• ā„¹ļø Heads up...

    This is a popular topic that is fast moving Guest - before posting, please ensure that you check out the first post in the topic for a quick reminder of guidelines, and importantly a summary of the known facts and information so far. Thanks.

Scarefest 2023

Instead of having the Invitation, how about reworking it into making it something more frightening as the most dreaded final boss battle Towers has and one that is likely one most of those organisers deserve for putting that thing in place

Going one-on-one...with the Flume Duck! šŸ˜ˆ

That would legit be the most terrifying Scarefest attraction for sure.
 
zeock said:
I thought that you had stopped obsessing over that duck. šŸ˜‰šŸ˜
Click to expand...
Listen, when the Scarefest offering is poor...you have to come up with something out of the box and let's face it, something regarding that duck would be better than half of the Scarefest attractions than what's come out over the last five years you have to admit.
 
QTXAdsy said:
Listen, when the Scarefest offering is poor...you have to come up with something out of the box and let's face it, something regarding that duck would be better than half of the Scarefest attractions than what's come out over the last five years you have to admit.
Click to expand...
Now then, lets not disrespect the duck. He's a cutie!
 
I remember the Molly Crow hooded maze, that was good and the ending was amazing. Goes to show that a non visual scare attraction can work
 
richr87 said:
I did opening day yesterday with the wife and kids and had a brilliant day. The last few scarefests have been a bit meh but at least this year there is signs of progress. Burial grounds is brilliant as a free scare zone would love them to do more in the future and the entertainment on the lawn was great fun to relax for a while from the rides. Bianca is obviously helping to push stronger events with the money available to her and to me it shows with the progression this year. Rome wasn't built in a day as they say hats off to towers this year
Click to expand...


I was also there in Saturday (only day we could do as a whole family) and thought it was one of our worst Scarefests out of the 9 on the bounce we've been to.

The weather didn't help. T-shirted doesn't help create the vibe.

That weather also likely contributed to the park being ridiculously full - every decent ride had a queue time of mostly 60mins+. We only got on 6 rides in 10 hours - and one of those was our customary Fastracked Wicker when it's dark - although we still waikted in the FP line for almost 25 mins despite shelling out for Fastpasses*. Didn't even bother doing a Maze this year, either. Think our best year at SF was 11 rides plus a Maze.

I knew Skyride was out beforehand, but that really was a PITA in terms of being able to move quickly around the park

Twice we queued for a ride for some time, only for the ride to breakdown when we were about 75% toward the front. One time we waited and it was up and running again in 10 mins; the other (Rita) we waited 10 mins then jibbed it because we were running out of time and still had 13, Wicker and a last-of-the-day on Galactica before slipping out the back exit to the carpark, only for Rita to start up shortly after once we were in the 13 queue. Another year of not riding Rita.

And the delays, culminating with that FP queue on WM, meant that we missed last ride on Galactica.

We didn't see/notice the Burial Grounds scare zone at all (but did only go to that area for WM late in the day)

Had food in the Roller Coaster Restaurant. We've always enjoyed having this break around 4pm - decent food for an AT place and OK service. This year, the menu was changed and nowhere near as good (IMO). Our two daughters got theirs but we waited... and waited... ten minutes passed whilst the girls were waiting for us to get ours so we could all eat together. We had to call someone over, who did nothing. Then called another guy, who spoke with the kitchen. Ours came a minute later but it was 15 mins gap between the girls' food and ours. We complained that our girls' had gone cold and they should consider a gesture. Nothing doing. Very poor customer service.

I found The Curse At Alton Manor disappointing. I was so hoping for much more, but it just wasn't even vaguely unsettling.

The entire park was lacking in atmosphere and Halloweeny things. Our daughters (now 19 and 15) did remark that it's seemed to get more and more young children-orientated, with less and less stuff geared towards other teens and adults.

On a plus note, I enjoyed Sub ~Terra! Hadn't been on since Scarefest 2015 and so I'd forgotten the detail. Our elder daughter had been on before but could remember barely anything; was totally new for our youngest. It's a bit of a one-time-only thing, though. If we went on next year, we'd know what was coming. WM and 13 seemed nice and fast. Smiler was as great as always (but it it getting more rickety these days? or is it just us?)

In conclusion, we all agreed on the way home that we'll probably give AT and Scarefest a miss in 2024 - despite [my favourite] Nemmy returning. SF is just nowhere near as good as it was. Problem is, where for an alternative?



* I got them at home on the Saturday morning before we left, which was when they first became available. Selected the latest 20.00 timeslot, and it's a massive beef of mine that people just get any timeslot through the day then turn up when it's got dark, and AT don't bother enforcing a time limit of say half an hour past your allocated time.
 
Hazza said:
Now then, lets not disrespect the duck. He's a cutie!
Click to expand...
You never likely saw him at his scariest on the Flume, even in Alton Manor he's reduced to a background character.

But all serious, it would be nice to have more scarefest attractions based on existing rides or themes. I have no doubt we'll likely see a Scarefest attraction themed on Nemesis next year but then again we all thought there would be something on Alton Manor this year and we got nowt.
 
Visited on Sunday and paid my Ā£35 for the 4 scare attractions and Daz Games Panic!

Booked them from 1pm, all the mazes are indoors so it's pointless going later.

I'd not done scarefest since 2020 so overall the event seemed fresher to me in some ways.

Darkest Depths - felt longer than I remembered, still got a really good opening from the first person you encounter. Would probably say its strongest year was the debut year when it was in the courtyard. Still not a fan of Davy Jones from Wish who shows up at the end.

The Attic - great preshow, still good fun. The people leading our group somehow took us the wrong way so we had to be scare ushered the correct way. Think it's time for a new story.

Altonville Mine Tours Tinys Revenge - Probably the most intense maze of the three, really like the added story elements. Again felt long.

Biggest issue with those three was the unnecessarily large groups they were sending through each time. Felt like there were plenty of actors. Doing them from 1pm-2pm really seemed to help with that regard.

The Invitation - my first time trying a maze like this. Actually really enjoyed it, glad they've tried something different than another generic maze.

Daz Games Panic! - I'd never heard of this Daz Games character, whilst I'm sure he's brought some attention to the attraction I'd be interested to know if that's led to an increase in custom. The shop seemed to be doing great business though.
Again though it was a fun idea, did seem slightly odd that anyone would want to spend Ā£8 then complete it within a minute. Took just over 3 minutes myself and had a decent enough amount of scares in that time.

So overall a decent enough event, I'd done Tulleys and The Howl the previous two nights which were both excellent. Thought from the main 3 mazes the length, acting, sets, and stories were nearly on par.
 
Going tomorrow, second Scarefest in a row where I won't have paid for any mazes. Really waiting for them to do a full refresh, but look forward to giving Burial Grounds a few run throughs.
 
Danscott22 said:
Going tomorrow, second Scarefest in a row where I won't have paid for any mazes. Really waiting for them to do a full refresh, but look forward to giving Burial Grounds a few run throughs.
Click to expand...
oh shit so am i!!

it's actually my first ever scarefest so i have paid for mazes but i definitely see why people haven't
 
Alexsniff7 said:
oh shit so am i!!

it's actually my first ever scarefest so i have paid for mazes but i definitely see why people haven't
Click to expand...
If youā€™ve never been, or havenā€™t for years then the mazes all are well worth doing, the issue is they just havenā€™t really changed in years, so if youā€™ve done them before you donā€™t need to do them again.
 
Two days of Scarefest ahead for us 13th and 14th, however fri 13th is looking atrocious weather so not expecting smiler or oblivion open until late afternoon if the winds are accurate to the prediction.

Our 4th SF
 
Met office this morning has things clearly up after 2, and winds not actually that bad, so weā€™re no too worried.

Also back on mazes, yeah itā€™s one of those where i feel like Iā€™ve done them before and donā€™t feel a need to again. Altonville mine tours refresh doesnā€™t interest me enough, no part of me want to do The invitation (Iā€™ve never done it( and Daz Games doesnā€™t really pique my interest either so made the decision not to do them again. Did them every year from 2017-2021 but it needs a complete refresh for me to book maze tickets again.
 
Hiya,

Not sure if this is helpful but for anyone apprehensive about mazes, having been through darkest depths last year and attic& mine tours 2020 (albeit whilst no touching was allowed) we tried daz games today and found it to be a lot tamer than traditional mazes but also fun!
A bit surprised after reading reviews about its intensity, but if anyone is quite scared about mazes I would really recommend it as it is a lot tamer whilst still being good fun
 
We found Daz quite good today, and would recommend it.

The invitation however is well what exactly is it... really is quite embarrassing, Daz should have been on the maze 4 ticket and the invitation a separate ticket.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top