Scarefest 2012: General Discussion (Spoiler Warning)

[Ollie16]

I loved TotT 2011, and I'm already a bit excited about scarefest 2012. Just wondering, does TotT change physical route layout year on year, or just the themes of the rooms? Thanks guys!

[Voke]

Scarefest will be running from Wednesday 17th October 2012-Wednesday 31st October 2012, Is it me or do these dates look like a Shorter Scarefest?
Source- http://www.altontowers.com/events/openi ... mepark-oct

Definitely a shorter Scarefest this year, as I believe it started on a Saturday last year, and ran for about 15 days. Not to mention last year the event was extended until the 31st. I wonder what caused them to start the event mid-week this year? 

So that they can iron out all the problems ready for the weekend, possibly?

[Chris W]

I wouldn't read too much into those opening times at the moment, they are always wrong at this time of year

[bilvy man]

just gonna throw it our there,Do you think the boiler house was taken out cos of sw7?
and also a nemesis scare maze would be good

[marita]

My first Scarefest was 2009  and I was really impressed with it, I loved the Haunted Hollow with all the actors. The teenagers who thought it was good to scare little kids tho got on my nerves.

I went in 2010 and was not that impressed tbh. I was disgruntled that I had to pay for mazes when I already paid admission or had an annual pass. And the fact had to trundle over to the hotels.

I went to Thorpe Park for their Fright Nights and thought that they were fab all the mazes in the park and having a annual pass only a fiver extra.

We popped to TP this year and was impressed again, but didnt make to AT because we went to Florida for Halloween.

I personally think that Universal Orlando and AT coudl learn a few tips from each other. Universal themeing was totally excellent, mazes were packed with things to look at, and scares.
However the actors are not allowed to touch you in any way and there are members of staff in high visability vests on every corner spoiling the effect totally.

I think AT could have a lot more themeing and charge the extra fiver. Plus extra actors = very happy punters and pleanty of visits.

Oh and please AT a 3D maze.... would be very nice, I have never felt like pooping myself so much

[Shrek The Jack]

I enjoyed Scarefest 2011 its was a good day out, I did like the fact they used the Black hole tent for a CoS and Boiler House. I would of like to of seen a maze or two up by the Hotels as well as it delays "The back to reality" when leaving the park.

I liked the Zombie walk through zone, I personally thought it was realistic (IF a Zombie Apocalypse ever happened that is) so defo keep that going bit of fun i thought.

I liked ToTT but it was the same ending as the previous year but walked through there 3 times and got to be honest jumped a few times

Its time for them to bite the bullet and bring back the Corn fields though by far the best maze!!

My idea is to put a maze in each of the three main zones keep the ToTT and a maze by the hotel so 5 in total I wouldn't mind paying paying an extra few hard pennies for that


But first of all BRING BACK THE CORN FIELDS!!!!!!

[Voke]

just gonna throw it our there,Do you think the boiler house was taken out cos of sw7?
and also a nemesis scare maze would be good

I don't think The Boiler House has been removed from next years line-up due to the construction of SW7, as many years before, the Maze itself was located next to the hotels, and it was done like this for every single year apart from 2011.I think it was due to age of the maze as I believe the storylines, the masks, and the characters themselves were drying up year after year, as they started to run out of ideas, and pretty much just used the same storyline year in year out. I hope this means that Alton can work on new and original ideas that will continue to scare and entertain us for years to come. Role on 2012!

[NickT04]

I wouldn't read too much into those opening times at the moment, they are always wrong at this time of year

They've already changed them, at the "moment" Scarefest looks to be from Friday 19th - Wednesday 31st, which is only 13 days!

[ubagel]

I've done a few scare events and think Alton Towers could learn a lot from Busch Gardens Tampa.

This year Tampa got rid of all their scare zones and sent 'zombie hordes' wandering around the park. They were in large groups, and created their own Scare Zone just by being somewhere. Some of them had props, very occasionally animatronic, but it was clear the money had been spent on volume of actors, not themeing. I must have seen 5 different hordes, each of maybe 15-20 actors. Nowhere was safe...just by trying to get off a ride you may end up having to walk through a zombie horde...brilliant!

Obviously Alton Towers is 'family friendly'....if they could do this they'd be best on the 'left' side of the park, but I'd really love to see this. BGT also had mazes dotted all round the park in amongst their rides, often in tents. The budgets were much higher but just like Alton Towers, a maze comes back for a few years. Not a bad thing if it's a good maze.

I've also done Thorpe and Universal's events but for me Busch's really stood out as a model that Alton Towers could copy. There's so much about Busch that is basically 'Alton Towers but bigger' (even down to the sprawling nature of the paths), in my mind, copying what works there, on a smaller scale, is almost a guaranteed winner.

[Randomizer462]

Dont if anyone has noticed but another change to the times is that Sat & Sun the 13th and 14th, it now says 10am-9pm for these, Could this be a Preview Weekend?

[Themeparksandy1981]

I would like to see duel live back this year and the actors inside Hex.

[MindofAdam]

I've only been to one Scarefest (2010) and it was phenomenal. I heavily agree with the general views of the other fans about the general Scarefest. So here are my plans for 2012 considering my views of 2010, and other views of the 2011 season with combined knowledge of other scare attractions.

MAZES:
ToTT is the best by far, but it seems the "best years" of this maze was Bloodfest Banquet, so I think they need to create characters to bump it from a 9 minute scarefest to a 12 minute theatrical work of art with characters and SHORT dialogue with helpings of gore and history.
I'm kind of glad to see The Boiler House go, it was creepy at best and made you want to hurry, but nothing was screamworthy. Maybe replace it with an Experiment 10 or Asylum style attraction.
Carnival of Screams was fun, but not menacing, it needs that edge so you know that they are killers, not just creepy. Possible left-over props and red paint and fake blood from The Boiler House to be used?
The ticket prices for these two need to be lowered for sure, not worth what you pay for it.
A free maze would be a good idea too, but considering they already need to replace TBH, it should be a cheap, fast, high octane one, something you would find in Fright Nights. People tend to be off-put mazes if they've been in a terrifying one like Terror of the Towers, or if they don't have enough adrenaline to carry on, and they could easily sell more tickets if this was here as it would seriously boost adrenaline levels.
Still not sure on the Scare Zone as DEAD END was terrible, although I like the idea of multiple roaming hordes.

AMBIENCE:
More props, Thorpe Park have almost just ditched them altogether they're so scarce, but they're scattered, unlike Alton Towers, where you almost forget about it being Scarefest. Spread the theming.
As people are complaining, ambience lighting, it was great in 2010, floodlight is bad, Fright Nights had that too. But you need the spooky colours, as for some reason I could sit for ages watching the Towers or Stealth illuminated, magic.

ETC:
The pay-for mazes should be outside the park I agree, it just makes it awesome because of the lack of ride noise, and the marquees hidden by trees is amazing
Please bring Skelvin's Haunted Adventure/Duel: Live! back! I had more jumps in SHA than The Boiler House...
I want the scare room to stay, I have never been in one but am gonna beg this year for my dad to take me 

Fright Nights and Scarefest could learn one or two things from the other, Scarefest needs to step up their scare factor if they want the money, and Fright Nights need higher quality overall.

[thefatone]

Dont if anyone has noticed but another change to the times is that Sat & Sun the 13th and 14th, it now says 10am-9pm for these, Could this be a Preview Weekend?

I imagine it'll be like thorpes doing - weekend then half term.

I can only imagine they're doing this due to limited budget - it's roughly same amount of days as the past couple of years (15 dates in total). However with 31st being so late into the week, we've instead got our quiet days at the end instead of beginning of the event. They're still managing to get 3 weekends of scarefest in there though.

[OvenChips]

After attending 2010 and 2011's scarefest, this year im going to try a scareroom
I already cant wait for it! I think maybe this year they will add sub terra live? or something among those lines. And for christ sake bring back duel live! couldn't believe it was gone last year, but the zombie scarezone made up for it.

[djtruefitt]

And please remove TH13TEEN afterdark or what ever it was called. It just made the queues for TH13TEEN massive and offered some Wraiths which should be at the ride all year anyway!

[Starlight expresser]

does anyone have the Scarefest 2012 Dates yet, im really annoyed if the dates stated on website are correct. I only vist during weekdays & when kids are still in school, they have listed them starting 13th oct weekend, then starts back again 19th onwards into school holidays so no scarefest away from weekends and holidays!!!! Why couldnt they start on 15th oct for 2 weeks?

Andy

[thefatone]

Cos your suggestion means they miss out on a busy weekend, and actual halloween itself?

Schools are back by the 29th anyway. The 30th and 31st will be as dead as the first weeks usually are. Go then!

[Starlight expresser]

Ive heard 30th & 31st are normally crammed because its actual Halloween?. Really dont know what to do, need to defo find out school holidays are soneone else told me that local schools near Alton are on holiday from 29th.

[thefatone]

Towers run their holidays according to the local schools - the october half term this year is 20th-28th.

The weekend around the halloween is crammed - so this year will be 27th/28th. Everyone will be at school and work for actual halloween this year.

[Starlight expresser]

the half term for whole country is 29th-4th nov, its late this year!, the kids only get 7 days of Scarefest, the 13th-14th oct weekend, and from 27th- 31st oct. Works out better for me