Scarefest - General Discussion

[Liannemc]

Hi all,

Planning on coming on the 21st and 22nd. We are coming from Scotland so a bit of a drive and obviously want to make the most of it. I know it’s the start of the school holidays plus with Scarefest it’s probably going to be really busy.

Is it going to be worth getting the platinum fasttrack bands for one of the days? I don’t mind spending the money because we don’t get to come often because of the distance. But I’ve also heard stories at Scarefest where the queues for Fasttrack are as big as the normal lines.

Thank you.

[lewis97]

Today's the first day of Scarefest, so I'm sure you don't need to be told to keep an eye on TowersTimes Facbook, Twitter and Instagram for updates throughout the day (assuming you're not at the Resort yourself :P ).

An update giving one of the first looks at the new Gretyl the Witch costumed character (as well as some of the other Freaky Fun Gang members) has not long been posted.

[lewis97]

In a surprise move, inhabitants of the Freak Show scare zone have made an appearance near the Towers - more photos on TowersTimes Facebook.

[Sawboss]

Can't keep a good clown down.

[belpertramp]

[Ismail]

Does any one know what the Scaremosphere things were then? :-k

[Eagie]

My girlfriend and I are going on the 20th, however she's just fractured her wrist. Hopefully it will be a bit stronger in a couple of weeks but clearly it won't be 100% and it will be in a cast. Will she be OK in this year's mazes? I think she'll be OK, unless there is any need to crawl.

[Stan.H]

Am so glad the clowns have returned, the acting team for them is fab - especially The Ring Master. Wicker Man also looks brilliant in photos i’ve seen so far and I'm really happy towers have put lighting in for it. As with scare mazes heard mixed reviews but mainly positive. The finally, as Ismail said, any update with what the ‘scaremosphere’ actually was? Cannot wait to experience this years event myself!

[ChessingtonSam]

How has not one person got any kind of image of Galactica Airways lol? I'm really intrigued by the idea but all Ive seen is people saying theyve seen them, no pictures or video

[MakoMania]

Does any one know what the Scaremosphere things were then? :-k

Nothing happened. Literally nothing. Not sure how they can advertise something that doesn't exist.

I searched round Mutiny Bay, The Towers and Galactica in the evening and to say I was dissapointed is an understatement.

Scarefest as a whole was still great this year though and it's good to see Freak Show return in the form of a few roaming actors.

[Ismail]

Does any one know what the Scaremosphere things were then? :-k

Nothing happened. Literally nothing. Not sure how they can advertise something that doesn't exist.

I searched round Mutiny Bay, The Towers and Galactica in the evening and to say I was dissapointed is an understatement.

Scarefest as a whole was still great this year though and it's good to see Freak Show return in the form of a few roaming actors.

That's just great then! Hopefully they will actually do something soon. It would be a shame to randomly ditch the idea, it seems an alright one too.

[lewis97]

I have seen one photo on someone's personal Facebook of two Galactica Airways hostesses, as well as comments from people who've spotted some Ghost Pirates, so they do exist.

I can only assume that having them as "Scaremosphere" rather than actual scare zones gives them greater flexibility, rather than requiring them to be fully staffed from opening to closing. Perhaps we'll see them become more prominent as the event continues?

[MakoMania]

I have seen one photo on someone's personal Facebook of two Galactica Airways hostesses, as well as comments from people who've spotted some Ghost Pirates, so they do exist.

I can only assume that having them as "Scaremosphere" rather than actual scare zones gives them greater flexibility, rather than requiring them to be fully staffed from opening to closing. Perhaps we'll see them become more prominent as the event continues?

Hopefully so. It's far from ideal that guests are unable to find features advertised on the website.

In terms of the new maze Project 42, I've heard mixed reviews but I personally thought it was great. The beginning could do with some reworking but once the maze got going I really enjoyed it.

[LittleReidy]

Out of the people who have been so far, what was your favourite maze?

Im going the 20th October with a friend who has never done mazes before or even towers. Which would you say is the least scary to ease her into it?

[Morgan]

I was at the park yesterday and it looks like, with a bit of work, it could easily be one of the better years.

The first Scarefesty thing we experienced was the new Patch's Halloween Party show. Yes, it is intented for younger audiences, but it's so great to have live entertainment in Fountain Square again. Whether you went to watch it directly or were just passing through the area and caught a glimpse of some dancing, it added a nice atmosphere to what is usually a quiet area.

We ended up in the first run of Mine Tours and I have to say, I was dissapointed. The first preshow was perfect but after that it fell pretty flat with a lack of actors. It felt as if the maze wasn't quite ready to open, and could've done with another 15mins or so to get prepared.

Sub was next and it's as crazy as ever. Whilst it could do with more actors in the labyrinth again, the extra detailing and intensity makes it great fun. Was also good to see lots of fog being used- you could barely see in the stretch between the traps and the preshow!

Unfortunately Project 42 falls a bit flat in my eyes. I'll do a more detailed bit in the spoiler tag below, but in short it feels like a 12+ maze with the theme and aesthetic of a 15+. I didn't feel "targetted" by any of the actors so it felt like more of a zone. We also had a group that kept on stopping for minutes at a time which really damaged the pace and flow of our run. Hopefully these will be ironed out for the main chunk of the event!

Spoiler

One of the biggest issues I had was the first bit before you entered the building. If you're towards the back of the group you can't see the screen in which the preshow is displayed on, and you'll probably hear it all in the queue.
The walk to the building is pretty uneventful, and I can't help but think that having the hazmat guys in and around the plaza would be a better fit (so you'd have the preshow then go straight into the building).
The team have done a great job of distracting you from the fact that this was sub-terra. The only bit I could recognize were the entrances to both lifts and the egg (which felt a little weird as it had to relevance to the story).
The finale is really really loud (so loud that you can hear it from the Skyride station which gives for an incredibly intense atmosphere before you enter) in a strobey room. I think there were supposed to be some effects in here but I really couldn't tell!

A couple hours later we ventured into House of Monsters and I'm not sure how they made an already great attraction even better! The changes and new scenes help keep it feel really fresh and fun (even if one was unclear), all tied together with a brilliant finale that'll be burnt into your heads and ears.
Was great to see the Freak Show team make an unexpected return, a nice little touch that they didn't have to do.

We left it until night to do The Welcoming, which was very weird as it's really intense this year. Gone are the hoods and more casual feel, but the new scenes are really hectic with the scares coming in thick and fast. I'm not sure if I prefer it to last year as the calmer nature makes it feel like a different maze entirely.

All in all it was one of the better days I've had on park due to the fact that it's the only time of year where we really get live entertainment on park. I'm hoping they'll be able to sort out their issues and for the actors to get used to their roles in time for half-term.

[DeadJack5]

So i visited the park on the 7th for Scarefest to try out the new/altered mazes, night rides and mainly see how it compares to Fright Nights. Scarefest and Fright Nights being the big 2 theme park Halloween seasonal events in the UK, which event would come out on top was my main query. 

In this section I'll review the mazes in the order i experienced them and the relevant spoiler tags will be placed when needed so not to ruin the fun for anyone yet to experience them.

Altonville Mine Tours:

This maze plays out similar to last years and i couldn't tell any differences, it was themed a bit more on the inside and felt like they weren't pushing you through the maze so much and at times holding you back to increase the tension. Overall the experience felt a bit more intimate and built tension which better than my previous runs i had last year. Good start for the mazes!

Sub species: End Games:

Simply put, this maze was unreal, my first run i had inside left me shaking upon exiting. It really did live up to the praise it has received in previous years and seemed so much more intense than last year

Spoiler

The room leading towards the maze/trap beginning was heavily fogged and guarded with a few actors building tension, the first run of 2 i had i was dragged away thru door 3 before the timer had even started. I was then thrown, grabbed and lead towards a room with 1 slow blinking light surrounded by red mist. This was already intense but then continued when around every corner there was an actor ready to pounce. I eventually made it to the blind rope section, sound effects i picked up on was a alien clicking noise throughout constantly making me feel on edge, again i was targeted by an actor inside this rope section which was already so much more than i ever remembered last year. The split decision route room was back but was forced down the right route, what i didn't expect was a very frantic actor to crawl in and out the vents towards me. 

Overall, the first run was the most extreme run through of a maze to date. My second run was less frantic but still very intense. I think a few more actors in some sections of the maze could be done with but still, this cast inside Sub Species this year were on top form and in my opinion how a fast paced maze should be ran.

Project 42:

My highly anticipated maze for this scare season; I went into this blind, no information given, no reviews being read, just me and my hopes entered this maze. Were my standards met based on previous attractions on the resort? Kind of

Spoiler

To start of, the preshow is quite loud, it can be heard from outside in the queue line. The beginning scenes weren't too great, no real interactions were given, only the odd actor touched you. Until you get to the centre room of the then ride Nemesis Sub-Terra, Nothing really happens. The group got split up and from then, things were a bit faster paced, the end scenes were the better of the maze if I'm honest, the end strobe section worked well enough but nothing really stood out. Leading on from this, I was a bit disappointed, given what was left in Sub Terra (elevator doors, centre room eggs and lights), they had a lot of options to use in the maze and they never really touched upon much of it. This maze had a lot of potential and it just felt very let down. On a final note, the end scene's music is ear piercingly loud it can be heard from a far instantly. I don't know if this was the intend or the audio is just escaping from the room worse than expected but it's seriously loud. 

Overall, i felt let down by the maze, nothing really stands out for me, Mine Tours you have the characters and scenes set, Sub Species has the mad, fast paced mentality and The Welcoming has the link in with Wicker Man (more on that later), This didn't really leave me a lot to take away and did disappoint.

The Welcoming:

This maze divides a lot of people's opinions, some like it and some hate it. I personally loved it last year and i had hope it would be just as good. This was a big improvement in a lot of ways.

Spoiler

The script used this year has been altered to compliment the Wicker Man, not over doing it but adding little bits in to provide the link to guests. Gone is the hooded section which is a big relief as now we have a final strobe section which is highly effective in my opinion. Actors were a lot more jumpy and the use of smoke in the covered sections worked well especially in the dark, crawling actors took full advantage and manipulated the guests and caught the group i was with off guard many times. This was so pleasant to see that removing the weak link in the maze and improving it. I did this twice one after another and i enjoyed every run.

Oh and the fire at the end is awesome. 

Overall the mazes were all relatively good and even though some with some problems, i still enjoyed all really well. The night rides at Scarefest though are a personal highlight, i never really experience the entertainment on site as they aimed towards the family market more so night rides are my port of call! We experienced Th13teen, Oblivion, Smiler and Wicker Man, the best being Th13teen in the absolute pitch black but Wicker Man stealing the show with improved/added lighting and the fire/smoke. It looks incredible and honestly took my breath away, it was amazing and rode superbly, I had a front row ride on it which admittedly is probably not the ideal row for this beast but it was still amazing to have the effects and view from the front at night. It was probably the joint highlight of the day with my Sub Species run alongside it.


So to answer my question, which was better? Fright Nights or Scarefest? Both were great events but Scarefest takes it. Every year i go to Scarefest  it gets better and better and this year is no exception. Wicker Man is something of beauty as well as the enter park when darkness falls across the towers. Go is all i can say, you're missing out!

[Dan]

Scarefest is back at Alton Towers for another year, full of frights, thrills and spooky fun!

With a brand new maze, Project 42, the return of some favourite mazes, new entertainment, and more, TowersTimes take a look at everything Scarefest 2018 has to offer.

Will you be visiting for Scarefest 2018?

[LittleReidy]

Have the 3 for £20 scare maze tickets sold out online? It won’t let me select the 20th on the website.

[DeadJack5]

Have the 3 for £20 scare maze tickets sold out online? It won’t let me select the 20th on the website.

It would appear so unfortunately

[Stan.H]

It appears that The Welcoming has been altered to a 12+ maze!