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2023: The Curse at Alton Manor

siralgenon said:
I can't see there being any more new scenes added to Alton Manor now. I think in true Merlin fashion it will now be left to die. It's bad it's two years of spending and I think it will just remain the same from now on.
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With all due respect this is a Tussads trade so you can't blame Merlin for that, just copying that rotten tried and tested routine.
 
Ash said:
I really hope they get all the effects working properly and hopefully the panel is replaced for the grand hallway peppers ghost effect as the light bleed looked terrible by the end of the season.

That and fixing the trommel is a must.

Being greedy it would be nice to see a new scene or effect but given the fact they’ve got rid of MMM it will be intriguing to see what effect this has
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I would also like the covers over the busts removed. While I can understand why the portraits have covers over them, the busts have considerable detail, and it would be a positive change if they were visible again.
 
Dave said:
Not really, it was meant to in Wardley plan but it never got the funding to do so.
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Indeed, actually it was the lack of upkeep on the attraction got so bad that this is partly why we got Duel in the end and in many ways lightning did strike twice when Duel got into a state towards the end. Would be utterly ludicrous if they get the same thing to happen to Alton Manor but then again this is Merlin and as the old saying goes it all happens in three's.
 
In the first few years the Haunted House had a few updates. Including repainting of the whole ride a few months into it's life, to have less UV painted sets (or was it more? I cant remember), a brand new ghost corridor with Electric Bill for it's second year, re working the giants fingers into ghoals and the dining room having tables and much more detail added.

I'm not sure if you could class these as the initial tweaks post opening or true additions, but everything fizzled out past 1994ish.
 
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QTXAdsy said:
Indeed, actually it was the lack of upkeep on the attraction got so bad that this is partly why we got Duel in the end and in many ways lightning did strike twice when Duel got into a state towards the end. Would be utterly ludicrous if they get the same thing to happen to Alton Manor but then again this is Merlin and as the old saying goes it all happens in three's.
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I suppose going round the ride shooting at targets kind of takes your eye off things that are supposed to be moving. Now there is no hiding that, which puts these already used and aged mechanisms under more scrutiny. I realise I'm in the minority here but if they did not have the budget to refit this ride properly they should have just tarted up Duel: The Haunted House strikes back (again and again and again)
 
RIPCorky said:
I suppose going round the ride shooting at targets kind of takes your eye off things that are supposed to be moving. Now there is no hiding that, which puts these already used and aged mechanisms under more scrutiny. I realise I'm in the minority here but if they did not have the budget to refit this ride properly they should have just tarted up Duel: The Haunted House strikes back (again and again and again)
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To be fair, the majority of the aging mechanisms were removed as what they were connected to were not relevant to the new story with Emily. This goes hand in hand with the larger focus on video mapping throughout the ride.

I feel the refit did the ride justice to be fair, they did not need to re invent the wheel and remove everything, but they removed what wasn't needed for the new story and did it justice I think.
 
DistortAMG said:
In the first few years the Haunted House had a few updates. Including repainting of the whole ride a few months into it's life, to have less UV painted sets (or was it more? I cant remember), a brand new ghost corridor with Electric Bill for it's second year, re working the giants fingers into ghoals and the dining room having tables and much more detail added.

I'm not sure if you could class these as the initial tweaks post opening or true additions, but everything fizzled out past 1994ish.
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Those where mostly fixing effects that didn’t work, akin to them changing the hide and seek scene in Curse really.
 
Dave said:
Not really, it was meant to in Wardley plan but it never got the funding to do so.
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Wardley intended there to be more changes and additions but there were plenty - used to be a website that detailed all the changes, ISTR the splitting head was the last one and was added somewhere around 2000. The 'ghost host' (shamelessly ripped off from Haunted Mansion) was another mid-life change.
 
I love this attraction and it's definitely my favourite ride at the park which isn't a coaster.

What they came up with (Name, theme, scenes etc) is really really good. My only minor gripe is that with a bit more budget it could have been phenomenal. If I'm being really picky there are too many dark scenes / spots of unfulfilled potential.

I hope they do keep investing into it but I suspect they won't spend a lot. Shame.
 
Martin said:
Too many screens, the odd one works well but 9 times out of 10 I'd honestly prefer something static but physical, or even nothing at all
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I don’t mind the screens. They move the story on effectively.
Completely agree re: dark scenes. Those flying heads.. you can hardly see them. Easy to go through and forget they’re even there.
 
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