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Hex [2024 Refurb]: General Discussion
- Thread starter DaveW
- Start date
Danscott22
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- The Smiler
Didn’t even realise there was a message on there saying it was closed, but I’m sure it’ll still be the same experience
Squiggs
TS Team
According to the web archive, there's not been any changes to Hex's page this year, other than the closure message.
Danscott22
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- The Smiler
Credit to JB_Northern on Twitter - Hex being discussed this afternoon in the conference centre?
From: https://twitter.com/JB_Northern/status/1679850434389766144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
I have absolutely no idea what this means as I don't really understand what happens too much in the conference centres? Is it likely to be informing people of whats going on with it or somehow preparing for a re-opening? This might sound stupid but I genuinely have no idea what occurs in there.
From: https://twitter.com/JB_Northern/status/1679850434389766144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
I have absolutely no idea what this means as I don't really understand what happens too much in the conference centres? Is it likely to be informing people of whats going on with it or somehow preparing for a re-opening? This might sound stupid but I genuinely have no idea what occurs in there.
Danscott22
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- The Smiler
Ah ok that makes much more sense! Apologies I had no idea that was a thing, you learn something new everyday
Connor98
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Hyperion
After todays announcement about the ride not operating again this year and without trying to turn this into this years Duel/Curse thread, I’m looking forward to this ride hopefully being open and back to its best in 2024. I’m also hopeful they spend this time improving and refreshing the pre shows! Improving the video and audio quality would too be a great bonus, and also maybe adding some more modern effects into the pre shows and ride experience would be fantastic. Nothing too expensive, but just enough to keep this ride up to the standard we have become accustomed to over the years.
Mattie boy
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Shamballa
I really hope it's going to get sorted and not just been mothballed to keep costs down...
DeLaTerreALaLune
TS Member
I’ve heard that the drum needs to be replaced, so essentially replacing the whole ride system. That’s not going to be cheap so I’m concerned it’s not going to be a priority.
Blackhole_Sun
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Black Hole
I’m thinking it’s done for. Would like to be proven wrong (again). I was thinking they might have considered changing the ride system for something else. I’m sure they could cram in a temporary fair ride instead.
I think the ride is a tad bit over rated in all honesty. I like it, it’s their best dark ride but the walk through part needed updating with new effects for a long time. The audio system throughout is bad and the ride system has obviously now given up.
Will be closed for quite some time. I feel they have blown the whole budget on Curse and Nemesis. We know a lot needs doing to the rest of their rides also.
Trooper Looper
TS Member
I really hope this isn't the end for Hex. Though The Haunting will always be my favourite, no way do I want to see Hex get the chopping Block. I love the ambience of the ride, and the preshows are great!! The story is very unique, being a local tale rather than a story and it's ideas written entirely on paper.
QTXAdsy
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Black Hole
TBH, under previous Merlin ownerships, much of the park has been run into the ground as we've seen with Smiler, Dark Forest, Skyride and now Hex.
Granted TBF, there have been some good work to bring the park up to standards with Alton Manor and Gloomy Wood and now Nemesis and likely Forbidding Valley, but even there is still a hell of a long way to go if this new Merlin ownership want to try and undo much of the neglect that's happen and even if they are wanting to change their ways its going to take at least 8 years IMO before the whole resort as a whole is fully up to standards.
Would Hex still had been operating had it been looked after properly or was it just reaching the end of it's service life anyway? The only way I can see Hex coming back if it is needing a major overhaul for the ride system is market it as a 'new' ride like Alton Manor but maybe the idea of being a sequel to the original Hex attraction set in the current time which has been mentioned before regarding how the oak tree has lost more branches then and maybe that it has fully affected the Towers further.
Perhaps if the stories of further work on the Towers ruins do happen then maybe a new look Hex might be part of it to kill two birds with one stone? Either way, would hate to lose Hex but then again if it is proven more trouble than it's worth, what can you do?
Granted TBF, there have been some good work to bring the park up to standards with Alton Manor and Gloomy Wood and now Nemesis and likely Forbidding Valley, but even there is still a hell of a long way to go if this new Merlin ownership want to try and undo much of the neglect that's happen and even if they are wanting to change their ways its going to take at least 8 years IMO before the whole resort as a whole is fully up to standards.
Would Hex still had been operating had it been looked after properly or was it just reaching the end of it's service life anyway? The only way I can see Hex coming back if it is needing a major overhaul for the ride system is market it as a 'new' ride like Alton Manor but maybe the idea of being a sequel to the original Hex attraction set in the current time which has been mentioned before regarding how the oak tree has lost more branches then and maybe that it has fully affected the Towers further.
Perhaps if the stories of further work on the Towers ruins do happen then maybe a new look Hex might be part of it to kill two birds with one stone? Either way, would hate to lose Hex but then again if it is proven more trouble than it's worth, what can you do?
RIPCorky
TS Member
The issue is the park is a business and if they're not making money they need to find ways so they are able to. Not opening the Sky Ride is probably a considerable saving in staff and maintenance fees over the course of a season. The issue regarding a ride such as Hex is that it again probably has high running costs with staffing numbers and it's always breaking down.
A ride like Hex simply is not going to attract visitors to AT not even if you refurbish it and call it the Curse Of The Oak Tree. So you can see why they've closed it for the rest of the season. Alton Manor has not given them any more footfall despite the marketing it received.
George W
TS Member
Alton towers said they want to be a all year round park obviously that would mean during colder months it would be a limited ride offering i.e indoor attractions such as sub terra, the curse, gangsta granny, project horizon, sealife and hex although it definitely wouldn't be '365 days a year' like the press release claimed I could see some weeks opening during the colder seasons so for this reason Hex could do with being fixed and having the money spent on it in the eyes of Merlin, there has been a focus on indoor attractions regardless.
However as we all know Merlin always need to have a good return on investment, when spending a penny they want a quid back hence why we see new shiny marketable rides but not so much love for maintaining their current line up so we have to hope they see keeping Hex a worthy way for them to spend money.
However as we all know Merlin always need to have a good return on investment, when spending a penny they want a quid back hence why we see new shiny marketable rides but not so much love for maintaining their current line up so we have to hope they see keeping Hex a worthy way for them to spend money.
