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2023: The Curse at Alton Manor

Trying to do a review without having to hide it in a spoiler tag for anyone who is avoiding spoilers but is still interested in how the ride is :tearsofjoy:

The area around the ride is fantastic, and has breathed new life into what has been a rather neglected area of the park. I'm glad they extended the theming out of the ride itself and into Gloomy Wood.

The ride itself is alright. Nothing world class or mind blowing, but there are some really cool new effects, but also a lot of recycled Duel effects. What they have managed to do on a small budget is quite good and on the whole it is a big improvement on what was there before.

That being said, there are parts of the ride that make you think "this is clearly where the money ran out" :tearsofjoy: I can only hope they intend to improve this over time.

Overall the storyline & theatrics are a vastly better than Duel and coupled with a far superior looking area and some fancy new effects, makes this a good addition to the park.
 
zeock said:
The trommel is working now though, and despite the fact that you don't fully feel like you invert in a trommel tunnel, trommels do give off quite a weird feeling comparable to inverting.
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But then why does it appear to have a low level warning for G-Forces on there? I think that board makes the ride look like more of a physical ride than just the dark ride it is, it really is quite confusing.
 
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The_bup said:
so no flying demon? So what’s the point of the mirrors. I wonder if they’re still there? Anyway, I could imagine changes will be coming. Dark rides take time like that
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I looked just behind the mirror as the effect with Emily ended, nope, there's nothing there anymore, no demon.
 
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Skyscraper said:
This is great, there is a sensory guide outside the Manor!

IMG-20230318-WA0017.jpg

From the MAP disability Facebook group.
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Although a small gesture that will likely evolve and improve over time, this is such a HUGE thing to many people. The commitment Merlin seem to be putting in to Accessibility & inclusivity this season gets my approval!

Also:

I'm feeling quite giddy from all of the excitement; even though I've not been there, I've still felt immersed! Taking it for exactly what it is, a limited budget ride reno, I like it; The pre-show looks great, the area looks great and the ride itself looks fun, with re-rideability too! I'll reserve full judgement until I visit but so far, I think this adds to the ever growing proof that Merlin don't need to rely on IP deals. Hope you all had a brilliant day today! Thank you for the updates 🥰
 
Josh said:
Trying to do a review without having to hide it in a spoiler tag for anyone who is avoiding spoilers but is still interested in how the ride is :tearsofjoy:

The area around the ride is fantastic, and has breathed new life into what has been a rather neglected area of the park. I'm glad they extended the theming out of the ride itself and into Gloomy Wood.

The ride itself is alright. Nothing world class or mind blowing, but there are some really cool new effects, but also a lot of recycled Duel effects. What they have managed to do on a small budget is quite good and on the whole it is a big improvement on what was there before.

That being said, there are parts of the ride that make you think "this is clearly where the money ran out" :tearsofjoy: I can only hope they intend to improve this over time.

Overall the storyline & theatrics are a vastly better than Duel and coupled with a far superior looking area and some fancy new effects, makes this a good addition to the park.
Click to expand...

I think this perfectly summarises my thoughts on the attraction. Nothing mind blowing, but a well needed and well done refresh given the budgetary constraints. It suits the park well and will certainly be on my must ride list for foreseeable visits.
 
Shaggy_Dog_ said:
But then why does it appear to have a low level warning for G-Forces on there? I think that board makes the ride look like more of a physical ride than just the dark ride it is, it really is quite confusing.
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I think it might be difficult to understand if you aren't affected - but the ride does feature an illusion of inversion (or at least potential inversion), as well as g-force. They're both at a very low sensory level, but they're listed as such on the board.

To you they might seem trivial, but to omit them to simply avoid over-selling the ride would be a regressive step - avoid a very small chance of disappointment, or avoid a terrifying, uncomfortable or potentially dangerous experience. I'm taking option 2.

(Of course water and height aren't something I believe feature, but could be wrong, and also have no idea how others might sense these things...I'm sure some thought was put into it though)
 
zeock said:
The trommel is working now though, and despite the fact that you don't fully feel like you invert in a trommel tunnel, trommels do give off quite a weird feeling comparable to inverting.
Click to expand...
This!. . .

I only ever Rode it once with a working trommel and genuinely felt like I was about to flop out of the side of the car.
 
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Burks said:
This!. . .

I only ever Rode it once with a working trommel and genuinely felt like I was about to flop out the side of the car.
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Back when the trommel was working in Duel, it would need to be emergency stopped whenever the ride stopped moving for anything more than 30 seconds or so, the effect was so disorientating.

Unfortunately restarting it required a ride host to enter the ride area, and was seen as such a faff it often stayed off for the rest of the day!

Hopefully it's now integrated into the control system so we won't see any unnecessary downtime on it
 
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Out of interest, does anyone know who composed the music for this attraction? I haven't heard anything confirmed.
 
Dobba said:
If a sign not designed for you doesn't make sense to you, have you considered joining the dots?
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Is this comment directed at me? I’m not sure why you’d go there with a “not designed for you” remark.

I have a son that gets very nervous on certain types of ride, yet as a parent I’d think I’d be a little confused looking at that sign as to what the ride actually entails if I knew nothing about it beforehand. Perhaps I’d assume that it features a physical near inversion rather than one that gives the sensation or illusion of it. There’s no harm in asking the question as to how people might interpret the information on that sign.
 
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Has anyone noticed the the new not-so screaming heads carry a lot of similarities to the original artwork of the scene? The new heads seem to be hooded ghouls, especially the final one.
20230318_181328.jpg
 
Well then, had this idea in mind if things worked out they way they have done.
After getting fired from both the Bubbleworks and The Flume, Uncle Duck (as his new name given is by Merlin) has spent the last few years spending his days sitting in bathtub dancing away all day but this exclusive footage is his reaction upon finding out he has been reemployed by Merlin for Alton Manor! :p

And BTW, the tune in the background is an absolute banger IMO!
 
My video of being one of the first riders (not indoors obviously) - I was one of the first in the general queue for the theme park today, then utilised my average jogging skills to get to the (pretty much) front of the Curse queue this morning. Recorded my journey from the gates to the atmosphere around the ride and the opening. Probably some really really nice moments in here. Features Wardley, Michael Eley, Sanbrooke, actors outside the ride, being led through the queueline by someone in undertaker or whatever clothing, etc etc.
From: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFnQKa3JkF4
 
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