reborn
I believe other than a soft retheme to fit it into the Phalanx, there's bigger priorities for Alton Towers than redoing Galactica/Air and I don't think anything like that will happen due to what's going on. These are: 1. Reusing empty spaces such as 4D Cinema, Dungeons, Nickelodeon, Towers Street, Spinball Whizzer Kiosks. 2. Adding in new flat rides onto empty spaces such as Enterprise, Submission, Ug Swinger and Lockers/Soakosaurus spaces. 3. A new modern flume or shoot the chute on the site next to Sealife by Katanga Canyon. 4. Looking at a larger play structures outside of Cbeebies Land. 5. Getting on with Project Horizon and adding a couple of flat rides in the area. I am worried that the park is going really downhill and it's been like that since the Smiler crashed. There's basics that they never got right such as a Alton Towers Shuttle Bus to the park from local train stations. Honestly, it's really worrying that for a destination park, it's gone this downhill.
I’m glad you’re highlighting this news about MMM getting canned mate. Every influencer in the UK needs to share this information with its viewers in my view.
They won’t and some idiots have even said it’s good news… so Merlin can focus on other theming companies. I’m not sure how 30+ people losing their jobs is ever good news!!
@@LiftHillsandThrillsTo put it simply - they’re prioritising their shareholders over its staff & customers and finding ways to hire cheaper workers to make a slightly better profit. Enough is enough, this is the line crossed for me with Alton now. I hope more people find out about this.
@@RollerGhosterStudios Someone said oh it's justified because Merlin outsource already (which is true) and it's a dying department etc etc completely ignorant to the fact that 30+ peoples jobs are at stake. It genuinely disgusts me.
Not really. Im pretty sure most theme parks outsource their theming. Merlin did it themselves. While it could be a budget cut. merlin could just be outsourcing more of it instead
This is true but getting rid of the backbone of your creative outlet in favour of external companies is a strange one. I definitely feel for the workers
I am with the workers here as a working class bloke myself..can merlin /towers sink any lower..I was at Scott's nemesis ert in May and also the bianca speech she gave us in conference centre.she was bigging up the merlin magic making so much about it.the park will be doing this and doing so many things blah blah blah .seems very hollow now these promises(although maybe she has been hoodwinked by merlin too ) sad day pal
Let my Merlin pass lapse this year, choosing instead to invest that money towards visiting some of Europe's parks next year... So sad to see what I had hoped to be a stellar year for Towers with the Nemmy retheme end up feeling more like a Swan song of a season. There's just not enough promise to warrant multiple trips through the year, and I can't believe Im saying it but i feel this years operations and maintenance was worse than last years, and I really didnt feel it could get worse than last year.
Yeah I belive Galactica's retheme was cancelled due to budget cuts, but it wouldn't surprise me if the Phalanx Expo was created as a way to announce it. Will be interesting to see what happens on Sunday.
Excellent summation of the current situation at towers as ever. Great to see that you actually care about the industry as apposed to the majority that fawn over everything parks do and say n an attempt to be in favour. When they are fanfaring the arrival of a top spin, the writings on the wall.
Speaks volumes doesn’t it, I feel as though publishing negative after negative just isn’t helping and there’s much more important things at stake such as those losing their jobs. Anyone commenting anything other than sympathy for those affected need to have a quiet unselfish, unbiased word with themselves
@@noahjenk5903 I’d be very surprised if we get a Galactica retheme announcement but if we get one it certainly won’t be the big original idea that’s for damn sure
@@LiftHillsandThrillsafter watching i'm in complete agreement, awful news for the park, completely senseless cutbacks with only profit margins in mind, the future of towers continues to look bleaker
Oh no! This is awful news. Alton Towers has massive potential to be the best park in the UK. What has gone wrong in the past few years? How has it lost money?
Not sure Gemma I’m afraid, stuff we’re not privy too but we can hazard a guess at over promising and under delivering. Investment poorly spent and various other questionable decision
@@joshslater2426 Last we heard it had been cancelled. There were plans to add a giant oil tanker that was gushing ‘oil’ that would burst into flames when you flew past it. Sounded mint!
😢 my son said “well why dont they just spend the money then they’ll get more money, because everyone will want to go back” (his only 8) we are back up there tomorrow too! Sorry for those who are now facing redundancy too.
To be fair I’m tired of galactica and the phalanx now, I feel like the phalanx are becoming the main focus of EVERYTHING. Merlin should really think about ride availability and the gardens at the moment.
A lot of the general public tonight were saying they loved the fireworks but have no idea what’s going on with the story. It was an enthusiast targeted fireworks this year story wise… it was lost on the GP but still a great show
@ I agree although some sections complimented the story beautifully. The stuff on the walkway was pretty pointless for me that could have stayed on screen / filled with more fireworks
Such a shame! MMM have been really good these past two years at alton towers with curse and nemmy reborn opening as well as the reopening of sub terra and hex and with project ocean and project horizon in the near future. We can only hope Merlin sees the bigger picture and continues this in the future.
sure people are losing their jobs, and that's disgusting especially right before christmas, but nemesis was really heavily themed this year and the fireworks were amazing so i dont mind if outside companies (who have probably more specific expertise) coming in to do things
With Merlin Magic Making now going I fear the worse for Merlin now going forward we will be getting more Hyperia stylized rides now. Universal can't come quick enough we need standards going right up.
I don't mind if galactica doesn't get rethemed, but at least make it look presentable! A supporting flat ride is exactly what the park need but i can't help but feel they should have prioritised adding capacity to other parts of the park like x sector
Feel sad for those affected at MMM, I hope they all come out of this ok. I can’t see galactica getting the investment other than a paint job and maybe station glow up. Don’t know what will happen to AT moving forward but with universal GB they will really fall behind.
Companies can allocate a budget to a location and then request for a portion of that budget back partway through the year; I suspect this has happened with Alton Towers just as what may have happened across various merlin attractions... I suspect that this has happened with Alton Towers, and it seems like Merlin is trying to restructure to some extent under the new(ish) CEO, and so hopefully things stabilise over the next few years, but it will take some time... hopefully they will get a proper budget for next year, but I wouldn't expect any more big changes/additions for at least two years... hopefully I'm wrong though 😅 It's a shame that you likely won't be covering Alton Towers next year as that's my favourite place, and it's what led to me discovering your channel... I'll still be watching your content though as I do think it's really good and I completely understand what you've been saying about Alton Towers 😄
@LiftHillsandThrills There's no need to thank me, it's good to hear that you will still be covering articles about Alton Towers 😄 I do look forward to your other content too, especially anything you do around Halloween 😁 As someone who doesn't go on many rides, the spooky stuff is my favourite kind of video 😁 My girlfriend did get me on Blade though... it was not a fun time 😂
@@LiftHillsandThrills I didn't enjoy blade, but the rest was good 😂 we particularly had an absolute blast in Compound, however this was not because it was scary 😂 one of the actors put his hands on my shoulders and asked if I was ok in a really unexpectedly soft voice 😂
I doubt they'd have the funds for a significant re-theme of Galactica, especially after the £214 million pre-tax loss in 2023. Even if they did have some budget available, I’d prefer they invest it in other parts of the park. Forbidden Valley already looks fantastic, and the new ride will no doubt enhance the area even further. There’s no need for yet more in that area right now when other parts of the park are in far far greater need of upgrades. Even more importantly, if they do announce that they are re-theming Galactica on the same weekend that they announce their theming team is being made redundant, then that would be a huge dick move on their part.
I've been thinking this for a while - I just don't think it will be nothing more than a celebration of Nemesis. The thing is in my opinion the park is in a state and really in terms of Galactica it needs to just be scrapped.
Outsourcing theming is nothing new but more job losses and more staff cut-backs on site is ever a good thing. Feel for those who have lost their jobs at this time of year
AT are struggling and I won't be going there until the park is back up with higher level of quality (something I'd never thought I'd say!). despite being close to me, I'd rather save up my pennies to get flights to NL to go to Eftling instead!
This is the exact same predicament me and I think a lot of enthusiasts are having at the moment. I visited Efteling for the first time in Sept and it’s like night and day… so refreshing to see a theme park that’s somehow well run but also doesn’t try to take your back teeth out with fastrack and sub-par food. Towers is a 4 hour drive for me, the Southern parks even further. I can get an overnight ferry to Amsterdam 10 mins from my house. No bets for where my 2025 priorities lie.
😂 I’m apologising for delivering content of a rundown theme park in Staffordshire for the last few months. I’m sorry 🙏 I promise to be more careful which parks I visit in 2025
Really sad to hear and feel for the people made redundant. A worrying future for Alton towers but exciting for down south , always loved Alton towers and I hate to see it in the state it has become
Even I am getting frustrated that the park potential is being waisted, I do still love the place and the rides that are there it's poorly run at the moment I just want someone else to buy Towers to get it back to where it should be. Businesses should have Profit Banned and ring fenced so you have to put the money back into the business.
I absolutely love Towers, I always have, I always will. But the way that the park is being run is quite frankly heartbreaking and a complete kick in the teeth to people like us who invest so much of our time and money into the park
Not renewed my Merlin pass this year, mainly because I can’t afford it, but also I’m not sure if I even want to visit towers in 2025. A ripsaw clone isn’t going to draw me back unfortunately.
That's bad news to hear. What direction is Alton Towers going in? They can barely keep the rides operating at the moment. It seems Merlin don't regard it as a flagship park any more. Air already had it's refresh into Galatica, I think it was hard to justify refreshing it again.
Im the first to be cynicle of Merlin. Hell i havent been to AT this year because of how poor the situation has got. But the pace of innovation in IT based services like design and theming is rapid. I potentially see this as an acknowledgement that the tools Merlin Magic have in house no longer cut the mustard compared to the competition and its more cost effective to purchase those top quality innovation and technology instead of spening even more to update Merlin Magic. Sad for the staff. Dropping it before Xmas is a classic US corporate move😢. But lets wait to see on this one
Merlin Magic Making removal though I don't like redundancies, may actually be a benefit other parks do outsource theming so I will give them a chance to see what the outsourced businesses can do
Merlin are hugely in debt. They spent £36 million last year just on debt refinancing charges. They are trying to deal by squeezing the customers for every penny. I understand they are planning to introduce surge pricing soon (where they charge more when its busy). Surge pricing, or dynamic pricing, is expected to be rolled out at Merlin’s largest 20 attractions by the end of 2024.
@@Kyle-Russell true. Debt based upon borrowing for investment in developing assets can be worthwhile. However, Merlin reported a pre tax loss of more than £200 million in 2023. They are using income not to invest, but to pay off debt. Robbing Peter to pay Paul If you like. If Universal get the green light, they might just abandon the UK market and sell off the parks.
Haven't been on galactica for about 2 years. It looks so out of place in that area. The way things are going at the moment will have to see what happens xx
I love the Phalanx theme but they're dragging it out way too long and far. It's getting ridiculous! Feels like fan service over decisions to satisfy the majority of their customers.
This is really sad as Alton was headed on the right track with forbidden valley this year. Hopefully we can see a good investment with the new ripsaw. Also sorry for all facing redundancy right now
If it were me I’d just wait until it needs retracking and then reprofile the last boring third of it and do what they did with Nemesis with the painted track.
If I’m gonna be honest, towers is a bit stuck at the moment. They have rides that need refurbing and they need flat rides as supporting rides but they won’t make much money from the gp from that. What they need in order to make money is a new coaster that will get people talking but they don’t have the money :/ quite sad to see the park in such a predicament
They wasted it all on Nemmy.... not sure that's quite worked as well as they'd hoped but I'm sure we'll get a statement of all the KPI's through the roof and all that kinda stuff ignoring the horrendous feedback they've had this year
That's so sad about MMM =( I really don't understand the logic of constantly cutting thememing to what is generally concidered the "best" UK Theme park. You'd think they would want to invest in new projects and upgrades!
@@MH_ZeR0 I mean it’ll still provide ‘theming’ they’re just sacrificing loyal hardworking wages and opting for outsourcing that theming from external companies
@@LiftHillsandThrills sorry that was a typo. I meant budget not theming . The biggest shame really is the loss of jobs for people who have been working there a long time!
Cutting money in this area, in order to be able to attract more engineers who can actually keep the rides operational?... I do also wonder if the spend on Nemesis, and the lack of public interest in it, has made Merlin question their strategy. Hopefully there's enough money to at least get a Karcher on Galactica's track...
@@DiveCoaster85 Towers campaigned for more money for Reborn… without knowing the details it does seem as though it’s bit them in the arse from an outsider perspective
I guess the cost of the department could be a saving of 1 million plus per year. Probably be one of the hare brained ideas where they outsource the work and it ends up costing more. However I could see someone sitting behind a desk many miles away saying how much, we only build a new rollercoaster every x years what are they doing in between
@@CoasterJames Yeah it all depends on logistics etc but it’s a lot of $$ saved but it’s more how easily these staff can just be cast aside when they’re located inside the park and are right there on hand if anything needed a touch up / sprucing
Its all down to money if you have lots of companies quoting for the work the price falls doing it in house is better but not necessarily cost effective what a shame just before Christmas 😮
I wonder if they will change the name but the ride itself will have same theming as galactica and the exact same as it is now as we speak.. that would be funny if you ride "Phalanx AIR" but its the same as galactica 😂
I’m on the fence. Redundancies suck, and they could have timed this far far better. However if they can offer more amplified theming because of these cuts by outsourcing then that would be a benefit to the park all be it a sad one.
It’s the same companies they’ve been working with for a while so it’ll be interesting to see if it improves or stays the same but theming isn’t really a concern for me, those poor workers who have lost their jobs are 😞
What are Merlin playing at? Alton towers has all ways be THE park in the UK. They was on the verge with the curse to break into the top dogs of Europe and getting back in the world stage. It would make more sense chucking more money into the Park, growing it more and more. As the popularity grows so does the money. You don’t allow your Crown Jewels go rusty. I fear for towers over the next couple years. Questioning if I’ll renew my Merlin pass tbh. Could do with a private investor to buy the park who is passionate. I can see Bianca leaving very soon as well.
@@beardfitness9173 not sure curse could ever be in with the top dogs… too much empty space and cost cutting in there too from original concepts 😞 it’s bloody good don’t get me wrong sadly this jewel is getting cloudy
Seems to me it's not the amount of money they have to spend but how they spend it. Theyre obsessed with prestige projects when they havent proven they can run a park to earn world class attractions. Should have brought in a significant number of all weather small rides and themed them with care. But having an appropriate amount of rides for the park capacity doesnt sell fast tracks. Grrrrr 😂
@@carlrobinson4843 You know it, I have priorities elsewhere currently. 2025 is going to be nervous and exciting but Towers just aren't on my radar whatsoever, I can't keep going to somewhere that depresses me, you're meant to enjoy theme parks and sadly that magic is now lost. Some time away always does the trick, so for 2025 it will be my space away from AT vlogs.
Can merlin afford it? Of course they can, but they won't do it. A small/lame retheme could happen, but nothing impressive will happen and it won't be themed to the extent of nemesis reborn, since apparently that wasn't successful. Merlin don't care about alton towers and seem to have written it off already.
@@Aphisics Afraid so… I mean outsourcing is something they’ve done for a while but losing the core team based at Towers could be a very risky decision indeed
@ ruined the ‘thrill’ draw of the park and turned it into a slightly better Gullivers. I’m not the demographic though but I’ll never forgive them for stripping shockwave down and removing Apocalypse. What’s next, Pirate Adventure return
I don’t think the phalanx is a good idea at all it gets soo repetitive. The space theme it has now is fine it just actually needs a story, extra space theme and a repaint of the same colour
Excuse my language but its a f***ing disgrace how utterly dog**** Alton Towers has become. People need to stop visiting or boycott or something because Merlin will keep on cost cutting and doing jack all to improve the park.
They won’t boycott, there’s still people today kissing its arse and singing their praises for a decision like this… I’m not even joking… it’s despicable
With cutbacks and recent news of staff redundancies within Merlin Magic Making at Towers we can't see how a Galactica retheme is even possible and speculate the possibility that the retheme which was set to go ahead may have now been cancelled.
I heard Aramark were doing the new theming around the park 😂
Personally, I know that the theme is a bit out of place in the park (especially without the VR) but Galactica (when it was air) was the first sort of proper coaster with an invert that I had ever done so I do prefer it with the colour it has now because of all the memories I have of it but I wouldn’t mind if it got a re theme especially if it would suit better to Reborn
@@davesteele6154 Both in bad taste 😂
@@TheMetroidDude-eg2do Groundbreaking for the time but a little past it’s sell by date now
@ Yes. and I agree with you on the point that it looks in a state of disrepair. They do need to give it some love.
I believe other than a soft retheme to fit it into the Phalanx, there's bigger priorities for Alton Towers than redoing Galactica/Air and I don't think anything like that will happen due to what's going on.
These are:
1. Reusing empty spaces such as 4D Cinema, Dungeons, Nickelodeon, Towers Street, Spinball Whizzer Kiosks.
2. Adding in new flat rides onto empty spaces such as Enterprise, Submission, Ug Swinger and Lockers/Soakosaurus spaces.
3. A new modern flume or shoot the chute on the site next to Sealife by Katanga Canyon.
4. Looking at a larger play structures outside of Cbeebies Land.
5. Getting on with Project Horizon and adding a couple of flat rides in the area.
I am worried that the park is going really downhill and it's been like that since the Smiler crashed.
There's basics that they never got right such as a Alton Towers Shuttle Bus to the park from local train stations.
Honestly, it's really worrying that for a destination park, it's gone this downhill.
That shuttle bus was ideal… more bad decision after bad decision
Towers is really taking a turn for the worst and its really sad to see. Thanks for keeping us updated 💙
Pleasure, hope the fireworks aren’t scaled back and they put on a good show
I’m glad you’re highlighting this news about MMM getting canned mate. Every influencer in the UK needs to share this information with its viewers in my view.
They won’t and some idiots have even said it’s good news… so Merlin can focus on other theming companies. I’m not sure how 30+ people losing their jobs is ever good news!!
@@LiftHillsandThrillsTo put it simply - they’re prioritising their shareholders over its staff & customers and finding ways to hire cheaper workers to make a slightly better profit. Enough is enough, this is the line crossed for me with Alton now. I hope more people find out about this.
I hope they move in a more positive direction for their own sake but it’s just negative after negative
I don't comment much on RUclips but it baffles and disgusts me that people are saying it's 'good news' 😔
@@RollerGhosterStudios Someone said oh it's justified because Merlin outsource already (which is true) and it's a dying department etc etc completely ignorant to the fact that 30+ peoples jobs are at stake. It genuinely disgusts me.
That's depressing to hear :( You would think with the potential of Universal GB Merlin would be pumping money into the UK instead of taking it away
Not really. Im pretty sure most theme parks outsource their theming. Merlin did it themselves. While it could be a budget cut. merlin could just be outsourcing more of it instead
This is true but getting rid of the backbone of your creative outlet in favour of external companies is a strange one. I definitely feel for the workers
Covid slammed their profits, and they were still reeling off the back of the Smiler court case.
I am with the workers here as a working class bloke myself..can merlin /towers sink any lower..I was at Scott's nemesis ert in May and also the bianca speech she gave us in conference centre.she was bigging up the merlin magic making so much about it.the park will be doing this and doing so many things blah blah blah .seems very hollow now these promises(although maybe she has been hoodwinked by merlin too ) sad day pal
Is this the Real coaster dad !??
Let my Merlin pass lapse this year, choosing instead to invest that money towards visiting some of Europe's parks next year... So sad to see what I had hoped to be a stellar year for Towers with the Nemmy retheme end up feeling more like a Swan song of a season. There's just not enough promise to warrant multiple trips through the year, and I can't believe Im saying it but i feel this years operations and maintenance was worse than last years, and I really didnt feel it could get worse than last year.
Worst season in recent memory for me
Yeah I belive Galactica's retheme was cancelled due to budget cuts, but it wouldn't surprise me if the Phalanx Expo was created as a way to announce it. Will be interesting to see what happens on Sunday.
Yup… hopefully the fireworks are as good as ever they really are a calender highlight in an otherwise MISERABLE season post Nemmy Reborn opening
Excellent summation of the current situation at towers as ever. Great to see that you actually care about the industry as apposed to the majority that fawn over everything parks do and say n an attempt to be in favour. When they are fanfaring the arrival of a top spin, the writings on the wall.
Speaks volumes doesn’t it, I feel as though publishing negative after negative just isn’t helping and there’s much more important things at stake such as those losing their jobs. Anyone commenting anything other than sympathy for those affected need to have a quiet unselfish, unbiased word with themselves
perfect upload time, just as i'm mulling about waiting to see what the expo brings
@@noahjenk5903 I’d be very surprised if we get a Galactica retheme announcement but if we get one it certainly won’t be the big original idea that’s for damn sure
@@LiftHillsandThrillsafter watching i'm in complete agreement, awful news for the park, completely senseless cutbacks with only profit margins in mind, the future of towers continues to look bleaker
also have to mention i can see the move to outsourced theming possibly causing even less cohesion between rides in areas
Oh no! This is awful news. Alton Towers has massive potential to be the best park in the UK. What has gone wrong in the past few years? How has it lost money?
Not sure Gemma I’m afraid, stuff we’re not privy too but we can hazard a guess at over promising and under delivering. Investment poorly spent and various other questionable decision
@LiftHillsandThrills it's all such a shame. AT could be so amazing.
I’m hoping for a Galactica re-theme (preferably back to Air in some form) but the unfortunate status of Merlin makes me worry it’ll be delayed.
@@joshslater2426 Last we heard it had been cancelled. There were plans to add a giant oil tanker that was gushing ‘oil’ that would burst into flames when you flew past it. Sounded mint!
😢 my son said “well why dont they just spend the money then they’ll get more money, because everyone will want to go back” (his only 8) we are back up there tomorrow too! Sorry for those who are now facing redundancy too.
Smart kid!
I agree I don’t think galactica is being rethemed ! Would be a miracle if so 🤞🏻
Two for one sale on vinyl and it’ll get done
@ 😂😂😂
The bigger question is…
Can Alton Towers compete with Universal UK once it opens?
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 no
To be fair I’m tired of galactica and the phalanx now, I feel like the phalanx are becoming the main focus of EVERYTHING. Merlin should really think about ride availability and the gardens at the moment.
A lot of the general public tonight were saying they loved the fireworks but have no idea what’s going on with the story. It was an enthusiast targeted fireworks this year story wise… it was lost on the GP but still a great show
@LiftHillsandThrills I personally found the story elements taking me out of the fireworks display (explosions were really well done though)
@ I agree although some sections complimented the story beautifully. The stuff on the walkway was pretty pointless for me that could have stayed on screen / filled with more fireworks
Such a shame! MMM have been really good these past two years at alton towers with curse and nemmy reborn opening as well as the reopening of sub terra and hex and with project ocean and project horizon in the near future. We can only hope Merlin sees the bigger picture and continues this in the future.
@@Muffin733 👏
sure people are losing their jobs, and that's disgusting especially right before christmas, but nemesis was really heavily themed this year and the fireworks were amazing so i dont mind if outside companies (who have probably more specific expertise) coming in to do things
Towers have been working with outside companies for a long time but getting rid of the internal dept is a shitty move
With Merlin Magic Making now going I fear the worse for Merlin now going forward we will be getting more Hyperia stylized rides now. Universal can't come quick enough we need standards going right up.
The external companies they’re working with are very talented but once again cut backs… and job losses…. More negative news for Towers
Went to alton towers for the first time in a while this year and was really taken back by how bad things have gotten. Truely shocking.
Shit show at the moment sadly
I don't mind if galactica doesn't get rethemed, but at least make it look presentable!
A supporting flat ride is exactly what the park need but i can't help but feel they should have prioritised adding capacity to other parts of the park like x sector
Yup, if it’s even remotely themed Toxicator will further just make Galactica look like a heap of 💩
Feel sad for those affected at MMM, I hope they all come out of this ok. I can’t see galactica getting the investment other than a paint job and maybe station glow up.
Don’t know what will happen to AT moving forward but with universal GB they will really fall behind.
@@Itsmylittletony They really will
They should do a sparkle project like Thorpe did- it will at least give the park some energy lol
It’s gonna need a LOT of sparkle
Companies can allocate a budget to a location and then request for a portion of that budget back partway through the year; I suspect this has happened with Alton Towers just as what may have happened across various merlin attractions... I suspect that this has happened with Alton Towers, and it seems like Merlin is trying to restructure to some extent under the new(ish) CEO, and so hopefully things stabilise over the next few years, but it will take some time... hopefully they will get a proper budget for next year, but I wouldn't expect any more big changes/additions for at least two years... hopefully I'm wrong though 😅
It's a shame that you likely won't be covering Alton Towers next year as that's my favourite place, and it's what led to me discovering your channel... I'll still be watching your content though as I do think it's really good and I completely understand what you've been saying about Alton Towers 😄
Thanks Daniel and fireworks if indeed I cover it will be the last video. Article coverage will still happen but zero video content
@LiftHillsandThrills There's no need to thank me, it's good to hear that you will still be covering articles about Alton Towers 😄 I do look forward to your other content too, especially anything you do around Halloween 😁 As someone who doesn't go on many rides, the spooky stuff is my favourite kind of video 😁 My girlfriend did get me on Blade though... it was not a fun time 😂
@ niceee! Hope you enjoyed it
@@LiftHillsandThrills I didn't enjoy blade, but the rest was good 😂 we particularly had an absolute blast in Compound, however this was not because it was scary 😂 one of the actors put his hands on my shoulders and asked if I was ok in a really unexpectedly soft voice 😂
I doubt they'd have the funds for a significant re-theme of Galactica, especially after the £214 million pre-tax loss in 2023. Even if they did have some budget available, I’d prefer they invest it in other parts of the park. Forbidden Valley already looks fantastic, and the new ride will no doubt enhance the area even further. There’s no need for yet more in that area right now when other parts of the park are in far far greater need of upgrades. Even more importantly, if they do announce that they are re-theming Galactica on the same weekend that they announce their theming team is being made redundant, then that would be a huge dick move on their part.
Yup…
I've been thinking this for a while - I just don't think it will be nothing more than a celebration of Nemesis. The thing is in my opinion the park is in a state and really in terms of Galactica it needs to just be scrapped.
Cheeky toxicator reveal and done
Thanks sean 4 update troubling times for alton after they spent so much on rethemes and new scare stuff and losing the maze 2
Outsourcing theming is nothing new but more job losses and more staff cut-backs on site is ever a good thing. Feel for those who have lost their jobs at this time of year
AT are struggling and I won't be going there until the park is back up with higher level of quality (something I'd never thought I'd say!). despite being close to me, I'd rather save up my pennies to get flights to NL to go to Eftling instead!
Agreed
This is the exact same predicament me and I think a lot of enthusiasts are having at the moment.
I visited Efteling for the first time in Sept and it’s like night and day… so refreshing to see a theme park that’s somehow well run but also doesn’t try to take your back teeth out with fastrack and sub-par food.
Towers is a 4 hour drive for me, the Southern parks even further. I can get an overnight ferry to Amsterdam 10 mins from my house. No bets for where my 2025 priorities lie.
the blank background makes this feel like an apology video
😂 I’m apologising for delivering content of a rundown theme park in Staffordshire for the last few months. I’m sorry 🙏 I promise to be more careful which parks I visit in 2025
Really sad to hear and feel for the people made redundant. A worrying future for Alton towers but exciting for down south , always loved Alton towers and I hate to see it in the state it has become
Yup… one negative after another
Even I am getting frustrated that the park potential is being waisted, I do still love the place and the rides that are there it's poorly run at the moment I just want someone else to buy Towers to get it back to where it should be. Businesses should have Profit Banned and ring fenced so you have to put the money back into the business.
It’s in a sad state of affairs
I absolutely love Towers, I always have, I always will. But the way that the park is being run is quite frankly heartbreaking and a complete kick in the teeth to people like us who invest so much of our time and money into the park
I’m done after fireworks, got better places to go and parks who genuinely care to visit
Not renewed my Merlin pass this year, mainly because I can’t afford it, but also I’m not sure if I even want to visit towers in 2025. A ripsaw clone isn’t going to draw me back unfortunately.
Dragging the past up to push to the future… great
Does this mean that Project Horizon is dead in the water do you reckon?
Just delayed :) we should see some movement sometime next year
That's bad news to hear. What direction is Alton Towers going in? They can barely keep the rides operating at the moment. It seems Merlin don't regard it as a flagship park any more. Air already had it's refresh into Galatica, I think it was hard to justify refreshing it again.
Southern parks are now a priority it seems
Merlin by the looks of things are mainly focusing on thorpe park as they’re looking to build a decent hotel and a permanent stage
I was there on Friday & the show was awesome also something happens at the end not giving you any spoilers Shawn
Glad you enjoyed it!
Im the first to be cynicle of Merlin. Hell i havent been to AT this year because of how poor the situation has got. But the pace of innovation in IT based services like design and theming is rapid. I potentially see this as an acknowledgement that the tools Merlin Magic have in house no longer cut the mustard compared to the competition and its more cost effective to purchase those top quality innovation and technology instead of spening even more to update Merlin Magic. Sad for the staff. Dropping it before Xmas is a classic US corporate move😢. But lets wait to see on this one
Terrible for the staff and there’s been zero innovation in UK theming.. all the good stuff is going overseas
Merlin Magic Making removal though I don't like redundancies, may actually be a benefit other parks do outsource theming so I will give them a chance to see what the outsourced businesses can do
The companies they work with have done projects with Towers for years they just seem to be using them exclusively
Merlin are hugely in debt. They spent £36 million last year just on debt refinancing charges. They are trying to deal by squeezing the customers for every penny. I understand they are planning to introduce surge pricing soon (where they charge more when its busy). Surge pricing, or dynamic pricing, is expected to be rolled out at Merlin’s largest 20 attractions by the end of 2024.
Fun 😂
Let’s not forget not all debt is bad.
@@Kyle-Russell true. Debt based upon borrowing for investment in developing assets can be worthwhile. However, Merlin reported a pre tax loss of more than £200 million in 2023. They are using income not to invest, but to pay off debt. Robbing Peter to pay Paul If you like. If Universal get the green light, they might just abandon the UK market and sell off the parks.
Haven't been on galactica for about 2 years. It looks so out of place in that area. The way things are going at the moment will have to see what happens xx
We sure will
@@LiftHillsandThrills 🤞🙏❤️
I love the Phalanx theme but they're dragging it out way too long and far. It's getting ridiculous! Feels like fan service over decisions to satisfy the majority of their customers.
Exactly this, the whole Phalanx show is great for enthusiasts but 99.99% of the public will be confused as to what on earth is going on
This is really sad as Alton was headed on the right track with forbidden valley this year. Hopefully we can see a good investment with the new ripsaw. Also sorry for all facing redundancy right now
It's really sad that people are losing their jobs especially at this time of year
@ yeah and you’d think as well they’d pump more money and jobs into mmm with universal set to come to the UK
If it were me I’d just wait until it needs retracking and then reprofile the last boring third of it and do what they did with Nemesis with the painted track.
I think that would cost far too much for them 😢
Then they should sell up.@@LiftHillsandThrills
If I’m gonna be honest, towers is a bit stuck at the moment. They have rides that need refurbing and they need flat rides as supporting rides but they won’t make much money from the gp from that. What they need in order to make money is a new coaster that will get people talking but they don’t have the money :/ quite sad to see the park in such a predicament
They wasted it all on Nemmy.... not sure that's quite worked as well as they'd hoped but I'm sure we'll get a statement of all the KPI's through the roof and all that kinda stuff ignoring the horrendous feedback they've had this year
They can't afford to run the rides as it is, lets not waste money on marketing crap.
It's Air, and it always will be.
Fair point
That's so sad about MMM =( I really don't understand the logic of constantly cutting thememing to what is generally concidered the "best" UK Theme park. You'd think they would want to invest in new projects and upgrades!
@@MH_ZeR0 I mean it’ll still provide ‘theming’ they’re just sacrificing loyal hardworking wages and opting for outsourcing that theming from external companies
@@LiftHillsandThrills sorry that was a typo. I meant budget not theming . The biggest shame really is the loss of jobs for people who have been working there a long time!
@@MH_ZeR0Agreed
Cutting money in this area, in order to be able to attract more engineers who can actually keep the rides operational?... I do also wonder if the spend on Nemesis, and the lack of public interest in it, has made Merlin question their strategy.
Hopefully there's enough money to at least get a Karcher on Galactica's track...
@@DiveCoaster85 Towers campaigned for more money for Reborn… without knowing the details it does seem as though it’s bit them in the arse from an outsider perspective
I guess the cost of the department could be a saving of 1 million plus per year. Probably be one of the hare brained ideas where they outsource the work and it ends up costing more. However I could see someone sitting behind a desk many miles away saying how much, we only build a new rollercoaster every x years what are they doing in between
@@CoasterJames Yeah it all depends on logistics etc but it’s a lot of $$ saved but it’s more how easily these staff can just be cast aside when they’re located inside the park and are right there on hand if anything needed a touch up / sprucing
I remember seeing thirteens and smilers concept art and was left disappointed to the final outcome 🤣
We all were 😂
Isn’t the two John’s Wardley n Buryin part of MMM ? Does that mean we’ll lose the likes of them ??
@@sarahmorris7978 This just applies to MMM at Towers (the office behind Hex) and all staff members there
@ oh ok…that was sposed to say Burton by the way 🤣🤣🤣
@@sarahmorris7978 😂
Its all down to money if you have lots of companies quoting for the work the price falls doing it in house is better but not necessarily cost effective what a shame just before Christmas 😮
A real shame before xmas
I thought that background was the Galactica re-theme 😂
I said that after I filmed it 😂😂😂
I wonder if they will change the name but the ride itself will have same theming as galactica and the exact same as it is now as we speak.. that would be funny if you ride "Phalanx AIR" but its the same as galactica 😂
😂
I’m on the fence. Redundancies suck, and they could have timed this far far better. However if they can offer more amplified theming because of these cuts by outsourcing then that would be a benefit to the park all be it a sad one.
It’s the same companies they’ve been working with for a while so it’ll be interesting to see if it improves or stays the same but theming isn’t really a concern for me, those poor workers who have lost their jobs are 😞
@ Oh like i said it’s awful - but thats business and they make these cut throat decisions. Sadly we’re all just numbers in these corporations.
They could still wash the damn thing…
Absolutely gutted for the staff at risk. Cheaping out over employing talented locals is never OK in my book.
Sounds like there’s more of a shake up to come, worrying times
@ 😞
What are Merlin playing at? Alton towers has all ways be THE park in the UK. They was on the verge with the curse to break into the top dogs of Europe and getting back in the world stage. It would make more sense chucking more money into the Park, growing it more and more. As the popularity grows so does the money. You don’t allow your Crown Jewels go rusty. I fear for towers over the next couple years. Questioning if I’ll renew my Merlin pass tbh. Could do with a private investor to buy the park who is passionate. I can see Bianca leaving very soon as well.
@@beardfitness9173 not sure curse could ever be in with the top dogs… too much empty space and cost cutting in there too from original concepts 😞 it’s bloody good don’t get me wrong sadly this jewel is getting cloudy
I reckon it wasn't scrapped because they want/need to wait for the next punch of investment money, and that could be a while away
@@jacobN1993 I’d put it into parks that have more to lose in the future
There's further 'restructuring' to come from Merlin aswell apparently, not good.
@@Charlie-xv3ij I’ve heard this too
I’m in Cheadle Staffordshire and i can here the fireworks right now
Nice!
How is it cheaper to outsource staff than ur is to pay our own ?
33 wages Vs the cost of an individual project… not sure… tough call
Seems to me it's not the amount of money they have to spend but how they spend it. Theyre obsessed with prestige projects when they havent proven they can run a park to earn world class attractions. Should have brought in a significant number of all weather small rides and themed them with care. But having an appropriate amount of rides for the park capacity doesnt sell fast tracks. Grrrrr 😂
😂
Charging 9 quid a hot dog then yes they can afford it
Haha don’t get your hopes up
Wait …… I recognise that room 🤔🤔 can’t quite put my finger on where from though …. 🤔🤔
😂
Yeah, just change the sign 😂😂😂😂 that’s all they can afford 😂
The letters are already dropping off just rename it to that, Journey beyond to Alactica a frozen desolate planet where theming goes to die
@ 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂this is why we subscribe to you.
@@carlrobinson4843 You know it, I have priorities elsewhere currently. 2025 is going to be nervous and exciting but Towers just aren't on my radar whatsoever, I can't keep going to somewhere that depresses me, you're meant to enjoy theme parks and sadly that magic is now lost. Some time away always does the trick, so for 2025 it will be my space away from AT vlogs.
@@LiftHillsandThrillswill you go and experience the new flat ride?
They need to retheme it and add a pretzel loop. 😂
😂
I do wonder if we could see Merlin sell off Thope or Towers.
I’d sell Towers aha
Can merlin afford it? Of course they can, but they won't do it. A small/lame retheme could happen, but nothing impressive will happen and it won't be themed to the extent of nemesis reborn, since apparently that wasn't successful. Merlin don't care about alton towers and seem to have written it off already.
@@thomaspower9351 I don’t blame them
Mabey I was right about the new destination posters haha
😂 only way it’s going is the same direction oblivion travels in… ⬇️
@ A gold response! 😂 The layoff things is horrific and extremely concerning. As far as budget cuts go that’s about as major as it gets!
@@Aphisics Afraid so… I mean outsourcing is something they’ve done for a while but losing the core team based at Towers could be a very risky decision indeed
Is John Burton losing his job then?😟
@@joegibbons9250 Nooo John isn’t MMM Towers specific
Im going tomorrow can i get you’re picture?
If you see me, sure!
@@LiftHillsandThrills thanks
3:50 "...shit"
😂
Why doesn’t merlin let the loopings group take over alton towers n let them improve it like they have done with drayton manor
Not sure Drayton is vastly improved personally but they’ve left Pleasurewood Hills go to ruin 😢
@ They’ve improved drayton with new rides unlike the previous owners in my opinion but surely they can’t be any worse than merlin 😂
@ ruined the ‘thrill’ draw of the park and turned it into a slightly better Gullivers. I’m not the demographic though but I’ll never forgive them for stripping shockwave down and removing Apocalypse. What’s next, Pirate Adventure return
I don’t think the phalanx is a good idea at all it gets soo repetitive. The space theme it has now is fine it just actually needs a story, extra space theme and a repaint of the same colour
I agree… but they’ll phalanx the entire park at this rate 😂
@ yes literally 😂 “CBeebies phalanx takeover 2026”
Merlin are bolstering thier London parks, as someone bigger is sniffing around
100%
Excuse my language but its a f***ing disgrace how utterly dog**** Alton Towers has become. People need to stop visiting or boycott or something because Merlin will keep on cost cutting and doing jack all to improve the park.
They won’t boycott, there’s still people today kissing its arse and singing their praises for a decision like this… I’m not even joking… it’s despicable
Needs ripped out and a proper flying coaster added like Fly... Galactica is soooooo blaaaaaaàaaand
They can’t even afford to run the rides they have now efficiently let alone get a coaster as amazing as that 🤤
@@LiftHillsandThrills The UK Theme Park industry does seem to be suffering big time just now with only smaller family parks thriving.