Scarefest - General Discussion

[Robert.W]

Last year I was kinda disappointed with the lighting across the park. Even though they said they were going to have it the same as 2016 in time for the two week long run at the end of October, they still hadn't put coloured filters in all the lighting which did spoil the atmosphere quite a bit really. I'm going quite early on in Scarefest this year, so I just hope they have everything ready in time!

[Stan.H]

I definitely think Towers should focus on more themed lighting at the very minimum this year,  at the end of the day it's just a filter and maybe one or two gobos. I'd love to see more smoke machines and maybe more moving heads or strip lighting (much like Katanga Kanyon) about the park, so, fingers crossed! 

[Zach]

So what are everyone’s expected lined ups for Scarefest this year? 

[Dan]

While I would love to see a new maze, I don’t think it will happen.

I’m expecting an event very similar to last year, with potentially some minor alterations to the routes of the mazes.

The biggest thing for me will be Alton ensuring the have the optimum number of actors on board. Last year, the lack of actors severely hampered my runs of the mazes. I experienced a lot of dead spots compared to previous years, and while you could tell the actors were doing their best, all four mazes could have benefited from more actors.

ToTT also needs a bit of a refresh. While the maze itself is still strong and I see it as a staple of Scarefest, there is a feeling amongst some that it has become stale, so I think it could really benefit from a totally reworked route and some new sets to freshen it up a bit.

[Justin]

Just as Dan has mentioned, I doubt we will see any changes from the previous years, therefore I am expecting Terror of the Towers, Altonville Mine Tours, Sub Species and The Welcoming to return in their current forms. If this turns out to be true, then I am expecting this to be the last year before a major overhaul,  similar to 2015.

Terror of the Towers certainly needs to be reworked. A new storyline is needed and the Urban Explorer storyline needs to go. I am all for the brand to stay but as a regular,  it becomes a little predictable. You know when the curtains will blow, you know the monks in the corridor are not real and you know they will be shouting "Sinners!" all the way through before you enter the strobe section.

Mine Tours is still good, but it could to with more actors. Last year was sparse and it became all a little flat. I would like to see the route reworked in part this year to freshen it up. The same can be said for Sub Species. While this was the better of them all, the maze needs to be more intense.

The Welcoming is just an experience, but a very good one at that! It adds to the story of Wicker Man, which hopefully will be expanded upon this year. I do think the 'horror' needs to be ramped up a bit though.

[Dom]

I agree that its time to TotT to be updated, but at the same time I like it. They could easily keep it as it is and change the scares. Imagine how many people would scream if one of the statues was actually real :lol 

Sub desperately needs something done to it. It fell quite flat last year for me and felt a bit repetitive and boring. It needs a bit of a retheme I think or more actors or more intensity. It just needs something to re-ignite the fire.

The Welcoming is so pretty, but it felt far to open. I hope it returns, but I hope it becomes a bit more scary and intense. 

Mine Tours scared the poop out of me last year so I don't think it needs changing in any way what so ever!

[Jack]

I feel like the whole maze lineup needs to change to freshen it up a bit. Last year I had a run of Mine Tours that I considered trying to get a refund for because of how awful it was, Sub Species was great when it was at it's best last year but at the same time, it needs a big update for it to be exciting this year again. Story update or completely new maze, I don't mind, but just something would be nice.

As for TOTT I think it's a strange case, the maze should have been retired quite some time ago in my opinion, it's had nothing new to offer for years with the same format over and over again. I think keep the TOTT brand but just change the maze so that it's not the same pattern as we have come to expect from it as I honestly haven't really enjoyed it so much the last couple years, even on a "cheap laughs" standpoint it's just not delivered on being the entry level scare maze that is often used to justify the less intense nature of it.

I absolutely love Scarefest and the mazes it brings, but things just become bland and stale if they're unchanged for too long

[Stan.H]

I'm expecting pretty much what everyone else has said, however, I really hope we do get a refreshed TotT and Sub Species 2.0. Because it is quite an insult to make guests pay (I believe) like £25 (?) for 3 mediocre mazes we've already done with a lack of actors, yet stunning theming. I also am pretty sure the return of HoM has been confirmed too. 

I also really hope we see the return of The Welcoming, as last year (sorry not sorry for the pun) it was a welcome :lol addition to the event, however, I hope they either get rid of the blindfolded section and make it an 'old-style' scare-zone or just lower the entrance cost of it as it wasn't worth the amount they were charging. I also think it'd be great to see 'Wicker Man: Alive', basically once the sun starts to set have all the Wicker Man characters out roaming the area (with themed lighting and smoke) as well as the fire breathers and jugglers we saw on the opening days and preview events. 

In all honestly I really really want a new maze for this year, but then again I can't see Towers doing it, although, I'd love to see it happen!

Finally, I think this year I just want MORE SCARE ZONES. I can 100% see Freak Show returning again (which I'm happy with because it is great) but I feel Dark Forest and Forbidden Valley especially feel very dull at Halloween and just look like no effort has been made to make it ever so slightly 'spooky'.  So whether or not more scare zones are added, the least they can do is chuck a few smoke machines and par-cans across the areas.  Fingers crossed this year is better than lasts years disappointment.  

[Justin]

I must agree, a few smoke machines and lighting effects strategically placed would be good, if no scare zones were added

[Morgan]

Theme Park Guide have shared some more pictures of Sub's containers being put up.

Spoiler

This picture shows that the duck down exiting from the alien's nest has been put back up. Does this mean that any major changes will take place before the bridge?

[LittleReidy]

I haven’t been to a Scarefest since 2015 but I’m planning on heading down this year. I heard good things about the theming of The Welcoming so I’m excited for that. I feel a lot of people this year will be going just to see the Wicker Man at dusk/night.

[Sawboss]

Wicker Man at dusk is spectacular! The theme comes into it's own and it feels really out of control.

[Dom]

Little photo update from when I was on park over the weekend, Not much new seems to have happened an no noises or sounds could be heard, but it was nice to see stuff there.

[JC13]

Just out of interest, what is the building in the first photo? I don’t remember it being there last year for mine tours

[Dom]

It was there last year but I literally have no idea what it was for :lol

[DeadJack5]

I know it was sometimes used for baggage hold but that's about it :lol

[Justin]

Yeah, it was just a baggage hold. They didn't use it for anything else

[Danny]

On our ScareCON run through they used this to hand back the Haunted Lantern hard hats

[Justin]

Usually, at Scarefest, these are located in racks on the side. I'm sure it will return to being a baggage hold as the other mazes don't permit you to take them in!!

[Nutty Man]

Hi, never been to a scarefest but seen some previous posts talking about Extreme mazes and Alone mazes. What do these mean? Also where was Sub Species Lockdown based?