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Scarefest 2020

Read something last week on a drive through scare event...Japan?
Now there is an idea...all those lovely car parks.
Well there are drive-in church services in the UK so drive-through scare mazes could indeed work. Good spot.
 
A drive through scare zone sounds like a lot of hassle and potential claims for damage.

I'd be very happy, personally just to walk through an extremely well themed park. More lights, more sounds, smells and projections.

I loved the ride theme pumpkins, more things like that around the park would be great.
 
A drive through scare zone sounds like a lot of hassle and potential claims for damage.

I'd be very happy, personally just to walk through an extremely well themed park. More lights, more sounds, smells and projections.

I loved the ride theme pumpkins, more things like that around the park would be great.
I agree. They should use the budget usually reserved for the mazes on extra lighting, decorations and scare zone props. I really hope they bring back the singing/talking ghost projections (on a tree near Towers Street last year), they were really good.
 
I agree. They should use the budget usually reserved for the mazes on extra lighting, decorations and scare zone props. I really hope they bring back the singing/talking ghost projections (on a tree near Towers Street last year), they were really good.

I loved the ghosts in the Towers window as well. It's quite funny what makes adults stop and stare, but myself and my brother were engrossed with the projections last year.

I would like to see them not attempt a proper Halloween, don't add events that will require an extra charge and instead, like you said, use the money to just make the park look better. When you see what Disney do, even just changing light bulbs on the street lamps, or putting a witches hat on top of them, it doesn't have to be major things to make theming better.
 
More lights, sounds, smells etc costs money.
They wont increase their costs without additional revenue, especially this year when their income is already well down.
Scarefest is a big additional cash cow, extra income when the company needs cashflow.
 
I think Scarefest could still be a cash cow without mazes which must cost more money, actors bills etc, than say well themed scare zones and additional theming around the park.

They only make more money off Scarefest if people choose to pay for mazes. If they can't have any this year, then they need to get as many people into the park as possible by offering additional things and that will cost them money to put on, but what else can they do.

They can't have a plain, bald theme park during Halloween, so they either make it look like the best place to be for Halloween given the pandemic or perhaps put up prices, which ultimately would backfire.
 
If they really wanted to they could expand on night rides (also a very popular aspect of Scarefest) by closing later, thus giving more time. Staffing costs would probably put paid to that though.
 
I guess the Ropers would put paid to that..... ;)

I'd like hem to extend the season in general. You can have more rides in the dark the later it is into the year without them being open later and therefore incurring the wrath of the locals.

If Blackpool can extend their season - obviously a vastly different set of circumstances to AT - I hope maybe more councils can be more flexible.
 
If they really wanted to they could expand on night rides (also a very popular aspect of Scarefest) by closing later, thus giving more time. Staffing costs would probably put paid to that though.

Even just phased closing, so ride close for a majority could be 9pm as normal, then Wickerman until 9.30 maybe and Nemesis/Air until 10pm (as they can then allow guests to exit that side of the park).

Offer plenty of extra family shows, maybe some kind of light/laser show (they did one in Her Ladyships Garden before) or other outdoor entertainment.
 
I know generally people have a poor opinion of AT in terms of they could always do more but this year will be different for the park, and they are going to have to be creative and they can't do this without spending money.

I think it will be vital that they can extend the season, or at least be allowed to open the park for events during winter such as a Christmas market. If anywhere is allowed to have those. There is a food festival in Liverpool that charges £15 just to walk on the field!

If they aren't going to have mazes, then make the Scarefest season longer. With some special events a bit nearer towards Halloween.

I think for the marketing team and those who develop ideas this should be an exciting time.
 
I think for the marketing team and those who develop ideas this should be an exciting time.

On the contrary, it'll be quite the opposite. Marketing have been known to sap the soul and put the brakes on many things over the past few years. They really won't be spending the little money they have on concepts that just pop into their heads without months and months of risk analysis.

With the way things are at the moment, and the fact Fright Nights has seen its run time reduced, I suspect we may see Scarefest go the same way.
 
Just have a slow shuffle...keep 2 metres apart, holding a rope, with all the usual gags from the end of a stick.
In the woods.
Worked in the cubs.
 
I think for the marketing team and those who develop ideas this should be an exciting time.
More like a really awful time, as they watch all the ideas they had been working on cancelled and probably never get the budget granted for a good few seasons now.

But let's hope not. The events still going ahead in name should be a good sign, but I bet nowhere near as good as originally planned
 
Why is everyone being so negative? :tearsofjoy:Yes it will be very different this year but we won't know till nearer the time. As @Spookle15 said hopefully they will use the money saved and come up with alternatives to keep the crowds happy. I know it's a big ask but maybe they'll surprise us. :)
 
Assuming they're even in a position to let crowds in of course. If they're still only letting in a few thousand each day then what's the incentive to run a major event?
 
Just been reading the AT twitter page from today.... some quite funny responses from AT.

One person was asking for help as they were having difficulty booking tickets. AT asked if they were trying to book park tickets for the 27th November as the park is shut.

I don't know if that puts paid to the idea of them being able to extend their season or not, or if it's too early for them to say they are doing that. Blackpool itself is used to having out of season events as a town so I guess that's why Pleasure Beach can tag along with the illuminations being extended etc, whereas Alton Towers is completely on its own.

Or is it for more complicated reasons like safety, there are a lot of trees in AT, lighting isn't great in a lot of areas, wet leaves and damp ground... as people have said, it's probably something that would need a long time to think about, extending the season.

I guess it is just a hope that they can do something at least with the park over the closed season if there has to be one.
 
I think it will be vital that they can extend the season, or at least be allowed to open the park for events during winter such as a Christmas market. If anywhere is allowed to have those.

They do "open" for during November & December for the Santa Sleepover events, but you need to pay for the hotel package to get limited rides, a panto, a visit to Santa and the hotel room. As each guest is spending more upfront compared to day tickets and by being on site there are drinks and food too, this will make them a lot more money than normal opening where a majority who turn up will be passholders. There is no incentive to open up more widely over the winter. In the winter they want hotel guest, not annual passholders coming into the park.

I don't know if that puts paid to the idea of them being able to extend their season or not, or if it's too early for them to say they are doing that. Blackpool itself is used to having out of season events as a town so I guess that's why Pleasure Beach can tag along with the illuminations being extended etc, whereas Alton Towers is completely on its own.

Or is it for more complicated reasons like safety, there are a lot of trees in AT, lighting isn't great in a lot of areas, wet leaves and damp ground... as people have said, it's probably something that would need a long time to think about, extending the season.

As you say I think it is because Blackpool has the illuminations and other touristy things to do so its more of a destination. Alton Towers in the cold and wet isn't a lot of fun, this is why ScareFest is such a big deal it gets people in at a time of year theme parks shouldn't be as popular.
 
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