[2023] The Curse at Alton Manor

[Zeock]

Yeah merlins new Alton attractions (major) do usually seem to have more information spilled on them usually in January. I hope we do because the nonsensical speculation is driving me insane, will be glad to have some official information so it stops

I think this is true, for Oblivion anyway, a Christmas card showing Santa's sleigh at a 90 degree angle was the first teaser, then by January, all the information was spilled and a massive advertising campaign began, costing about £5,000,000.

 

[Jb85]

I think this is true, for Oblivion anyway, a Christmas card showing Santa's sleigh at a 90 degree angle was the first teaser, then by January, all the information was spilled and a massive advertising campaign began, costing about £5,000,000.

If I remember rightly not a lot of information was actually released. It was kept fairly secrative

 

[rob666]

I was a fully fledged geek at the time, staring down the massive hole that became the Oblivion drop...the hole was ten times bigger than the eventual tunnel, it was an absolutely massive excavation.
There was zero pre release information before opening that I was aware of at the time...there was no social media, it didn't exist, and very limited internet...you are using modern standards that were not there at the time...very few people knew anything before the opening.
I noticed no five million pound marketing campaign at the time, because there wasn't one...I did for the smiler though.
There were limited tv adverts when the ride actually opened.
But again, back to Duel...this isn't the creation of a big new coaster, this is a dark ride being renovated...million miles apart.

 

[AndyEll]

Interesting article in the local Sentinel this morning regarding taking it back to its original roots.

Not sure it tells us much more than we already know

Only a quick read though

Closed Alton Towers ride set for exciting revamp

The much-loved Haunted House, which opened in 1992, is currently fenced off

www.stokesentinel.co.uk

 

[TroySmith1]

I’ve been following the thread and it’s been very interesting hearing everyone’s ideas and opinions!

I’m just a little confused of next season judging my Merlin History! So we believe they will advertise Duel as a new ride for next season?

All the works on nemesis sub terror and nemesis being closed next season, points to this being open next year as well. But how would this work if they have to advertise 2 completely different rides in different areas? (From Merlin history that wouldn’t make any sense) Multiple rides in CBeebies land is different, as easier to advertise together and for the same market.

Also do we believe they won’t be installing flat Rides this year and instead the temp flats will return? But that’s leads me to question when will they address the flat ride issue, with nemesis’s opening the following year and possibly project horizon the year after that?

Basically they need 1 season where they just say sod it to marketing and get on top!


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[Matt N]

I’ve been following the thread and it’s been very interesting hearing everyone’s ideas and opinions!

I’m just a little confused of next season judging my Merlin History! So we believe they will advertise Duel as a new ride for next season?

All the works on nemesis sub terror and nemesis being closed next season, points to this being open next year as well. But how would this work if they have to advertise 2 completely different rides in different areas? (From Merlin history that wouldn’t make any sense) Multiple rides in CBeebies land is different, as easier to advertise together and for the same market.

Also do we believe they won’t be installing flat Rides this year and instead the temp flats will return? But that’s leads me to question when will they address the flat ride issue, with nemesis’s opening the following year and possibly project horizon the year after that?

Basically they need 1 season where they just say sod it to marketing and get on top!


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They have advertised two different rides in two different areas before; for instance, they built both Sub-Terra and Ice Age 4D in 2012. So it’s not implausible that both Duel and Sub-Terra reopening could be advertised together.

My current belief is that the opening years of the upcoming projects will be as follows:

• Duel: 2023
• Sub-Terra: 2023
• Nemesis: 2024
• Project Horizon: 2025

I’m not sure when flat rides could come. Maybe next year to go alongside Nemesis? Although I’d argue that the reopening of Sub-Terra, and possibly the opening of Project Horizon, could help with the same issue that flat rides would be trying to solve.

 

[BarryZola]

Plot-twist. Sub-Terra and Project Horizon never end up happening

 

[Matt N]

Plot-twist. Sub-Terra and Project Horizon never end up happening

In my view, it looks pretty likely that something is going to happen with Sub-Terra seeing as the queue is being rebuilt and the space is having work done on it.

Admittedly, Project Horizon may yet be rejected, but I’d of course hope for it to happen.

 

[ML27]

I think the article sounds promising and squashes any speculation that the retheme is going to stray away from the original. Definitely not going to be a carbon copy of the haunted house 2.0 but similar to that and haunted mansion at dlp.

What I wonder is, what is quality going to be like?
We haven’t seen Merlin Magic Making under John Burtons leadership create a high budget attraction and what has been created (Gangster Granny, Black mirror) has been relatively low budget, the ride system for GG feels cheap when your on it, so hopefully duels new rides system or new carts at least look the part and the scenes are the same quality as you’d see in the 90s but in the modern age.

Again I don’t believe we know what we are getting with 2020s Merlin magic making. Duel and Jumanji will set the bar for future projects.


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[Trooper Looper]

I think the article sounds promising and squashes any speculation that the retheme is going to stray away from the original. Definitely not going to be a carbon copy of the haunted house 2.0 but similar to that and haunted mansion at dlp.

What I wonder is, what is quality going to be like?
We haven’t seen Merlin Magic Making under John Burtons leadership create a high budget attraction and what has been created (Gangster Granny, Black mirror) has been relatively low budget, the ride system for GG feels cheap when your on it, so hopefully duels new rides system or new carts at least look the part and the scenes are the same quality as you’d see in the 90s but in the modern age.

Again I don’t believe we know what we are getting with 2020s Merlin magic making. Duel and Jumanji will set the bar for future projects.


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It's believed Duels ride system is staying for the new version of this attraction since there were some photos a while ago of the cars on a lorry and being taken into Backstage with the guns and the bookcase holding the systems already being taken off.

I feel like this project is going to be a mix of old scenes, props and new scenes, props, etc and a refreshed ride system.

 

[Matt N]

It does say about a “completely new story”, however, so I do think there could still be some big changes afoot in there…

My personal thought is that the concept will remain similar, but most of the scenery and scenes will be new.

 

[Trooper Looper]

If there's one part in the quick interview that makes me really excited, it's this part:

"We have shut the ride so that we can redo it. It will be more like the original Haunted House, with a completely new story. Some of the old Victorian techniques - the use of mirrors, for example - are still so good."

Some of the old Victoria techniques - Use of mirrors, for example - are still so good.

They're really going full on old School with this refurb! Hopefully it'll be mostly practical effects and old School illusions rather than projections and screens!

 

[Blackhole_Sun]

If there's one part in the quick interview that makes me really excited, it's this part:

"We have shut the ride so that we can redo it. It will be more like the original Haunted House, with a completely new story. Some of the old Victorian techniques - the use of mirrors, for example - are still so good."

Some of the old Victoria techniques - Use of mirrors, for example - are still so good.

They're really going full on old School with this refurb! Hopefully it'll be mostly practical effects and old School illusions rather than projections and screens!

Excellent, old technology and clever techniques rather than the video game style screens (the cheap and easy way out).

Sounding promising now. Very exciting!

 

[Skyscraper]

Interesting article in the local Sentinel this morning regarding taking it back to its original roots.

Not sure it tells us much more than we already know

Only a quick read though

Closed Alton Towers ride set for exciting revamp

The much-loved Haunted House, which opened in 1992, is currently fenced off

www.stokesentinel.co.uk

"With a completely new story". Should silence those who think it's going to look exactly like the original HH. My money is still on an Emily Alton theme.

 

[Trooper Looper]

Excellent, old technology and clever techniques rather than the video game style screens (the cheap and easy way out).

Sounding promising now. Very exciting!

Indeed! I'm hoping this was persuaded by John Wardley himself! It sounds like something he'd rather do than screens and projections. He adores his illusions and practical effects with big props!

 

[jmc]

I think, again, people are reading way too much into what that gent said in the article. He could be referencing some of the existing props. He could just be word vomiting. There is nothing to suggest there will or will not be more modern additions to the ride (including screens!)


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[Zeock]

I hope that there will be a balance of screens and physical props in this attraction when it reopens. Rides that seems to do this well is Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure at Shanghai Disneyland and Merlin's own Jumanji: The Adventure at Gardaland.

 

[TroySmith1]

They have advertised two different rides in two different areas before; for instance, they built both Sub-Terra and Ice Age 4D in 2012. So it’s not implausible that both Duel and Sub-Terra reopening could be advertised together.

My current belief is that the opening years of the upcoming projects will be as follows:

• Duel: 2023
• Sub-Terra: 2023
• Nemesis: 2024
• Project Horizon: 2025

I’m not sure when flat rides could come. Maybe next year to go alongside Nemesis? Although I’d argue that the reopening of Sub-Terra, and possibly the opening of Project Horizon, could help with the same issue that flat rides would be trying to solve.

Thanks for your detailed response! It be interesting too see the next 2 seasons. I wasn’t aware of ice age and sub terror in a signed year, I wonder if that was successful for them in terms of gate numbers. To be honest does anyone know how there Capex years work anymore, Covid and smiler incident teared that system up completely.


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[Tom]

Hope they hit the right balance of screens as well, i.e. none.

 

[TroySmith1]

If there's one part in the quick interview that makes me really excited, it's this part:

"We have shut the ride so that we can redo it. It will be more like the original Haunted House, with a completely new story. Some of the old Victorian techniques - the use of mirrors, for example - are still so good."

Some of the old Victoria techniques - Use of mirrors, for example - are still so good.

They're really going full on old School with this refurb! Hopefully it'll be mostly practical effects and old School illusions rather than projections and screens!

All sounds great! But It all has to be taken with a pinch of salt, I don’t trust these “local news”journalism and there sources. It’s always fabricated too the absolute point of lying to make any story or for you to stay on the page. I have a friend who works for the mirror and I can confirm this! Where I live in Leicester they have produced absolutely nonsense articles, about Alton towers countless times before.


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