Alton Towers revealed details at the end of January about their new dark ride which has replaced Duel which shut at the beginning of September 2022. The Curse at Alton Manor opened on March 18 and is “a haunting dark ride, taking you on a hair-raising journey through the spectacular twists and turns of the cursed manor.”
We were lucky to visit Alton Towers this week and are excited to report our findings about The Curse of Alton Manor. We will share our views and a range of photos of the attraction. SPOILER ALERT!
We were pleased to see that the whole area has been given a make over including the shop, treat stand and photo booth and there were cast members dressed as two grave diggers with spades in hand wandering outside the attraction which certainly added atmosphere. The grave of Emily Alton lies in front of the house.
Firstly due to it being a rainy day our wait time was 0 mins, we literally just walked straight in. Even on the better day it was only recording a maximum of 15 mins maximum throughout the day. The queue goes through the usual grave yard where you can enjoy looking at a whole host of stones with interesting wording which sets the atmosphere of what is to come.
After winding your way around the grave yard you enter the main house and the first room sets the scene for the attraction. A voice tells you that it is New Year’s Eve 1891 and they are holding a party to welcome in 1892. There is a house with projections in the downstairs and upstairs room. Emily Alton is sent upstairs to her bedroom, that night there is a mysterious storm where everyone perishes in the house, apart from the young girl.
In this room which you simply walk through, there are many iconic features including the rocking horse which rocks in a menacing way with nobody actually on it.
You then head to the ride, each car has three seats across with two rows and you begin your adventure. There are numerous jump scares throughout the attraction, many with disfigured dolls, spiders and Emily Alton makes a number of appearances including at the end in the coffin located in a hearse. Part of the attraction is themed as a hide and seek game and the iconic tunnel remains with words such as “Come play with me, you will be mine”. There are also puppets and a jack in the box.
The sound and lighting has been updated and there are state of the art projections throughout the attraction. It is certainly everything you would hope for from a haunted house.
Alton Towers released the official TV ad back in March for The Curse of Alton Manor and as expected Emily Alton appears to feature heavily. In the ad which can be seen below, Emily Alton is leading a game of hide and seek, “ready or not, here I come” and it ends with the words “she just wants to play”. It is certainly a fantastic theme and we are very excited to be visiting in April to bring you our account of this new experience.
We invite you to watch the official TV ad for The Curse at Alton Manor, brand new for 2023!
Opening this Saturday, March 18th, find out more about this haunting dark ride and book now: https://t.co/9e4mPnK31Y pic.twitter.com/xq4UXt5J8G
— Alton Towers Resort (@altontowers) March 15, 2023
In mid-February, Alton Towers announced that “The Curse at Alton Manor” would officially open on 18th March. Based on the poster advertising for this new attraction, it showed that guests will board a car just like in the original haunted house and in Duel. A girl seems to be featured behind the haunted house with her eyes covered which was rumoured as being Emily Alton who is back to take over the property!
Coming, ready or not! You better have your wits about you…
Dare you ride The Curse At Alton Manor?
The countdown has begun…? RT if you’re excited. pic.twitter.com/6RJHvwN4Ee
— Alton Towers Resort (@altontowers) January 24, 2023
According to the now retired CEO for Merlin, Mark Fisher, in an interview with Stoke on Trent Live, the new dark ride will be taken back to its roots as a haunted house but will have a completely new story and we expect exciting visual effects to create many scares along the way.
The Curse of Alton Manor will tell the story of Emily Alton:
“Left alone in the attic, with nothing but her doll’s house to keep this quiet but curious girl amused. Emily becomes lonely and forgotten, with nothing but the sound of music and laughter of the parties, hosted by her parents to the high of society, echoing through the floors from the grand hall below. Her hatred grew, fuelled by frustration and bitterness. Dark forces began to surround Emily, becoming a vessel for the evil that has seeped into every corner of the Manor.”
In October, walls surrounded the former Duel attraction with posters that read, “Strictly no unwanted visitors. Due to unnatural displays in the area. For more information call 07436377346”.
It was brilliant to see these details being added and I enjoyed calling the number to find out more! These small touches are what makes the fun for adults and kids alike and to hold the theming will make the attraction even better when it reopens after its refurbishment.
Towers Times were at Scarefest and in a Facebook post below captured Duel in a purple haze with details of further posters saying, “I want to play”. Some fans are guessing this to be Emily Alton who is back to take over the property. There also appears to be peep holes to see some scary goings on inside. We will update you of further details when we have them here at Theme Park Tourist. Are you excited for the make over of Duel?
At the beginning of September there were reports online that a mysterious message had appeared in the queue line for Duel at Alton Towers which said “06 + 09 = The Duel is over. This is my house.” It was confirmed that Duel has closed at Alton Towers and it has currently been removed from the queue times App.
The official website page for Duel now simply reads, “Property Repossessed, Strictly no unwanted visitors. Due to unnatural displays in the area.” There is an email sign up to be kept up to date with further details when they are released.
Duel originally opened at Alton Towers in 1992 and was a traditional haunted house and it was in 2003 that laser guns were added and was refurbished to carry a zombie theme. Alton Towers is being very secretive so far regarding the plans for Duel but we are expecting that the laser guns will be removed and it is likely to be changed back to being a traditional haunted house but with a modern twist.
Let us know your thoughts on “The Curse at Alton Manor” by leaving us a comment below or on our Facebook page.
