Scarefest 2015

[James]

The only way I can see why people may not be happy with this is because the event hasn't expanded over the years.

Years ago back when we were on the 'other' site the Scarefest topic was always full of excitement of what will happen the following year. We'd talk of more park lighting, more park theming, heck there were discussions about the park having 4 or 5 mazes as the event grew and grew.

In terms of size the event is still the same as it was years ago! In that respect I find it pretty crap there hasn't been any major changes over the years. We get excited now over the fact there's 3 mazes available, or if generator lights have gels on them... shows how generally we have come to have lower expectations.

Although I'm looking forward to the changes this season which have been long overdue.

 

[Rick]

@James I understand the basis of the discussion, but I would suggest that every event reaches saturation point, whereby you won't make more money or serve more people by investing more. In the same way that as the park grows, it will get to a point where the park won't continue building new roller coasters without retiring older ones, because you reach a point where the bottom line stops increasing.

With the example in this thread, you get one person who suggests they won't attend because the event doesn't hit their expectations, I would suggest they are very much in the minority.

The number of non-attendees doesn't justify the planning, design, construction, operation and dis-assembly of another maze and the spend associated with it.

 

[AliceHL91]

People will go, but I'd suggest that there'll be lot less people in the mazes than the past few years because people don't like being charged for things

 

[Leah]

I've never been to scarefest before. I probably think more like the go than anyone on here when it comes to scarefest having never experienced it. Personally, I would love to go this year (don't know weather that will happen or not). But I'm not sure I will like the mazes. It might not be for me. Until I've experienced it I won't know. For this reason I would like them to have a free maze, so that I can see if I like it before paying £16 (or less given it would only be two mazes paid for).

Out of curiosity though, if there was a free maze, which would it be. Sub species has alternate endings, so the queue would be huge with people experiencing it twice, and the actors can touch you, so I don't think it would be that. I'd actually say TotT, because it is the most "normal" mazes (no extra elements)

 

[AliceHL91]

Do the scare zones instead. The mazes are alot more intense

 

[Danny]

TotT, because it's almost always been the free (and signature maze).

 

[AliceHL91]

It's not been free recently

 

[Jables]

Even though this years Scarefest is going to be expensive, I will absolutely visit more than once, however I will probably only do the paid mazes once.

 

[Leah]

If I can go this year, I will. I will buy a combo ticket and do all 3 mazes and both scarezones. I will probably get a friend to go with me so I can't avoid the mazes

 

[Dave]

See if you go back to 2010 which is seen as the highlight of scarefest, you had one maze that was free and two that where paid.

This year you have three mazes that are paid.... Yet 2 scare zones that are free and more family attractions.

I do think £20 is too expensive based on the high base price of park entry too but I don't think it's a terrible event. Overall it's looking good.

 

[Leah]

I would like to see it cheaper, and I'm sure people who have been before could argue that it's not worth it, but I'm willing to pay. I think this is the problem. We complain about the price and the offered mazes, yet we will still pay multiple times. If you don't think it's worth it don't go. Otherwise, don't complain.

Again, whilst I'd like to see a free maze, I think £20 isn't bad considering you can do the scarezones free, something I'm sure other parks would leap at the opportunity to charge for.

 

[Rick]

The mazes are a premium offering and as such have a premium price associated with them.

 

[James]

I like the idea of the mazes being all paid for attractions to be honest. TOTT being a free maze for years worked because it was the only maze in the theme park, since we've moved over to everything being in park it makes no sense having attractions of the same quality but one being free and the rest paid for. There was no real difference between the free maze and the paid maze, apart from the 90 minute queue for one and 10 minutes for the others.

Mazes are a unique experience and Towers pull them off very well, so having to pay for it is justified. I think £20 is a little too much though (if they had it at around £16-£18 it wouldn't seem so bad), but people will pay for it, that's a guarantee. I'll moan about it but I'll pay for it anyway, because I know (or hope) I'll get a good experience out of it. I just hope with this 'premium' price I get a premium experience. When I visited The Sanctuary in 2013 I paid for very few actors, broken effects, a very boring atmosphere and literally no actors in the finale... for mazes to be charged at £20 this year I expect moments like that not to happen, as I've had that with TOTT and Carnival too. The product needs to stay consistent so hopefully that's what they will do with charging what they are this season.

 

[PeteB]

People keep saying "free maze" - there has never been a free maze. It was included in your park admission, you already paid for a range of different entertainment. The whole point of scare mazes was to draw people to the park at an otherwise quiet time of year. In a park once brimming with entertainment the line up in October shifted towards celebrating Halloween with scares.

Would people be happy if we had one "free" rollercoaster but the rest were £5 to ride? They could do combi tickets like 3 rollercoasters for £20.

Oh wait a minute, they're kinda already doing this. It's called Fastrack.

I wonder if they'll start charging to see the fireworks - pay £10 to watch from the lawns/towers street, otherwise you have to move to some obscure area of the park where nothing can be seen.

Blimey, Pete, even by my standards that's a tad harsh.

I like it, sir! Clearly, I'm going to have to up my game if I want to retain my title for another year!

Haha! I'm going for an all-time record now.

 

[Leah]

I don't care if there is a free maze (although i wouldn't mind knowing what i was about to pay for) as long as i get what i pay for. For £20 i would want and expect:
*lots of actors
*working effects
*a good storyline
*good quality theming
*not to really have to queue (20 minutes - acceptable, 1 hour - not)

if this is executed well though, it will set a new standard for towers. It will bring visitor numbers up that have been at critical levels for weeks

 

[Dave]

The mazes are a premium offering and as such have a premium price associated with them.

The fault with that argument is there are cheaper comparable products.

There are many scare parks offering high quality mazes for a cheaper price, there are other parks in the same group offering high quality mazes for a cheaper price. Ergo the price is too high.

I have no issue with paid mazes, I don't really care if there is no free maze as we have the scare zones as part of the park admission, but on a like for like basis they are charging much too high for the product. Any other year that wouldn't surprise me but when they need to entice people back to the park it seems odd to charge stupidly for the product.

 

[Dave]

People keep saying "free maze" - there has never been a free maze. It was included in your park admission, you already paid for a range of different entertainment. The whole point of scare mazes was to draw people to the park at an otherwise quiet time of year. In a park once brimming with entertainment the line up in October shifted towards celebrating Halloween with scares.

Would people be happy if we had one "free" rollercoaster but the rest were £5 to ride? They could do combi tickets like 3 rollercoasters for £20.

Oh wait a minute, they're kinda already doing this. It's called Fastrack.

I wonder if they'll start charging to see the fireworks - pay £10 to watch from the lawns/towers street, otherwise you have to move to some obscure area of the park where nothing can be seen.



Haha! I'm going for an all-time record now.

Your right that the old free mazes where a loss leader but I would still say it was a free maze as entrance price didn't increase (unlike Thorpe) to fund it.

 

[Tom]

I believe that charging for Terror of the Towers is a flawed strategy, as it is the showcase event. Having it free and still charging £20 for the other mazes would make more sense.

 

[jonny9403]

Unless they really pick there game im only going once with prices at £20 which is alot considering if I pre book fright nights at Thorpe Park last year id be paying £5 to get in. And cabin in the woods was the best thing I did last year

 

[Rick]

People keep saying "free maze" - there has never been a free maze. It was included in your park admission,

It was free on the basis that you could visit the park the day before, or the day after Scarefest for the same price and not have it included. That sounds like a free offering to me.

Would people be happy if we had one "free" rollercoaster but the rest were £5 to ride? They could do combi tickets like 3 rollercoasters for £20.

They key difference, of course, is that the roller coasters are part of their core offering and are available each day as part of the standard attraction set so the value of the above is lost.

The fault with that argument is there are cheaper comparable products.

There are many scare parks offering high quality mazes for a cheaper price, there are other parks in the same group offering high quality mazes for a cheaper price. Ergo the price is too high.

That's the case with everything, ever. You can get better donuts on Blackpool prom for a quarter of the price of the Alton Towers ones, it doesn't mean no one will buy them.

I have no issue with paid mazes, I don't really care if there is no free maze as we have the scare zones as part of the park admission, but on a like for like basis they are charging much too high for the product. Any other year that wouldn't surprise me but when they need to entice people back to the park it seems odd to charge stupidly for the product.

It's only a stupid charge if people don't pay for it and I think they will. Alton have a pretty good reputation for scare mazes, I don't think people will shy away.

Unless they really pick there game im only going once with prices at £20 which is alot considering if I pre book fright nights at Thorpe Park last year id be paying £5 to get in. And cabin in the woods was the best thing I did last year

This is important to note... Scarefest is primarily (not exclusively) designed as a single visit experience, the mazes are not designed to be repeated many times over the course of two weeks, therefore the fee needs to priced in a way that it is worthwhile on a single transaction.

I believe that charging for Terror of the Towers is a flawed strategy, as it is the showcase event. Having it free and still charging £20 for the other mazes would make more sense.

I think this can work backwards though, the free one often meant that people don't bother with the paid ones because they were perceived as expensive next to 'free'. Having all the mazes paid for creates a higher perception of value across the board, rather than Free vs. £££.