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2023: The Curse at Alton Manor
- Thread starter Craig
- Start date
Poisson
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- The Giant Squid
It isn't complete and dark rides will always need adjustments after opening. The main thing is, it's a very good ride even with these missing parts. MMM have outdone themselves.
Trooper Looper
TS Member
I'm just confused on why they'd keep the mirrors if nothing is going to pop out at you. It feels like a lot of lost potential.
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Dave
TS Founding Member
Because it makes the room look bigger and means you don’t have to theme the area behind them.
Trooper Looper
TS Member
I guess that makes sense. Just had a thought, do you guys think they'll give this attraction the seasonal new scare like Wardley original purposed for the original ride? Surely as a new ride they'd want the scares to keep on coming.
Josh
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Nemesis
First and foremost they need to put something in the scene after the trommel which is currently in total darkness
Trooper Looper
TS Member
I hear that's a work in progress still. I just hope they don't replace whats there with static walls. Preferably if they kept the finger mechanisms and replaced the props to be Emilys fingers since you're in her doll house.
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For anyone who wants a full walk through of the ride, its written in the spoiler below, but be warned I have tried to include everything in the ride.
Pre-Show
Generally the same as Duel but all the pictures now have cloths draped over them. The smell pods are the same, the decor is the same. Some leaflets scattered on the table at at the entrance about the house being up for sale for £1,992,000 which is 1992, when it was built. The dolls house in the pre-show is new, and contains video showing Emily's parents telling her to go away at a NYE party. She goes upstairs, breaks the neck of her doll, and then gets possessed and everything turns purple. The walls illuminate with UV light showing writing all over the walls. The effect can be missed if you walk through too quickly. Not much animates in the pre-show apart from the rocking horse on the right hand side. There is no fireplace, no moving hand, and the pages in the book on the chair dont move. Maybe this is coming later.
Boarding
Same as before except ride cars now have 3x3 seats front and rear instead of 3x2. Black and white bunting hang across the boarding platforms indicating a party. The heads and pictures on the walls are covered up.
The ride
First scene is of a grandfather clock ticking loudly, indicating NYE 1892 and a TV screen shows a picture of Emily with her parents. There are some other bits in this scene indicating the time and date. I believe the time is 5 to 12, whereas as you progress through the ride, it approaches midnight at the end. Emily is glowing purple. The lights flicker and Emily whispers "this is my house" as you pass.
Next scenes are the moving cracking walls. Either the walls move more or the effects have been improved but they are much more visible with purple and red glow. A door infront of you shows a ghostly purple image of a face before disappearing into the lock. Emily repeats "this is my house".
The dining room. The head which fly's out at you as you approach has been replaced by a stained glass window with the house on it. On one occasion the effect flashed with a strobe but other rides didn't do this. The guests at the tables are skeletons and their positions have moved as if drunk, as you approach the chandeliers illuminate and their hearts beat purple glows. The room glows blue. Emily can been seen at the end of the corridor in a large TV screen where she starts to float backwards before she disappears and a strobe does a huge flash infront of you with a boom noise. As the car turns right where the giant rat was, this is now replaced by a figure hanging over your head which is briefly illuminated with a noise. Its not clear what the figure is - it might be Emily flying overhead.
As you progress white UV hand prints of Emily appear all along the right hand wall. A sign on a door says Nursery but as you pass it changes to "Misery" before your eyes which is a really good effect. Emily can be heard with toy box music where Emily is singing "way up high, time to die" as you approach a large picture of her family on the left wall with purple cracks running through it. The bunting continues above your head.
Next is the trommel tunnel. The audio turns more evil and louder, and its themed to be a large hole in the side of the house. The entrance to the hole illuminates red as you approach. The tunnel spins with the original neon bricks, but now with Emily's words written all over the inside of the tunnel with hand prints. At the end of the tunnel where the pink head used to be is now a white large spinning clock showing midnight. Its extremely disorientating!
As you turn right, Emily says "lets play hide and seek" and the toy box music continues. A non animated figure of Emily can be seen in her room holding a candle, as you approach a shadow of a demon rises up from behind her. There is a considerable amount of darkness and nothing for the next few turns after this scene, though the audio of Emily playing and trying to find you is still heard.
Next scene is where the giant hands appeared on the left, now replaced with a non animated scene of 3 toy puppets held up with string. It doesn't illuminate for long I wonder if it will animate later. As you pass it a jump scare of Emily's hand appears above as she says "found you". The next few corners some white ghosly dolls whizz out on the left and right. Unfortunately the mechanisms can be seen on some of them and they need to pop out quicker to be a real scare, but their plain empty faces is quite spooky.
Emily then asks if you are scared of spiders as a shadow of a big spider scuttles along the wall to your right. As you turn the corner 3 (in my opinion, comical) spiders leap over some books to your left with red glowing eyes. The effect is quite smooth and as all 3 appear at once is a little bit "fairground" for me. Having them drop from the ceiling, or leap out left and right at different times would have been better. Some spiders web hanging from the ceiling would also have been good or jets of air blast on your necks to simulate spider webs. Emily appears again before you turn the corner and the giant spider is hanging over your head, which as it lowers the eyes illuminate red. The music continues as spooky child toy box music.
Now in to the Skeleton corridor. No electric Bill anymore
just a set from the house of some chairs, a table and mirror. Also the witch has left the corridor though her space is still there on the left, and the toilet scene is also gone on the right. Great jump scare on the right as a possessed Emily appears glowing in purple to your right in a TV screen. Lights flicker as you go down the corridor and there are mirrors to your right where you can see yourself. As you progress the image in the mirror changes, and you see Emily sat in your car looking at you. Its a great effect but easily missed. Nothing really happens on the left until the end of the corridor where a doll jumps out at you.
More blank spaces around the next few corners, though 2 ghouls fly over your head on the last corner. First one easily missed as the lighting is a bit dim. Next up is the garden scene. The wraith which moves up and down to your left behind the wall is still there but now wrapped in grain bags and stitching. There are buttons for eyes. Think Field of 1000 Screams style. Some more figures wrapped in cloth bags at sitting on the ground to your right. On some occasions depending on timing the wraith to our left moved in perfect timing with the ride car alongside us. No undertaker at the end and no spirts floating up from the coffin. There is still the herse, but now being pulled by two wooden horses. The undertaker figure is sat on top of the herse with the reigns but wrapped in the same outfits at the other figures. No animation. The music has changed is more dark.
There are purple cracks in the walls as you approach where death once stood. It has been replaced by a clever effect of Emily sat on swing in a glass cage. As you pass, she disappears and the swing is empty. A hooded figure in a bag springs out to your right. The music is building up now and purple spinning lights appear in the next corridor as Emily's dolls house appears above your head. She says "you'll look great in my dolls house" and on occasion a projection appeared on the dolls house above us but not every time. Emily says "now lets shrink you down". Some toys pop up out of their boxes around you are giant playing cards are on some walls. A weird large hand is seen to your right in a TV screen, it doesnt really work unfortunately in my opinion but its supposed to be Emily trying to find you in her dolls house.
As you turn the corner a really spooky Emily can be seen looking through a window with a black/purple eye. Its quite freaky. Next corridor some of the toys have been replaced with razor blades. Music keeps building louder and Emily sounds more evil. The walls are replaced with un-plastered walls and wooden strips like inside Altonville Mine tours as blue/purple projects like electricity run along the walls. Emily can be heard screaming in a really sinister voice " your mine". Theres a giant ripsaw on the wall to your left.
As you turn the corner a strobe illuminates a really impressive huge face of Emily above your heads with mouth open, eyes glowing dark and purple lights flickering over her face, and her hand reaching in to get you. Sound of electric/static and she screams "Your mine". Camera takes your photo. End of the ride as you pass a large clock to your right showing its now just past midnight.
As you depart and exit the walls are covered in UV lights and writing of "your mine" has been scrawled all over them.
There are not many moving figures or animated figures as such inside like the previous ride, and there are some sections where obviously things havent been finished. Some sections not dark you can see areas where things are still to be added. Overall its a really good dark ride, not sure how "family friendly" it is in some areas it could be upsetting for very small kids, particularly the end scenes with Emily. But its very re-rideable and the audio is amazing!
Final comment : YES! The Flume duck is in there!!!
Generally the same as Duel but all the pictures now have cloths draped over them. The smell pods are the same, the decor is the same. Some leaflets scattered on the table at at the entrance about the house being up for sale for £1,992,000 which is 1992, when it was built. The dolls house in the pre-show is new, and contains video showing Emily's parents telling her to go away at a NYE party. She goes upstairs, breaks the neck of her doll, and then gets possessed and everything turns purple. The walls illuminate with UV light showing writing all over the walls. The effect can be missed if you walk through too quickly. Not much animates in the pre-show apart from the rocking horse on the right hand side. There is no fireplace, no moving hand, and the pages in the book on the chair dont move. Maybe this is coming later.
Boarding
Same as before except ride cars now have 3x3 seats front and rear instead of 3x2. Black and white bunting hang across the boarding platforms indicating a party. The heads and pictures on the walls are covered up.
The ride
First scene is of a grandfather clock ticking loudly, indicating NYE 1892 and a TV screen shows a picture of Emily with her parents. There are some other bits in this scene indicating the time and date. I believe the time is 5 to 12, whereas as you progress through the ride, it approaches midnight at the end. Emily is glowing purple. The lights flicker and Emily whispers "this is my house" as you pass.
Next scenes are the moving cracking walls. Either the walls move more or the effects have been improved but they are much more visible with purple and red glow. A door infront of you shows a ghostly purple image of a face before disappearing into the lock. Emily repeats "this is my house".
The dining room. The head which fly's out at you as you approach has been replaced by a stained glass window with the house on it. On one occasion the effect flashed with a strobe but other rides didn't do this. The guests at the tables are skeletons and their positions have moved as if drunk, as you approach the chandeliers illuminate and their hearts beat purple glows. The room glows blue. Emily can been seen at the end of the corridor in a large TV screen where she starts to float backwards before she disappears and a strobe does a huge flash infront of you with a boom noise. As the car turns right where the giant rat was, this is now replaced by a figure hanging over your head which is briefly illuminated with a noise. Its not clear what the figure is - it might be Emily flying overhead.
As you progress white UV hand prints of Emily appear all along the right hand wall. A sign on a door says Nursery but as you pass it changes to "Misery" before your eyes which is a really good effect. Emily can be heard with toy box music where Emily is singing "way up high, time to die" as you approach a large picture of her family on the left wall with purple cracks running through it. The bunting continues above your head.
Next is the trommel tunnel. The audio turns more evil and louder, and its themed to be a large hole in the side of the house. The entrance to the hole illuminates red as you approach. The tunnel spins with the original neon bricks, but now with Emily's words written all over the inside of the tunnel with hand prints. At the end of the tunnel where the pink head used to be is now a white large spinning clock showing midnight. Its extremely disorientating!
As you turn right, Emily says "lets play hide and seek" and the toy box music continues. A non animated figure of Emily can be seen in her room holding a candle, as you approach a shadow of a demon rises up from behind her. There is a considerable amount of darkness and nothing for the next few turns after this scene, though the audio of Emily playing and trying to find you is still heard.
Next scene is where the giant hands appeared on the left, now replaced with a non animated scene of 3 toy puppets held up with string. It doesn't illuminate for long I wonder if it will animate later. As you pass it a jump scare of Emily's hand appears above as she says "found you". The next few corners some white ghosly dolls whizz out on the left and right. Unfortunately the mechanisms can be seen on some of them and they need to pop out quicker to be a real scare, but their plain empty faces is quite spooky.
Emily then asks if you are scared of spiders as a shadow of a big spider scuttles along the wall to your right. As you turn the corner 3 (in my opinion, comical) spiders leap over some books to your left with red glowing eyes. The effect is quite smooth and as all 3 appear at once is a little bit "fairground" for me. Having them drop from the ceiling, or leap out left and right at different times would have been better. Some spiders web hanging from the ceiling would also have been good or jets of air blast on your necks to simulate spider webs. Emily appears again before you turn the corner and the giant spider is hanging over your head, which as it lowers the eyes illuminate red. The music continues as spooky child toy box music.
Now in to the Skeleton corridor. No electric Bill anymore
just a set from the house of some chairs, a table and mirror. Also the witch has left the corridor though her space is still there on the left, and the toilet scene is also gone on the right. Great jump scare on the right as a possessed Emily appears glowing in purple to your right in a TV screen. Lights flicker as you go down the corridor and there are mirrors to your right where you can see yourself. As you progress the image in the mirror changes, and you see Emily sat in your car looking at you. Its a great effect but easily missed. Nothing really happens on the left until the end of the corridor where a doll jumps out at you.More blank spaces around the next few corners, though 2 ghouls fly over your head on the last corner. First one easily missed as the lighting is a bit dim. Next up is the garden scene. The wraith which moves up and down to your left behind the wall is still there but now wrapped in grain bags and stitching. There are buttons for eyes. Think Field of 1000 Screams style. Some more figures wrapped in cloth bags at sitting on the ground to your right. On some occasions depending on timing the wraith to our left moved in perfect timing with the ride car alongside us. No undertaker at the end and no spirts floating up from the coffin. There is still the herse, but now being pulled by two wooden horses. The undertaker figure is sat on top of the herse with the reigns but wrapped in the same outfits at the other figures. No animation. The music has changed is more dark.
There are purple cracks in the walls as you approach where death once stood. It has been replaced by a clever effect of Emily sat on swing in a glass cage. As you pass, she disappears and the swing is empty. A hooded figure in a bag springs out to your right. The music is building up now and purple spinning lights appear in the next corridor as Emily's dolls house appears above your head. She says "you'll look great in my dolls house" and on occasion a projection appeared on the dolls house above us but not every time. Emily says "now lets shrink you down". Some toys pop up out of their boxes around you are giant playing cards are on some walls. A weird large hand is seen to your right in a TV screen, it doesnt really work unfortunately in my opinion but its supposed to be Emily trying to find you in her dolls house.
As you turn the corner a really spooky Emily can be seen looking through a window with a black/purple eye. Its quite freaky. Next corridor some of the toys have been replaced with razor blades. Music keeps building louder and Emily sounds more evil. The walls are replaced with un-plastered walls and wooden strips like inside Altonville Mine tours as blue/purple projects like electricity run along the walls. Emily can be heard screaming in a really sinister voice " your mine". Theres a giant ripsaw on the wall to your left.
As you turn the corner a strobe illuminates a really impressive huge face of Emily above your heads with mouth open, eyes glowing dark and purple lights flickering over her face, and her hand reaching in to get you. Sound of electric/static and she screams "Your mine". Camera takes your photo. End of the ride as you pass a large clock to your right showing its now just past midnight.
As you depart and exit the walls are covered in UV lights and writing of "your mine" has been scrawled all over them.
There are not many moving figures or animated figures as such inside like the previous ride, and there are some sections where obviously things havent been finished. Some sections not dark you can see areas where things are still to be added. Overall its a really good dark ride, not sure how "family friendly" it is in some areas it could be upsetting for very small kids, particularly the end scenes with Emily. But its very re-rideable and the audio is amazing!
Final comment : YES! The Flume duck is in there!!!
Last edited:
siralgenon
TS Member
Just to correct one point:For anyone who wants a full walk through of the ride, its written in the spoiler below, but be warned I have tried to include everything in the ride.
Pre-Show
Generally the same as Duel but all the pictures now have cloths draped over them. The smell pods are the same, the decor is the same. Some leaflets scattered on the table at at the entrance about the house being up for sale for £1,992,000 which is 1992, when it was built. The dolls house in the pre-show is new, and contains video showing Emily's parents telling her to go away at a NYE party. She goes upstairs, breaks the neck of the cat, and then gets possessed and everything turns purple. The walls illuminate with UV light showing writing all over the walls. The effect can be missed if you walk through too quickly. Not much animates in the pre-show apart from the rocking horse on the right hand side. There is no fireplace, no moving hand, and the pages in the book on the chair dont move. Maybe this is coming later.
Boarding
Same as before except ride cars now have 3x3 seats front and rear instead of 3x2. Black and white bunting hang across the boarding platforms indicating a party. The heads and pictures on the walls are covered up.
The ride
First scene is of a grandfather clock ticking loudly, indicating NYE 1892 and a TV screen shows a picture of Emily with her parents. There are some other bits in this scene indicating the time and date. I believe the time is 5 to 12, whereas as you progress through the ride, it approaches midnight at the end. Emily is glowing purple. The lights flicker and Emily whispers "this is my house" as you pass.
Next scenes are the moving cracking walls. Either the walls move more or the effects have been improved but they are much more visible with purple and red glow. A door infront of you shows a ghostly purple image of a face before disappearing into the lock. Emily repeats "this is my house".
The dining room. The head which fly's out at you as you approach has been replaced by a stained glass window with the house on it. On one occasion the effect flashed with a strobe but other rides didn't do this. The guests at the tables are skeletons and their positions have moved as if drunk, as you approach the chandeliers illuminate and their hearts beat purple glows. The room glows blue. Emily can been seen at the end of the corridor in a large TV screen where she starts to float backwards before she disappears and a strobe does a huge flash infront of you with a boom noise. As the car turns right where the giant rat was, this is now replaced by a figure hanging over your head which is briefly illuminated with a noise. Its not clear what the figure is - it might be Emily flying overhead.
As you progress white UV hand prints of Emily appear all along the right hand wall. A sign on a door says Nursery but as you pass it changes to "Misery" before your eyes which is a really good effect. Emily can be heard with toy box music where Emily is singing "way up high, time to die" as you approach a large picture of her family on the left wall with purple cracks running through it. The bunting continues above your head.
Next is the trommel tunnel. The audio turns more evil and louder, and its themed to be a large hole in the side of the house. The entrance to the hole illuminates red as you approach. The tunnel spins with the original neon bricks, but now with Emily's words written all over the inside of the tunnel with hand prints. At the end of the tunnel where the pink head used to be is now a white large spinning clock showing midnight.
As you turn right, Emily says "lets play hide and seek" and the toy box music continues. A non animated figure of Emily can be seen in her room holding a candle, as you approach a shadow of a demon rises up from behind her. There is a considerable amount of darkness and nothing for the next few turns after this scene, though the audio of Emily playing and trying to find you is still heard.
Next scene is where the giant hands appeared on the left, now replaced with a non animated scene of 3 toy puppets held up with string. It doesn't illuminate for long I wonder if it will animate later. As you pass it a jump scare of Emily's hand appears above as she says "found you". The next few corners some white ghosly dolls whizz out on the left and right. Unfortunately the mechanisms can be seen on some of them and they need to pop out quicker to be a real scare, but their plain empty faces is quite spooky.
Emily then asks if you are scared of spiders as a shadow of a big spider scuttles along the wall to your right. As you turn the corner 3 (in my opinion, comical) spiders leap over some books to your left with red glowing eyes. The effect is quite smooth and as all 3 appear at once is a little bit "fairground" for me. Having them drop from the ceiling, or leap out left and right at different times would have been better. Some spiders web hanging from the ceiling would also have been good or jets of air blast on your necks to simulate spider webs. Emily appears again before you turn the corner and the giant spider is hanging over your head, which as it lowers the eyes illuminate red. The music continues as spooky child toy box music.
Now in to the Skeleton corridor. No electric Bill anymore
More blank spaces around the next few corners, though 2 ghouls fly over your head on the last corner. Next up is the garden scene. The wraith which moves up and down to your left behind the wall is still there but now wrapped in grain bags and stitching. There are buttons for eyes. Think Field of 1000 Screams style. On some occasions depending on timing the wraith to our left moved in perfect timing with the ride car alongside us. No undertaker at the end and no spirts floating up from the coffin. There is still the herse, now being pulled by two wooden horses. The undertaker figure is sat on top of the herse with the reigns but wrapped in the same outfits at the other figures. The music has changed is more dark.
There are purple cracks in the walls as you approach where death once stood. It has been replaced by a clever effect of Emily sat on swing in a glass cage. As you pass, she disappears and the swing is empty. A hooded figure in a bag springs out to your right. The music is building up now and purple spinning lights appear in the next corridor as Emily's dolls house appears above your head. She says "you'll look great in my dolls house" and on occasion a projection appeared on the dolls house above us but not every time. Emily says "now lets shrink you down". Some toys pop up out of their boxes around you are giant playing cards are on some walls. A weird large hand is seen to your right in a TV screen, it doesnt really work unfortunately in my opinion but its supposed to be Emily trying to find you in her dolls house.
As you turn the corner a really spooky Emily can be seen looking through a window with a black/purple eye. Its quite freaky. Next corridor some of the toys have been replaced with razor blades. Music keeps building louder and Emily sounds more evil. The walls are replaced with un-plastered walls and wooden strips like inside Altonville Mine tours as blue/purple projects like electricity run along the walls. Emily can be heard screaming in a really sinister voice " your mine". Theres a giant ripsaw on the wall to your left.
As you turn the corner a strobe illuminates a really impressive huge face of Emily above your heads with mouth open, eyes glowing dark and purple lights flickering over her face, and her hand reaching in to get you. Sound of electric/static and she screams "Your mine". Camera takes your photo. End of the ride as you pass a large clock to your right showing its now just past midnight.
As you depart and exit the walls are covered in UV lights and writing of "your mine" has been scrawled all over them.
There are not many moving figures or animated figures as such inside like the previous ride, and there are some sections where obviously things havent been finished. Some sections not dark you can see areas where things are still to be added. Overall its a really good dark ride, not sure how "family friendly" it is in some areas it could be upsetting for very small kids, particularly the end scenes with Emily. But its very re-rideable and the audio is amazing!
Emily breaks her dolls neck not the cats 
ChristmasPud
TS Member
I did get confused when I spotted that the second time, felt very out of character with the ride.. then someone pointed it out to me.
Last edited:
Benjsh
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Steel Vengeance
Hasn't opened yet today I don't think but it probably will do at some point. They might just be making some minor tweaks. Dark rides often don't stay open fully when they first open. It's quite standard stuff.
Just to correct one point:
Emily breaks her dolls neck not the cats
ha! oops. I did wonder if i got that right. Fixed and thank you for pointing it out lol
Poisson
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- The Giant Squid
Is currently closed
Tim
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Air / Blue Fire
I doubt it. Would be amazing if they did but that's just not the way projects are handled within Merlin. It would require a real commitment from the local technical team to ensure this happens. And even then you'd be looking at the same effect with the same mechanism but with potentially a different prop on the end of it.
Even a park like Europa, which is absolutely dedicated to always adding to existing rides, make minor changes over many years.
Disney do the Holiday Edition of the Haunted Mansion but that's a massive undertaking that takes the ride out of action for many weeks and only really works because it's a very popular IP.