2023: The Curse at Alton Manor

[Benzin]

Or just something you might find in a house.

Especially if she's sewing up dolls, as she'll be using needles as well.

If your instant thought to seeing razor blades is either drugs or self harm then that's something you need to look into. Context is key and EVERYDAY household objects in a Haunted House attraction is not going to go onto the top of anyone's list bar the purse clutchers.

 

[Craig]

Could we move on about the (incredibly tenuous) link about self harm please.

As others have pointed out, it’s literally a way of getting a reference to an Alton Towers ride into the attraction, just as plenty of others are referenced. There’s nothing more to it than that.

 

[The_bup]

The ride needs to be scarier. The finale was cool, but all the animations aren’t violent enough.
It needs more animations in general

 

[coasterverse]

The ride needs to be scarier.

I’ve always been an advocator for this - there’s not a single ride around Gloomy Wood or Forbidden Valley that’s tailored to families, so it makes zero sense to me to have a family attraction there. It’s definitely verging on a non-family attraction, but the scales are definitely tipped ever so slightly towards it being one.

Going all out scary for the attraction would’ve been great, and the foundations for it to be are definitely there! Maybe next time…

 

[rob666]

Going all out scary would lose the family audience...it is very much a family theme park after all.

 

[coasterverse]

Going all out scary would lose the family audience...it is very much a family theme park after all.

But what family audience? The 'family audience' for the most part wouldn't venture into this area of the park because, other than The Curse, there's virtually nothing there for families to do.

 

[Katy]

But what family audience? The 'family audience' for the most part wouldn't venture into this area of the park because, other than The Curse, there's virtually nothing there for families to do.

There's nothing for anyone to do in that area besides TCAAM though. If you're including FV in the definition of "this area of the park", that's got the Blade for families, Galactica for taller kids as it's fairly tame, then whatever the flat of the week is where Ripsaw was.

 

[Earthwürm]

But what family audience? The 'family audience' for the most part wouldn't venture into this area of the park because, other than The Curse, there's virtually nothing there for families to do.

I don't get this logic, most visitors just aren't looking at a map of the park and deciding whether it is worth going to any particular area, they're arriving blind in an area and seeing what attractions there are suitable for them. A good family park should be making an effort to cater to the whole family in most areas of the park, not splitting the family into different demographics and sending off their separate ways.
If there is virtually nothing in the area for families to do, that is a stronger argument for the curse to remain a family attraction.

 

[rob666]

The family audience that goes on the Curse because it is a family ride!
By your way of thinking, there would be no family ride in the area if the ride was really scary, so this keeps the area open for all punters.

 

[coasterverse]

By your way of thinking, there would be no family ride in the area if the ride was really scary, so this keeps the area open for all punters.

Yes. Correct.

In the current way that the park is set up, it makes much more sense for Curse to be a more intense attraction as the area (combined with Forbidden Valley) offer very little to families and is quite a fair way out from any other surrounding family attractions.

If there was broader scope and investment, of course investing in more family rides for the area would be beneficial and would then make the current iteration of Curse fit in better. However, as it currently stands, Gloomy Wood and Forbidden Valley are not family-orientated areas in the park and therefore do not, in my opinion, warrant family attractions.

If you're including FV in the definition of "this area of the park", that's got the Blade for families, Galactica for taller kids as it's fairly tame, then whatever the flat of the week is where Ripsaw was.

I wouldn't really class taller kids (those that are able to ride Galactica being a 1.4m attraction) as inside the family demographic to be honest, but can see what you mean about Blade - although I can't really see many families walking all the way over to Forbidden Valley to ride what is essentially just a glorified pirate ship that they could ride in virtually any theme or amusement park.

Although in the grand scheme of things, an all-out horror attraction probably would fit in better somewhere like Thorpe Park, the park had the potential to create a world-class, world-first intense horror attraction but instead leaned back into what they're comfortable with and know works - yet another family attraction.

 

[AT86]

If there was broader scope and investment, of course investing in more family rides for the area would be beneficial and would then make the current iteration of Curse fit in better.

Curse is a two minute walk from Katanga Canyon, which contains two solid family attractions.

Can’t say I understand your logic with this whole thought process at all tbh.

 

[NuttySquirrel]

But what family audience? The 'family audience' for the most part wouldn't venture into this area of the park because, other than The Curse, there's virtually nothing there for families to do.

Nothing for families to do? Ice-cream / cake shop, roaming actors, gift shop, best themed area in the park. start of the haunted hollow walkthrough... OK there are no other rides, but it's still entertaining.

In any case, it is a family friendly ride, kids love horror! Those that have outgrown Cbeebies land do anyway.

 

[Matt N]

Surely it would be better for the park to spread family attractions around the park rather than have it being a case of “families here, thrill-seekers there”? Having a wide spread of attractions around the park allows large groups to traverse the park together and give a good sense of exploration for everybody.

One thing I’ll admit isn’t the best at Alton Towers right now is that the current park layout segregates demographics quite strongly; Forbidden Valley, Dark Forest and X-Sector have very little for families, while The World of David Walliams, Mutiny Bay (Wicker Man aside, as it’s not really in the main body of Mutiny Bay) and CBeebies Land have little of interest to thrillseekers. I can of course understand why CBeebies and to a lesser extent Walliams have little of interest to older audiences, but other than that, it does seem like quite a few areas of the park are specifically aimed at a certain demographic and only that demographic.

Having Curse as an all-rounder in that part of the park does give families something to do down there, which I think is good for large groups traversing the park. And to be honest, I wouldn’t say that Curse is a “family” attraction in the sense that it’s designed to appeal to young children; I’d say it’s more of a universally appealing family attraction, so it could be of interest to both families and thrillseekers. I personally think that it’s quite scary enough; it’s certainly as scary as it could be without straying into proper “adult scare attraction” territory, anyway. The park currently lacks universally appealing family attractions, so I think it’s really good that the park maintained one rather than going down the route of a haunted house revamp that would only appeal to thrillseekers.

 

[NuttySquirrel]

Surely it would be better for the park to spread family attractions around the park rather than have it being a case of “families here, thrill-seekers there”? Having a wide spread of attractions around the park allows large groups to traverse the park together and give a good sense of exploration for everybody.

One thing I’ll admit isn’t the best at Alton Towers right now is that the current park layout segregates demographics quite strongly; Forbidden Valley, Dark Forest and X-Sector have very little for families, while The World of David Walliams, Mutiny Bay (Wicker Man aside, as it’s not really in the main body of Mutiny Bay) and CBeebies Land have little of interest to thrillseekers. I can of course understand why CBeebies and to a lesser extent Walliams have little of interest to older audiences, but other than that, it does seem like quite a few areas of the park are specifically aimed at a certain demographic and only that demographic.

Having Curse as an all-rounder in that part of the park does give families something to do down there, which I think is good for large groups traversing the park. And to be honest, I wouldn’t say that Curse is a “family” attraction in the sense that it’s designed to appeal to young children; I’d say it’s more of a universally appealing family attraction, so it could be of interest to both families and thrillseekers. I personally think that it’s quite scary enough; it’s certainly as scary as it could be without straying into proper “adult scare attraction” territory, anyway. The park currently lacks universally appealing family attractions, so I think it’s really good that the park maintained one rather than going down the route of a haunted house revamp that would only appeal to thrillseekers.

I think to a point it's desirable to mix in family rides with slightly more thrilling ones, but if you've got such a broad demographic as Alton Towers does - toddlers to thrillseekers - then perhaps it makes sense to segregate them a little bit? Groups of teenagers hanging around the likes of Smiler and Oblivion would potentially make families with very young children uncomfortable. The reverse is also true - adult groups can enjoy the park without feeling as though they're gatecrashing a kids club. It also means the park can better tailor the areas to the target demographic of certain ride types - Cbeebies land can go all out Family Fun while X-Sector retains a darker and grungier feel.

For smaller parks such as Paultons and Chessington which appeal mainly to toddler-age and school-age children, mixing rides types does seem to work well as parents can keep an eye on older children in the same area whilst tending to the younger ones. But those parks don't have extreme thrill rides.

 

[The_bup]

Although in the grand scheme of things, an all-out horror attraction probably would fit in better somewhere like Thorpe Park, the park had the potential to create a world-class, world-first intense horror attraction but instead leaned back into what they're comfortable with and know works - yet another family attraction.

I think we have all given on Thorpe for that.
You kinda have the

Situation, and don’t get me started on

And to a lesser extent,

Even if I loved this:

 

[DistortAMG]

Yes. Correct.

In the current way that the park is set up, it makes much more sense for Curse to be a more intense attraction as the area (combined with Forbidden Valley) offer very little to families and is quite a fair way out from any other surrounding family attractions.

If there was broader scope and investment, of course investing in more family rides for the area would be beneficial and would then make the current iteration of Curse fit in better. However, as it currently stands, Gloomy Wood and Forbidden Valley are not family-orientated areas in the park and therefore do not, in my opinion, warrant family attractions.

I wouldn't really class taller kids (those that are able to ride Galactica being a 1.4m attraction) as inside the family demographichic to be honest, but can see what you mean about Blade - although I can't really see many families walking all the way over to Forbidden Valley to ride what is essentially just a glorified pirate ship that they could ride in virtually any theme or amusement park.

Although in the grand scheme of things, an all-out horror attraction probably would fit in better somewhere like Thorpe Park, the park had the potential to create a world-class, world-first intense horror attraction but instead leaned back into what they're comfortable with and know works - yet another family attraction.

You've literally got The Runaway Mine Train AND Congo River Rapids entrances less than 50m from the Curse of Alton Manor. I am confused how you've concluded that Curse of Alton Manor is way out from any other family attraction. It is literally a 2 to 3 minute walk (if that) from the entrances of the Katanga Canyon rides. Walk slightly further in the opposite direction (and only slightly), to Forbidden Valley, you have the Skyride, an attraction in itself and one VERY popular with families.

So even if we exclude Blade, there are at least 3 family attractions within a couple of minutes walk from Curse of Alton Manor. That side of the park has plenty of family attractions. The 3 family attractions I have mentioned are also major, substantial family attractions and not small attractions such as flat rides. There are more family attractions that side of the park than there is thrill!

It would be a misstep by the park to make Curse more scary especially because it is buried within a side of the park littered with major family attractions. Plus, a haunted house style ride is a major and popular family attraction throughput the world, for very good reasons. If alton wanted something more scary, it should be a new attraction in my opinion.

 

[rob666]

Now hold it right there...Mr Pedantic calling.
I estimated the distance around 200 metres, checked it on google maps and it is at least 100metres between entrances as the crow flies, so around 150 metres walking between rmt and gloomy wood.
Somebody pace it out for us to settle the matter.
Shouldn't have said literally pal.

 

[DistortAMG]

I stand corrected . Although, with an average walking speed of about 80 meters per minute. The time frames given to get from Curse of Alton Manor to other major family attractions of about 2 to 3 minutes appear to be correct.

I have a tendancy to fill my posts with hyperbole these days. Must be all the alcohol.

 

[The_bup]

I’ll elaborate-I didn’t really make me jump.
I’d live for more movement. Think like the puppets doing.. anything really. Why are we stuck with static props. The ones that did get me moved. Like the dolls and weird bear in the garden

 

[TroySmith1]

So do we think there be any changes for scarefest?


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