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Trooper Looper
TS Member
Good luck, mate!!!
Yeah, just imagine Stellar theatrical UV lighting there. If only, it only...
Trooper Looper
TS Member
I haven't been myself yet, but keep hearing that there have been some relights, and most of the props are working again. Another one is hat they fixed the Ghost pepper effect in the hearse, so thats back working again.
If you look at the last page, I sent a video from YouTube, with new things added to the queue, including the return of the Vestibule Soundtrack, you can hear it very faintly in the background, and they added some new bits of old logos and theming to the queue, celebrating the rides 30th anniversary.
John Wardley
Official Account
All you guys who said the original Haunted House was looking tired and dated when it closed (and replaced by Duel), you were absolutely right! And I’ll tell you for why ….
When I designed the ride with Keith Sparks, we designed 5 extra effects that would be added in each successive season to keep the ride fresh, and the surprises coming. After the first season, the ride was considered a success and Tussauds decided there was no point in spending any money for the second season on a new effect. The same was true for the third season, and so on. These effects were never added, and the ride was never changed over the years. So after 20 years it really did look dated.
When I designed the ride with Keith Sparks, we designed 5 extra effects that would be added in each successive season to keep the ride fresh, and the surprises coming. After the first season, the ride was considered a success and Tussauds decided there was no point in spending any money for the second season on a new effect. The same was true for the third season, and so on. These effects were never added, and the ride was never changed over the years. So after 20 years it really did look dated.
Craig
TS Administrator
Welcome to the forum John! It’s shame we never got the additions that you and Keith planned, perhaps we wouldn’t have seen the ride “gameified” with the guns if those improvements were made over the years.
I’m going to have to ask the obvious though, what sort of effects were planned?
Sazzle
TS Administrator
- Favourite Ride
- Steel Vengeance
The guest experience, proudly thought out in detail by the designer, deemed irrelevant by the corporate piggy bank holders.
A tale that unfortunately feels all-too-common across the theme park industry, with only a few exceptions.
And yet Sub-Terra was not an immediate success, got “upgrades”, and still failed.
I have to admit to not setting foot in Gloomy Wood on opening day this year. I was saddened by the state of it in late 2021!
Trooper Looper
TS Member
I suspect that The Finger Monsters that would eventually replace the Giants Fingers later in the year were a test to see how guests would react to new additions every year. If not, why were the Giants Fingers Replaced?
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Poisson
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- The Giant Squid
Benjsh
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Steel Vengeance
Thanks for sharing this with us John! Really interesting and at the same time a real shame they didn't take you up on these proposals. The HH was a personal favourite of mine growing up too and remained that way until they introduced the guns/targets. You and Keith did a wonderful job with it.
Thanks for Nemesis too!!!
Squiggs
TS Team
As I understand it, it was replaced because the giant didn't have the effect it was supposed to.
I'm not sure wrapping the fingers in sheets and putting faces on them would quite count as 'new additions'. Though, the finger monsters were legitimately more scary.
Trooper Looper
TS Member
Found some footage of it!!!
Credit goes to British Theme Park Archive:
Around the 3:31 Mark.
Dave
TS Founding Member
Funny isn’t it. We’ve gone from wanting some new effects to just being happy if they fix a light bulb in there!!
Just curious if 5 new effects were planned each yea to keep it fresh, there must have been some ideas already in place for the next years additions as surely space or mechanisms would have been designed to accommodate these?
In which case I’d be really interested to hear about some of these new additions which were planned but never came to fruition….
Just curious if 5 new effects were planned each yea to keep it fresh, there must have been some ideas already in place for the next years additions as surely space or mechanisms would have been designed to accommodate these?
In which case I’d be really interested to hear about some of these new additions which were planned but never came to fruition….
Excalibur
TS Member
It wouldn’t have been Alton, it would have been the ride ops/hosts who have worked on it for years and have just gave a nod to the ride.At least that Alton is aware of the ride turning 30 this year. From theme park worldwide March 2021 vlog there, they seems to have added a wooden grave celebrating 30 years of the Haunted House.
I know it's not much, but it's better than nothing
Trooper Looper
TS Member
Same thing to me, to be honest. I suppose that many of Duels Operators and Hosts have been there for a long time, as one of the host I met said he has been there since it was Still The Haunted House.
Skyscraper
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Nemesis
Surprised no one has mentioned this yet, but it is the Haunted House/Duel's 30th anniversary today! 
Trooper Looper
TS Member
Well I'll be dammed!!
Here's to another 30 years, and a hopefully bright future to this UK classic!!!
Here's to another 30 years, and a hopefully bright future to this UK classic!!!
Something must be in the future pipeline for Duel. It’s in an entire themed area with expansion potential with a mothballed F&B outlet, a shop and a huge dark ride that is in desperate need of a huge overhaul.
I personally wouldn’t want the area to lose the Gloomy Wood theme but I’m struggling to think of how it can remain in its current state moving forward.
Duel needs an overhaul. I’d love to see it revert back to HH and have all of the old school theatrical effects and lighting back but let’s be honest here - it’s just not going to happen. So I’m not sure what else to suggest right now.
A family coaster would reinvigorate the area and could also utilise the area that once hosted part of The Flume which is now fenced off, and is now unused land behind Wickerman. SW material? Probably not, but a family coaster aimed something in between RMT and Spinball might just go down really well.
I personally wouldn’t want the area to lose the Gloomy Wood theme but I’m struggling to think of how it can remain in its current state moving forward.
Duel needs an overhaul. I’d love to see it revert back to HH and have all of the old school theatrical effects and lighting back but let’s be honest here - it’s just not going to happen. So I’m not sure what else to suggest right now.
A family coaster would reinvigorate the area and could also utilise the area that once hosted part of The Flume which is now fenced off, and is now unused land behind Wickerman. SW material? Probably not, but a family coaster aimed something in between RMT and Spinball might just go down really well.
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