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Scarefest 2024

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GooseOnTheLoose said:
It would give a definitive answer to their intentions, with the caveat that various circumstances could, as ever, change or affect that.
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It really wouldn't lol - the same people responding to emails respond on social media etc., and unfortunately their accuracy with information has always been known to be questionable at best...
 
Islander said:
It really wouldn't lol - the same people responding to emails respond on social media etc., and unfortunately their accuracy with information has always been known to be questionable at best...
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The park's nominated customer service representative, giving an authorised response to quite a simple question, would be as literally definitive as it's reasonably expected to get.

If you choose not to believe that, based on past negative experiences or a general sense of umbrage, that's entirely your choice.

Regardless, it's going to be a better and more appropriate response than an anonymous goose, or minifigure, could give on a non-affiliated enthusiast's forum.
 
Don’t ask the social media guys anything. Ask them when park close is, you’ll at best get a;

“👀”
 
If CBeebies is shutting at 5pm when it’s a 7pm park close now for Oktoberfest, I imagine it will be the same for Scarefest. Yeah the park will be busier but will there be many kids around?

It’s also a massive saving for the park just closing CBeebies 2 hours earlier, think of the staffing budget alone in that area with those staff finishing earlier.

2024 is the year of the budget cut.
 
At least 1. And I'll be complaining if it does shut at 5 given there's effectively 4 hours of time to try and entertain the lil one.

More likely 2 hours before heading back to hotel. But closing one of the most popular areas of the park 4 hours before advertised closing is beyond idiotic.
 
Christ knows how many staff are employed across CBeebies land, but let’s say 50 people on minimum wage, plus additional costs you’d be saving £10k a day by closing it early, across all of Scarefest that’s adds up. Not great and regressive, but they’ve obviously decided this is the best way to derive some more £s out of the event.
 
Adthoms said:
Is it not slightly concerning that they're still hiring for a variety of roles for this Scarefest considering it starts in just over 2 weeks?


From: https://www.instagram.com/p/DAQegwIMdmJ/?hl=en&img_index=1
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Yesterday was the start of Staffordshire University's Freshers / Welcome week, so a recruitment drive now makes sense locally.

It also, very much, confuses the current thoosie narrative of Towers cutting staffing hours for budgetary reasons.
 
Since the last time I hadn't attended a Scarefest, I've had 3 kids (the oldest of which is 16 next year), changed job 3 times, moved house 4 times, put on net 3 stone, developed a painful back problem, started wearing glasses, grown loads of grey hairs, the Smartphone has been invented, Queenie Liz has croaked it, and we're on our 7th Prime Minister.

Yet here I am, financially much better off that I was back then when I used to book posh hotel rooms, mazes, the whole lot. And I feel no enticement to go at all this year. So excuse me if I haven't read the whole thread and caught up on everything.

At this rate, I'm starting to think that the Skinsnatchers maze will outlive me! I'll recant on my deathbed, tales to my great grandchildren, of a time before this maze existed, and they probably won't believe me.

If theres 1 thing I personally don't want to see more of at all at the park, other than more things painted purple, additional haunted/gloomy/dark hollows/woods/forests, and shorter opening hours - it's more Phalanx nonsense. Now a Scarefest attraction themed to this lame new "sinister organisation" junk? Is polluting their best coaster with this tosh not enough?

Even in the 2016 onwards dark age of the park, Scarefest ran until 9pm. Now you want me out of your hair by 8, before it even gets dark? Sod you, night riding and 11 hour days was one of the best parts of the event!

No matter what day I visit on, whether off-peak of not, I've had a rotten experience at Towers for a year now. From them leaving my whole family miles away from home without a place to stay at 1am on a cold night with no one available to sort it out, having taken £hundreds of my money, last Scarefest - to awful queues, poor ride reliability, removed/closed attractions, the Spa closure, and price rises this year.

A Daz Game was a washing powder advert wasn't it? The doorstep challenge and all that? What is it you want me to pay for? You act like I should already have some affinity with the Daz guy? What is it you want any of us to pay for? It seems like a mess of a package pricing strategy.

You need to eat on park at Scarefest when you're staying. Logistically impossible to eat anywhere else. What do I do? Waste an hour plus of my time, that I don't have due to your terrible operations and stingy opening hours, in Woodcutters or RCR (if you're lucky enough to get a table) just to be able to get access to edible food? That or Walkers crisps, Magnums or £10 Rollovers? What will we be able to eat?

Will the excellent whispering souls garden walkthrough be returning?

Will there be a maze, a scare room, or show, themed to Scarefest back at the hotels? The atmosphere that always used to be present at this time of year in the accommodation? Hell, will you even bother playing 'Monster Mash' and stick a B&M bargains fake cobweb up this year?

If this season so far is anything to go by, I can't see a reason to want to visit my favourite place in the country, at my favourite time of year. Last year's Scarefest was one of the worst I've ever been to (the only improvement being Burial Grounds, everything else was the same or worse than previous years), and has been followed by the worst Towers season I've ever experienced.

What is happening with this place if I can't be bothered to go to Scarefest? It was always circled on the calendar in permanent marker.
 
It’s not the worst season I have experienced at Towers, that medal goes to the year of Fanta. Uptime is bad but the recent ride refurbishments would never have occurred under old Merlin.

But as for Scarefest I couldn’t agree with you more, haven’t visited since 2019 and have no desire to visit this year.
 
Matt.GC said:
At this rate, I'm starting to think that the Skinsnatchers maze will outlive me! I'll recant on my deathbed, tales to my great grandchildren, of a time before this maze existed, and they probably won't believe me.
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Great post, Matt! This part had me laughing out loud.

I personally love the Mine Tours and I'd put it up there as one of my top 3 Towers' mazes ever, so I'm happy it's back and I think it's still the one I enjoy most, but I do get people's frustrations with its return.

I am really disappointed, however, with the rest of the line up, but it's been cack for the last 4 years. 2019 was the last good Scarefest when they had the Mines, The Attic, Project 42, and Sub Species - that's a good line up!

And I completely agree RE The Phalanx. I find it such a dull and uninspiring concept, although I'll give The Compound a go. The promo video gives me Sub Species VIBES, I just hope they split you up.

I am still waiting for a Scarefest lineup where I go the whole hog and take 3-4 different groups of people; the work lot (a group of 20), and 2-3 groups of mates, I was hoping it would be this year, but it's not, so I'm only going once in the end, which is such a shame.
 
AT86 said:
Agreed, the precedent for hours to be amended with no warning has well and truly been set this year.

Waterpark hours were amended from as late as 8pm to 5pm all summer.

Scarefest hours originally advertised as 9pm close were reduced to 8pm.

CBeebies hours were cut to 5pm on 7pm close dates for Oktoberfest for the first time.

I would have no comfort that CBeebies opening until 7pm in the past for Scarefest meant it would happen in 2024.
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Thing is, staff cost money, and less hours = less staff.

Next season I hear Scarefest will be a 4pm close but guests will be offered a pair of fantabulous sunglasses to make the park look darker for just £19.99. Cbeebies will only be open from 11-2 (because kids nap outside of those times and should be in bed by 5) and Oktoberfest entertainment will be confined to Corner Coffee.

The long-term plan at Merlin is for the parks to not open at all but to rely on folk forgetting to cancel their MAP subscriptions - ka-ching!! 🤑
 
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