Finally back at a computer, so time for a summary of my thoughts:
Once again, I find that having incredibly low thoughts of a product has been the correct choice and I've been pleased with the results. Stale mazes, lack of atmosphere, an obvious range of budget cuts and a shambolic event overall were all the categories I was expecting for Scarefest this year, but thankfully I was very much shown the other end of the stick.
Despite the abysmal lack of budgets, the event this year has really clung on to every penny it has in order to maximise the impact. The improved lighting across the park is certainly leaps and bounds in the right direction. There really isn't much more progress to be made on this front until the lighting is perfect, and I really hope for Towers to accomplish this next year.
Mazes? The actors are the only elements to this that kept them both from being recognisably stale in my eyes. The TotT actors were on good form this year. Not the best but also far from the worst I've seen them. The Sanctuary however? One of the batching ladies simply cannot call herself an actor. Referring to the attraction as a maze rather than its name or a hospital/ward was the first nail on the chalkboard, but the rest of her performance was a disgrace. There was no heart to her delivery of the safety information and the rules, and she certainly didn't look or sound as if she was enjoying what she was doing. A shame really but thankfully an isolated incident as the rest of the cast continued to put on a good show.
The scare zones then. I was very pleased with Scary Tales, particularly after the nonsense that people have dribbled on here about how awful it looked without actually experiencing it. The atmosphere about it in particular is something that Carnival never had, but it would be unfair to compare as they couldn't offer a different experience if they tried. The entrance was more detailed than I had anticipated and the theming within has both highs and lows. Zombies? Identical in every single way as last year, yet it felt easier to rush it. Again, a standout actor coming completely out of character by having a chinwag with a soldier without even bothering to acknowledge our presence. I get that this incident happened on the travellers visit as opposed to the better run through on the Saturday night, but that still doesn't justify coming out of character without provocation.
Unfortunately I didn't see much of the entertainment side of things which I'm totally gutted about, especially after hearing about the rave reviews of the Alton Ancestors. The dining experience looked fairly decent from what we saw during our Q/A talk session with members of the entertainments team, and as they said, the view of the Gardens at dusk whilst dining is unarguably the highlight of the event. It did sound like there were some fantastic little extras to that also, but unfortunately we weren't able to see them. The Sleepover sounds also a lot more justified after hearing a more indepth account from the ents team about what happens, particularly the huge show room. The discounted rate that we've received on the forum is definitely justifiable.
Overall, the odds were stacked on an unimaginable scale this year against those who fight their hardest to make Scarefest what it is, and the event has come out with a noble fight. The certain aspects that have sadly been cut away have been replaced by bold efforts, regardless of how late they may have been conceived (apart from the bloody trick or treat trail, £7 for some 5p sweets? Hah! Knew it. Thankfully, nobody seemed interested).
There definitely seems to be some various promising incarnations for the future of Scarefest if entertainments get their way rather than marketing running the show. We can only pray and hope.