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Scarefest 2019

Well, it is in the nature of us lighting peeps to want to try out new ideas, or new products. But at the same time, there are only so many ways to light certain things. And if something works, changing it just for the sake of it is pointless.

.... Whenever producers want to give a show a "fresh look", they will fire the current lighting director and hire a new one. Rather than, you know, asking the person who's been doing this job for several decades if they would like the chance to try out something new?...

So it's possible that the person/people in charge are an all new team and don't even KNOW what has been done in the past and worked / didn't work. Because over the years they must have tried just about every possible method of illumination.

Budget cuts aren't even an excuse. You can do great things with few monies.

(While I've not been for a few years, I think the best seasonal lighting I've ever seen was, to jump on the 2010 bandwagon, the 'writing' gobos all over the walls by the exit of Hex, with the green wash. Nemesis was washed in red, with the high points of the track picked out with a single o/w tungsten PARcan for each feature, making it look like bones sticking out of the red flesh.)
 
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John said:
For the past couple of years the main lighting towers in fountains square and DF have been a mix of blue and green but all of them are plain white this year. It's the most notable step backwards in terms of lighting in the entire park (unless the WM lighting doesn't turn up after all).
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Seemed to be mostly yellow lighting near wickerman and Towers St. and not exactly on silent running generators.
 
Ever since 2010, where we had brilliant lighting across the park, it has been very hit and miss. This year seems more miss than hit so far although I am hoping that we might see some improvements this weekend.

As others have said, Fountain Square has gone from being one of the best lit areas of the park to one of the worst.
 
It’s disappointing but it will just be time probably, they only have budget for a certain size team, especially with Alton’s team being borrowed for Thorpe’s new maze this year plus 2 new mazes at Alton

it is a shame there’s no real lighting plan year on year really, so memorable things in previous years get lost
 
Also any idea why one room if the towers is 'on fire'? It's the room above the archway to pass through to hex.

There were crackling noises, orange lights and quite a lot of fog (on one night at least).

Is this some tie in for the attic? Fairly vague since the fire in th attic was contained to the fireplaces.

I mean, it's great that it's there, just wondering if there was some specific reason?

AstroDan said:
Wicker Man is coming - there was just a delay.

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That isn't going to change my opinion, or the few thousand guests who went over last weekend. I won't be visiting again (I'd like to, but I only get one chance at scarefest). So what I saw is my memory of this year, wickerman looked like shit with effects broken, no special lighting and even the permeant lights off (wall fire torches and bunting lights in places) and replaced with generator super bright white bulbs.
 
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Lighting was fair,y naff last year. The pathway from the towers to battle galleons was better as they’ve covered up the white lights and they are orange, also the battle galleons lake isn’t floor lit as previously.

Meanwhile nemesis has two generators full of white lights shining at it, one at the entrance and one on the hill (not even sure why that is there).

Galactica looked nice but I think that was before the lighting tower was off.

I can’t comment on DF as I didn’t venture there, but it usually looks rubbish anyway.

As for wicker man those super bright LED lights in the queue line are awful and I hope they get removed, they don’t fit in what so ever and just blind you as you see queuing for the ride.

It’s just a shame the park never actually invest in any permanent lighting, it would only take a few bits each year and after a few years the park would have whole areas covered. Also funny how CBeebies land has plenty of permanent lighting, yet still has temporary generators in it, just shows lack of planning from Merlin when they put things in to the park.
 
I’m constantly baffled why the lighting for Scaredest is never fully ready for Scarefest. It’s almost like it takes them by surprise and it’s been the same ever since Scarefest started, so they’ve failed every year for over a decade.
 
venny said:
I’m constantly baffled why the lighting for Scaredest is never fully ready for Scarefest. It’s almost like it takes them by surprise and it’s been the same ever since Scarefest started, so they’ve failed every year for over a decade.
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Is the lighting installed by an external company or by Towers themselves?
 
Looks like it's rammed again which is good and I'm sure it will get busier into scarefeast as Halloween approaches . It's just a pity there's so few rides with blade gone etc. To be honest with queues of between 60 to 80 minutes even with the long opening hours you are going to be lucky to get just one ride on 11 or so things. I mean you arrive at 10 wait for monorail or walk for 20 minutes to get to entry. Wait best part of half an hour to buy tickets unless you have season pass or MAP . You are in for 11 you have 10 hours go go go . Don't even bother trying to join the queue to buy maze tickets because the queue is half way down tower street with mums wanting to get passes because their little darlings can't cope in a queue ( but can wait 30 to 40 minutes in a queue to get the pass in the first place?) So in the 10 hours you have you can race round Heave ho, Spinning barrels, River rapids, RMT, Duel, Nemisis, Galactica, notice the angry mum's looking at park map and realising that darling kids can't access blade via the exit because the ride isn't there! ( no one told them that in Box office ) head to x sector get in the smiler and oblivion, give up on enterprise as time is ticking! Over to HEX and then thirteen. You look at watch 8 hours have gone. Get in queue for Rita and maybe race on to spinball and if you manage to get off for 8:30 ( touch and go!) Head over to Wickerman and get in queue for 9 looking at pi**ed off staff looking at 70 minute queue at 8:55 with a full fastback queue. Oh s**t I haven't had anything to eat.
 
I really don't get why they don't install permanent lighting - surely the cost would be recovered within a couple of years over the cost of the generators (and it would look so much nicer). But then again... it is Merlin.
 
Hi guys, long-time lurker here. A few questions about my first Scarefest trip in a few weeks.

When booking times for the three mazes it says 'all mazes must be completed within two hours'. So I'm assuming getting the two at the Towers then walking to Forbidden Valley for the third shouldn't take any longer than two hours? Are the maze queues typically shorter queues?

Also, with Darkest Depths and the Attic, how sharp do you need to be to your selected time?

Thanks.
 
Was on park today and can say that it does absolutely look good but doesn't match last year's lighting.

Also waited 2+ hours for it (advertised 90 minutes) which killed my plans for a quick cheeky ride on Nemmy afterwards before catching my coach but that's besides the point.
 
val99 said:
Hi guys, long-time lurker here. A few questions about my first Scarefest trip in a few weeks.

When booking times for the three mazes it says 'all mazes must be completed within two hours'. So I'm assuming getting the two at the Towers then walking to Forbidden Valley for the third shouldn't take any longer than two hours? Are the maze queues typically shorter queues?

Also, with Darkest Depths and the Attic, how sharp do you need to be to your selected time?

Thanks.
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Hey, I really wouldn’t worry about times. They’re not gonna not let you in because the queues were too long. If you’ve booked daytime maze slots then you’ll probably walk straight on, if after say about 7ish then you will probably encounter queues.
As for the maze time slots there’s a half an hour leeway. So either half an hour before or after
Hope this helps :)
 
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