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Duel: The Haunted House Actually Strikes Back - Refurb Incoming

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Squiggs said:
@rob666 Where were the jumping jellyfish ghosts? You've mentioned them a couple of times now, and they ring a bell, but I can't quite place them.
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They were added in the HHs later years just before the giant spider.

As much as i agree with @rob666 here on keeping the HH props, Even i think the Junping Ghosts are cheap and devalues the rides unique feel.
 
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On a random note, what exterior soundtrack originally played outside the Haunted House (in Gloomy Wood) before it became Duel?

I was trying to think of what it could have been, but I didn’t know…
 
Matt N said:
On a random note, what exterior soundtrack originally played outside the Haunted House (in Gloomy Wood) before it became Duel?

I was trying to think of what it could have been, but I didn’t know…
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I believe it was this one. It’s the same music that was played in the garden scene of the ride. Since the queue was also supposed to be the garden of the house, it was used in both locations.

 
Trooper Looper said:
They were added in the HHs later years just before the giant spider.

As much as u agreed with @rob666 here on keeping the HH props, Even i think the Junping Ghosts are cheap and devalues the rides unique feel.
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Did you actually see them at the time?
They were great, and took me a few visits to work them out.
Not cheap looking at all, just not very reliable apparently.
Edit...and where they were...down on the right hand side somewhere early on!
Lots of beer has passed under the bridge since those days.
 
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I honestly expect Tuesday to be somewhat insufferable. Minimal cars with geeks a plenty stood at the entrance doors armed with cameras, all stubbornly waiting at the last minute to ensure they're on the final "official" Duel car.

Glad I got to pay respects today. Farewell Duel; it's a shame you look like utter crap on your deathbed.
 
I for one am not sad to see Duel go, in its current state at least. If it was the original version with the pre show etc then yes, but seeing as I can't stand the current soundtrack I'm glad it's closing and a more (hopefully) high quality version is on the way. I'm really looking forward to next year !
 
Trooper Looper said:
Duels got a 20 minute wait as of now showing on the app, wonder if its from its sudden rise in popularity or the lack of cars on the attraction?
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I’d wager the latter. The number of cars looked pretty thin on the ground in the photos that @Danny posted yesterday (seeing a moment where neither the load area nor the unload area had any cars in them at all is really quite unprecedented given that the load/unload area is usually akin to that of an omnimover ride), and the ride’s closure isn’t exactly common public knowledge.

You’re unlikely to know it’s going unless you’re an enthusiast or pay really close attention to the sign on the exit path, so the ride is unlikely to have had a significant rise in popularity outside of enthusiast circles; to your average guest, a Duel ride today would likely be just like a Duel ride on any other day within the last 19 years.

Furthermore; I don’t know about Staffordshire, but it’s bucketing down with rain here in the Forest of Dean today, so maybe the wet weather has made more people gravitate towards it?

But I’d guess that the main factor is the reduction in throughput; going from a constant flow of cars akin to that of an omnimover ride to having significant periods with no cars in the station at all is going to hammer away at the throughput quite significantly, thus making the queue longer.
 
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Visited on Saturday and had 2 final rides and bought a Duel magnet from the gift shop.

Second time round as I was on my own I was asked to wait a few cars as one was entering the station area with just the 2 working guns. In front of that car was one with the doors blocked off (saying to wait for the next one) and a a gentleman sat in it. So I went round, some scenes were almost in the pitch black. The guy in the car in front stayed on as it went through the curtains (he was talking to a staff member) so it seemed like they were lapping the ride.
 
John_P said:
Visited on Saturday and had 2 final rides and bought a Duel magnet from the gift shop.

Second time round as I was on my own I was asked to wait a few cars as one was entering the station area with just the 2 working guns. In front of that car was one with the doors blocked off (saying to wait for the next one) and a a gentleman sat in it. So I went round, some scenes were almost in the pitch black. The guy in the car in front stayed on as it went through the curtains (he was talking to a staff member) so it seemed like they were lapping the ride.
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Visited last Thurs - I was surprised how much of it was in complete darkness. Sure it added to the scare factor, but it did nothing for my high score.
 
Trooper Looper said:
On its final day as duel (tomorrow)? Heck yeah!!
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Last day tomorrow? Bloody hell, all happening at once! Well, given all the problems the ride is having in it's final days that everyone is conplaining about, I can say on my last visit I had a problem free experience minus some dodgy effects! :cool: Not that the ride experience itself was anything to sing about but that's beside the point.

Anyway, as the final hours(?) are looking likely, I have been reflecting on when I first went on HH back in 1997 as a wee lad. Honestly I can't remember much other than the creepy portraits in the queue looming at you, that booming music score which really built up the anticipation and the station area...nothing of the ride unfortunately I remember as I was utterly terrified and had my eyes closed the whole time, I was roped into it I remember. 😳

Anyway, for all the older ones on here who remember it in it's prime, was anyone ever scared of HH?
 
QTXAdsy said:
Last day tomorrow? Bloody hell, all happening at once! Well, given all the problems the ride is having in it's final days that everyone is conplaining about, I can say on my last visit I had a problem free experience minus some dodgy effects! :cool: Not that the ride experience itself was anything to sing about but that's beside the point.

Anyway, as the final hours(?) are looking likely, I have been reflecting on when I first went on HH back in 1997 as a wee lad. Honestly I can't remember much other than the creepy portraits in the queue looming at you, that booming music score which really built up the anticipation and the station area...nothing of the ride unfortunately I remember as I was utterly terrified and had my eyes closed the whole time, I was roped into it I remember. 😳

Anyway, for all the older ones on here who remember it in it's prime, was anyone ever scared of HH?
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In 1994 I was - a wee 9 year old.

It was amazing though. And the original extended queue was a brilliant atmosphere builder.
 
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