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Scarefest 2018

Alton Towers have tweeted a link to a questionnaire about this year's Scarefest. Just completed it, its anonymous and goes into quite a bit of detail. Gives you the chance to say what you want to see more of too.

 
Done my survey response. It would be interesting if Alton published some of the results with comments about what they will do address the shortcomings next year
 
Spent a few days at Towers for Scarefest. Overall a great visit, very very busy but we managed to fit in a fair few rides.

Ride Times was not accurate at all on Sunday/Monday/Tuesday. Wicker Man advertised with a 80 minute queue on Sunday, ended up being a 3 hour queue... same in the evening also (with some very disgruntled guests in front and behind us). Similar situation with other rides around the park and overheard guests coming off coasters complaining about the wrongly advertised times.

Towers Street looks great, although as always once you leave Towers Street there is nothing around the park to indicate you're at a Halloween event. It seems like Thorpe and Chessington have made some efforts this year with park-wide theming, I know Towers is a little more difficult, but it would be nice to see more theming around the park. Surly they could add one or two new pieces of theming a year and expand beyond Towers Street.

Not going to go into incredible detail about the mazes.

Project 42 - A short but okay maze, nice to see Sub-Terra's theming. The video at the start is pointless unless you're at the very front and the 'story' is pretty weak. The rest of the maze was good although relied heavily on Sub-Terra's theming, very little added just for the maze so it felt quite cheap. Didn't come across that many actors throughout the maze and the ending just seemed to be a walk through looking at dressed up mannequins. Wouldn't be bothered if this didn't return. Seems like this maze was created on the cheap to claim a 'New for 2018' maze with no thought put into it. 4/10

Sub-Species - Rather underwhelmed on our run through. Our group didn't seem to get split up at all. Ended up in the rope room and felt like an eternity stuck in there bumping into others. Once out I was back with the group and we ended forming a long queue with other groups to get through the shipping containers at the end which killed the pace of the maze (spent around 10 mins standing still while the actor stopped and let us through two at a time). Very few actors again, the ones I did see were good. I personally quite like the chainsaw ending, sure it's clique but it works. 6/10

Altonville Mine Tours - I adore the theming in this maze and the actors were BRILLIANT. Very full on, not afraid to get in your face, touch you (not in that way!) and it was quite intense in areas. I was lucky enough to be wearing a helmet which makes the experience for me, still impressed with how it works throughout the maze. 7/10

The Welcoming - Never seems to be a favorite on here, I must have been lucky with our run through, this was easily the best maze during our visit. The maze was full of actors who were relentless throughout, did not give you a second to breath, went for everyone in the group and utilized the spaces very well. I felt like it was worth the £8, it delivered that and more. Only disappointing bit would be the ending, as impressive as the fire is either side of you, it didn't really feel like an ending. 9/10

I think for 2019 Project 42 needs to be scrapped and Terror of the Towers return (with a new theme), I would be happy to see The Welcoming return for another season. Mine Tours and Sub-Species I wouldn't mind returning although I feel it's time these retire and some new mazes replace them.

Didn't see many actors around the park. The circus actors were great fun to watch. I love the stage in Fountain Square this year, great to see entertainment running on there all day. Lighting was good around the park, not quite at 2010 levels but still good.

Wicker Man looked brilliant at night, definitely the most visually appealing ride at night.

Enjoyed the event as always, I only visit once a year and for me Scarefest is always the best time to go and I don't feel like I'm giving Merlin my soul for a crap product. The event could still do with improvements, more park theming beyond Towers Street, continued improvements with lighting, more park actors - hopefully they figure things out next year and sort the actor problem as it's a shame some of the mazes didn't seem to have many and there weren't many around the park either. Perhaps it would be good to give scare zones a return in 2019.
 
When did the parks stop putting real pumpkins out? You used to see them everywhere but don't think I've seen a single one at either Alton Towers or Chessie for a few years now.
 
Its better than smashed up ones on certain days. Then non after it.

Sent from my SM-J600FN using Tapatalk
 
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To be fair, there was some decorating those new planters that replaced the kiosks on the admissions plaza, but I don’t know how many of those survived traveller weekend, as when we left the park there was splattered pumpkins all over the place :eek:
 
alee298 said:
We saw them everytime we were in FV, around when it was dark, (8-9pm) dusk time (5-6pm) and after lunch (1ish) which was lucky
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Thanks. We saw them going for break yet again on Monday. I’ve got two scarefest days left to find them in FV. Mission on :tearsofjoy:
 
Did the welcoming maze on Tuesday, certainly had a great run with plenty of unexpected scares.

Also did the HOM yesterday, a great maze for the kids, some changes to it since last year, but I just felt that I could have utilised my hour better.
 
James said:
Towers Street looks great, although as always once you leave Towers Street there is nothing around the park to indicate you're at a Halloween event. It seems like Thorpe and Chessington have made some efforts this year with park-wide theming, I know Towers is a little more difficult
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.... never used to be. In the past there would be weird latin writing on the walls leading up to Hex, red blood water flowing out of the fountain in fountain square, same in her ladyships gardens, smoke machines on Rita into the darkness, smoke around Thirteen, Live actors in some of the rides, haunted hollow with live actors, more theming around the park.
 
GaryH said:
.... never used to be. In the past there would be weird latin writing on the walls leading up to Hex, red blood water flowing out of the fountain in fountain square, same in her ladyships gardens, smoke machines on Rita into the darkness, smoke around Thirteen, Live actors in some of the rides, haunted hollow with live actors, more theming around the park.
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Oh yes they did make efforts in the past outside of TS, although I meant more in the way of physical theming that can be stored and reused the following year. Aside from the characters on Towers Street and the large pumpkins around the Towers, they've added nothing since the event started in 2007 (aside from one or two skeletons being place here and there).
 
Having just done 3/4 scaremazes, I cant understand the dislike for sub-species at all. Maybe I got a lucky run, but I thought it was absolutely brilliant. Plenty of actors and it really scared me. Altonville Main Tours was good, and project 42 was disappointing although interesting to see the sub terra room again.

Also, has that drinks machine in forbidden valley called ‘Unit NST’ always been there?
 
It opened with N:ST as the world's most pointless shop. It lasted a few weeks before closing and was eventually replaced with vending machines
 
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