Trip Report 5th June 2005

[marky.com]

Got along to Dreamland this Sunday, for the first time in two years. During my last trip in 2003 I swore blind that I'd never visit again, with the depressing state the place had got into.

I was very pleased this year to find a park that seemed very much to have taken a step in the right direction. A colourful selection of mixed rides - for younger kiddies and thrill-seekers alike - offered a great choice. The park felt clean, tidy and well cared for. It really goes to show the difference a little TLC can bring. Really gets my mind working on imaging how great the likes of the 'I dream of Dreamland' plans could be.

It was fairly quiet, but it was a cloudy day. The Scenic Railway was running well all day without any problems and I left feeling a lot more optimistic for the future than I did in 2003...

A few photos

[Bob]

I think the idea of having to buy tokens just to get in is not a good idea at all. What it does is discourage people from going in, far better to let people in free and have token avaiable inside the park. The last thing you want to do is put off people from going in. It will discourage causual visitors who might just want to look around. Once you have people inside they are likely to spend money but they will not pay up at the gate. Its probably reducing trade by 20% to 50%.

[marky.com]

I think the idea of having to buy tokens just to get in is not a good idea at all. What it does is discourage people from going in, far better to let people in free and have token avaiable inside the park. The last thing you want to do is put off people from going in. It will discourage causual visitors who might just want to look around. Once you have people inside they are likely to spend money but they will not pay up at the gate. Its probably reducing trade by 20% to 50%.

I'm not sure why you've replied to my trip report with this. It's a very legitimate topic - but I think it would be beter with its own thread, as it does not relate at all to my posting.

Valid point though, but I feel Dreamland deserves to be the sort of place where you go because you intend to go - rather than seeking random customers who happen to be in the area.

Adventure Island is now in a position where it can offer free entry and an option to purchase a wristband, Dreamland isn't - yet...

[uvegotmale2000]

adventure island has always been free to enter,what dreamland needs is some big publicity.i mean how many people know dreamland actually is open??maybe the rail company who operates margate would help with posters etc.what we could do with is some sponsorship from businesses for posters etc

[dave771]

I think that better publicity would be great for the park but the current operator has had many opportunities for free publicity with a lot of help being offered by Nick Laister which would not cost the operator a penny, but for some strange reason all these offers have been refused. In business any person will tell you that you have to spend money to make money and if offers are made to assist you with advertising that do not cost anything a good businessman would jump at the chance to accept that. I have my own opinions as to why these offers have been refused but you can make your own minds up!

Dave

[marky.com]

adventure island has always been free to enter,what dreamland needs is some big publicity.i mean how many people know dreamland actually is open??maybe the rail company who operates margate would help with posters etc.what we could do with is some sponsorship from businesses for posters etc

I gave the impression i my post that Advernture Island hasn't always been free to enter, though this wasn't my intention. I guess what I meant to say was that enough people know about it for it to attract them of its own accord.

British Rail used to have a promotion with Bembom Brothers - in the same way Adventure Island have - where you could buy an all-in-one ticket. South Eastern Trains (the current Train Operating Company), would only get involved if the owner approached them. I've worked in the rail industry though and they're usually keen to get involved with these sorts of things.

Also, lots of people seem to have opinions about what is going on at Dreamland this year and not talk about it - as if they're scared of something. This doesn't really help anyone.

A discussion board should embrace all opinions. After all - the only reason any of us are posting here is because we think theat Dreamland has the right to survive...

[dave771]

Also, lots of people seem to have opinions about what is going on at Dreamland this year and not talk about it - as if they're scared of something. This doesn't really help anyone.

with regards to the above post its sometime easier to keep opinions to ourselves to avoid being threatened with legal action and things like that, there are probably things going on that are relevant but with no evidence to back you up its best left unsaid

Dave

[marky.com]

with regards to the above post its sometime easier to keep opinions to ourselves to avoid being threatened with legal action and things like that, there are probably things going on that are relevant but with no evidence to back you up its best left unsaid

Dave

Forums like these are here to encourage people to freely express what they are thinking. Anything expressed here is not the view or opinion of the savedreamland campaign - and no lawsuit could take place - because we're talking about opinions - not hard facts.

When you have a bunch of people who care about somewhere, feeling unable to express what they're truly thinking - then you have already sewn the seeds of destruction.

Call me naive, but I've been a member of a number of toher theme park forums and seen and heard much worse than the unspoken feelings here.

At the end of the day, Nick is here to raise awareness of Dreamland's plight, whilst promoting honest and open discussion. Fear of legal action wll not help.

[Sarah]

To a certain extent, I agree. But maybe the other forums you have been involved with were not commenting on matters that involved quite such litigious people as here though...

Because this Forum appears on the Save Dreamland Campaign website, people often assume that opinions expressed here are those of the Campaign. Having had a recent telephonic ear-bashing concerning something on this Forum, I know that to be true. I defended the Forum as a place for interested parties to express their opinions - with the minimum of censorship - but "official" apologies were demanded. The argument was at such a level that Campaign members in Maidstone may have caught some of it.

However, we are dealing with a sensitive issue here, and sometimes the most prudent way forward is to keep your gob shut. Any success this Campaign has achieved has been through diligent hard work, painstaking research and an ability to 'play the game' - whether that game be dictated by the local authority, the developers, the owner, whoever.

If people aren't speaking up, you can be sure it's for a good reason.

Sarah

[porf]

I think it's worth differentiating between facts and opinions. I don't think anyone has an issue with giving their opinions on how the park could be saved, what the future of the park could be or what the campaign should be doing.

I think it's more on the side of facts that the problem arises, the biggest issue here is that very few people do KNOW anything concrete about what is going on at Dreamland. The campaign has no direct links into the company that now owns the park site; the campaign has no major contact with the showman running the site this year.

This means that pretty much everything anyone could post as fact is rumour. Whilst rumours can be fun on other boards (e.g. Thorpe are building a new 500 foot water coaster) I'm in agreement that they don't really help the aims of the campaign.

When any concrete information is known (an example being the opening of the park this year) I'd rather see it posted on the news pages as it avoids the problem I see a lot on other boards where everyone immediately rounds on the poster either demanding to know their source or calling them a liar.

In the case in this thread, posting about the reasons for the lack of advertising and publicity would need very careful wording to avoid appearing to be a statement of fact. If it was worded as opinion I can't really see how it would help (e.g. just my opinion but I think that aliens are to blame for the lack of advertising) as it now carries no real weight.

Anyway just my opinion, and I'm happy to listen to others

[marky.com]

Valid points Sarah and Porf.

I agree that with the future of the park being so fragile, the last thing needed is to let wild rumours discredit the campaign itself. Its probably best these things are left off the forum. I've go my own opinions, and I'm sure any members here who meet up or chat outside of this forum will naturally share their thoughts via those channels.

[Nick]

There will be an opportunity for us all to get together and discuss both opinions and facts at the Preston Rally on 25 and 26 June, where the Campaign will have a stand. Check out the News page for more information.

http://www.joylandbooks.com/scenicrailway/news.htm

Nick