Scarefest 2013: Discussion

[Bubblegum]

They really need to just spread the halloween theming out across the park!! It's really overwhelming as you go in and down Towers Street, yet as soon as you're past there the halloween theming pretty much disappears!! The event also seemed a lot more 'halloweeny' back then, the smoke machines everywhere and the orange, white and black bunting!! And oh how I miss the decent lighting they once had!

 

[Benzin]

I just cant believe so much stuff is stolen over scarefest, actors assaulted etc. Not wanting to start another "us vs them flame war" but out of interest, does a lot of this stuff happen when a certain "group" of visitors arrive at the park for their weekend outing?

It could be a result of any enthusiast meet-up yes...

I think he was referring to travelers...

 

[Andrew]

Honestly couldn't tell if you were being serious or not...

Does anyone reckon that we'll ever see Scarefest become 'good' again? It's been on a constant downwards spiral and it'll be hard to get it back to the standard which it deserves when there isn't the budget for it.

 

[Stevie]

It may be the pessimist within me, but I reckon it will just get steadily worse over the coming years, to an extent where it's cut from the calender. And then, Merlin are bought out and hopefully the buyers will re-kindle the magic that was Scarefest.

I'm hoping to proven wrong though.

 

[thefatone]

I highly doubt it'll become cut, it may become stale and bland but I doubt it'd be cut.

It's the most successful event of the year, and most profitable. So, unless the UK decides it hates halloween, or towers makes the event not worth visiting (by having the same scare mazes year on year and reducing opening times, for example) then I imagine it'd stay for a long while.

 

[JordanC]

The ruins are now closed as scarefest preparations commence!

 

[IanB]

This is ridiculous, They only opened a few weeks ago.

I was looking forward to going for a wonder round them this weekend.

Probably just looking to cut some costs, and save more money.

Ian

 

[Andrew]

This is ridiculous, They only opened a few weeks ago.

I was looking forward to going for a wonder round them this weekend.

Probably just looking to cut some costs, and save more money.

Ian

They always close at this time of year. I don't see how it could be another cut as there is barely any electricity used in the Towers!

 

[IanB]

I know they do, but it just feels like they have only just re-opened them. This is the sort of thing they could announce in advance though, Give people a couple of weeks notice they plan to shut them, so they don't plan a trip, thinking they can have a look around to find its been closed, and they should of gone the previous weekend.

Ian

 

[EuroSatch]

They usually close after the school holidays at least! I wonder whether English Heritage are aware as I'm sure they are under instruction to keep them accessible for a certain time period each year - not that EH have much sympathy from me but that's a different story!

 

[Rob]

This does seem slightly earlier than normal, it used to be late August. It's a real shame, the ruins have hardly been open this year. I really hope it's not the same next year.

 

[Tom]

The availability of the ruins this year has been a joke, especially considering they're only unavailable to prepare two mazes we had for free last time for paid entry.

 

[Dave]

Honestly couldn't tell if you were being serious or not...

Does anyone reckon that we'll ever see Scarefest become 'good' again? It's been on a constant downwards spiral and it'll be hard to get it back to the standard which it deserves when there isn't the budget for it.

I disagree that all parts of the event have gotten worse, the Mazes are better than they where in the early days, in fact the only year that beat last year for mazes (in my opinion) was 2010. Though obviously that is subjective.

I think the mazes will always be great from a performance point of view so long as the current ents team are in place. It's just a question of whether they will get round to improving the over-all event (everything not a scare maze)

 

[Andrew]

Honestly couldn't tell if you were being serious or not...

Does anyone reckon that we'll ever see Scarefest become 'good' again? It's been on a constant downwards spiral and it'll be hard to get it back to the standard which it deserves when there isn't the budget for it.

I disagree that all parts of the event have gotten worse, the Mazes are better than they where in the early days, in fact the only year that beat last year for mazes (in my opinion) was 2010. Though obviously that is subjective.

I think the mazes will always be great from a performance point of view so long as the current ents team are in place. It's just a question of whether they will get round to improving the over-all event (everything not a scare maze)

I should've made myself clearer. Yes, the mazes may be getting better but the park-wide theming is not and thus the event is not living up to the expectations each year.

 

[IanB]

I disagree, I don't think the mazes have been as good since they have gone on park.

I think the queue should help build up to the maze, and on park, it just does not work. I think its a combination of lots of people wondering around, and it not been as dark.

I also think the Field was the best maze, yes, it had a terrible throughput, but it had a proper story to it, with lots of interaction, and felt like you were really in a horror film then just walking through a haunted house with actors jumping out at you.

But like Dave said, Scare mazes are very subjective and what one person enjoys someone else dislikes.

Ian

 

[BigAl]

Scare mazes are very subjective and what one person enjoys someone else dislikes.

Which is why you'd think they'd try and make them a little more varied. It's okay if certain people don't like more immersive story driven mazes, but what about those that do? :/

 

[Dave]

I disagree, I don't think the mazes have been as good since they have gone on park.

I also think the Field was the best maze, yes, it had a terrible throughput, but it had a proper story to it, with lots of interaction, and felt like you were really in a horror film then just walking through a haunted house with actors jumping out at you.

I honestly thought the majority of Field was an absolute waste of time, in 2008 the finale was also pants and in 2009 it was the only redeeming feature.

Since the mazes came on park the 2011 offering was dire, but last year was fantastic, the only slight dip being with Carnival.

All of Towers mazes go for a formular that offers a story if you want to engage with it but doesn't depend on the story. Field very much depended on you getting both the story and finding the atmosphere oppressive. For me stood in a cold corn-field was not that scary.

Sanctuary beats both Boiler House and Field in my eyes, TotT is as ever great (but growing stale) and Carnival needs work but it is so much better than the offering in 2008 and 2009, which was quite frankly mostly dull.

But they need to get the event side of things going again, that's what the early days did far better.

 

[cybermen39]

Most probably be shot down for this but on the 31st October last scarefest TOTT was the worst scare maze we have done. It was like get you though as fast as you can . Actors running from one spot to another to which you could see them doing. And just banging the wire walls and such to scare you which I easily are by the way but it was no fun at all. And all that bending down to get round. And as for Carnival I don't like clowns so it does do the trick. But the same masks year after year just does not cut it.
I liked it when in TOTT you met the master of the house and were stood around the room with him moving slowly around leering over you. And when you walked over the metal wire floor with the red heat lamps underneath it was like entering the boiler room so scary. And I know that's past but it was well thought out.
Just a point of view

 

[Dave]

I suppose this is where personal preference comes in as I was never a fan of the stop-start maze, I guess the fact Towers mazes regularly win awards suggests they are still very good.

 

[GaryH]

The one thing with the start stop maze, at least you got to learn the story. The whole servants, master, cannibals thing was excellent, I had no idea going in, by the time i was half way around I started to realise I was the dinner lol!!!