CineramaMax
Mega Poster
A returning scene confirmed!
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Duel at Alton Towers closing on 6th September - retheme or refurbishment for 2023?
- Thread starter toofpikk
- Start date
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- Tags
- alton towers closing duel
Matt N
CF Legend
I originally planned to avoid spoilers fully before riding, but seeing as these photos were plastered all over my Facebook page when I opened it and seem to be coming at me from every angle, that approach was quickly stymied… I’ll still stop short of watching a POV or taking in any in-depth reviews when it opens, but seeing as catching glimpses of these photos seems pretty unavoidable and they do only show a very small snippet of the ride, I may as well cave!
What’s been shown looks excellent, and certainly makes me excited to ride in 12 days’ time!
What’s been shown looks excellent, and certainly makes me excited to ride in 12 days’ time!
From what’s been shown so far, it’s almost giving me a voodoo-type vibe, which could be very sinister… that scene with the doll pinned to the board looks very much like a voodoo doll, and that could be quite scary.
There are also a phenomenal amount of Easter eggs!
There are also a phenomenal amount of Easter eggs!
CrashCoaster
CF Legend
I can't lie it would absolutely make my day if they keep the NYEEERRRRR!!! scream from Duel somewhere in there but I highly doubt they will.
To be totally honest I'm not a huge fan of the "shrunk down" concept. I didn't like it in the Ratatouille ride or Toy Story Land either.
The only time it ever really worked was in the old Honey I Shrunk The Audience attraction where there was a reason for you to be small.
Otherwise there's always this jarring transition where you're normal sized and then suddenly you're small for no reason. I hope it's not like that for this ride.
The promo photos looks pretty good though. Arguably the sets look a little cartoony but with some good effects and a soundtrack it could be a solid ride. Looking forward to seeing what the whole package is like.
The only time it ever really worked was in the old Honey I Shrunk The Audience attraction where there was a reason for you to be small.
Otherwise there's always this jarring transition where you're normal sized and then suddenly you're small for no reason. I hope it's not like that for this ride.
The promo photos looks pretty good though. Arguably the sets look a little cartoony but with some good effects and a soundtrack it could be a solid ride. Looking forward to seeing what the whole package is like.
Trooper Looper
Roller Poster
I'm curious to see if the column monster survived the makeover. It does seem the giant dolls house is build where the entrance to where the final was, but there is potential of the prop surviving since the walls for the garden are still there behind the house.
toofpikk
Hyper Poster
not sure how new it is but a promo video has started doing the rounds.
To be totally honest, aside from the guy behind BTPA saying he was excited for the new attraction after historically being quite critical of Merlin's recent installments, this is the first time I'm personally actually excited by this redevelopment.
I have tried to reserve my pessimism towards this specific ride because frankly I never really cared about Duel, it was just kinda there. And as much as people seem to be impressed with the creative direction MMM has found itself going in since the middle of last decade, I haven't ever really been impressed by the execution of overall attractions. Maybe I need to put myself back into my glum cage, but imagine... if this is actually a really well done retheme? What?!
To be totally honest, aside from the guy behind BTPA saying he was excited for the new attraction after historically being quite critical of Merlin's recent installments, this is the first time I'm personally actually excited by this redevelopment.
I have tried to reserve my pessimism towards this specific ride because frankly I never really cared about Duel, it was just kinda there. And as much as people seem to be impressed with the creative direction MMM has found itself going in since the middle of last decade, I haven't ever really been impressed by the execution of overall attractions. Maybe I need to put myself back into my glum cage, but imagine... if this is actually a really well done retheme? What?!
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Trooper Looper
Roller Poster
You can make a thread for the retrosquad if you want. It'd be a very interesting thread to have.
is there a seperate thread for this? I can't seem to find it so sorry if there is..
Whoever does the animation & music for these retro squad videos is a gem
TjChapperz
Mega Poster
There was a video on the local news last night and indeed the flume duck is inside.
Swat
Hyper Poster
Screw Horizon or Exodus, this ride will always be better now the duck is safe.
Trooper Looper
Roller Poster
MAJOR SPOILERS BELOW:
So I rode it today, and I won't lie, it's a bit of a marmite situation. Some parts I really liked, some I didn't like.
The area outside is simply fantastic!!! The new gravestones in the queue really fit the vive of the original ones being really finny deaths while some are nods to rides in the past.
The indoor queue is okay, not a fan of the UV Words all over the wall, seems very generic to me. The actual new dolls house is great looking! Wish it was a bit brighter in there, turn up those chandeliers up a bit.
The station is nicely done. Not too underdone but not too extreme.
Now, onto the actual ride itself. So the poltergeist room is still there and integrated really well into the first scene, though the lights behind them don't seem to flicker as well as previously, but I'm sure the lighting will be perfected at the end of the year.
The grand Hall.... oh boy, this is a downgrade to me, the Flying Demons are no more and are replaced by... a projection of Emily standing still. A small ghoul seems to swoop over you, which is a nice effect.
The trommel. ITS BACK IN BUSINESS BABY. The trommel is actually tunring now, but the theming in the room is entirely different, from a gothic corridor with a giant skull about to swallow you whole is replaced by some portraits, a crack in the wall, and a very thin fireplace replacing the face. The giants lair is mostly pitch black, but there a new set between the trommel and the giant's lair with Emily. The window where the giant used to be (the only thing you can see in there) is repurposed with a trio of toys that resemble Emily and her parents, then a giant station hand prop is lit above right before you enter the hall of spiders. Most of it has been rethemed to an attic with dolls replacing the zombies, and a set of new spiders, thankfully the giant spider still remains, but with more eyes that glow now. The ghost corridor is completely different, with a car by your side which reveals Emily sitting in it, followed by a doll jumping put on your left.
Now, onto the screaming heads. The iconic scream is sadly no more and the heads have been replaced with much larger and sinister ones, though they don't have any sound effects.
The Sinister garden is still very familiar with most of the sets mostly untouced aside from additional props of dolls, but the undertaker, the lunatic, the grim reaper, and the column ghost are no more. With the undertaker and the column ghost being replaced by nothing, but the lunatic has been replaced by a doll, same with the grim reaper, with this doll sharing the same illusion to pirates of The Caribbean where the pirate turns into a skeleton. With the doll, it just disappears. The scene before the lab is where the giant dolls house is at.
The final still has a lot of the old lab intact, but the zombies is replaced by toys and deformed dolls. Some of the walls are replaced by projections and set pieces such as oversized boxes. The final scare is where a static prop of Emily but giant trying to grab you, this was where the photo is, same where it was in duel. The gargoyle at the end has a clock in it's mouth, and that's the ride. The gift shop is much darker themed and the ride has its own merchandise.
All in all, it's okay, but not my type of ghost train. It's a bit too serious and dark in some places personally, and I think the removal of most of the previous props and replaced with projections was a disappointment to me. But on its own, ignoring its past, its a nice dark ride, but maybe not for young kids.
All in all first impressions are a 7.5/10
So I rode it today, and I won't lie, it's a bit of a marmite situation. Some parts I really liked, some I didn't like.
The area outside is simply fantastic!!! The new gravestones in the queue really fit the vive of the original ones being really finny deaths while some are nods to rides in the past.
The indoor queue is okay, not a fan of the UV Words all over the wall, seems very generic to me. The actual new dolls house is great looking! Wish it was a bit brighter in there, turn up those chandeliers up a bit.
The station is nicely done. Not too underdone but not too extreme.
Now, onto the actual ride itself. So the poltergeist room is still there and integrated really well into the first scene, though the lights behind them don't seem to flicker as well as previously, but I'm sure the lighting will be perfected at the end of the year.
The grand Hall.... oh boy, this is a downgrade to me, the Flying Demons are no more and are replaced by... a projection of Emily standing still. A small ghoul seems to swoop over you, which is a nice effect.
The trommel. ITS BACK IN BUSINESS BABY. The trommel is actually tunring now, but the theming in the room is entirely different, from a gothic corridor with a giant skull about to swallow you whole is replaced by some portraits, a crack in the wall, and a very thin fireplace replacing the face. The giants lair is mostly pitch black, but there a new set between the trommel and the giant's lair with Emily. The window where the giant used to be (the only thing you can see in there) is repurposed with a trio of toys that resemble Emily and her parents, then a giant station hand prop is lit above right before you enter the hall of spiders. Most of it has been rethemed to an attic with dolls replacing the zombies, and a set of new spiders, thankfully the giant spider still remains, but with more eyes that glow now. The ghost corridor is completely different, with a car by your side which reveals Emily sitting in it, followed by a doll jumping put on your left.
Now, onto the screaming heads. The iconic scream is sadly no more and the heads have been replaced with much larger and sinister ones, though they don't have any sound effects.
The Sinister garden is still very familiar with most of the sets mostly untouced aside from additional props of dolls, but the undertaker, the lunatic, the grim reaper, and the column ghost are no more. With the undertaker and the column ghost being replaced by nothing, but the lunatic has been replaced by a doll, same with the grim reaper, with this doll sharing the same illusion to pirates of The Caribbean where the pirate turns into a skeleton. With the doll, it just disappears. The scene before the lab is where the giant dolls house is at.
The final still has a lot of the old lab intact, but the zombies is replaced by toys and deformed dolls. Some of the walls are replaced by projections and set pieces such as oversized boxes. The final scare is where a static prop of Emily but giant trying to grab you, this was where the photo is, same where it was in duel. The gargoyle at the end has a clock in it's mouth, and that's the ride. The gift shop is much darker themed and the ride has its own merchandise.
All in all, it's okay, but not my type of ghost train. It's a bit too serious and dark in some places personally, and I think the removal of most of the previous props and replaced with projections was a disappointment to me. But on its own, ignoring its past, its a nice dark ride, but maybe not for young kids.
All in all first impressions are a 7.5/10
saltedpeanuts
Roller Poster
I am no good at reviews but a solid 6/10 a bit meh in parts but outside is great
Trooper Looper
Roller Poster
The problem for me is that they got rid of of too much of the original ride, and the ride feels a little more generic now with just a creepy girl and dolls. The original ride had a lot of variety in terms of creatures, while the new ride only has Emily, dolls, and a few ghouls. The OG haunted house always had differents type of ghoul/monster in every scene to the previous so it was always unexpected. I think another problem personally is that they focus more on the technology that the ride experience and I think its a bit too extreme and serious in some places. There's no humour in the ride. Am I the only one that thinks the ride is too face paced with the music being extremely intense in every scene, not allowing you to have a breather?
The Sinister garden looks really cluttered with the unnecessarily added props and doesn't really add anything to it.
Id say they should've kept most of the original ride and just added minor enhancements to them to be coherent to the story instead if outright replacing them.
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Thank you for the in depth review @Trooper Looper - ngl, it's really sad to hear they've removed all my favourite parts of the ride.
I absolutely loved both The Haunted House and Dual, interested (read: nervous) to see how The Curse will compare to the previous iterations.
Trooper Looper
Roller Poster
I'll say it's better than Duel, but all the character of the original ride in the actual ride section is sucked out and way more intense. I wouldn't recommend it to young kids personally. From what I've heard all that was taken out from duel was scrapped
Thank you for the in depth review @Trooper Looper - ngl, it's really sad to hear they've removed all my favourite parts of the ride.
I absolutely loved both The Haunted House and Dual, interested (read: nervous) to see how The Curse will compare to the previous iterations.
, so all the stuff from the original haunted house are pretty much permanently gone! Let's hope this is false to an extent. The exterior and the area is fantastic though!