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[2023] The Curse at Alton Manor

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My bets there still if there aren't any auctions, or it's only a certain group of props, many of the current sets are just being done up for the new version of Duel/The HH.

A lot of people brought Bubbleworks props on its last operating day, but we've had nothing from Duel. Quite odd if they're going to give it radical changes they wouldn't wanna try and get some extra dough from auctions.
 
Trooper Looper said:
My bets there still if there aren't any auctions, or it's only a certain group of props, many of the current sets are just being done up for the new version of Duel/The HH.

A lot of people brought Bubbleworks props on its last operating day, but we've had nothing from Duel. Quite odd if they're going to give it radical changes they wouldn't wanna try and get some extra dough from auctions.
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If there were to be an auction, Alton Towers might do it posthumously. The Flume's auction was done quite some time after it closed, and I don't think CATCF ever had one. The only ride that ever had one pre-closure within Merlin was Bubbleworks, as far as I remember.

There may also be various reasons why Alton Towers are unable to sell bits of the HH even if they are removed, also.

Furthermore, AT have never generally been as into things like auctions as other parks. If I'm remembering correctly, even icons of the 90s like the Bookworm were quite unceremoniously dumped in a storage area when they reached the end of their lives (Sanbrooke only got his hands on the Bookworm through buying it privately from within Merlin).
 
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Matt N said:
If there was to be an auction, Alton Towers might do it posthumously. The Flume's auction was done quite some time after it closed, and I don't think CATCF ever had one. The only ride that ever had one pre-closure within Merlin was Bubbleworks, as far as I remember.
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Yes, but Bubbleworks and Duel are on a very similar league in the UK industry from what they used to be.

When Pirate Adventure closed they never auctioned anything until 2019 because the park was unsure on what to do with the ride. When they announced that it won't be reopening, the immediately started an auction.

If there will be an auction for Duel, online or on sight, I still think that most of the things being somd will be the Blasters, Spider Props with targets, Zombie, Props from the Lab Finale such as barrels, and maybe the portraits in the indoor queue.

Back on its future, let's hope they remove those god awful CGI Portraits in the drawing room and replacd them with proper Portraits.
 
Trooper Looper said:
Back on its future, let's hope they remove those god awful CGI Portraits in the drawing room and replacd them with proper Portraits.
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Maybe they could replace them with portraits similar to these ones in the queue for Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey?:

(If the timestamp doesn't work, go to 3:30)
These are CGI, but they fit very tastefully with the low lighting of the room!

On a side note, I'd forgotten quite how stunning the queue for FJ is... I can't wait to get back to Universal Orlando in 2023!
 
Matt N said:
Maybe they could replace them with portraits similar to these ones in the queue for Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey?:

These are CGI, but they fit very tastefully with the low lighting of the room!

On a side note, I'd forgotten quite how stunning the queue for FJ is... I can't wait to get back to Universal Orlando in 2023!
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It could work, but I came up with a pretty clever idea to make the portraits eyes follow you without using any technology.

Basically, the eyes of the figures in the portraits cave into the wall, and there's a small light behind them, barely illuminating them, but when you look at them, those eyes will always look back at you. Disney does this with their Busts in the Haunted Mansion, but on a larger scale because it's the entire Heads (basically a half cut shell of a bust head but facing the wall with a light behind it to give off that warm glowing look.)

Edit: On a side note, Universal Studios is stunning!! Hope you have a great time there next year!
 
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Heidi said:
I'm banking on a narrative based around Emily Alton and her haunting the house and maybe chasing you throughout it, knocking things over, etc. Hopefully a good use of the pepper's ghost effect for this, and no screens and LEDs!!
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That would make the most sense, especially with what we have seen so far.
In the projection in the Doll's House in the queue line where Emily is (was), she writes on the blackboard, 2+3=5. So the "6+9= The Duel is over. This Is My House" tease really does seem like it was referencing that and pointing to that being what we will see with the retheme. An IP is unlikely, especially as if there are any IP based rides coming they would more likely use the Dungeons building or the New coaster corner attraction.
 
Excited to see what they do with the ride.

There were several announcements in the area around 4pm, with the last one being we're now closing the doors, if you want to have one more ride you must get in before the door shuts.

Walked up to the doors, one was shut but the host beckoned us in. Big crowd of geeks trying to be the very last on but we moved further inside, watched the doors shut and then moved through the queue line and onto the ride.

Fairly civilised although I'm sure the last ride of Nemesis will be worse.

Lots of big wigs on park with a few events on in the conference center.

I wonder if it'll be open for the beginning of next season or if it'll open later
 
With the ride been 30 years old and how technology moved on in that time they could easily use projection mapping and props to really bring the Haunted house back and with projected mapping they can have different scenes so would result in many guests returning.
 
Trooper Looper said:
If they were to change it quite a bit, I'd like at least the Grand Hall, Trommel, Screaming Heads, and The Garden scene to be intact. If the new version of the already beloved ride was going to be so rapidly different to its current form, surely they would've had a similar event like what they did to Bubbleworks, although a bit smaller. You wouldn't just change a ride like that without publicly announcing its closure on a widespread basis.

I'd love to see them use proper UV lighting, not LED UV.
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Im confident the lighting us getting done:)
 
Matt N said:
If there were to be an auction, Alton Towers might do it posthumously. The Flume's auction was done quite some time after it closed, and I don't think CATCF ever had one. The only ride that ever had one pre-closure within Merlin was Bubbleworks, as far as I remember.

There may also be various reasons why Alton Towers are unable to sell bits of the HH even if they are removed, also.

Furthermore, AT have never generally been as into things like auctions as other parks. If I'm remembering correctly, even icons of the 90s like the Bookworm were quite unceremoniously dumped in a storage area when they reached the end of their lives (Sanbrooke only got his hands on the Bookworm through buying it privately from within Merlin).
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There was an auction for CATCF, most of it got sold off like oompa loompas etc. I highly doubt we will see an auction here because who will want to buy a zombie manikin 😂 They wouldn't be able to sell most of the stuff anyway.
 
Alsty said:
Curiously the Property Repossessed page has a form to fill in contact details but doesn't say what it's for 🤔
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I'm sure there's a data protection breach in there somewhere, I thought you had to provide the purpose as for why you are collecting someone's personal data. Good old Towers/Merlin.

Good to see Duel finally closed. I suspect a lot of what's going to be happening will be kept under wraps until it re-opens next year, which will make that first ride all the more exciting.
 
Matt N said:
If there were to be an auction, Alton Towers might do it posthumously. The Flume's auction was done quite some time after it closed, and I don't think CATCF ever had one. The only ride that ever had one pre-closure within Merlin was Bubbleworks, as far as I remember.

There may also be various reasons why Alton Towers are unable to sell bits of the HH even if they are removed, also.

Furthermore, AT have never generally been as into things like auctions as other parks. If I'm remembering correctly, even icons of the 90s like the Bookworm were quite unceremoniously dumped in a storage area when they reached the end of their lives (Sanbrooke only got his hands on the Bookworm through buying it privately from within Merlin).
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CATCF could have been problematic for them to sell due to the imagery being licensed and that license being expired. I know they've sold off branded uniform for Ice Age and what not but I expect that was rather more 'under the radar'.

Toyland Tours' scenery was sold en-masse, I think to a park in Asia?
 
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