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Scarefest 2015
- Thread starter ThemeParkJack
- Start date
phildenholm
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Oblivion
She has been trapped there for 10 years since she died, maybe she kept aging beyond the grave? She looked about 25 when she was in my friends face trying to scare him
nickhutson
TS Member
Yes - 4 year old reciting the poem ABOUT a teenager called Molly.
Laura Dominey
TS Member
Been reading all the comments with a lot of interest and thought some of you would like to hear about our experience.
Hubby and I booked the RIP tour for Tuesday the 20th. This was a little disorganised in the fact we didn't quite know where to meet and after speaking to staff about it they thought it was just fast track to the mazes and they didn't know where to meet either! Luckily we came across a lovely lady called Carmen who waited with us to meet our hostess Holly who was one of the Alton Ancestors. She led us to each maze (indeed giving us fast track even though the queues were tiny!) with 5 others - another couple and 3 guys from Thorpe park who had been invited to see how Alton Towers do things. We were made to feel very special and she gave us a couple of tidbits... There is a light in TOTT that slowly pulses with light which was from the Sanctuary (also the pots and pans!) and also....
TOTT was fantastic, love the new route and nostalgia!
Subspecies equally amazing, seriously crapped myself and found them playing with my hair seriously creepy.
Molly was my favourite, very clever and not at all a budget cut. All the elements worked in this. Absolutely brilliant maze. Totally different.
We also got a surprise at the end, only wish I had taken more advantage of it but I was seriously astounded at what we had experienced.
Alton Ancestors were fab, walk throughs were a bit lacklustre and I really missed the old Haunted House music on Towers Street. Didn't really hear the new Towers Street music which was something I was looking forward to!
Hubby and I booked the RIP tour for Tuesday the 20th. This was a little disorganised in the fact we didn't quite know where to meet and after speaking to staff about it they thought it was just fast track to the mazes and they didn't know where to meet either! Luckily we came across a lovely lady called Carmen who waited with us to meet our hostess Holly who was one of the Alton Ancestors. She led us to each maze (indeed giving us fast track even though the queues were tiny!) with 5 others - another couple and 3 guys from Thorpe park who had been invited to see how Alton Towers do things. We were made to feel very special and she gave us a couple of tidbits... There is a light in TOTT that slowly pulses with light which was from the Sanctuary (also the pots and pans!) and also....
Molly's finale is in a purpose build room that shakes slightly.
TOTT was fantastic, love the new route and nostalgia!
Subspecies equally amazing, seriously crapped myself and found them playing with my hair seriously creepy.
Molly was my favourite, very clever and not at all a budget cut. All the elements worked in this. Absolutely brilliant maze. Totally different.
We also got a surprise at the end, only wish I had taken more advantage of it but I was seriously astounded at what we had experienced.
Alton Ancestors were fab, walk throughs were a bit lacklustre and I really missed the old Haunted House music on Towers Street. Didn't really hear the new Towers Street music which was something I was looking forward to!
nickhutson
TS Member
Glad you enjoyed it all! The Molly finale is pretty amazing, isn't?
Sorry you didn't hear the music on Towers Street - it's playing at quite a volume! Maybe you got one of the quiet moments!
Sku
TS Member
Based on average queue time (y axis) across 6 main attractions, and 3 Scarefest Mazes.
I've been continuing to collect queue line data and have been monitoring how busy scarefest has been so far.
Today was disappointing attendance wise compared to last Saturday; but it was forecast to rain a lot. I think Sunday could be busier with better weather forecast, people who put off visiting today (Saturday), and as we move into Half Term.
Also using the data, I am able to map out how queue times change throughout the day based on the time, for the 8 days of Scarefest so far. Click here to see full size of the below.
Based on the average queue at each time of day (x axis) for each attraction, stacked on top of each other to show overall queue time (y axis) for all attractions when added together.
On days with longer operating hours you often get this double peak. The end of the morning rush is around 12:30-13:00, followed by one later in the day, once everyone has noticed the queues have got shorter, and finished eating.
Later in the evening you can note the effect where coaster queues continue to shrink, while the mazes start to build queues. I colored the mazes grey to show this transition more clearly. It's good news for those who like to ride coasters in the dark!
Just got back from 2 days on the park, staying in the Enchanted Village. My thoughts....
A M A Z I N G
Scarefest is back! Apart from the rain on Saturday (which thankfully cleared by 3pm and resulted in lower queues), it was an amazing weekend.
So, the mazes....
Terror of the Towers - did this one first. Liked the atmosphere in the usual queuing area, except for the "Darth Vader" breathing....Unfortunately, either due to poor batching or oversale of tickets, although our ticket was 18:15 it actually took us an hour to get into the maze.
Inside, I loved some of the new additions, and it was crammed full of actors which made it really good with jumps every few seconds, though I did feel it was a little too samey as previous years bar a few things.....
Molly Crow - I went into this not expecting much after I had heard from so many people this was supposed to be the lesser of the three mazes. We waited 20 mins to enter this. The entrance was great, with the girl in costume handing us our hoods before heading up the small passageway towards the towers. The music in the background and Molly's poem, along with the old style lights just really added to the atmosphere.
I admit I was a bit apprehensive about having a hood on but it wasnt too bad. The initial section where the story is told and the herse from Gloomy Wood there was excellent..... so on with the hood... Overall, I loved it, and that ending, wow..... much, much better than I was expecting. Creatures inside caught on to the name of one of the girls in our group and tormented her all through the maze by calling her by name. Only downside was on occasion following the rope with your left hand was a little difficult especially on the tight corners. Is it a maze you can do over again though...... i'm not sure, but i'd like to see the ending again!
Sub Species - We did this last. 20 min queue to get in. We did it Saturday night and today at 1pm. The initial story you see when you enter the "control room" was excellent, really well done and actually made me more nervous about going inside. Once in, well, all hell breaks loose. Unfortunately I cant say too much unless its in the spoilers, but all I will say is that Alton are on to a winner here. It was intense, un-nerving, genuinely scary, and on both occasions we had completely different routes exploring different parts of the maze than before, including one section where having to hold on to a rope to navigate was needed. It was actually more intense at 1pm, partly because there was no queue yet, and we were in a small group, so they really went to work on us. I would actually go back to Alton just to do this maze again. Totally mindblowing eh ratty
If I had to put them in order, it was
1. Sub Species by a mile
2. Molly
3. ToTT
I think Sub Species has to be the best maze Alton have ever done. It takes every thing people are afraid of and puts them into the mix. The number of people I saw coming out crying and genuinely terrified i've not seen before since the Boiler Room. Its worth visiting Scarefest just for this maze. The scents used in the various mazes I found interesting as well.... they added to the experience.
As for the rest of our trip - park wasnt too busy Saturday so most rides were quiet. Lots of interaction with the guests across the park from the Ancestors. It was great to feel as if the park had found its magic again.
Negatives, ummm....... apart from the long wait on ToTT, not many actually. Infact, the main negative is to do with the entertainment in ATH in the evening. Its really really dire. For a special event, it was very poor. The hotel looked nice inside, but entertainment comprised of the usual two girls and the guy on the keyboard. Same songs as they always sing, and they tried to do some spooky storyline which really didnt work. Same costumes each night. Singing stopped at 10:25 and that was it, no background music, nothing. Everyone just disappeared!!! Really was a huge disappointment. Bring back the old band the "show". I noticed the Secret Garden has also upped its prices - I guess now its the "Premium Hotel"..... liked the small touch of the green lights in the corridors above the hotel rooms though.
Ended up in Splash, which was PACKED!!! Not a free seat. Had a few pizzas between us in Paradise Cove which were really nice actually and spent the night chilling in there. Good to see the hotels and food outlets doing a special Scarefest menu. Cocktails werent too bad either.
Overall - its a huge improvement from previous Scarefest events, huge improvement! Well done Alton Towers!
As we left today the park was rammed. Queues of cars for the carparks, and the extended queue lines open on most rides with queue times up to around the 1 hour mark for most of the main rides. Good to see a lot of the GP making the effort to dress up as well.
A M A Z I N G
Scarefest is back! Apart from the rain on Saturday (which thankfully cleared by 3pm and resulted in lower queues), it was an amazing weekend.
- Loved the theming on Towers Street and loved the new music.
- Love the big "Scarefest" sign
- Lots going on, the Ancestors seemed to be everywhere!
- Lots of green and blue lighting over the park
- - The two Scare zones were ok, seemed a bit lost over in Forbidden Valley but the guy with the chainsaw kept everyone on their toes. The more confined space of Dark Forest made it work better but I do miss the actual Zombie scare zone which felt more of a dedicated scare maze. However, it was good to see so many actors walking around and the effort being made.
- Dare I say it, but, the magic was back - the park felt like "happy" times again
So, the mazes....
Terror of the Towers - did this one first. Liked the atmosphere in the usual queuing area, except for the "Darth Vader" breathing....Unfortunately, either due to poor batching or oversale of tickets, although our ticket was 18:15 it actually took us an hour to get into the maze.
Inside, I loved some of the new additions, and it was crammed full of actors which made it really good with jumps every few seconds, though I did feel it was a little too samey as previous years bar a few things.....
In particular, I liked the new elevated section with the large dinner table below, and the freaky girl having a fit at the bottom of the stairs all dressed in white. The vampire strobe cage final section felt a little short to me, although the final corridor with the coffins up the side and the continuation of the strobes made it quite disorientating.
Molly Crow - I went into this not expecting much after I had heard from so many people this was supposed to be the lesser of the three mazes. We waited 20 mins to enter this. The entrance was great, with the girl in costume handing us our hoods before heading up the small passageway towards the towers. The music in the background and Molly's poem, along with the old style lights just really added to the atmosphere.
I admit I was a bit apprehensive about having a hood on but it wasnt too bad. The initial section where the story is told and the herse from Gloomy Wood there was excellent..... so on with the hood... Overall, I loved it, and that ending, wow..... much, much better than I was expecting. Creatures inside caught on to the name of one of the girls in our group and tormented her all through the maze by calling her by name. Only downside was on occasion following the rope with your left hand was a little difficult especially on the tight corners. Is it a maze you can do over again though...... i'm not sure, but i'd like to see the ending again!
Plenty of touching in the maze. Legs, arms, I even got grabbed by the throat and told to "get out". The section with the orange flames just visible through the hood and the intense heat was good, and I thought the story of wearing the hoods to protect your eyes from the birds, which, try and peck your eyes later in the maze was good. The final room was well decorated considering its just a shipping container, and when Molly appears and rises was really well done, although, the hoist cable was visible. A little smoke here would have worked. Girls in our group really freaked out when Molly started chasing them. Was really good all round.
Sub Species - We did this last. 20 min queue to get in. We did it Saturday night and today at 1pm. The initial story you see when you enter the "control room" was excellent, really well done and actually made me more nervous about going inside. Once in, well, all hell breaks loose. Unfortunately I cant say too much unless its in the spoilers, but all I will say is that Alton are on to a winner here. It was intense, un-nerving, genuinely scary, and on both occasions we had completely different routes exploring different parts of the maze than before, including one section where having to hold on to a rope to navigate was needed. It was actually more intense at 1pm, partly because there was no queue yet, and we were in a small group, so they really went to work on us. I would actually go back to Alton just to do this maze again. Totally mindblowing eh ratty
Where to start! The initial room where you stand against the wall and they pull people out of the group when its dark was fantastic and really unsettling for what laid ahead. I was pushed into a tunnel, forced to the floor, made to walk sections, many of which in pitch black all by myself, sometimes with a creature behind me.
I lost my group on more than one occasion only to briefly meet up with them again later in the maze, which was just awesome how they did it, and the actors were genuinely scary. Some of the group were "locked" in a glass room by this huge guy who I think was a cook or something. I was dragged through the tunnel pipe by my hands the first day, while the second day I had one creature holding on to my legs to stop me crawling through. Talk about confined spaces with something in the tubes!! The final with the chainsaw wielding maniac was genuinely a brown trouser moment, with both occasions feeling the need to leg it out of the door! Loved it!
I lost my group on more than one occasion only to briefly meet up with them again later in the maze, which was just awesome how they did it, and the actors were genuinely scary. Some of the group were "locked" in a glass room by this huge guy who I think was a cook or something. I was dragged through the tunnel pipe by my hands the first day, while the second day I had one creature holding on to my legs to stop me crawling through. Talk about confined spaces with something in the tubes!! The final with the chainsaw wielding maniac was genuinely a brown trouser moment, with both occasions feeling the need to leg it out of the door! Loved it!
If I had to put them in order, it was
1. Sub Species by a mile
2. Molly
3. ToTT
I think Sub Species has to be the best maze Alton have ever done. It takes every thing people are afraid of and puts them into the mix. The number of people I saw coming out crying and genuinely terrified i've not seen before since the Boiler Room. Its worth visiting Scarefest just for this maze. The scents used in the various mazes I found interesting as well.... they added to the experience.
As for the rest of our trip - park wasnt too busy Saturday so most rides were quiet. Lots of interaction with the guests across the park from the Ancestors. It was great to feel as if the park had found its magic again.
Negatives, ummm....... apart from the long wait on ToTT, not many actually. Infact, the main negative is to do with the entertainment in ATH in the evening. Its really really dire. For a special event, it was very poor. The hotel looked nice inside, but entertainment comprised of the usual two girls and the guy on the keyboard. Same songs as they always sing, and they tried to do some spooky storyline which really didnt work. Same costumes each night. Singing stopped at 10:25 and that was it, no background music, nothing. Everyone just disappeared!!! Really was a huge disappointment. Bring back the old band the "show". I noticed the Secret Garden has also upped its prices - I guess now its the "Premium Hotel"..... liked the small touch of the green lights in the corridors above the hotel rooms though.
Ended up in Splash, which was PACKED!!! Not a free seat. Had a few pizzas between us in Paradise Cove which were really nice actually and spent the night chilling in there. Good to see the hotels and food outlets doing a special Scarefest menu. Cocktails werent too bad either.
Overall - its a huge improvement from previous Scarefest events, huge improvement! Well done Alton Towers!
As we left today the park was rammed. Queues of cars for the carparks, and the extended queue lines open on most rides with queue times up to around the 1 hour mark for most of the main rides. Good to see a lot of the GP making the effort to dress up as well.
nickhutson
TS Member
Thanks for the nice comment about the TS music, Molly audio and all that!
RE Molly - the finale room is a purpose built structure - not a shipping container. The whole room shakes at one point!
Great to know the magic is back!
RE Molly - the finale room is a purpose built structure - not a shipping container. The whole room shakes at one point!
Great to know the magic is back!
I think one of the reasons sub species is so scary is because you get separated. I was alone in the tunnel and dark section, and was actually sent a different route through the tunnel to the rest of my group. I had someone (I'd never met) pushing me through the maze. I thought it was my dad at first, but then i as that he had been sent a different way. I think he thought I was scared (I wasn't really, other than the finale). Really weird to have a stranger behind you telling you that "they're just actors, they can't hurt you. Don't worry. It's ok"
nickhutson
TS Member
It's a wonderful maze!
I am still yet to do the alien side, so I hope I get to experience that when I go on Sunday! I want to hear the roars!
I am still yet to do the alien side, so I hope I get to experience that when I go on Sunday! I want to hear the roars!
Ahh ok, regardless though I thought it was done very well. And yeah I thought the room shook!!
With regards the music, can't do anything about the hotel can you lol
The show in ATH was pretty dire both nights, bring back the band and the proper Scarefest show with all the scary outfits!! And then at 10:30, it stops, no background music, nothing! Just........ silence.
Spike
TS Contributor
- Favourite Ride
- Taron
*sneaks in*
Hi, it's been a while but I thought I'd post my thoughts on Scarefest this year.
Overall I thought it was good, there is still a distinct lack of lighting in key places like Nemesis - which was lit up poorly again - but there were some areas with colours. The weather was pretty poor for most of the day which left the park pretty quiet on Saturday and queue times were down drasticly on last year.
The noticable changes were the new mazes and 'scare environments' Dark Apocalypse was, well I'm not sure what it was really. It was a few actors dotted around a small area with lights and smoke. I did think to myself "is that it?" Maybe next year - if it returns - don't advertise it as a stand alone attraction as it is anything but. We didn't get to experience Nox Infernos but I'm guessing it's a similar type of thing.
Now for the mazes
Terror Of The Towers
I think it's had it's day now, it was clearly bolted on as an afterthought and really needs a complete overhall and essentially a new name. I am a huge fan of the strobe maze, but even that this year felt somewhat meh. There were more actors than I remember which was good but it all felt very lacklustre and confusing. The rest of our group also felt this to be the weakest of the three.
The Haunting Of Molly Crow
I'd read mixed reviews on this maze but overall I was pleasently suprised. A brilliant idea to cover everyone's heads. They successfully narated the story throughout the maze and I found it quite chilling in places - especially the touching. There was one perfectly timed stroke of my face with a cold hand which chilled me to the bone. It was great to try a new experience and the ending was quite good. For the few who were claustrophobic in the group, this scared them quite a lot, for me the experience was chilling and well executed.
Sub Species
Well this was a turn up for the books. I'd heard it was good but I wasn't expecting it to be as good. The concept of The Hunger Games was brilliant. It reminded me of the first year of Boiler House which has always been one of my favorites. It was un-nerving being on my own and I got given the tunnel route whilst other members of the group were given alternate routes. It's refreshing to see Towers put a lot into a maze like this and pull it off well. It was the resounding winner from the majority of the group and a huge thumbs up.
The mazes alone this year gave the event a good rating but it's still lacking the impact of previous years. Whilst the park takes two steps forward with the mazes it takes three steps back with the rest of the park. It has been running long enough now to have a huge impact and be a 'must visit yearly' event. This year for myself it was saved by Molly and Sub species, oh, and the hot chocolate.
Hi, it's been a while but I thought I'd post my thoughts on Scarefest this year.
Overall I thought it was good, there is still a distinct lack of lighting in key places like Nemesis - which was lit up poorly again - but there were some areas with colours. The weather was pretty poor for most of the day which left the park pretty quiet on Saturday and queue times were down drasticly on last year.
The noticable changes were the new mazes and 'scare environments' Dark Apocalypse was, well I'm not sure what it was really. It was a few actors dotted around a small area with lights and smoke. I did think to myself "is that it?" Maybe next year - if it returns - don't advertise it as a stand alone attraction as it is anything but. We didn't get to experience Nox Infernos but I'm guessing it's a similar type of thing.
Now for the mazes
Terror Of The Towers
I think it's had it's day now, it was clearly bolted on as an afterthought and really needs a complete overhall and essentially a new name. I am a huge fan of the strobe maze, but even that this year felt somewhat meh. There were more actors than I remember which was good but it all felt very lacklustre and confusing. The rest of our group also felt this to be the weakest of the three.
The Haunting Of Molly Crow
I'd read mixed reviews on this maze but overall I was pleasently suprised. A brilliant idea to cover everyone's heads. They successfully narated the story throughout the maze and I found it quite chilling in places - especially the touching. There was one perfectly timed stroke of my face with a cold hand which chilled me to the bone. It was great to try a new experience and the ending was quite good. For the few who were claustrophobic in the group, this scared them quite a lot, for me the experience was chilling and well executed.
Sub Species
Well this was a turn up for the books. I'd heard it was good but I wasn't expecting it to be as good. The concept of The Hunger Games was brilliant. It reminded me of the first year of Boiler House which has always been one of my favorites. It was un-nerving being on my own and I got given the tunnel route whilst other members of the group were given alternate routes. It's refreshing to see Towers put a lot into a maze like this and pull it off well. It was the resounding winner from the majority of the group and a huge thumbs up.
The mazes alone this year gave the event a good rating but it's still lacking the impact of previous years. Whilst the park takes two steps forward with the mazes it takes three steps back with the rest of the park. It has been running long enough now to have a huge impact and be a 'must visit yearly' event. This year for myself it was saved by Molly and Sub species, oh, and the hot chocolate.
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stretchy
TS Member
For those that don’t know, Molly Crow is based on the local legend of a witch called Margaret (Molly) Lee. Whilst I only briefly knew the stories, my mate grew up in Burslem so got the whole deal.
Story in brief.
She was a weird child who didn’t make friends with other kids. But did make friends with birds. Whilst she was a child (some rumours say she was 12-13 others say she was 6-7) her parents died in a mysterious fire. Most of the tales my friend was told as a kid seemed to suggest that the local people thought Molly killed them out of retribution for the beatings she was regularly given. One tale my mate was told when a kid said that the father branded her with a cattle brander.
She became a recluse as she grew older and gained reputation as being a witch. When she eventually died she had a pet crow that attacked anyone who walked near her grave. The vicar and the local leaders captured the crow, dug up the coffin and then re-buired her with the still alive crow. They believed it was her spirit controlling the crow from beyond the grave.
With all of these things you get major amounts of Chinese whispers but the above basic story seems to run through most of the tales.
The grave is still there in St Johns churchyard in Burslem (picture below to save everyone traipsing down there and upsetting the eternally resting)
Story in brief.
She was a weird child who didn’t make friends with other kids. But did make friends with birds. Whilst she was a child (some rumours say she was 12-13 others say she was 6-7) her parents died in a mysterious fire. Most of the tales my friend was told as a kid seemed to suggest that the local people thought Molly killed them out of retribution for the beatings she was regularly given. One tale my mate was told when a kid said that the father branded her with a cattle brander.
She became a recluse as she grew older and gained reputation as being a witch. When she eventually died she had a pet crow that attacked anyone who walked near her grave. The vicar and the local leaders captured the crow, dug up the coffin and then re-buired her with the still alive crow. They believed it was her spirit controlling the crow from beyond the grave.
With all of these things you get major amounts of Chinese whispers but the above basic story seems to run through most of the tales.
The grave is still there in St Johns churchyard in Burslem (picture below to save everyone traipsing down there and upsetting the eternally resting)
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RyanK
TS Member
Stretchy that information is excellent!
A quick google revealed that it is based on Molly Leigh, and as you've said there are many varying stories but all have a similar story line.
I love that the Towers are using another local legend in one of the attractions and in a strange way it adds a depth of realism to the story.
A quick google revealed that it is based on Molly Leigh, and as you've said there are many varying stories but all have a similar story line.
I love that the Towers are using another local legend in one of the attractions and in a strange way it adds a depth of realism to the story.
Hmmm, I thought quite the opposite in that I would say the last two years Scarefest's felt very flat, whereas this one has some excitement to it. I even thought the park felt a bit more alive particularly with the Alton Ancestors walking around and interacting with people, and with the little touches across the park such as scarefest menus, different cakes and biscuits in the cafes etc. For me its always been a must visit event every year, and whereas I left last year feeling somewhat disappointed, I thought this year really lifted it back up again.
Of course though everyone has different views on the event. Just wish they would re introduce the green/white writing along the walls on the way up to Hex.
Spike
TS Contributor
- Favourite Ride
- Taron
I agree the last few years have been flat overall but the budget they're given is so small for what could be possible. The year Oblivion was lit up blue, Dark Forrest green and Nemesis was all red was a great year (2010 I think?) and the whole park felt that bit more magical. I think that was the year they had the Hex wall lights as well.
If there hadn't have been the two new mazes and a repeat of last year I'd have been dissapointed as a whole. It's by no means the worst year but it's certainly not the best year for me.