Duel: The Haunted House Actually Strikes Back - Refurb Incoming

[s_g_k]

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! 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?

I was terrified of HH as a kid. I remember properly crying the whole way round whilst my dad just laughed.
Looking back, HH was an awesome attraction and properly theatrical.

 

[Themeparksandy1981]

Had my first evac ever… on Duel of all rides!

LED sign in station is showing the number 2 today.

I got Evac off Duel also must have been over 10 years ago. The car behind us wheel had broken off so they had to put all the lights on and we went out a exit on the side of the building and was let out of the gates by the side of the ride. We all were given 1 of theses passes

But never got to use it as none of the rides listed had a queue.
I have always wondered why there is a microphone above our heads in the loading area?

 

[Dave]

I have always wondered why there is a microphone above our heads in the loading area?

Pretty sure it’s so the op can hear the hosts

 

[Matt N]

With all this conversation about soundtracks... perhaps controversially, I actually quite like the current one.

Here's an interesting idea... could the current one possibly have been foreshadowing the current project? I know it came in 2018, but I'd argue that it's a lot more HH-like in tone than the previous Duel track. Could the park have gone for a slightly slower, more atmospheric track to prepare for a change back to a HH-style attraction in the not too distant future?

 

[Trooper Looper]

With all this conversation about soundtracks... I actually quite like the current one.

Take him to the Dungeons...

 

[JAperson]

Take him to the Dungeons...

With the upcharge that will be a punishment.

 

[QTXAdsy]

Take him to the Dungeons...

With the upcharge that will be a punishment.

And forced to share the same cell as the evil Flume duck!

 

[JAperson]

And forced to share the same cell as the evil Flume duck!

You really do hate that thing don't you?

 

[QTXAdsy]

You really do hate that thing don't you?

Not the only one TBF, many others are scared by it.

 

[Trooper Looper]

Today's the day people. Duels last day. Unfortunately I can't be there , if any of you are on site today, ask the op to play the old theme for one last time, for old times sake eh

Some zombies are armed and may shoot back, SO PREPARE TO DUEL!!!!

 

[Rob]

Today is a glorious day. The only thing that I will miss about Duel is the station announcements regarding blasters!

 

[ChristmasPud]

In my opinion the only good things to arrive with Duel was those station announcements (best voice ever) and the updated preshow portraits that look a lot more aged than the originals

The current soundtrack is far from "god awful" and suits the ride much better than the previous one, which Im very sure has cemented in fans hearts more from being a downloadable mp3 on Towers Times for years than actually hearing it in the ride. It never suited the experience and was pretty hard to make out on the ride most the time.

 

[James564]

With all this conversation about soundtracks... perhaps controversially, I actually quite like the current one.

Here's an interesting idea... could the current one possibly have been foreshadowing the current project? I know it came in 2018, but I'd argue that it's a lot more HH-like in tone than the previous Duel track. Could the park have gone for a slightly slower, more atmospheric track to prepare for a change back to a HH-style attraction in the not too distant future?

I agree with you there, I love Simon Allen's Duel soundtrack - it was a real earworm for me. One ride on Duel and the melody was in my head for the rest of the visit. I do wonder if it would get more love if it hadn't replaced something that people feel nostalgic about and was just the original soundtrack from the off. Will be sad to see it go (if it does).

 

[Trooper Looper]

In my opinion the only good things to arrive with Duel was those station announcements (best voice ever) and the updated preshow portraits that look a lot more aged than the originals

The current soundtrack is far from "god awful" and suits the ride much better than the previous one, which Im very sure has cemented in fans hearts more from being a downloadable mp3 on Towers Times for years than actually hearing it in the ride. It never suited the experience and was pretty hard to make out on the ride most the time.

Agree on the current announcements. Who did them anyway? They're loads better then the older Ghost Host Ripoff when it was the HH.

 

[LordOfDarkness]

Suppose it comes down to personal opinion.

Duels original music was more suited to Duel as I feel it matched the high paced shooter ride it is.

Simon Allans music - which is by no means 'terrible', just instead is more suited to a ghost train/haunted house which in my opinion, Duel isn't.

Either way, the original HH music tops both...

 

[ChristmasPud]

They're loads better then the older Ghost Host Ripoff when it was the HH.

That was only there for the last few years of the ride, it wasn't a great addition

@LordOfDarkness I think the split opinions really sum up the identity crisis Duel always was, it never fully gelled as a zombie shooter and all the changes held it back from being a great haunted house. It has always been an awkward unknown and I hope this potential revamp finally resolves that

 

[Benzin]

In my opinion the only good things to arrive with Duel was those station announcements (best voice ever)...

Reminding me of the YouTube poop style "Touch Your Blaster" video. Doesn't seem to exist anymore unfortunately.

 

[WillPS]

Suppose it comes down to personal opinion.

Duels original music was more suited to Duel as I feel it matched the high paced shooter ride it is.

Simon Allans music - which is by no means 'terrible', just instead is more suited to a ghost train/haunted house which in my opinion, Duel isn't.

Either way, the original HH music tops both...

Agree completely with this. Duel's '03 music was excellent for the ride Duel was supposed to be; unfortunately that mismatched somewhat with the (semi-ruined) experience which remained in all but the final scene of the interior.

I've got a lot of nostalgia for cringey 'news report' intro video too, even if it completely jarred with the rest of the room.

 

[QTXAdsy]

It seems the Duel staff today from what I hear so far are enjoying the trolling aspect. (I'm not at the park ofc so this from some folks who are there).

Apparently for the first riders about to take the first ride, one of the staff members said to the riders, "enjoy the new Jumanji ride for 2023!"

Unlikely that is what we're getting for Duel but it does show that the staff on the park know about what we say online and just like to screw around with many. I do wonder if there are other ride staff on park who can pull of the same amount of trolling guests like the Duel team? Speaking of which, we honestly should give them a big hand for keeping the ride going even if it is struggling now.

 

[Trooper Looper]

Speaking of the cingey queue Line video with Richard O' Connor. A while ago I found a video of it. It's definitely the highest quality one out there when compared to the others.