One thing that I thought was downright pathetic was the Gotham City drinks station being closed in the middle of the day. Want to buy a burger meal with a soft drink, that's all well and good to buy it. But oh wait, you need to go across the road to the bar to fill up your drink cup...Unless it's after 2pm, then you have to go to one of 2 food outlets still open (bakery and newsstand, and wait 20 minutes to be served). Good job guys...

 

15 hours ago, Spotty said:

One thing that I thought was downright pathetic was the Gotham City drinks station being closed in the middle of the day. 

I wrote about this back in May. I spoke to guest services who advised this is a cost cutting measure during non-peak winter months when less drinks are needed...  and they will open it again in spring/summer. (yeah, ridiculous huh) 

Wait that's not a thing surely?

2 hours ago, Brad2912 said:

 

I wrote about this back in May. I spoke to guest services who advised this is a cost cutting measure during non-peak winter months when less drinks are needed...  and they will open it again in spring/summer. (yeah, ridiculous huh) 

A cost-cutting theme park. 

I've heard it all now! 

2 hours ago, joz said:

Wait that's not a thing surely?

I kid you not. This was told to me verbatim:

“like any business when it’s offpeak season you need to evaluate costs, and less drinks are bought during winter so we close the self service soft drink centres to save on costs. They will reopen later in the year”. 

Are there still post mix machines behind the counter? And if so why can't you fill them there?

21 minutes ago, joz said:

Are there still post mix machines behind the counter? And if so why can't you fill them there?

No post mix machines behind the counter, they were removed when the self service machines were put in at Gotham. What is even crazier is the one at the newsstand they keep closed until around 4pm and then open it up for only a hour... I honestly have no idea what they are thinking that achieves at all but whatever. 

10 hours ago, pushbutton said:

A cost-cutting theme park. 

I've heard it all now! 

Really? because Disney went through a lot of cost cutting from the 80's to the early 00's. Little things like changing the merchandise in every shop from themed merch suited to each land to the same standard branded crap in every shop (which still persists today to an extent), right up to doing away with in-house technicians and engineers for rides and outsourcing to the lowest bidder.

As a matter of fact I believe that's how they killed someone on Big Thunder.

8 hours ago, Spotty said:

What is even crazier is the one at the newsstand they keep closed until around 4pm and then open it up for only a hour... I honestly have no idea what they are thinking that achieves at all but whatever. 

Well, if the closure of the stands is a cost cutting measure, I can understand why. If someone has bought a refillable drink, they might decide not to refill it whilst hanging around the area of the park with the most rides if it means a big old walk back towards the top end of main street. Opening it at the end of the day allows them to close and start cleaning down the ones towards the back of the park, whilst pushing guests towards the gates...

"it's 4:15pm and this drink stand is closed. Please make your way to literally the second closest shop to the exit to refill your drink (and whilst you're there, please think about leaving the park early so we can close on time)"

15 hours ago, Spotty said:

No post mix machines behind the counter, they were removed when the self service machines were put in at Gotham.

That is fucking bonkers

 

EDIT: How long has this been the case for?

Edited August 6, 20188 yr by joz

1 hour ago, joz said:

That is fucking bonkers

 

EDIT: How long has this been the case for?

Ummm...

EDIT:

15 hours ago, Spotty said:

they were removed when the self service machines were put in at Gotham.

 

Don't 'ummm' me Mr. Took Push's last post seriously despite it clearly being a joke. 😀

 

How long has Gotham been unable to provide softdrinks?

 

 

I assumed the self serve at Gotham where closed during the quiet seasons, to force people to actually pay for their refills for the day (as there was no system to check if you'd paid last time I used it).

Yes, last time around I was thwarted at my attempt to not have to pay for overpriced post-mix. 😐

If Costco can sell ~1200mL of Pepsi post-mix products for $1.29, then $7.99 a day for about the same amount over 3 refills is a rip off.

$8 isnt that much when it’s $6 for a 600ml bottle...

1 hour ago, joz said:

Don't 'ummm' me Mr. Took Push's last post seriously despite it clearly being a joke. 

You never know with him

1 hour ago, joz said:

How long has Gotham been unable to provide softdrinks?

less than 6 months - as the refill station is open during peak times...

59 minutes ago, Brad2912 said:

$8 isnt that much when it’s $6 for a 600ml bottle...

It is actually $5 not $6.

17 minutes ago, themeparkaddict said:

It is actually $5 not $6.

Same difference... still cheaper than 2 bottles

Having spent more time at Dirty Harry then anywhere else at the park I don't think i've ever really had to deal with Movie World's sodagate before, but I gotta say making guests walk all the way to the front of the park to get a soda is a massive oversight.

Are people not aware Main St. Deli/Ben & Jerry’s/Sweet Treats all do post mix?

1 hour ago, Jordan M. said:

Are people not aware Main St. Deli/Ben & Jerry’s/Sweet Treats all do post mix?

I'm not, I drink beer.

As far as I know they started #sodagate in April/May and has continued since (except during the most recent holidays)

21 hours ago, pushbutton said:

A cost-cutting theme park. 

I've heard it all now! 

The park has been doing a hell of a lot of cost cutting recently. It might surprise you.

These cost cutting measures seem to be spinning out of control at the moment.

Changes that will eventually back fire on the Operators but paying Guests also need to be telling them right now they are not happy, and why.

They also need to piss off the legions of Accountants that are slowly destroying our Parks. 

 

They've thrown big money at a new ride, only to have a tragedy occur down the road which has tarnished all GC parks and impacted on cash flow.

They've tried to up the gate takings with the OnePass, which is failing it seems as they are now doing an AfterPay style pay it off over four payments, plus value adding stuff to the pass to try and attract people.

22 hours ago, Jordan M. said:

Are people not aware Main St. Deli/Ben & Jerry’s/Sweet Treats all do post mix?

Sweet Treats doesn't, Deli is often closed by 3pm and Ben and Jerry's always has a massive queue which would turn people away. There's no point having drink stations if they are never open. In fact i'm really surprised they haven't done what a lot of the cruise ships do with the bottles and have a NFC chip that has to be pushed down to activate the soda pumps. I mean they have the tags already at the counter outlets, so why not roll it out to the drink machines as well to stop people refilling without paying.

I really think as many people as possible should be throwing it in their face(book page) that the parks own CEO said they were commiting all things being open. 

 

I also think whoever from guests services told someone it’s a business reality should be fired. People come to theme parks to escape reality. Nothing like a finance lecture to kill that dream!