Alton Towers are heading in the right direction under new management, and there has been a step change in Thorpe Park this year. I think Merlin were delisted a year or so ago, so that might be helping them make better, longer term, strategic decisions and focusing more on quality. There’s a long way to go, but progress for sure from what I can see & have experienced.
New manager of Alton Towers really cares, listens to feedback and has already taken many positive steps. Universal (hopefully) on the horizon might allow Merlin to back her with funds to reverse the lack of investment in recent times. The UK is embarrassingly behind in many aspects, like quality dark rides, that are on the continent (Efteling, DLP) and top notch theming (DLP, Phantasialand, Europa) to list a few. Building rides that are indoors, requires effort and budget, but you’d imagine would make sense in a climate where there’s a chance of rain 12 months a year… that this lack of this infrastructure is in place is a sign of how things have been in the Uk theme park market for decades now. If it rains at Alton Towers, good luck having a good day!
In terms of Universal, I think they’ll bring international visitation in a way Alton does not. Not convinced they’re in competition really. Definitely room for many theme parks in the UK.
I’ve said it elsewhere but my general feeling is that the themed entertainment space is well positioned for the years ahead. As AI makes everything in our daily lives so easy, so routine and in some aspects, sterile, this is one field where physical emotion can’t be replicated and replaced, and I think people are going to crave this even more.