• 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.
Matt N said:
I’m guessing that’s what was meant. My guess is that they meant that we as guests will go through a super-sized house as though we’re seeing it from Emily Alton’s perspective.

It sounds really interesting to me! If it is like that, it should be very different from the existing HH while still maintaining some subtle nods towards it, and I think that sounds great!
Click to expand...

Trouble is between Toy Story and Ratatouille, Disney have done similar ideas (although they aren't haunted themes) and I'm not sure it will be done as well.
 
I wouldn't rule it out completely. But equally, someone could have looked at all of the clues and come up with their own invented theme and just added an 'I overheard xxx member of staff talking about it' to have a bit of a laugh or attract some attention/views or whatever. I'm assuming there will be several vloggers getting some views proposing this theory, right?
 
BarryZola said:
I wouldn't rule it out completely. But equally, someone could have looked at all of the clues and come up with their own invented theme and just added an 'I overheard xxx member of staff talking about it' to have a bit of a laugh or attract some attention/views or whatever. I'm assuming there will be several vloggers getting some views proposing this theory, right?
Click to expand...
There is always that possibility, as with any rumour, but equally, it could be a legitimate possibility for that ride in 2023.

More of these “rumours” do seem to have come true within the last few years, for what it’s worth.

I don't think anything can be considered a foregone conclusion at this stage, but I will concede that that theory could add up based upon the limited evidence we currently have.
 
It wouldn't make ant sense because the facade is a real looking house. It doesn't look anything like a dolls house.

My bet is on a modern version of The Haunted House, with new scenes and old scenes coexisting. John isn't involved with Nemesis' retrack, yet the speculation of him being involved with Duels refurb has been mentioned loads more and we still lassie a complete gutting and transformation??

I expect Emily (If she is involved) to be more like a promo brand/Character like Phalanx was for Nemesis on its last day with it's original track. She'll be around, but maybe not for long.

Whatever the outcome is, at least it won't be as minor as Duels 2018 refurbishment.
 
Trooper Looper said:
It wouldn't make ant sense because the facade is a real looking house. It doesn't look anything like a dolls house.
Click to expand...

It makes total sense. Within the world of the supernatural things are not always as it seems, as it seems, as it seems.....why would these be a giant dolls house in a woods. That doesn't make sense. You would be shrunk down inside the house if it was going to work cohesively.


Do you get the plug?! Nothing to say you couldn't be shrunk down in the drawing room once you enter the real, Haunted House.
 
DistortAMG said:
It makes total sense. Within the world of the supernatural things are not always as it seems, as it seems, as it seems.....why would these be a giant dolls house in a woods. That doesn't make sense. You would be shrunk down inside the house if it was going to work cohesively.


Do you get the plug?! Nothing to say you couldn't be shrunk down in the drawing room once you enter the real, Haunted House.
Click to expand...
Still not buying it :/
 
Trooper Looper said:
Still not buying it :/
Click to expand...

Well I think what we can establish though, is a girl / doll does play a part in the new theme, as I said earlier, not only does that appear in the peep holes on the construction walls, the writing of this house is mine is also quite childish in how it is written, further playing into what we see in the peep holes.
 
Trooper Looper said:
It wouldn't make ant sense because the facade is a real looking house. It doesn't look anything like a dolls house.

My bet is on a modern version of The Haunted House, with new scenes and old scenes coexisting. John isn't involved with Nemesis' retrack, yet the speculation of him being involved with Duels refurb has been mentioned loads more and we still lassie a complete gutting and transformation??

I expect Emily (If she is involved) to be more like a promo brand/Character like Phalanx was for Nemesis on its last day with it's original track. She'll be around, but maybe not for long.

Whatever the outcome is, at least it won't be as minor as Duels 2018 refurbishment.
Click to expand...
Who says they won’t change the facade at least slightly? They’ve got 4 months where the ride will be viewed by practically none of the public (unless the Lightopia trail goes past it at Christmas, although I’m not sure on that one), so there’s certainly scope to change the facade, and at this stage, I would be hesitant to make any bets about what’s staying/going. Also, I personally think the current facade could quite easily be made to suit a doll’s house theme.

Truth be told, there are all kinds of ways that theme could be made to fit. They could retheme the facade. As @DistortAMG says, they could shrink you down upon entering the building. There are all kinds of feasible explanations.

As for John’s involvement; I’ve said this before, but I’m not sure that John would necessarily want a regurgitation of the Haunted House as was, or even to stay overly faithful to the original HH at all. John may have designed the original HH, but he seems like an open-minded individual who doesn’t necessarily reject change. The Haunted House props and such are 30 years old now and arguably showing their age a bit, so if given the opportunity, why wouldn’t he want to put something improved and more modern in Duel/the HH’s place?

Besides, I would be hesitant to overegg the extent to which Wardley is involved in this project. The tone he struck at TTSP’s event was that his modern role in Merlin is one where he offers friendly advice and opinions from the sidelines rather than one where he is properly “at the helm” of projects. My suspicion is that this project will very much be John Burton’s baby, with John Wardley simply being a sounding board for John Burton to run his ideas past.
 
Last edited:
Matt N said:
Who says they won’t change the facade at least slightly? They’ve got 4 months where the ride will be viewed by practically none of the public (unless the Lightopia trail goes past it at Christmas, although I’m not sure on that one), so there’s certainly scope to change the facade, and at this stage, I would be hesitant to make any bets about what’s staying/going. Also, I personally think the current facade could quite easily be made to suit a doll’s house theme.

Truth be told, there are all kinds of ways that theme could be made to fit. They could retheme the facade. As @DistortAMG says, they could shrink you down upon entering the building. There are all kinds of feasible explanations.

As for John’s involvement; I’ve said this before, but I’m not sure that John would necessarily want a regurgitation of the Haunted House as was, or even to stay overly faithful to the original HH at all. John may have designed the original HH, but he seems like an open-minded individual who doesn’t necessarily reject change. The Haunted House props and such are 30 years old now and arguably showing their age a bit, so if given the opportunity, why wouldn’t he want to put something improved and more modern in Duel/the HH’s place?

Besides, I would be hesitant to overegg the extent to which Wardley is involved in this project. The tone he struck at TTSP’s event was that his modern role in Merlin is one where he offers friendly advice and opinions from the sidelines rather than one where he is properly “at the helm” of projects. My suspicion is that this project will very much be John Burton’s baby, with John Wardley simply being a sounding board for John Burton to run his ideas past.
Click to expand...
Think the Lightopia route is different this year, possibly to allow work to continue on Duel.
 
Skyscraper said:
Think the Lightopia route is different this year, possibly to allow work to continue on Duel.
Click to expand...
That would mean that no members of the public will be able to view that area at all.

Given that I believe the route went directly past Duel last year, I wouldn't rule out changes being underway on the ride facade and Gloomy Wood that the park wishes to hide.
 
Matt N said:
That would mean that no members of the public will be able to view that area at all.

Given that I believe the route went directly past Duel last year, I wouldn't rule out changes being underway on the ride facade and Gloomy Wood that the park wishes to hide.
Click to expand...
It did indeed go past Duel last year. Gives them more time to work on the facade.
 
I don't understand, if you're shrunk inside a doll's house, why would everything be big? Surely you'd be small as well, so everything inside said house would be proportional to the size you now are?

If they were to build giant things, it sounds a little bit too ambitious for the size of the building and the budget to me.
 
Matt.GC said:
I don't understand, if you're shrunk inside a doll's house, why would everything be big? Surely you'd be small as well, so everything inside said house would be proportional to the size you now are?

If they were to build giant things, it sounds a little bit too ambitious for the size of the building and the budget to me.
Click to expand...
I'm assuming that this was what was meant, in hindsight. The person reporting may just have made an error in phrasing.

If you're shrunken inside a doll's house, then the objects would look normal sized. Therefore, it wouldn't be an overly restrictive theme and could easily be done within their building space and budget. I also think it would be a very original concept with a lot of potential, and I think that it could work very well indeed; I'd certainly be in support of the development if that theory is true!
 
Last edited:
Now this could be interesting, during a discussion about the Emily Alton dolls house theory in a Discord server, a member who I'm pretty sure has inside knowledge teased about "innovative technology" being used to sell the idea of going into a tiny dolls house.

Screenshot_20221110-172309-915.png
.
If this was true (take it with a pinch of salt for now of course as it is speculation) what sort of "innovative technology" do we think it could be?
 
Skyscraper said:
Now this could be interesting, during a discussion about the Emily Alton dolls house theory in a Discord server, a member who I'm pretty sure has inside knowledge teased about "innovative technology" being used to sell the idea of going into a tiny dolls house.

Screenshot_20221110-172309-915.png
.
If this was true (take it with a pinch of salt for now of course as it is speculation) what sort of "innovative technology" do we think it could be?
Click to expand...
Maybe it could be like a fake lift or something in the pre-show? Or maybe it could be some sort of Pepper's Ghost-type effect where small things are made bigger?
 
Status
This topic has been locked. No further replies can be posted.
Top