Last weekend saw the start of Scarefest at Alton Towers Resort, with the 2023 line-up incorporating new and refreshed scares alongside returning attractions that together provide something for all the family. TowersTimes rounds-up what’s on offer at this year’s event.
The headline new for 2023 attraction is Daz Games: PANIC, an experience where escape room meets live action scare maze. Created in partnership with YouTuber Daz Black, this AI-inspired experience represents a new type of scare attraction for the Resort – indeed, the first time use of technology developed by Conductr also makes it something novel for the industry more widely. Located primarily inside the Hospitality Suite marquee, next to Spinball Whizzer, the exterior queue line area has been given an industrial look, with theming in the form of mannequins and graffitied graphics. Guests are batched into the experience in groups of up to 40, with the first step being to collect a wristband containing a scannable chip and to enter a name. Everyone is then assigned a unique combination of two symbols, some of these being the logos of the Resort’s roller coasters.
The attraction starts with a pre-show where Daz explains how he has asked his AI technology to create a game, however it becomes apparent that the AI has been corrupted, setting the scene for the challenge that awaits. The task is to locate your assigned symbols in order to complete and escape the game. With only seven minutes to find their symbols and escape, guests are then released into the labyrinth where the mayhem commences. Some of the symbols are easier to locate than others, although some also need to be activated by locating and pressing a button before they can be scanned. Of course guests aren’t alone inside of the game, with a variety of characters also stalking guests and adding to the difficulty of completing the task in hand. Physical contact from the inhabitants forms a key part of the experience, with this in some cases meaning that guests are physically prevented from being able to reach their symbols. Whilst the attraction does not have the immersive and detailed theming of other past and present scare attractions, it does feature an intense soundtrack and disorientating lighting which builds as the timer counts down.
Upon exiting the attraction, there are screens displaying leaderboards of the times that guests managed to successfully escape in, both from the last game and over the duration of Scarefest. A dedicated merchandise stall is also located outside the exit, with a range of Daz Games: PANIC branded items available, including a selection of clothing, mugs, cups and a pin badge. Daz Black himself was also present over the opening weekend of Scarefest.
The main scare attraction line-up has also been refreshed with the debut of Altonville Mine Tours: Tiny’s Revenge, which sees the long-running scare maze updated for 2023. Immediately from the queue line it is apparent that it is no longer business as usual at the Altonville Mines, with local law enforcement having successfully detained the notorious Skin Snatchers. That is with the exception of Tiny, who has managed to evade capture and is believed to still reside within the Mines. Additional theming items such as a caravan and police checkpoint, with screens displaying local news reports, have been added, alongside a number of other indications that this remains an active crime scene. The introduction to the maze is now delivered by the sheriff, and once inside it is apparent that this is the first of many of the scenes to have been refreshed and reworked in terms of the storyline. Within the mines, guests encounter characters which include other members of the sheriff’s department, cheerleaders and of course a gas-masked clad Tiny. The maze feels darker than it ever has before, and the actors actively work to split the group up over the duration of the experience. The maze culminates in a finale that has guests fleeing from a chainsaw-wielding Tiny upon escaping from the mines. Overall, this new iteration of Altonville Mine Tours remains a strong part of the line-up.
Returning for 2023, is last year’s controversial new addition, The Invitation. This audio-based attraction see guests once more invited to visit The Lakeside Cemetery and descend into the burial chamber for an encounter with a vampire. The core experience remains unchanged, with the main experience taking place in complete darkness, whilst guests wear headphones to listen to the audio. Extra immersion is provided by physical effects in the form of vibrations and bangs, alongside water squirts. However, the attraction does benefit from the addition of a new live action finale for 2023, with an additional shipping container added to facilitate one final scare for guests before exiting. Nonetheless, the nature of the experience means that it is not repeatable in the same way as the other scare attractions in the line-up.
Also back for what is their fifth year is both The Attic: Terror of the Towers and Darkest Depths. Both scare mazes showcase the detailed and immersive theming that the Resort are capable of and remain a solid part of the line-up. Whilst The Attic has not seen any major changes, its theatrical pre-show remains a highlight of the experience, although the maze did seem light on actors during our run-through. Darkest Depths provides a good starting point for those taking their first steps into scare attractions, offering a somewhat less intense experience than the Resort’s other mazes as guests explore the infamous ghost ship ‘The Mutiny’. On their journey, which starts with the telling of the legend by the landlord of The Smugglers Inn, guests encounter a plethora of ghastly smells, the ships crew and of course the kraken.
Away from the scare mazes, another new addition for 2023 is Burial Grounds. In this free-flowing outdoor scare zone, guests journey through the sacred sanctum of The Unchosen, a cult of modern-day fanatics obsessed with the lore of the Beornen. The entrance to the scare zone is found to the right of Wicker Man’s entrance, with this marked by an impressive sign that features two (intermittently operating) flaming torches. Furthermore, this isn’t the only fire featured in the attraction, with some other flaming set pieces found along the route. The scare zone primarily uses the walkway which runs adjacent to Wicker Man (generally referred to as One Tree Path), although an early section sees guests walk beneath the path of the Skyride adding to the overall length of the route. As they make their way through the scare zone, guests encounter various members of The Unchosen who wear a range of different masks and are able to use the themed structures erected along the route to jump scare guests. They is also a short smoke-filled indoor section towards the end of the experience. The exit from the scare zone directs guests onto the pathway that runs underneath Wicker Man, along to Gloomy Wood. It’s great to see the return of a scare zone to Scarefest, with a return to the one-way walkthrough format of the event’s early scare zones. Being free to enter and open until 9:30pm, Burial Grounds is certainly a highlight of this year’s event!
In respect of family attractions, Trick O’ Treat Town returns for a third year, once again sponsored by HARIBO. This family friendly interactive walkthrough invites guests to explore a quirky town where the residents’ favourite pastime is hosting trick-or-treating for the town’s visitors! Guests are encouraged to knock on doors in order to collect plenty of sweets, although sometimes they may be surprised with a trick instead.
An established part of Scarefest are the family shows and entertainment, which are again hosted on the Front Lawns stage this year. As well as including the traditional shows from the Freaky Five, with Patch’s Trick or Treat Party and Phil’s Halloween Dance Party, a mix of live vocals and dance is provided by Sin Bin: ImmortHELL and A Vintage Halloween.
The Alton Ancestors also make a return with an updated dance routine, being found on Towers Street in the morning and Fountain Square later in the day. They also perform their ‘Final Haunt’ dance on the Front Lawn stage in the evening. In CBeebies Land, younger guests can once again enjoy the CBeebies Land Monster Ball, featuring all of their favourite characters.
The food and beverage units from Oktoberfest have again been retained on the Front Lawns, but with their Scarefest makeover, meaning this area serves as a combined food and entertainment hub. Some speciality food items are also being sold at the theme park’s permanent food outlets. A range of Scarefest merchandise is also available in Towers Trading, with some new jumpers and keyrings. Alongside a more generic Scarefest mug, a Wicker Man pumpkin themed mug is also available. The popular Freaky Five plushes are also back on sale.
Towers Street is decorated with its traditional colourful bunting, as well as the ride-themed pumpkins and main Scarefest sign. However, the iconic hearse has not made a return this year. As darkness falls, The Towers are once again illuminated, but this year with the addition of mist effects around its base, adding to the spooky atmosphere. Given that Garden Lights Walk: Whispering Souls is not part of the 2023 line-up, it is good to see that enhancements have been made elsewhere.
Nightfall also provides an opportunity to experience the theme park’s rides in the dark, as well as for The Retro Squad to show off their lighting packages. The Curse at Alton Manor has also seen a number of enhancements implemented in time for Scarefest. Alongside permanent new elements within the attraction, one of Emily’s ragdolls joins the characters who can be found wandering the grounds of the manor. As evening descended on Alton Manor, party guests also arrived for a New Year’s Eve celebration, just like on the fateful night of 31st December 1891…
Over at the Resort’s hotels, Patch and his pad of pumpkins have invaded Splash Landings Hotel for Scarefest. There is also some new entertainment at the Alton Towers Hotel where Vikings have taken over the iconic ship.
Finally, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to share some of photos that team member Rachel and daughter Saps (or should that be Emily) captured over the course of their visit in their The Curse at Alton Manor inspired costumes!
We’re pleased to see the Resort taking the first steps this year to refresh Scarefest, and hope this is indicative of ambitions to consistently bring something new to the event each year moving forwards. It certainly seems like there would be scope to replace Darkest Depths or The Attic with a new maze next year, as well as adding a further scare zone to the line-up. Nonetheless, Scarefest remains a solid all-round Halloween event which offers something for all members of the family, with a sizeable and varied line-up of attractions and entertainment.
Tickets for the Resort’s scare attractions can be purchased either online or from the Resort Box Office. Tickets for Daz Games: PANIC are sold individually at a price of £10pp (discounted to £8pp for passholders). A combination ticket for The Invitation, The Attic: Terror of the Towers, Altonville Mine Tours: Tiny’s Revenge, and Darkest Depths costs £34, with annual passholders able to obtain a 20% discount on this price. Individual scare maze tickets can be purchased on-the-day, via the app, for £9 each. Trick O’ Treat Town costs £12 per bag (which annual passholders can again obtain 20% discount on), with up to two adults able to accompany a child without the need to purchase their own bag.
Scarefest runs at Alton Towers Resort on the 7th-8th and 13th-31st October, with the theme park open 10am – 9pm on these dates. Will you be paying a visit this year? Let us know your thoughts via our social media channels.
