[News] Universal Theme Park - UK

Kinky Gerbil said:

I can't recall the last time I went to chessington, might be 25 years or so.... so my memories are through younger eyes

I bet it was a dump

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jcdenton08 said:

It’s a full on kids park, I knew it was the end when they started swapping the only thrill rides with kids rides at Thorpe Park.

Going to Disney/Universal really does hammer home how lacking the UK parks are as an adult. Just second hand flat rides plonked down with little landscaping or thought.

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Iggle Piggle said:

I went to Alton Towers last October. It was absolutely dead and we'd bunked the kids out of school for half a day as they had a closure in the afternoon. We certainly couldn't have picked a better day to go as more or less everything was a walk on so I couldn't have seen the park in a better environment.

With that back drop, I was pleasantly surprised. The Wicker Man had got the Disney type theming, Nemesis reborn the same and stuff like the Haunted Mansion was better than I remember. Granted, it wasn't Harry Potter land or Galaxies edge but it was more than solid. Similarly, my lad went with his mates to the fireworks and said it was outstanding.

I'm sure Universal will knock socks off Alton Towers but it'll also be priced accordingly. Alton Towers on its day has a lot going for it.

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jcdenton08 said:

I only watch POV videos on rides I’ve already been on to reminisce, or for rides I’ll never get to go on (because they’re closed or somewhere I’ll probably never go to). The other week I was watching old videos of the original Bubbleworks and things like that

I’ve not watched anything at all from Universal or Disney that I haven’t ridden in person, in case I go back one day and want to experience it as new

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Deadly Danson said:

Same here. I've avoided the POVs from Epic so far, including queues, so it's as fresh as possible even though I've watched every construction video over the past few years so i know whats coming. I enjoy watching the odd POV of Disney rides just to remind myself what I'm missing - especially some of the extinct ones like Horizons, World of Motion, the original Test Track or the wonderful and much missed Illuminations at Epcot. Or just a trip round the Peoplemover.

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jcdenton08 said:

Alton Towers is definitely the best in terms of UK parks, I agree, but as you say it just doesn’t compare to Disney or Universal in terms of attention to detail, scale (both size and investment) and maintenance. Merlin simply don’t have Universal or Disney money.

The thing I was most impressed with on my most recent trip to Alton Towers was they had actors (or perhaps in-character regular staff members) playing soldiers for the Nemesis dark ride, in costume, in character. Just those little bits of attention to detail make such a huge difference when it comes to the experience

Glad you had a great time!

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jcdenton08 said:

The most recent thing I watched was Fantasmic (the superior Orlando version), just for the memories

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jcdenton08 said:

Alton Towers is definitely the best in terms of UK parks, I agree, but as you say it just doesn’t compare to Disney or Universal in terms of attention to detail, scale (both size and investment) and maintenance. Merlin simply don’t have Universal or Disney money.

The thing I was most impressed with on my most recent trip to Alton Towers was they had actors (or perhaps in-character regular staff members) playing soldiers for the Nemesis dark ride, in costume, in character. Just those little bits of attention to detail make such a huge difference when it comes to the experience

Glad you had a great time!

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dolphins said:

I really liked it. All the rides and attractions were running (with the exception of the new Minions Land which we were around 10 days early for, but was hoping for some soft openings/test runs of things) and I liked the compact nature of it. I was puzzled how there were LONG queues for the meet and greet type things, but negligible queues for the rides. Nothing beats coming off a great ride/attraction and walking straight back in to the loading point!

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jcdenton08 said:

Well the 3D rides are very high throughput, hence their proliferation. Air conditioned in the Orlando heat, and can be easily replicated across their other parks unlike bespoke experiences. Sometimes I’d go on a relative walk-on 3D show like The Muppets just to cool down.

The price is going to be an issue and I think British people will definitely balk.

An online ticket for Alton Towers is available from (out of season) £29, or £41 for two days. Unlimited fast pass for a day is £125.

Universal Hollywood is £90-£125 for a day, and unlimited fast pass for a day is around £130.

By 2031, and needing to make a large investment back, I would expect day tickets to be in the £150-£200 region, with unlimited fast pass roughly the same.

So the big benefit Alton Towers, Thorpe Park et al will always have is a much lower price point

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