This past weekend saw the start of the main 2023 season at Alton Towers Resort, and the much anticipated launch of The Curse at Alton Manor! We take a deep dive into what this new dark ride has brought to the theme park, as the spirit of a restless Emily Alton finally gets to play…
Please note that this article contains spoilers for The Curse at Alton Manor – do not continue reading if you want to keep the manor’s secrets a surprise until you ride!
The first destination for many guests on Saturday morning was of course Gloomy Wood, in order to be amongst the first guests to experience The Curse at Alton Manor, the Resort’s new for 2023 dark ride that takes the place of Duel – The Haunted House Strikes Back. Duel itself replaced the Haunted House in 2003, with the addition of the interactive element widely regarded as having detracted from the original ride experience. Therefore, with the promise that this third iteration of the attraction would take it back to its Haunted House roots, there was much excitement about what would await inside Alton Manor.
Based on the information released by the Resort over the last few months, it was known that the ride would centre on Emily Alton, a character from the Haunted House who could be found residing in a doll’s house within the ride’s queue line, right up until Duel’s closure in September last year. Expanding on Emily’s backstory, it was said that The Curse at Alton Manor would tell her horrifying story as the troubled daughter of a pair of Victorian high society figures who preferred partying to parenting, until one night when they and all their guests disappeared into thin air. With Emily remaining unaccounted for, it was said that she still haunts Alton Manor to this day looking for the one thing denied to her – play.
Upon arrival into the area, the updates were already evident, with the addition of signage reading ‘Alton Manor’ above the entry point from Katanga Canyon, and open gates attached to the turrets on both sides of all three entrances to the area. The latter each feature an array of ‘property for sale’ signs which provide nods to one of the original designers of the Haunted House, Keith Sparks of the Sparks Group, as well as to John Wardley who was also at the helm of the original attraction. Within the area, the most notable change was the removal of the cover that was installed above the crypt in front of the building’s façade upon the ride’s retheme to Duel. This is certainly a positive change, with it now allowing for much clearer views of the building, i.e. Alton Manor. The zombies which were previously emerging from the top and side of the crypt itself have been removed. Instead, on the top of the crypt can now been found a small statue of Emily’s pet cat, Snowy. A plaque has been added to the railings that surround the crypt identifying it as being for Emily Alton, although the lack of a year of death signifies that it is an empty grave – the first hint that something is amiss at Alton Manor…
Alongside the new ride opening, the Resort have also reopened Gloomy Wood’s food and beverage kiosk, now called Coach House Confectionary. Having last operated as Nitrogenie before remaining out of use for the last few years, there are now a selection of sweet treats on offer. These include ice cream, milkshakes, cupcakes and a cookie ‘spookwich’. An additional theming element has also been added to the building in the form of a Doom & Sons hearse, complete with a coffin, emerging from the coach house’s doors.
The area itself was understandably very busy on Saturday morning, as guests gathered to be around to see the new ride open. Whilst waiting for this, guests were kept entertained by a cast of roaming characters which included a coachman, grave diggers, gardeners and a doll within a ‘self-driving’ pram. One of these characters was carrying around a box containing an apparently deceased Snowy, although Emily’s pet cat perhaps wasn’t quite as dead as thought, with it surprising many a guest by jumping out of the box. With the characters back out again on Sunday, we understand that they are set to remain a feature beyond the opening weekend. This is very welcome, given that they helped add to the atmosphere of Gloomy Wood and bring the area alive.
Amongst the opening day crowds were members of the Resort’s management team, most notably new Divisional Director, Bianca Sammut, who was accompanied by legendary ride designer John Wardley. Although the project was headed up by John Burton, Creative Lead at Merlin Magic Making, John Wardley was consulted for his thoughts and therefore also had input into the project. Both Bianca and John Wardley spent time greeting and taking photos with guests whilst waiting for the ride to open, while John Burton could be found in the area once the ride opened, eager to hear everyone’s reactions and feedback. Whilst it was intended that the new attraction would open with the park at 10am, its opening was slightly delayed by apparent technical issues. Nonetheless, shortly before 11am, an announcement was made by one of the roaming characters that Alton Manor was ready to open its doors, which was met by delighted cheers from the gathered crowds! We understand John Wardley took this as his cue to relocate himself to the operator’s cabin, where he would be able to watch riders’ reactions on the various CCTV cameras.
The main queue line entrance remains in the same place as previously, however it is now marked by the relocated crypt cover, which makes for a much grander entry point. Although the entrance signage was all in place, the electronic queue time board was yet to be installed. A ride host was positioned at the queue line entrance, providing a first look at the attraction staff’s themed uniforms, which evidently take inspiration from the Victorian period in which the ride’s story is set. These uniforms are worn by all staff working both within the attraction itself, as well as its gift shop.
As was the case previously, the exterior queue line takes guests on a winding path through a woodland graveyard. It utilises the full Haunted House queue line that had remained out of use in more recent years, with a new pathway laid and fencing installed. Whilst making their way through the queue line, guests can spot a mixture of existing headstones (which have been given a refresh) as well as new gravestones, with these each serving as a nod to past theme park attractions including Corkscrew, Black Hole, Air and (of course) Duel. New additions to the queue line are a series of plaques which tell Emily’s backstory and start to set the scene for the ride. Other features include a doll watching from afar and a seemingly abandoned picnic. Lighting and mist effects were also in-situ, however it is unclear if these were only temporary additions for the opening weekend. If so, we would hope that we might see them return for Scarefest later in the year. An atmospheric audio track is played throughout the queue line which shares similarities with The Sinister Garden soundtrack composed by Graham Smart for the Haunted House.
The queue eventually leads guests along the front of the building, where a sign reading ‘open house today’ is displayed in one of the windows. The premise is that guests are undertaking viewings of Alton Manor which has been put up for sale, with the property having remained empty since the fateful night. Other changes to the façade include it being painted somewhat darker (you might say gloomier), and the window above the doorway now appearing to be shattered. In this window can be seen the silhouette of Emily, although the presentation of this isn’t as effective during the day. It is just before entering the building where the main queue merges with the Ride Access Pass (RAP) queue and newly created Fastrack queue. The RAP queue follows the same pathway along the right-hand side of the building, with sensory information on display. A ‘for sale’ sign has also been attached to the turret which the RAP queue runs alongside, referring to ‘Burton & Ward’ as the estate agents. The Fastrack queue can also be found on the right-hand side, with this marked by removable rope fencing that leads to a new set of stairs up to the merge point. Solo Fastrack is already available for The Curse at Alton Manor, priced at £8pp, along with the ride also being included in all of this year’s Fastrack packages.
Upon being batched into Alton Manor itself, guests first enter the foyer area which existed in the attraction’s previous iterations. However, many of the paintings and artefacts have been covered with sheets to prepare the property for sale, and signage is on display with information about Alton Manor. Whilst there is a modern-looking sign from Burton & Ward, there is another dating back to 1893, suggesting it has perhaps been a struggle to find a willing buyer over the last 130 years…
Moving deeper into the manor, guests walk past signs which collate the entire backstory presented to guests via the queue line plaques. The next room is again as it was previously, with the queue line following the same reworked route around the outskirts of the room as in Duel’s final years of operation. This room contains the ride’s pre-show, centring on the doll’s house which is on display. After a voiceover tells another variant of the ride’s backstory, which culminates in the events of New Year’s Eve 1891, the ghostly whispers of a little girl can be heard saying “let me show you what happened”. It is at this point that the Alton family appear inside one of the rooms of the doll’s house, utilising a small scale version of the Pepper’s Ghost effect. After being banished to her room by her father, Emily becomes overcome with purple energy, beginning to levitate as the queue line floor vibrates, before she explodes into a purple cloud that extends beyond the confines of the doll’s house and kills her parents and their party guests in the process. This is synchronised with the room being illuminated by UV lights which reveal the entire space to be covered in messages from Emily, conveying her troubled nature. The room then resets to the faint sound of Emily giggling.
Although less than two minutes in length, the fact guests freely flow through the room can make it difficult to catch the full sequence and can also result in guests entering midway through. This sounded as though it would therefore be something that the ride’s creative team would look to tighten-up, to ensure more guests have the opportunity to see the entire pre-show. The room also contains lots of additional details, including a copy of The Alton Star newspaper, dated 2nd January 1892, where the front page story tells of the aftermath of the Alton’s New Year’s Eve party and the fact that Emily Alton is still yet to be found. This also reveals Emily’s father to be the owner of Doom & Sons funeral directors, a nod of course to the former Talbot Street attraction, alongside featuring an advert for ‘Jewel Premium Tailors’ which is owned by D.N. Roodyn & Co. in reference to the departed Duel.
Guests exit the room through a doorway beneath a portrait of Henry and Elizabeth Alton, which shows Emily cowering in the background. This leads into the ride’s station, where the remnants of the party can still be seen, with streamers stretching from wall-to-wall across the room and a Happy New Year banner hanging above where the ride vehicles exit from the station and move into the main ride layout. In some places, the wallpaper is peeling away, revealing yet more messages from Emily. As a result of the interactive element being removed, the ride vehicles once again seat six guests, with the middle seat on the back row reinstated. It is therefore understood that the ride has a capacity of around 1500 guests per hour, making it one of, if not the highest, capacity rides in the theme park.
After climbing on-board a carriage, which retain the same look as previously, it is time for guests to journey even further into Alton Manor. As the ride gets underway, it is as if guests are transported back to 1891, moments before midnight as the ‘storm of supernatural proportions’ instigated by Emily engulfs the manor. One of the first scenes remains the Great Hall, where the charred skeletons of the party guests pulse with purple energy, while a ghostly Emily appears off ahead before disappearing in a flash of a light. Many guests were and will be delighted to discover that the next major scene incorporates a functional trommel tunnel, with this element having been static for several years up until Duel’s closure. The tunnel is utilised upon the ride taking guests through a giant fireplace – a set piece that was teased by last month’s pop-up doll’s house experience. We understand that the intention is that there will also be a smoke-screen onto which flame effects are projected, however this element is subject to refinement since it was triggering the trommel tunnel to shut-off. Indeed, it was this issue that TowersTimes understands to have caused the delayed opening, with the decision being made to open the ride with a working trommel tunnel rather than the fire effects – arguably the right call!
Shortly after, guests find Emily waiting ahead with her silhouette transforming into a demonic creature as she prepares to play a game of hide and seek with guests. The carriage then journeys through a section of complete darkness, where Emily can be periodically heard, as if following guests. Although intended to build tension before a jump-scare moment, this is probably the first section of the ride where it seems like there is potential for further improvement. At the very least, it feels as though this section would benefit from louder audio to really sell the idea that Emily is stalking guests through the darkness, and perhaps UV effects could be used to also provide brief glimpses of her.
Moving beyond, the ride travels through another of the more extensively themed sections – the manor’s attic. Here guests are tormented by dolls and spiders, with Emily heard asking “are you scared of spiders?” (a call-back to the same question being asked within the Haunted House), as her silhouette contorts into a spider. At the end of this scene, guests encounter what is assumed to be Emily in her spider-form, with the re-use of the giant spider prop from the previous iterations of the attraction, albeit with something of a facelift.
The next scene features one of the ride’s most effective tricks, as the carriage travels along a corridor of mirrors. As guests watch themselves in the mirrors, they find themselves momentarily disappearing from the carriage and instead being replaced by Emily. Unfortunately, on some of our rides this effect did not feature – with others reporting the same, we hope its reliability can be improved as it is sure to be a real talking point for riders. After another dark scene, this time featuring demon heads and figures lit up with UV with the potential here to make these a bit easier to see amongst the darkness, guests reach the garden. This elaborately themed area is now home to scarecrows, while the hearse is being pulled along by Emily’s rocking horse. Emily can be spotted on her swing, at least momentarily anyway, before seeming to vanish in front of guests’ eyes…
The final section of the ride then begins with Emily declaring that guests will “look perfect in my doll’s house” with a lighting cue then synchronised with the carriage speeding up, as if guests are being shrunk down and pulled inside the doll’s house. It is this section that was the main focus of the first look images released last week ahead of the ride’s opening, with lots of giant-sized toys which feature countless Easter eggs referencing past attractions and more. Given the speed at which the carriage travels through this section, it will certainly take many rides to appreciate all of the references, which include the iconic duck from The Flume, now in a new home. Projections and screens are used to make it appear as though Emily is trying to grab riders, with the finale of the ride seeing a giant Emily crash through the doll’s house whilst screaming “you’re mine” in a last attempt to stop guests escaping!
After disembarking the ride, guests exit along a corridor covered in writing that repeats “you’re mine”. This leads guests into the ride’s gift shop, Attic of Antiquities. Here guests can firstly view and purchase their on-ride photo, while opposite the kiosk can be found a free photo opportunity in a newly opened-up space. Guests can sit in a giant rocking chair next to a portrait of Emily Alton, although if you watch closely it may just seem as though Emily’s eyes follow you around the room – not to mention that you might be in for even more of a surprise if you continue to stare… On sale within the shop is a variety of The Curse at Alton Manor themed merchandise including T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, stationery and a compact mirror. There are also some more generic spooky items available to purchase. The retail space has been superbly themed, with small details such as Emily’s toy box and the positioning of the books which were previously attached to the carriages when the attraction operated as Duel atop the shelving cabinets. A custom wallpaper also lines the walls of the shop, featuring an ‘AT’ symbol which can also be found along the shop’s counter. A final feature are multiple sets of dolls which incorporate motion-activated effects that sees them light up and sound effects play, suggesting Emily isn’t quite finished haunting guests…
Overall, The Curse at Alton Manor is a fantastic addition to the Resort, reinvigorating an existing attraction for a new generation through the use of modern-day technology and special effects. The entire experience is also packed full of Easter eggs to spot, providing another reason for re-rides, on top of the attraction itself being thoroughly enjoyable. While there are a handful of dead spots, from speaking to various members of the project team, it is evident that there are still a few effects to be added, as well as other tweaks and enhancements due to be made to perfect the ride experience over the coming weeks and months. It sounds as though some of the timing issues come as a result of the ride being programmed and tested with empty ride carriages, with the addition of riders subsequently impacting their speed. Nonetheless, given that the attraction has been turned around in a little over six months, the quality of the product delivered is to be praised. It is clear that a lot of heart has been put into the attraction by the Merlin Magic Making team headed up by John Burton and John Wardley, and the external team at Conductr lead by Pete Cliff. It certainly has us excited for what is to come with the retracked Nemesis and Project Horizon!
Have you had the opportunity to experience The Curse at Alton Manor yet? What are your thoughts on the experience? Let us know via our social media channels!
