[2023] The Curse at Alton Manor

[QTXAdsy]

Well, with the Trommel skull being removed the only positive thought I can think of is that they're removing the skull to get access to the Trommel motors, hoping to fix it.

Possibly, then again it's hard to speculate what is going on inside as almost anything is possible by this point.

Only thing that is a given is that the blasters are no longer going to be there. As what many had said already this closed season is going to be a slog to try and figure out what's going on inside.

 

[AT86]

Plot twist: the blasters end up being the only thing kept from Duel.

 

[RIPCorky]

TBF, Charlie's retheme was screwed over by budget cuts, not helped by paying for the licence. Honestly might've been cheaper and better of to just overhaul TT to appeal to a moderm audience. Interesting to imagine what might have been had Charlie been built to the best possible state without budget cuts.

Bubbleworks retheme though was just an utter calamity in which nothing went right and those who were put in charge of building it should hang their heads in shame.

Toyland Tours went from so much happening in every scene, you could pretty much ride it loads of times and still see something you didn't see previously. Then it changed to a load static models, cheap lighting and the occasional wheel turning or whatever.

Gruffalo is just an empty building pretty much with things that light up when you go near them and muffled audio.

This is a classic ride in the UK so I just hope they've learned from mistakes made previously.

 

[QTXAdsy]

Plot twist: the blasters end up being the only thing kept from Duel.

Don't tempt fate! Already so many of us having been doing this with Duel already!

 

[Trooper Looper]

At its worst, I hope they keep the Grand Hall. The only thing broken on that scene is the lighting, so I hope they just repaint the scene a bit, some new lighting to make it darker in there, and some good old TLC.

 

[DistortAMG]

Just looking at photos of the trommel, that photo. does not look like it's from the trommel?

The photo shows rock work that is relatively straightly stacked. The trommel doesn't have any straight piece on it apart from the very blocky blockwork, which that photo clearly is not. See below. I am pretty certain that is not from the trommel facade.

It looks similar to the teeth, so I see why people assumed it is that. But the teeth are curved one side, then sharp the other, or very elongated, the photo of that rock thats been ripped out is just curved on all four sides and evenlyish sized, not elongated. I am pretty certain they are not the same. I am not saying the trommel is staying but what is in that photo is not the trommel facade. It doesn't look like rocks used in the tunnel either. the rock in the tunnel is very squarish block like. Not round edged like in the photo.

 

[RIPCorky]

Just looking at photos of the trommel, that photo. does not look like it's from the trommel?

The photo shows rock work that is relatively straightly stacked. The trommel doesn't have any straight piece on it apart from the very blocky blockwork, which that photo clearly is not. See below. I am pretty certain that is not from the trommel facade.

It looks similar to the teeth, so I see why people assumed it is that. But the teeth are curved one side, then sharp the other, or very elongated, the photo of that rock thats been ripped out is just curved on all four sides and evenlyish sized, not elongated. I am pretty certain they are not the same. I am not saying the trommel is staying but what is in that photo is not the trommel facade. It doesn't look like rocks used in the tunnel either. the rock in the tunnel is very squarish block like. Not round edged like in the photo.

Yep clearly not the teeth now you've posted that picture

 

[Trooper Looper]

As much as I wish they weren't, But I think they are. Turn the picture above upside down, the outside picture is of the front 2 teeth cut, you can even see the holes where the targets were drilled into.

 

[DistortAMG]

But there is a rock that is not cut in the photo. NO rock on that facade looks anything like it.

There were lots of rocks with targets throughout the ride. I don't think it's from the trommel but I could be wrong.

 

[Trooper Looper]

But there is a rock that is not cut in the photo. NO rock on that facade looks anything like it.

There were lots of rocks with targets throughout the ride. I don't think it's from the trommel but I could be wrong.

Look at the similarities though. You can see the difference in the colours between the teeth and the stone-like colour and where the targets were. Name another part of the ride that looks similar.

Credit goes to @jmc For the first photo.

 

[DistortAMG]

Look at the similarities though. You can see the difference in the colours between the teeth and the stone-like colour and where the targets were. Name another part of the ride that looks similar.

Credit goes to @jmc For the first photo.

Hmmmm. I'm on the fence. It does look convincing to be fair. The plot thickens.

 

[Trooper Looper]

Hmmmm. I'm on the fence. It does look convincing to be fair. The plot thickens.

Let's hope they at least keep the actual trommel and fix it up. I did mention this earlier but my bet is that they had to take a portion of the face off to get access to the trommels insides and motors, so they can get the thing working again.

 

[DistortAMG]

Let's hope they at least keep the actual trommel and fix it up. I did mention this earlier but my bet is that they had to take a portion of the face off to get access to the trommels insides and motors, so they can get the thing working again.

Not saying I've made a total u-turn but that angle looks slightly more convincing.

Quite possibly they needed to take bits off to get access. They can get access via the other side too. But the side you enter from is the side where the main access into the building ia for vehicals. So if it was major work that is needed, this lines up with them needing to remove it to get access.

 

[Trooper Looper]

Not saying I've made a total u-turn but that angle looks slightly more convincing.

Quite possibly they needed to take bits off to get access. They can get access via the other side too. But the side you enter from is the side where the main access into the building ia for vehicals. So if it was major work that is needed, this lines up with them needing to remove it to get access.

Is this where you mean from where they can access from the side of it?

Maybe they had to get rid of the face (if that's true) to potentially install new motors. Would be a huge shame if that section of the ride was just replaced by a static scene. The Trommel looked great when it worked!

 

[DistortAMG]

Is this where you mean from where they can access from the side of it?

Maybe they had to get rid of the face (if that's true) to potentially install new motors. Would be a huge shame if that section of the ride was just replaced by a static scene. The Trommel looked great when it worked!

Yeah so that is the other access from the back. Near the start of the ride there is a large shutter door big enough to get vehicles and large things in and out of the ride.

So if a large vehical was needed to help with fixing the trommel, the front of the trommel would be the closest to that doorway. So it would make sense that bit was removed. Getting a vehical to the other side of the tunnel would mean alot more scenes would need removing to get to it.

 

[Trooper Looper]

Yeah so that is the other access from the back. Near the start of the ride there is a large shutter door big enough to get vehicles and large things in and out of the ride.

So if a large vehical was needed to help with fixing the trommel, the front of the trommel would be the closest to that doorway. So it would make sense that bit was removed. Getting a vehical to the other side of the tunnel would mean alot more scenes would need removing to get to it.

Okay, let's hope they don't do the latter, those scenes still have potential. Time to get a drone then XD

 

[Blackhole_Sun]

After a recent trip to DLP it reminded me of the importance of staying away from anything 3D or screen based. For me, there is no substitute for physical set pieces. Disney use projections in their dark rides sparingly as part of a background. The rides that are screen based (web slingers and ratatouille) are just dull, awful computer games.

Majority of the rides there (Peter pan etc) have remained similar to their originals successfully. There is no reason why Duel can’t maintain some of its original charm.

Changing some of the scenes is inevitable and required.

For this ride to work we need big physical sets which will make the ride re-ridable several times as you will miss smaller details. Anything like Gruffalo and we may as well have kept Duel in a broken state.

 

[MattyH]

Ratatouille combines screens and physical props and actually utilises a trackless dark ride system...

 

[Blackhole_Sun]

Ratatouille combines screens and physical props and actually utilises a trackless dark ride system...

Sort of… generally each scene is basically a screen with background elements filled in with static props. The trackless ride system is…. unique, but distracting for me.

If that’s the way dark rides are going you can count me out of it.

 

[Trooper Looper]

Sort of… generally each scene is basically a screen with background elements filled in with static props. The trackless ride system is…. unique, but distracting for me.

If that’s the way dark rides are going you can count me out of it.

Same here. You don't need a brand new ride system to make a good Dark Ride, and you don't need a heavy narrative or screens to make a capsulating story. Heck, you don't don't need that much dialogue for people to understand it.

I really hope they don't turn the Drawing room into a Preshow with a full narrative and a huge projection. I'd much rather see the Drawing room remastered, with the slanted floor illusion back, some of the old props such as the dolls house and the chair with the book, and the fireplace, but a lot of new elements, that can be new props, a new wallpaper, redone lighting, and audio for it to actually look like an old room of a house.