The Sanctuary 2013

[Dave]

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

The Marmalisation room has flickering lights and fog in it.

The only thing i think they really need to do is change the finale, you just can't beat TotT strobe maze so The Sanctuary always feels a bit less because its not got the intensity of the TotT one (though i love the claustrophobic corridor just before the finale).

Something simple as a chain-saw of circular saw wielding surgeon would do, its cliched but works.

 

[TheMan]

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

The Marmalisation room has flickering lights and fog in it.

The only thing i think they really need to do is change the finale, you just can't beat TotT strobe maze so The Sanctuary always feels a bit less because its not got the intensity of the TotT one (though i love the claustrophobic corridor just before the finale).

Something simple as a chain-saw of circular saw wielding surgeon would do, its cliched but works.

Does it? Could have fooled me lol!! Everytime I went through, Marm room was daylight bulb bright, no fog, and no atmosphere other than that created by the amazing actor staring at you at the end of the corridor.

That new corridor exactly highlights what I am on about, a fantastic addition - though only used once on the run through last time, I am pretty immune to jumps or scares in these things other than giggly ones, however that put me on edge ;D - really cleverly done.

Agree about the strobe maze, although that does my head in as well tbh, also the chain saw? Naw, that's another one of my favourite attractions specialty

They could make it feel more of an escape rather than an exit, and add more sensory stuff to the end - they do need to work on that, and the Marm room still - it can be loads better. For me, to be fair, I really think that's pretty much all that is missing from this to make it a real first class attraction.

If they don't tweak it I will be surprised, there are little parts where it loses intensity and it doesn't need to.

Briefly though, ToTT just annoyed me. Came out the other end feeling I'd been hiking rather than through a scaremaze. BIG BIG YAWN for that one. Hope to do CoS in the dark this year, not quite right in the light as it was leaking through into certain maze points, and just a few of us meant no real atmosphere... that being said, was still rather brilliant and surprised me greatly.

 

[djtruefitt]

The final room would be better if they didnt split the group up, that way you would all get the actos, rather than the actors having to scare both groups. They could also join both routes together to create a longer final. Its improved now its darker in there and the lights go off and on. I think a neat idea would also be to have various routes that could be taken through the final room, there could be doors in the fences that spit open or move, when it goes dark the actors can turn then, totally confussing the guests, and you could end up sending the people around a few times with them really thinking there is now way out.

 

[TheMan]

totally confussing the guests, and you could end up sending the people around a few times with them really thinking there is now way out.

I was thinking this, make it more of a "maze" experience, only issue I thought about with this was "stacking" and not being able to correctly judge the times - only way to really do this well, would be to have the acting equivalent of block brakes haha!

I think it would add brilliantly to it DJ, but I cannot imagine it being at all feasible. The thing all these mazes lack, is er, a maze lol!

 

[Dave]

I like the Marm room, i like the various effects that are used in it and the idea that you are being affected mentally i think works well. Different things affect different people though and the bit that is going to scare you in that room is the leg ticklers if your prone to that.

A good scaremaze should have a range of experiences, that way you are going to impress a greater range of people as different people get scared by different things (ie: an actor can stand and act creepy at me all they like and i wont really care but set of a sudden loud noise and i scream like a girl).

 

[Vik]

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.

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.

Similar thing happened to us, with the whole of the previous group making a quick retreat back and it being mentioned during our brief with Dr Kelman.

We had a couple of children with their family during our second go through. Staff do advice parents about suitability though, so it is the parents discretion as to whether to allow their children to go through or not. Did note whilst walking up to queue line that quite a few families were walking back. Actors do tend to tone it down a bit when young children come through.

I know they get regular rest periods, and Dr Kelman is wrapped up very warm, but it is absolutely freezing in that area he is in, with a cold draft from somewhere.

 

[Towseriv]

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.

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.

Similar thing happened to us, with the whole of the previous group making a quick retreat back and it being mentioned during our brief with Dr Kelman.

We had a couple of children with their family during our second go through. Staff do advice parents about suitability though, so it is the parents discretion as to whether to allow their children to go through or not. Did note whilst walking up to queue line that quite a few families were walking back. Actors do tend to tone it down a bit when young children come through.

I know they get regular rest periods, and Dr Kelman is wrapped up very warm, but it is absolutely freezing in that area he is in, with a cold draft from somewhere.

He had a nice puffa parker on today and a scarf. Hope hes an addition for the year.

 

[ThemeParkJack]

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Keep-The-Sanctuary/493561907359820 COME ON SPREAD THE WORD

 

[John]

The sanctuary will be open until 14th April:

http://www.altontowers.com/events/easter/

 

[GAGrathea]

Very interesting - the 14th was the initial date which the maze would run to, pending potentially being extended: I really hope it's not closing now simply because of the somewhat quiet start to the season, as this now leaves about a month's void between Sanctuary and Smiler

 

[GaryH]

Awww frickin no, im going up 19th April and was looking forward to going in there again

 

[Rob]

Very interesting - the 14th was the initial date which the maze would run to, pending potentially being extended: I really hope it's not closing now simply because of the somewhat quiet start to the season, as this now leaves about a month's void between Sanctuary and Smiler

I think that is almost certainly the reason. I believe the decision on whether to keep it open for longer or not depended on the popularity/success of the park during the first few weeks of the season. Clearly guest numbers have been low and therefore they have not decided to keep The Sanctuary open. It's a shame but unfortunately understandable as I'd imagine there's a fair amount of costs involved in running the maze.

 

[Islander]

Damn - really wanted to see it again

 

[Ben]

Its a shame to see it leave, its a brilliant attraction - but hopefully it'll only be 6 months until it returns!

 

[Tom]

Well it seems I won't have the chance to see The Sanctuary in its free (and apparently improved) form.

 

[Rocket]

I was heading up may 4th to try it out

 

[James]

The Sanctuary to RE-OPEN

The Sanctuary, a medical rehabilitation centre run by the doctors and nurses of the Ministry of Joy, is due to re-open at Alton Towers after its closure on 14th April. It is currently unknown where the attraction will re-open on the park, but we have received confirmation from Alton Towers that the hit attraction will be re-opening in the future on-resort.

The Sanctuary is based primarily in the Western Wing of the Towers ruins, taking place of The Boiler House in the Scarefest line-up as the storyline ended for that maze at the end of Scarefest 2011.

Have you been corrected? Or are you looking to be corrected in the future? Why not let us know your views of The Sanctuary.

Link.

Hmm, not sure what to read into that. I'd just assume "re-opening in the future on-resort" means Scarefest. However this article seems to imply it could be earlier.

I'm not familiar with that site so am not lead to believe it currently.

 

[Andrew]

I think people are fairly certain that it will return for Scarefest due to its popularity, but I'm not sure about earlier in the year.

I can't see Towers taking it all out to allow visitors to explore the Towers again then to set it up somewhere else just before Scarefest, and then returning to the Towers for the event. It would lose the atmosphere outside of the Towers also.

So, I can't see it happening unless they refer to it returning at Scarefest which was rumoured here a while ago.

 

[T]

I am sad it is closing, as I will not be able to experience it again, however I hope it opens again for Scarefest 2013.

 

[MaXtreme]

We received confirmation this morning that the maze will be opening again this year, but we were not given a date. I'm thinking that it could open for Smiler's opening weekend and open again during Scarefest. I wouldn't worry about it moving to a different location in the park, that's just the wording a team member decided to use in that article.