Scarefest 2009

From October 17th, spooks galore descended on Alton Towers for 2009’s Scarefest, featuring a whole heap of frightful fun for every member of the family. The bravest of guests could enter the terrifying scare mazes, whilst younger visitors to join in Skelvin, Phil, Patch and Franklin’s celebrations!

Dates: 17th October – 1st November

The Flume, Squirrel Nutty, The Dung Heap, Riverbank Eye Spy and the Gardens shut at 3.30pm. Other rides shut at 9pm daily.

Park – On-the-day/Online
Adult – £37.00/£29.50
Child – £28.00/£22.50
Senior – £18.50/£14.80
Disabled – £18.50/£14.80

Resort
The Boiler House- £6.00
Field of 1000 Screams – £6.00
Combined Maze Ticket – £9.00

Park + Maze Combined Admission
Adults – £38.50 (online only)

In the Park
Duel: Live! (12-9pm)
Giant Pumpkins
Halloween Characters
Old MacDonald’s
Friendly Scarecrows
Rides in the Dark
Terror of the Towers(12-9pm)
Trick and Treat Doors

In the Resort
The Boiler House (5-11pm)
Field of 1000 Screams (5-11pm)
Patch’s Pumpkin Hide-Out
Pirate Bill’s Ghost Hunt
Ringo’s Spooktacular
Celebration
Trick or Treat Rooms
Witches Show

In the Park

Located deep within the gothic ruins of the Earl of Shrewsbury’s mansion was Terror of the Towers – What Lies Within, where a terrifying force had taken control. The park was looking for volunteers to investigate this latest evil activity, and you were on the invitation list, if you dare descend into this fearsome labyrinth. After several years of operating under the Bloodfest Banquet theme, it was thought that a major overhaul was needed to bring the attraction up to date. This saw the route through the Towers completely reversed and all new sets, props and effects. Guests would now start at the conservatory side and descend lower and lower into the basement levels where the final scene was to be the most chaotic yet. A maze of chain link fencing had been erected, and with thick dense fog effects plus the constant blinding strobe lights meant victims were already in a panicked state before the actors had to pounce!

But the Towers were not the only Victorian mansion coming alive for Halloween, as the spooks were back, taking over the park’s Haunted House for Duel: Live! The Gremlins had been let loose, disabling your blaster and leaving you at the mercy of the spirits within, guaranteeing you the ride of your life. Might you find out what happened to the wealthy family that once lived inside? This attraction received mixed reviews in 2009, with some saying it was improved greatly with more actors, while others suggested the watered down scares and more family friendly approach wasn’t as fun as the previous year’s version.

And what Halloween celebration would be complete without Skelvin, Phil, Patch and Franklin, the park’s mischievous Halloween Characters? All through Scarefest they roamed the park to provide fun and frights for all the family. Elsewhere brave young souls were also able to try for a prize or risk a surprise by knocking on one of the Trick or Treat Doors, with Millicent, Molly and naughty Meg.

As ever the park was transformed into a spook’s playground during the Scarefest including the Giant Pumpkins, which could be found at various points around the park. New for this season, Old MacDonald’s Friendly Scarecrows had come to life and could be found having some spooky fun all around his farmyard and Towers Street. And of course closing later could mean only one thing, the chance to ride some of your favourite Rides in the Dark.

In the Resort

Over in the Hotels, the management thanked guests for helping them exorcise the spirits lurking within the resort’s maintenance areas in 2008, but now the doors of The Boiler House are rattling once again. Following a recent breakout from a local asylum, a pair of escaped serial killers, ‘The Hamble Twins’, were believed to be lurking in the abandoned facility. While the name of the attraction and the interior sets remained more or less the same, the attraction improved greatly, made much more sense, and provided better scares.

Elsewhere in the hotels things were certain to go bump in the night in the resort’s Trick or Treat Rooms. Guests could check in to one of these specially dedicated rooms and prepare for a night of family frights. Would Dad get a forfeit? Would Mum be in for a pleasant surprise? One thing was for sure, there was plenty of fun for all.

Alongside the Alton Towers Hotel it seemed like it had been a lean year down at Altonville Farm; whilst the corn had grown strong and high it looked like no one had the chance to harvest it. It was thought that perhaps the hired help were too busy enjoying Scarefest, however guests could still venture down to these sedate pastures for Field of a Thousand Screams, to make sure nothing was amiss out in the fields. After all who knew what terrible secrets might have been concealed within this maze of maize. The story continued from the previous years, this time the Army had been brought in to take over Altonville. Using a shorter route, guests were guided around the field passing various huts, tents and army vehicles as the story built up slowly before proceeding to a huge finale scene on a bus that climaxed with an all out zombie attack!

Once guests had their fill of scares, there was no better way to relax than with an evening of entertainment, with the all new Witches Show in the Alton Towers Hotel. Meanwhile over at Splash Landings, one of the park’s friendly Halloween mascots set up shop in Patch’s Pumpkin Hide-Out, ready to supply the entire resort with pumpkins for the spookiest time of year. Younger guests could also go on a Ghost Hunt with Pirate Bill, to banish the ghouls before they headed off to bed, or alternatively join in with Ringo’s Spooktacular Celebration?