• ℹ️ Heads up...

    This is a popular topic that is fast moving Guest - before posting, please ensure that you check out the first post in the topic for a quick reminder of guidelines, and importantly a summary of the known facts and information so far. Thanks.

Duel: The Haunted House Actually Strikes Back - Refurb Incoming

Status
This topic has been locked. No further replies can be posted.
AstroDan said:
I'd imagine the lower end of that sort of figure.

Sent from my SM-G991B using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
I'd be guessing around the 2.5 million mark. I can see 2 of the currently existing scenes in the ride being rethemed, while everything else will be done up and given TLC. I guess a good chunk of it is going into the ride system and those couple new scenes.
 
Last edited:
Ash said:
It won’t be a new system but the actual PLC/control hardware behind it will no longer be supported/spares etc

The same with Nemesis I imagine



Re-read what I wrote. If it’s the control system itself (I.e like for like PLC swap out alone) there’s no reason Garmendale/Fairfield Controls wouldn’t do the work. Or another decent system integrator.

If it’s anything bigger (cars/track) or new system
Entirely the only people in the UK with this kind of specialism would be Garmendale, unless they went further afield.



It will more than likely just been a direct PLC swap. Same software. New hardware. Not a massive job by any means. It will need replacing now as mentioned in other posts. But they should still fix sensors etc
Click to expand...

Garmendale are yet to produce any PLC based system that utilises variable motion and blocks in the way that the HH transit system does. Therefor I am sceptical if they could carry it out competently. I very much doubt it is going to just be a direct PLC swap and nothing else. Infact, I am certain it is not going to just be that.


If they are updating the control system, there is going to be alot more that needs updating and modifying than just "swapping out the PLC's".

The reliability of the PLCs are not what are causing the issues with the ride system right not. The whole control system as a whole is a major factor, which will require new software and hardware. You are not going to run a brand new control system on old hardware, incompatibility being one of many reasons here. Plus a new control panel in the ops cab will not run on software written for something totally different 30 years ago...

If they did a direct replacement and kept the software, all the issues I believe they are setting out to fix with this refurbishment would still be present

My money is on Mack being involved even if only as an advisory.
 
TroySmith1 said:
I was thinking how many refurbs has this ride actually had now is it similar to tomb blaster?
Click to expand...

92 original design/build
Mid-92 alterations
1993 new scene
94-95 alterations
1999 revamp (largely cancelled but some significant changes)
2003 Duel revamp
2018 TLC revamp

Tomb Blaster was...
94 Terror Tomb original design/build
1996 revamp /new scene
2002 Tomb Blaster revamp
2016 new gun system and UV revamp
2020 Nick Hutson revamp

Only counting times that work was planned and budgeted, not minor changes by staff or just relighting/maintenance etc
 
It's good to hear something is finally happening with Duel. Long over due, just fingers crossed it actually turns out well. I don't think we've ever had a successful Dark Ride refurbishment in the UK (at least within the Merlin/Tussauds parks) that's actually been a unambiguous improvement. But I'm optimistic for this one.

The gold standard for this type of refurbishment has to be Pirates of Batavia. Keep the intent of the original ride but rework from the ground up. I'm not expecting that level of reinvestment but on the assumption the track and cars stay the same (similar to Batavia retaining the layout) it shows that a new story and effects can go a long way. Batavia used to be know as just another Pirates copycat. Now it gets a lot of praise as its own ride. And the start again refurbishment helped a lot, unlike Geisterschloss, where the more they add the more of a mess it becomes.

The only thing I'd be disappointed to loose would be the look and feel of Gloomy Wood. I think the facade of the house is perfect (current condition aside). The indoor queue with the slanted floor and clever effects are great too. It's been nearly 9 years since I last rode Duel so while writing this I started listing the attractions most memorable effects; Ghost Emily, the book with the turning pages, the Trommel Tunnel, Are you afraid of spiders? Face in the Fireplace, the rocking horse, Electric Bill...
The ones from the queue were some of the first I thought of.
That aside though I'm not against a completely new story within the Haunted House setting.
 
Tim said:
I think the facade of the house is perfect (current condition aside). The indoor queue with the slanted floor
Click to expand...

Unfortunately the slanted floor was butchered a few years back. I doubt it will return.

I am all for making rides accessible for disabled people, we should and are progressive in that in all walks of society.

But when an effect is ruined in the name of inclusion and accessibility, to the point the effect is no more and no one can enjoy it, was it really that worth while. No I would say it was not.

Now no one disabled or not can enjoy the effect any more, so you have to question why they did it. In he pursuit of including and making accessible to no one, due to ruining the effect what they have done, is the opposite and included and made it accessible to no one.

It is like stopping a drop tower from operating as a drop tower so everyone can do a lap on foot, around the station instead. Baffling decision.
 
BritishThemeParkArchive said:
92 original design/build
Mid-92 alterations
1993 new scene
94-95 alterations
1999 revamp (largely cancelled but some significant changes)
2003 Duel revamp
2018 TLC revamp

Tomb Blaster was...
94 Terror Tomb original design/build
1996 revamp /new scene
2002 Tomb Blaster revamp
2016 new gun system and UV revamp
2020 Nick Hutson revamp

Only counting times that work was planned and budgeted, not minor changes by staff or just relighting/maintenance etc
Click to expand...
Wow, no wonder many who rode the HH said it was botched to death in the later years. 4 alterations in such a short span that wasn't led by proper designers. It was almost guaranteed to be ruined.

I take it the Mid 92 alteration is the shot down of the Ghost Corridor effect, and moving the troll from the Swamp to the Screaming Heads scene. Them and the Fingers being rethemed to Finger Monsters?

1993 refurb is probably removing most of the original UV Paint from opening day in favour for more varied lighting.

94-95 gap is probably the implementation of cheesy effects such as the Jumping Ghosts near the Giant Spider.

1999 revamp, though was mostly cancelled, a lot of bad relights and props started to slow down.
 
DistortAMG said:
Unfortunately the slanted floor was butchered a few years back. I doubt it will return.

I am all for making rides accessible for disabled people, we should and are progressive in that in all walks of society.

But when an effect is ruined in the name of inclusion and accessibility, to the point the effect is no more and no one can enjoy it, was it really that worth while. No I would say it was not.

Now no one disabled or not can enjoy the effect any more, so you have to question why they did it. In he pursuit of including and making accessible to no one, due to ruining the effect what they have done, is the opposite and included and made it accessible to no one.

It is like stopping a drop tower from operating as a drop tower so everyone can do a lap on foot, around the station instead. Baffling decision.
Click to expand...
They did that because when it initially reopened after covid, wheelchairs could not access the ride as the exit was one-way only. It's not wide enough for social distancing, and even before that it was always an issue. There isn't space for separate wheelchair access to be added so they had no choice but to make the standard queue line accessible. I know it was a little controversial, but loosing the slanted floor was a small loss in my opinion.
 
Skyscraper said:
They did that because when it initially reopened after covid, wheelchairs could not access the ride as the exit was one-way only. It's not wide enough for social distancing, and even before that it was always an issue. There isn't space for separate wheelchair access to be added so they had no choice but to make the standard queue line accessible. I know it was a little controversial, but loosing the slanted floor was a small loss in my opinion.
Click to expand...

I disagree as a small loss. It was one of the biggest and most popular effects of the whole attraction.
 
Last edited:
The underlying issue with the problems with Duel in my view is the removal or watering down of the theatrical elements of the attraction over the years.

These were a big part of the ride as HH, the ‘odd moments’ such as the slanted room, the suspense built up before loading and during the tracked section etc, all gone over the years.

The removal of the slanted room effect plays a big part in this. I hope they can find a way of improving this room for next year whilst still enabling access for all. Hex achieves this in the Octagon for example, I’m sure it can be done.
 
Skyscraper said:
They did that because when it initially reopened after covid, wheelchairs could not access the ride as the exit was one-way only. It's not wide enough for social distancing, and even before that it was always an issue. There isn't space for separate wheelchair access to be added so they had no choice but to make the standard queue line accessible. I know it was a little controversial, but loosing the slanted floor was a small loss in my opinion.
Click to expand...
I agree. Couldn't take my cousin on it that year because it didn't accommodate a wheelchair. I also agree in that it was literally just a slanted floor, you walked straight through it, wasn't a big deal to me. Can't see how it can be argued it was a main part of the attraction either.
 
Hex was probably the last time we had an improvement to a dark ride in the UK in mid 2000
Regarding the Duel queue, the issue is now all the walls are in arms reach they're getting destroyed. It'd be good to have the queue returned to out of reach so it gets less ruined, even if they make the path straighter like it was but not slanted, move the doll house to where the horse is and the horse to the middle of the room before the fireplace.
 
Didn't know the slanting floor had been altered.
I'd say it is worth having because it sets the tone of the ride. You are entering a place where things aren't quite as they seem.

Would it really be that hard to make it wheel chair accessible? A slant after all is a slope by another name.
 
Status
This topic has been locked. No further replies can be posted.
Top