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Scarefest 2014

Hahahahaha.

I haven't seen most of those props you mention @Ben but given what I saw peaking through the fence, apart from old sheets, that would fit the general feel of what I saw.

And they were just placed along the side of the path.

It really isn't looking promising by any means.

I could only see so far of course but the gate had a pretty big space to look through and it was hard to miss.

So @GaryH what did I see? Pretty much what Ben described (never seen them before, but fits that description), some torn sheets, and a path.

Not sure I saw the candy canes, maybe, I was just over come with this sinking - oh no - this is going to be utterly dire, feeling.
 
remember the year they scrapped chocolate towers and threw the props around Charlie for abit... you'll see these popping up again.

Theres the evil candy canes and presents of Christmas dooom!

Old Boiler Room props - hanging drapes and scraps of material! THE HORROR.

The old outside elements of Circus - the small figures (recycled from Toyland) - have a 3rd lease of life! ZOMBIE PROPS FROM THE 1990s!

RUN FOR THE HILLS PEOPLE!
 
I get the impression @Ben is going to more of an obsessive fanboy to Scary Tales than all of 'Kelman's Army' put together. Doesn't he just sound thrilled? :p
 
Im glad Kelman is back, sooner have him putting in shifts at towers than claiming benefits being a 'resting' 'actor'.
 
Well to be fair to Towers it sounds like they came across the hard decision of: Have two paid-for mazes, zombies and nothing else. Or have all that and create a new attraction. Obviously a new attraction is more attractive when it comes to marketing so they went with that.

Despite it looking set to be a mixture of old props from over the years, I think we can at least appreciate their attempt at not letting the event fall completely flat on its arse. Credit where credit is due. Even though what they are doing does appear very thrown together overnight.
 
I couldnt disagree anymore.

This is an apparent world renowned theme park, who weeks before one of their major events didnt even have plans set to decide which re-shambled, re-hashed, repeat they were going to use.

So they cling to the whole 'we have something new' concept, in order to essentially deceive their guests that they havent just cobbled something together. And they have done it with what seemingly is a budget of £3.40.

I can imagine the meetings:
Management: 'what can we do without paying for it?'
Ents: 'a scarezone? maybe...?'
Management: 'i said NO MONEY'
Ents: 'oh... erm... we have some old props rotting away'
Management: 'there we go. EVENT SAVED'
Marketing: 'lol, our Merlin recycling bin zone is new!'

Id sooner they scrapped the event now. Theres no creativity, investment or interest from the park.
 
A chimp with Windows Movie Maker could have filmed and edited that "teaser trailer" better than that pitiful effort. Do they not have any concept of quality?
 
I imagine they have a perfect grasp on the concept of quality, just the wrong end of the stick.
 
To further add to the disappointments, is everyone aware that the scare zones only operate 5pm - 9pm whereas the mazes run 1pm - 9pm? So if you don't pay extra £'s for your Halloween entertainment AFTER your park entry and car parking, you now have to wait until 5pm before seeing anything for free.

Go home Alton Towers, you drunk! What truly pitiful attempts at a Halloween event.
 
Is there any point in going through an outdoors scare zone in the daylight though? I get what you are saying about not having anything available for free, though.
 
It's no secret Merlin are squeezing Towers hard this year, I'm amazed we are even getting a recycled scarezone.

I know a 3rd maze was desperately fought for and nearly happened but the accountants got their way in the end.
 
I think they have earned more faith as well.

Merlin disgust me.

It is rare you see such absolute disregard and incompetence in a private business with a customer base like this.

Look at Universal and Disney etc, not without fault of course not, but Varney needs to get his head OUT of his rear end and realise what's going on.

ANOTHER opportunity missed. This year you have TWO demographics you could have absolutely grabbed with both hands.

PENNY WISE, POUND FOOLISH once again.

Oh, and by the way, what the heck has happened to the fries in BK? They were just chewy, smaller, and frankly gross yesterday - I used to at least like them. Anyone else notice or did I just get a crap batch?

Minimum quality - maximum price. The axiom of Merlin.
 
And as if enough insult hadn't already been dished out to the regular maze goers, families are now expected to PAY to participate on a Trick or Treat trail! As posted on Facebook:

"New for Scarefest 2014 - Available to purchase from shops across the Theme Park, our new Trick or Treat trail!

Follow our map around the Theme Park and discover 5 trick or treats!"

10710647_10152699386481201_4499849087529233080_n.jpg


How can they justify charging for this when they've been running a similar and free incarnation at FHT? I'm honestly expecting to see a huge plethora of parents taking out a mortgage to take their families to Scarefest this season.
 
I briefly saw that and just assumed it was a fun free game kids. How on earth can they charge for this!? I pray that no-one actually does pay for it. Something like that should be included in the entrance fee, at this rate the scare zones and kids activities in Fountain Square will be at an upcharge next year.

:)
 
Most parents have to take out a mortgage to take their families to a Merlin park anyway. That is, however, disgusting. Why should anyone have to pay? The typical entrance fee for a family of four is enough as it is. If I were a parent, who for a yearly treat would take the young'uns to Scarefest, and I learned that we not only had to pay for the mazes, but we also had to pay for a Trick Or Treat trail, on top of entry, I'd be looking at going somewhere else.
 
But if you go during the summer holidays you can have longer ride queues and NO additonal shows or trails or zones or mazes for the same admission cost. Why shouldn't they charge more for the trail and the scare mazes? There is still two scare zones for free (and the mazes at £12 isn't expensive) and four family shows for free.

Disney charge $68 for the halloween evening (4pm to midnight) with a special parade, fireworks, show and trick-or-treat trails. But if you want to enter before 4pm you need to pay the normal ($99 if only doing one day) entry fee too. If you only pay the normal fee and don't pay for the Halloween party then you have to leave at 7pm and there is no night parade or fireworks for you, which would normally be included in admission at a non-party Magic Kingdom night.

I think charging a reasonable price on top of admission for the lower capacity additional entertaiment at Alton Towers is fine, it is better than charging more to everyone (or making 2for1s not valid like on the fireworks weekend) when not everyone can see ToTT as the capacity is too low. I would rather pay a lower gate price then choose what I want to do in the park. If one of those is a trick or treat trail where you get a gift at the end that is fine.
 
They have replied to a comment on Facebook and confirmed it is £7 (I think this is a little high £5 would be better) But it includes " a limited edition Scarefest bag which contains a flyer & map with mysterious clues to solve as you embark on your Trick or Treat Trail. There will also be 5 vouchers, as shown in the picture above, to give in at each eerie location to exchange for your spooktacular Trick or Treat prizes. The bag can be purchased from a creepy cart, located on Towers Street."
 
This would have been a fantastic addition if it had been free...

Why does it need to be a pay extra thing? Oh yeah, because Merlin *head-desk*
 
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