Scarefest 2013: Discussion

[Tom]

The suggestion of more scare mazes and an increased entry price is a good one.

Half a dozen mazes (even if it were a bringing-to-life of Hex, Duel and Nemesis Sub-Terra) and a £50 entry price against which vouchers could not be used (but £35 or something online tickets were available) could be an idea.

 

[cjchapman]

I'd love to see Merlin run a Halloween event as a separate admission. Universal Studios and Europa Park operate halloween like this and it means that the event can develop as it's own entity. As long as the quality and quantity is there, I don't think most guests would mind paying the extra. They could operate as standard (10am - 5pm) then close and reopen for the evening (6pm-10pm)

It'd also mean that the event could be done properly across the park, with more mazes, decent park wide lighting and proper scare zones which envelop areas of the park (where guests naturally wander through rather than being batched).

As it is though, the family approach restricts the potential for the event to grow.

 

[Max]

How about going down the Thorpe route,add a couple of extra mazes and charge the premium on the entry price rather than the mazes. I have been a few times but never pay for the extra mazes.

Personally I prefer Alton's current method, Up-Charge time slot based systems help keep queues down, most Scare Mazes can only achieve about 600pph at best, some mazes can take far, far less than that, this is why I prefer Up-Charge time slot based systems, at Thorpe Park every maze has a queue beyond 2 hours, using regular queueing methods and not charging for Scare Mazes just does not work, the mazes can't cope with the demand.

In response to other comments asking for more mazes around park - why? The entertainments team is on a tight enough budget already, more mazes on park would mean short and poorly themed mazes in tents, as is the case with Thorpe Park, I would much rather Alton keep doing only 3 mazes as it means we get longer, better themed mazes which are well thought out and immersive.

However, I do wish that that some of the mazes were changed/refreshed this year, but I wont be judging them until I try them for myself. Hopefully the (most likely) small amount of changes means that more budget can be poured into park wide theming and lighting (Although knowing previous years, I highly doubt it)

 

[Tom]

Why put more mazes on?

Increase guest satisfaction and enjoyment = more revisits and spreading good word about their visit = more income.

The problem is the current short-sightedness and the obsessive need for literally instant returns. Ironically Merlin want people to invest in their company in just a few months (that means people spending money for medium to long-term gains) yet won't INVEST in Alton Towers' guest experience.

 

[Max]

Why put more mazes on?

Increase guest satisfaction and enjoyment = more revisits and spreading good word about their visit = more income.

The problem is the current short-sightedness and the obsessive need for literally instant returns. Ironically Merlin want people to invest in their company in just a few months (that means people spending money for medium to long-term gains) yet won't INVEST in Alton Towers' guest experience.

More mazes doesn't necessarily mean an increase in guest satisfaction, an increase in mazes would mean that the budget that Entertainments get for Scarefest would become even more thinly spread, resulting in a decrease of quality and length, its about quality not quantity.

The amount of mazes on park isn't necessarily a Merlin thing, it's been three mazes since Scarefest began in 2007, when the park was under the control of DIC/Tussaud's and there was only a single maze during the Halloween Spooktacular event that proceeded Scarefest.

 

[Tom]

You misunderstand, I am suggesting they spend more money to act as a future investment. Returns from this investment would come from how I explained.

 

[Max]

You misunderstand, I am suggesting they spend more money to act as a future investment. Returns from this investment would come from how I explained.

I agree that they should spend more money to act as a future investment, but at this moment in time, they should spend money on things like park wide theming and lighting rather than adding new mazes, I think some mazes should be changed, but I don't think that anymore should be added to the current line up.

 

[Dave]

The issue with increasing the entry price is how is that fair on those who are not interested in the Scare mazes? Plus Thorpe have started also introducing charges to their mazes so you only end up paying more.

They need more mazes, but personally i think the priority for Scarefest is improving park-lighting and theming.

 

[swalesuk01]

Sorry didn't realise Thorpe has starting charging on top, we didn't go to either last year due tip being in Canada. What I just like the idea of paying on the gate or even making it a separate event which was how wonderland was also ran. This means you could even look at increasing the budget to spend on the event and creating a better atmosphere

 

[Dave]

They charged for one maze last year, heard a rumble that the they where considering more paid mazes but who knows.

 

[Scott]

Why put more mazes on?

Increase guest satisfaction and enjoyment = more revisits and spreading good word about their visit = more income.

The problem is the current short-sightedness and the obsessive need for literally instant returns. Ironically Merlin want people to invest in their company in just a few months (that means people spending money for medium to long-term gains) yet won't INVEST in Alton Towers' guest experience.

More mazes doesn't necessarily mean an increase in guest satisfaction, an increase in mazes would mean that the budget that Entertainments get for Scarefest would become even more thinly spread, resulting in a decrease of quality and length, its about quality not quantity.

The amount of mazes on park isn't necessarily a Merlin thing, it's been three mazes since Scarefest began in 2007, when the park was under the control of DIC/Tussaud's and there was only a single maze during the Halloween Spooktacular event that proceeded Scarefest.

I think anyone suggesting more mazes or more shows or more anything at Scarefest is absolutely not suggesting that it should come out of the current budget but that it should come from a bigger budget. Basically, the team clearly do the best they can currently, but we're all pondering what could be if they were given more...

 

[Max]

I think anyone suggesting more mazes or more shows or more anything at Scarefest is absolutely not suggesting that it should come out of the current budget but that it should come from a bigger budget. Basically, the team clearly do the best they can currently, but we're all pondering what could be if they were given more...

If they were given more budget I'd rather see them invest in things outside of the Scare Mazes, apart from the Scare Mazes, theres really nothing, the park is just normal. the park needs more theming, better lighting and attractions outside of the scare mazes. Instead of adding arbitrary Scare Mazes, Alton should focus on making the Halloween event actually feel like a Halloween event.

Obviously in an ideal world the budget would be big enough to cover the addition of new Scare Mazes, the improving of atmosphere around the park and other Non-Scare Maze Halloween attractions, unfortunately, as long as the park is controlled by Merlin I doubt this would ever be the case

 

[Dave]

I think they can do both, I don't get the need to "replace" mazes every 3 years. Instead spend that money on extra mazes (so long as the internal experience is altered every year in the mazes). If they could get a maze on the left side of the park that would be default expand the event feel a bit.

They then need to take an area each year and theme and light it. Then the following year move on the the next, if 5 years you will have covered the park and then you can start from the beginning again.

 

[swalesuk01]

That's just it you could look at maybe putting a maze in the service yard at katanga canyon to extend it out put agree more general themeing is needed. For example doing more with gloomy wood. Maybe look at doing something in the gardens or through the valley. I wish I had got some pics of Wonderland but the whole park was themed with different areas having different actors to suit the area you was in. The lighting and effective use of smoke machines really added to the atmosphere. theme

 

[KingNemesis]

Here's an idea for saving money:

- Cut back on renting generators and bright white lights, save money and let's areas of the park be more immersive, therefore positive for us as we get what we want and them as they get what they want.

 

[GaryH]

Alton already has everything it needs to make a fantastic event, they are not just utilising it as they did in previous years. For example:

Duel Live or Hex Live (Duel live was excellent when they ran it with the 5/6 actors inside)

Haunted Hollow (though its a great sadness that actors were assaulted) - maybe some atmospheric lighting, sound effects etc

Lighting, Lighting, Lighting!!! Key to everything. The red lights on Nemesis, Blue on Air, Green lighting along paths, Green writing/lights on the walls up to Hex, lighting around Thirteen, smoke in the queue line around 13 and on the Rita launch, and the Smiler this year opens up all prospects of fantastic lighting opportunities. The jeep in Katanya Canyon used to be lit up green, and the skeltetons would be seen floating around the rapids.

As for the mazes, I dont think we need more, just more effort put into them, though saying that, ToTT was very good last year and the Sanctuary in May this year was excellent. They need to keep the lighting and atmopsheric lighting around the queue areas. As for CoS, last year I didnt rate it that much, the props looked dirty and the set was tired. If they inject a bit more effort, get the music playing around the queue area, the hay bales, make it feel like you are actually queuing for a weird warped circus tent.

As for Zombie Scare Zone, I enjoy this each year, smoke and lighting again is key as is the number of actors inside the zone.

They need some characters walking around the park, in particular around the ToTT and Sanctuary queues like in previous years.

And lets not forget Halloween music all the way down through Towers Street.

As for the hotels, while each year granted they are decked out nicely with lighting, there wasnt even any Halloween entertainment on the ship last year. Previous years I recall the band and singers being dressed up for the event singing "spooky" songs. Bring this back!

Everything is there for Alton to use - just depends if they can be bothered to make the effort.

 

[Alastair]

I genuinely don't understand how the park have gotten it so wrong in the past couple of years. I know people high up read this forum, how do they not realise that what is said here makes sense?

 

[cjchapman]

I genuinely don't understand how the park have gotten it so wrong in the past couple of years. I know people high up read this forum, how do they not realise that what is said here makes sense?

I think that's the main problem. We've seen the park lit and themed perfectly for the event in the past and a lot of that has been lost. It's all the small touches (coloured filters on lighting, skeletons on X-Sector fencing, flashing spotlights coming from the base of Oblivion, etc...).

I liked the mazes changing every 3 years, as it allowed them to develop before becoming stale. It's obviously cheaper to recycle mazes (scenes can be reused), but it doesn't incentivise guests to return if all of the mazes are the same with few changes within them.

 

[Dave]

Last year had the most street actors than ever before so I think they got that very right last year.

Mazes are great but Merlin won't budget for lighting and theming, it's a shame as when they did (2010) it was great.

Lighting wasn't always amazing though, in 2009 there was no themed lighting at all, at least even now they get the ruins lit.

 

[thefatone]

Monorail advertises Scarefest open til 9pm.