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The Sanctuary 2013

S

SonOfKelman

TS Member
What do folks think of The Sanctuary experience? I guess most people visit the Towers for the major roller-coaster rides, but personally, I’m a connoisseur of scare-mazes. I’ve been to a few around the country, but The Sanctuary is my favourite.

Unfortunately, I live some distance from the Towers and I’ve only managed to visit twice. The latest trip was last Saturday with some friends on the opening day of the 2013 season. Getting there early, we were grateful for two things – the fact that the rain stayed off (mostly), and the small ques. I won’t spoil it for those who haven’t visited yet this season, but The Sanctuary has been updated a little. But a word of warning: the sound effects in the new Marmalization Room are VERY loud, and the lights almost blinding (epileptics take note!). We also got a bit wet from the rain effect.

Dr Kelman (my favourite character) was on top form. Some people ran out of the building before they even got to the first room, due to the Doctor’s scary story about how he created the Sanctuary. Kelman is one seriously spooky dude and I wouldn’t want to meet him alone on a dark night. I don’t know who the actor is who plays him, but he does a very convincing job of creeping people out. >:D :eek:

I’d love to hear other peoples’ thoughts on the experience. Feel free to marmalize my head with your stories. :twirly:
 
Did it twice on opening day, and on Scarefest. The 2013 version I found to be much better. There were more actors inside, and I found it more intense and dark. Yes Dr Kelman was excellent again as we went in, and we found the actors inside got a lot closer to you this time, nearly face to face in some instances.

Marmalisation is still a bit weird for me..... we had a girl stood infront of us, expressionless holding a teddy bear which was freaky, as we were marmalized (translated means drenched). We were absolutely soaked!!!! One thing that stood out for me was walking down the corridor towards "The Dentist" - we could hear the drills going etc, and in the distance in the haze was this figure holding a metal brace thing waiting for us - normally in scare mazes im not too bothered, but being at the front.... I was somewhat hesitant to go forward I must admit!

Overall the entire group really enjoyed it, going back up in April to do it again!
 
I think I've mentioned this in the opening meet thread, but I want to reiterate just how nice a guy the actor who plays Dr Kelman is. When I got into the first room with everyone, I instantly became very uncomfortable with the place. Kelman knew this, and could tell I wasn't happy - but rather than play up on it he tried his best to comfort me whilst staying in character. It was really, really nice of him. And even though I still ended up leaving, I appreciated the effort he put in to make me feel more at ease.
 
The actor who plays Dr Kelman is Gerry Cannell BTW. I havent been this year, but the time I went during scarefest it was amazing, just every part of it. Just a shame I was the only one in the group that worked out when we were going downstairs it was a bad idea (No queue, no-one saw the stones) But Kelman was amazing and I cant wait for my next run through!
 
Okay going to do a review of the new Sanctuary, will put it in spoiler tags in case anyone doesn't want to be spoiled.

So as we know The Sanctuary is the prequel to The Smiler and gives us an insight into the background of Marmalisation. I wont go step by step into everything in the maze. If i don't mention it then its not changed.

Queue

Without the mix of 2 scaremaze queues in Her Ladyships garden the music has changed from the general scary theme for TotT and now incorporates a voice over from Prof Sherif and some rather old fashioned jazz music that really fits in with the creepy "one flew over the cuckoo's nest" vibe. We never had to queue in this area but it works really well as you walk through it.

Once in the conservatory the set up is the same as for Scarefest.

Upstairs

Dr Kelman is the same general script as last year but as always Gerry (the actor) played Kelman so very scarily. If anything he played the character a little more reserved and friendly with a freaky hint that this guy isn't quite as he seems (this works well with the changes later in the maze).

The first scene is almost the same as last year however the fireball/ tv has gone (fire has moved) and the this scene and the next is separated by a rubber curtain. This is maybe the only change i wasn't the most impressed with as i loved the juxtaposition of the HUGE day-room/ Kitchen scene of Scarefest compared to the claustrophobic scenes later on.... though this is really picking at the bones to look for a criticism.

The fire effect is now in the kitchen scene which works quite well.

The kitchen and the corridor is now seperated by rubber curtains as is the corridor and ward scene, these rubber curtains now appear between nearly every scene in the maze and they are really effective especially at the front of a group as you have to push into a space that you cannot see and the actors took advantage of this for some great scares.

The ward and marmalisation are the same as last year with some minor lighting and smell changes (marmalisation has been rebuilt and looks neater).

Now to the first of the BIG improvements, leaving Marmalisation and into the landing was always a dead space at Scarefest. Now there is the first of a number of Dr Kelman voice overs, he now sounds ohh so much more scary, as though he has slightly un-spooled a bit more.... He invites you to go down the stairs into the "belly of the beast" and mentions The Smiler here too.

Downstairs

Downstairs we reach what was again a dead-spot in the maze, the long corridor to the surgeons scene. Now however we have a number of hidden holes in the wall that actors can scare you with. Thankfully they didn't over-do the scares here and the anticipation into the surgeons scene is maintained.

Now here is where the maze steps up a gear, again its based around something as simple as a voice-over from Dr Kelman, here he asks the doctor to cut a smile into a group members face... The actors when on-form played along to the voice-over as though Kelman was in the room and it really had an impact to bring the Dr Kelman character into the maze.

Into the Mortuary and now instead of a shrouded corpse on the slab its a freakishly realistic corpse dunny (very similar to the plague victim dummy found in Dungeons attractions). An actor digs around in the corpse's abdomen and pulls stuff out. If you find gore scary this will likely freak you out.

Back down the corridor and those hiding holes in the wall now work the other way so you get a few good scares. Into the cage room which is the same as last year (now with more Dr Kelman voice-overs) and then to the next (and final) big change.... Between the cage and the final scene is now a claustrophobic narrow tunnel that forces you to crouch down. At face height along this tunnel are a number of holes and the actors used these to great effect. I'm not easily scared by mazes these days but this freaked me out as they could jump at you and you had no-where to go.

The final scene is the same as last year except with an almost hysterical Dr Kelman now screaming at you to JOIN HIS FAILURES.... This is a massive improvement in the scare-factor though i do feel Sanctuary needs a different finale than a strobe maze just because TotT just nails the strobe maze concept (get a circular saw in Sanctuary).... but again this is picking at something for the sake of finding fault and is a minor thing.

So in essence this is a massive improvement on last year, i have been on a few Scare Mazes around Europe now and Towers do really do these well. It says something when my top five scaremazes include 4 from Merlin parks.
 
Having never experienced it last year unfortunately, I can't comment on how it was. However, from what I've seen this year I will say it's possibly the best scare maze I've ever had the chance to experience!

The actors are some of the finest I've experienced and there are so many little touches (nurses referring to actors in the maze as "her patients" and actors responding to Dr. Kelman's voice when we were down stairs just a couple of ones to note) that add to the experience ten fold.

It's so much more than just an out and out scaremaze, I feel it really gets into your head and makes you think about what's going on. Absolutely adore it, I don't want it to leave :'(
 
I totally agree with the comments about it being improved since Scarefest. It's now 100% more immersive. I felt that you were never detracted from the story and the experience, something that you were at Scarefest. The new Kelman voice overs are superb. In the downstairs surgery, he says something along the lines of "What are they doing down here? Don't let them leave without getting corrected". I think they're just brilliant.

The whole maze is so much more polished and to be honest more terrifying. It's now the only maze I've ever experienced that's ever made me weak at the knees going through it. I must be the only one wanting them to slow down with The Smiler construction just so we can have it a bit longer!

Sent from my GT-I8190N using Tapatalk 2
 
I can't agree anymore. Its improved 100%. The new audio speeches which have been added are brilliant.

'Doctor. Pin the boy down.'
'Smile.Smile.Smile. Who's behind bars now?'
'You will not leave without correction.

Also the added scare scene, before you enter the final scene is fantastic. Every time i led i had someone waiting for me and then ran up when the lights flashed. Overall improved a big deal. For anyone who payed for it at Scarefest won't be disappointed. Its such a great idea using it as a sub attraction whilst The Smiler got delayed.
'Doctor. Pin the boy down.'
'Smile.Smile.Smile. Who's behind bars now?'
'You will not leave without correction.

Also the added scare scene, before you enter the final scene is fantastic. Every time i led i had someone waiting for me and then ran up when the lights flashed. Overall improved a big deal. For anyone who payed for it at Scarefest won't be disappointed. Its such a great idea using it as a sub attraction whilst The Smiler got delayed.
 
When I went in recently I was at the back, which unfortunately meant I missed 99.5% of the scares. However I enjoyed the maze nonetheless. It has some seriously great pacing, and the whole thing was very immersive. But I really wasn't too keen on the fact that I wasn't chased out of the scare maze.
 
Im a big fan of the Sanctuary and always have been, it was great during scarefest but now its even better! Its amazing what some plastic flaps and some voice overs can do it a maze!

Also since opening weekend they have made some minor changes to the lighting in the final room, it has the same lights with the Smiler logo on it, but every few seconds it goes pitch black in the room and the light again, this give the actors time to move around and you really dont have a clue where they could be hiding.

The new Kelman voiceovers really do sent shivers down my spine!
 
The improvements made to the Sanctuary since Scarefest are brilliant. Dr. Kelman's voice downstairs really adds to the atmosphere, he is really is mad! ;)

djtruefitt said:
Also since opening weekend they have made some minor changes to the lighting in the final room, it has the same lights with the Smiler logo on it, but every few seconds it goes pitch black in the room and the light again, this give the actors time to move around and you really dont have a clue where they could be hiding.
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I would love to experience this cause the finale is my favourite part of the maze, but I doubt I will be visiting Towers again until the Smiler finally opens... unless they keep the Sanctuary open till then, which I doubt they will.
 
djtruefitt said:
Also since opening weekend they have made some minor changes to the lighting in the final room, it has the same lights with the Smiler logo on it, but every few seconds it goes pitch black in the room and the light again, this give the actors time to move around and you really dont have a clue where they could be hiding.

The new Kelman voiceovers really do sent shivers down my spine!
Click to expand...

Agree the voice overs make it so much more intense! I haven't experienced total darkness in the final maze but I absolutely LOVE it in the ward scene when all the bed lights go out for a good while and you're left to just slowly walk forward into the unknown in pitch blackness. The actors use this time well to make you jump when they suddenly come back on too :)
 
Has it been confirmed how long the Sanctuary will be open for - will its closure definitely coincide with the opening of the Smiler?

I don't really want to visit Towers again before the Smiler opens, but would be gutted if I missed this, especially as everyone was so quick to point out how terrible a run we had during my only experience of the Scarefest version when we did it... :|
 
As someone who can't tackle scare mazes without having a full on meltdown, I am very disappointed that I won't be able to experience the Sanctuary :(

If the maze is going to close when The Smiler opens, I would love to see a video of the maze. Now, I've since been told that the maze is going to reopen for Scarefest so I understand that this is a wild fantasy, but regardless...

I feel that by not being able to go through the maze, I've missed out on a good bit of backstory and exposition. The whole MOJ thing seems quite immersive and it would seem a bit of a waste if all the effort put into The Sanctuary was forgotten. I am comparing the number of people who will ride The Smiler versus the number who will experience The Sanctuary when I say this.

Some sort of walkthrough video...maybe something done by an investigator? An escaped 'patient'? There could be before and after interviews where the presenter is 'changed' after the experience? Just some ideas.

It could be a viral video...or even something in the queue like an emergency transmission.

Now in case anyone says anything, I acknowledge that: 1) Yes, it would contain spoilers for the maze, and 2) That would be a stupid idea if the maze was returning for Scarefest.

But I just can't put myself through another scare maze, even for the sake of backstory and immersion in theming. I cannot possibly be the only one!
 
^ I'm the same - I'm really bad in scare mazes due to my anxiety. I'd love a POV walk through, just so I can get a feel of the place without having a panic attack.
 
It hasnt been confirmed by Towers when the Sanctuary will close. I imagine they are just seeing how well its going, costs, guest figures and of course when the Smiler opens! Hopefully its there a few weeks after the Smiler opens.
 
A part of me wants The Sanctuary to stay open all year so that I can experience it in May along with The Smiler, but a part of me does not as it would mean that the Towers would remain closed all year too.

I'd say leave it open until July then remove it so that people can explore the Towers throughout Summer, and then reassemble it for Scarefest in October. Then people will get the best of both worlds. :)
 
I think its highly probable it will remain all year. Even if it doesn't, I can't see it being deconstructed, its a maze all set up and ready for scarefest meaning the usual planning and and construction budget can be spent elsewhere! (or, more likely, pocketed). It would be nice if a bit more money was spent on scarefest, might almost make it worth visiting for once
 
I went today and it was quality, two teens ran out from it whist we were sat being told the usual don't touch etc ranting that "That blokes bloody scary (Dr Kelman), I'm not going in there". The fact Dr Kelman incorportated the two lads running off into his script was good too.

The fact that it was a walk on queue helped since we were not being herded through and the actors stalled us moving on quite a lot.

As an addition, I did see someone taking a child in (around five in age I would guess) I would of thought Alton wouldn't allow this since I know full well either of my kids would wet themselves and they aren't exactly backwards in coming forwards.
 
Close it over the summer period when it will most likely be stiflingly hot in there anyway. I'd close it the end of June, give it revamp, and bring it back even more intense for Scarefest.

This maze gets better every time they work on it. It can still be improved though, it feels like the effects becomes less intense as you move through it, the first couple of rooms are just fantastic. I still think the Marm room is a mess and no where near intense enough - they need to address that (well they don't, but it would be nice).

It doesn't feel as polished as any of the other main rooms, and given it is supposed to be the main one, I am always disappointed with it - and the video makes no sense by the way, at all, it's more like se7en if anything in theme terms.

Flickering lights, cover the ticklers up somehow, some fog in there, anything to give it more atmosphere.

These are sensible suggestions, not a massive critique, and my opinions, which I am permitted to have despite insinuations to the contrary by a select group of self evidenced mind patrol officers.
;)

On the whole though, at present, it is one of the single biggest draws for getting me to AT multiple times (I HOPE) before/if they close it prior to Scarefest.

A bit more clarity as to what it is though, may also help, as a couple of families went in to queue without really understanding what it was. It isn't Halloween, I am not sure people really expect what is coming. Dr K. did a great job of staying in character and explaining to petrified little ones they don't have to go in - but that really shows, it isn't clear what it is.

We are well versed and experienced in these things remember. It is highly unusual for a park like Alton to have something like this out of scare season.

I love it though. Absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!

Freaky nurses FTW ;D

EDIT:
Earthwürm said:
I think its highly probable it will remain all year. Even if it doesn't, I can't see it being deconstructed, its a maze all set up and ready for scarefest meaning the usual planning and and construction budget can be spent elsewhere! (or, more likely, pocketed). It would be nice if a bit more money was spent on scarefest, might almost make it worth visiting for once
Click to expand...

Er, Scarefest even when it is a bit turd on a park level like last year, is still brilliant in terms of mazes, late night openings, and general atmosphere on park!

Nemesis/Oblivion at night make Scarefest worth visiting! I (thought I) hated scaremazes till I discovered I love them a couple of years ago, so avoided them, but still visited Halloween time all the parks, simply as it is the only time we get to experience that almost creepy fairground like feel, you only get when wandering around the parks at night.

It's awesome for that alone, and by far the time you get best value for money hours wise, even more so if you don't go on a ridiculously busy day.
 
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