• ℹ️ Heads up...

    This is a popular topic that is fast moving Guest - before posting, please ensure that you check out the first post in the topic for a quick reminder of guidelines, and importantly a summary of the known facts and information so far. Thanks.

[2023] The Curse at Alton Manor

Status
This topic has been locked. No further replies can be posted.
DistortAMG said:
It is clear to see in the daylight how shoddy these bits of theeming now look after 30 years. Not too sad at their removal to be fair.
Click to expand...
Probably because they werent meant to be seen in the daylight?
Any set ever will look bad in the wrong lighting etc, which Duel has suffered from for a hundred years.

The job of a set designer isnt to blow £1000s on high detail that wouldn't be appreciated in the 5 seconds you see it on a ride, just in case enthusiasts see it junked outside years later. It's to use special techniques, timing and lighting, which Haunted House did exceptionally well originally. It arguably had more detail in it than all recent UK dark rides.

The setpieces are outside because they have been junked from the ride, people are overthinking it. We don't know the plans for the new ride yet.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Niet Roken said:
Probably because they werent meant to be seen in the daylight?
Any set ever will look bad in the wrong lighting etc, which Duel has suffered from for a hundred years.

The job of a set designer isnt to blow £1000s on high detail that wouldn't be appreciated in the 5 seconds you see it on a ride, just in case enthusiasts see it junked outside years later. It's to use special techniques, timing and lighting, which Haunted House did exceptionally well originally. It arguably had more detail in it than all recent UK dark rides.

The setpieces are outside because they have been junked from the ride, people are overthinking it. We don't know the plans for the new ride yet.
Click to expand...

Everyone has assumed my comment refers to the look of them in terms of how they look under or not under show lighting conditions.

Open your eyes! Look at them. They are going to fall apart outdoors, materials like that in the British weather will not last long. You can use all the show lighting in the world and it will not change a thing in that aspect.

The fact that they have been placed within the queue area of all places, pretty heavily implies they plan to keep them there as part of the queue.
 
DistortAMG said:
Everyone has assumed my comment refers to the look of them in terms of how they look under or not under show lighting conditions.

Open your eyes! Look at them. They are going to fall apart outdoors, materials like that in the British weather will not last long. You can use all the show lighting in the world and it will not change a thing in that aspect.

The fact that they have been placed within the queue area of all places, pretty heavily implies they plan to keep them there as part of the queue.
Click to expand...

They're in the queueline of a temporary Scarefest attraction though?
 
Just wondering, if JW is having a part in this overhaul then I wonder if he is turning the garden into something from the original concepts that was unable to be realised until now thus why some of the scenery is being chucked?

I'm certain he'd want to get the ghost corridor working probably this time if that is planned to be rebuilt this time though having the swamp monster to work this time would be welcomed. Actually what happened to that thing, did it get scrapped or someone take it with them?
 
I'm guessing that most of the work so far has been on refurbishing the ride system and anything ear marked for the skip was up for grabs for use in the Invitation queue line. We should get new mazes next year and I strongly suspect we'll be seeing some very familiar theming objects for years to come.

As for most of the rest of the stuff inside Duel, I'm sure we'll start seeing many skips arrive over the winter.
 
RIPCorky said:
Possibly so. At this point I'm still worried about this ride. I've been here before with Toyland Tours and I'll never forget going around that chocolate factory thinking what an earth have they done?......
Click to expand...
The only thing that makes me less skeptical is John Wardleys involvement, but it doesn't help with seeing the Original 1992 props being gutted out and used for The Invitations Queue. All I'm hoping is they keep a good 70-80% of the Original theming and enhance it in some places while restoring them to their former glory in some manner, or just regular TLC.
 
Last edited:
Trooper Looper said:
The only thing that makes me less skeptical is John Wardleys involvement, but it doesn't help with seeing the Original 1992 props being gutted out and used for The Invitations Queue. All I'm hoping is they keep a good 70-80% of the Original theming and enhance it in some places while resting them to their former glory in some manner, or just regular TLC.
Click to expand...
Is his involvement actually confirmed? Even if he is I doubt he has the final say either way. What can he really do if they tell him they're going to totally gut his ride? I just pray whoever is in charge takes a look at the historical mistakes made to all the dark rides in this country.

History has a horrible way of repeating itself.....
 
RIPCorky said:
Is his involvement actually confirmed? Even if he is I doubt he has the final say either way. What can he really do if they tell him they're going to totally gut his ride? I just pray whoever is in charge takes a look at the historical mistakes made to all the dark rides in this country.

History has a horrible way of repeating itself.....
Click to expand...
There has been numerous sightings of him And John Burton riding the attraction since May with both holding sheets of paper, and some people say its new and unused art (potentially the 5 year plan that never happened when it was the HH)

He may have not said anything, but the park hasn't said anything descriptive about Duel either this year, with the only evidence given of its closure being a Chalk bord on the exit ramp. I doubt he'll confirm anything until the ride opens.
 
I have to fully agree with what has been said. The history of dark rides in the UK and their supposed “refurbishments” leaves a lot to be desired.

Haunted House > Duel
Bubble works > Duck works > Gruffalo
Terror Tomb > Tomb Blaster
Toyland Tours > Charlie > Dungeon

Wardley’s involvement is encouraging but the majority of the others that worked on his creations are sadly long gone. We live in a day and age where kids are more interested in watching screens than animatronics.

It’s both exciting and deeply worrying. Can’t wait until more is revealed. Will keep an eye out at the fireworks event. This house is part of my childhood.
 
Blackhole_Sun said:
I have to fully agree with what has been said. The history of dark rides in the UK and their supposed “refurbishments” leaves a lot to be desired.

Haunted House > Duel
Bubble works > Duck works > Gruffalo
Terror Tomb > Tomb Blaster
Toyland Tours > Charlie > Dungeon

Wardley’s involvement is encouraging but the majority of the others that worked on his creations are sadly long gone. We live in a day and age where kids are more interested in watching screens than animatronics.

It’s both exciting and deeply worrying. Can’t wait until more is revealed. Will keep an eye out at the fireworks event. This house is part of my childhood.
Click to expand...
Those being Tussauds/Merlin parks...have to remember many of those overhauls to those came right at the tail end in with Tussauds was skimping for money and tried to save money though all were left to be desired.

Granted Merlin aren't much better regarding how most are IP's though admittedly the recent refurb of Tomb Blaster doesn't look too bad IMO compared to what it was a few years ago. Given the laws of physics you'd expect there to be at least one overhaul of a Merlin dark ride in which is fluke maybe like the Nemesis retrack.

Actually, is there any UK dark ride outside of Merlin that had a good overhaul?
 
Blackhole_Sun said:
I have to fully agree with what has been said. The history of dark rides in the UK and their supposed “refurbishments” leaves a lot to be desired.

Haunted House > Duel
Bubble works > Duck works > Gruffalo
Terror Tomb > Tomb Blaster
Toyland Tours > Charlie > Dungeon

Wardley’s involvement is encouraging but the majority of the others that worked on his creations are sadly long gone. We live in a day and age where kids are more interested in watching screens than animatronics.

It’s both exciting and deeply worrying. Can’t wait until more is revealed. Will keep an eye out at the fireworks event. This house is part of my childhood.
Click to expand...
Same here, excluding the smilers advert, it was pretty much what introduced me to Alton Towers, specifically this POV of it here. I only managed to watch the first half because of the creepy music and laughs XD

From: https://youtu.be/OM69gQdD5Nw


This is John Wardleys last Dark Ride close to him. As you've started, many of the Original designers are dead (Rest in Peace Keith), but with British Theme Park archive making a documentary about the Ride, he's recorded multiple interviews with the remaining Designers still around, and most of them were pretty young when it was designed so they're still in good shape by the looks of it. So I imagine they COULD be part of it as a minor role or as participants. You'll see them in his trailer for the upcoming Documentaries!

From: https://youtu.be/VqX_IqrnSJE
 
Even though John Wardley is (probably) involved, I’d imagine that he won’t have a huge role. My guess is that this ride will very much be John Burton’s baby, and Wardley will only be around to offer the odd bit of advice.

Besides, even if John Wardley were at the helm, I’m not sure that he’d necessarily want a piece by piece revival of the 1992 Haunted House. I’m not even sure that he’d necessarily want to be overly faithful to the 1992 ride.

Whenever he’s been interviewed, he seems like a very pragmatic person who’s open to change rather than someone who sees his early rides as untouchable works of perfection that must be protected at all costs.

I’m sure that if you’d have given John Wardley unlimited money and full creative control and asked him to do something with 2022 Duel, he’d happily have bought the bulldozers in and devised something considerably superior and more bespokely designed for the 21st century market.
 
Status
This topic has been locked. No further replies can be posted.
Top