How Scary Is Scarefest At Alton Towers?

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This post was updated September 2023

You all know we love Alton Towers. I have been visiting since I was a little girl and I love how the park has developed and expanded over the years just getting bigger and better every year. A few years ago Alton Towers announced lots of events that would happen over the year including Mardi Gras, Oktoberfest and our personal favourite Scarefest. We often get asked how scary is Alton Towers Scarefest? What I love about Alton Towers is they cater for all ages and you can make it as family friendly or scary as you want as there is so much going on. 

What To Expect When Visiting Scarefest, Alton Towers 

Alton Towers really do get their spook on when it comes to the Halloween event and you can expect all kinds of tricks and treats. 

Open till 9pm every night you can experience your favourite rides in the dark, 4 scare mazes, family fun and new for 2023 Daz Games - Panic 

How Scary Is Scarefest At Alton Towers?

The park itself isn't scary however like I said early it can be as scary as you like with 4 scare mazes and new for 2023 Daz Games Panic. These chargeable attractions are not for the faint hearted, trust me I've done a few. Whilst they make you jump and scream (I did both) the actors inside these mazes don't touch you they are just there to give you a scare. 

What Is Daz Games - Panic?

This is a new attraction for 2023 and it claims it will take you on the first adrenaline-inducing escape room meets live action scare maze for the ultimate horror experience.

I do love an escape room however you are plunged into darkness and have just 7 minutes to complete a series of tests that will challenge the mind and body as you try to locate the symbols and escape…. all whilst evading capture from the inhabitants within.

Racing against the clock you'll have to think fast and stay calm as you take on an AI-themed assault of the senses… all before the game strikes back and traps you within. Forever

What Scare Mazes Are Available This Year?

New for 2023 - Altonville Mine Tours - Tiny's Revenge

Rumours are afoot that the old Altonville Mines are alive with activity once again. Following a breakthrough from local law enforcers, the notorious Skin Snatchers have been detained...but for how long? The ironically named Tiny, however, has evaded capture and is believed to still reside within the Mines. Explore at your peril and risk the adventure, if you dare.

The Invitation 

The Lakeside Cemetery invites you to join them for a grave experience that will live with you for eternity. Their friendly funeral director is dying to assist you as you descend in to the burial chamber, where you can choose your final resting place. Some caskets have already been filled while others are empty, waiting for you. Recommended 12+

The Attic: Terror of the Towers 

In Alton people talk of the Governess – how she’s haunted by the death of young children. She wants revenge, and she will do it by seizing the spirits of the living in retribution. They say her ghost haunts The Attic and that’s where you’re headed. Recommended 12+

Darkest Depths

Enjoy some extra-spooky swashbuckling aboard ‘The Mutiny’, a notoriously spine-chilling ghost ship. You’ll truly earn your golden Piece of Eight by venturing into the darkest depths, avoiding the hazardous calls of the treacherous Sirens, dodging the swords of terrifyingly ghoulish pirate mutineers and coming face to face with the Kraken – the legendary monster of the seas! Recommended 12+

We have done a few scare attractions over the years with Altonville Mine Tours our most recent and I can confirm they are very scary.

How Much Are The Scare Mazes?

Each maze is chargeable and can be pre-booked online. 

Daz Games - Panic

£10 or £8 for Merlin Pass Holders

Altonville Mine Tours - Tiny's Revenge, The Invitation, The Attic: Terror of the Towers  and Darkest Depths

£34 for all 4 or £27.20 for Merlin Pass Holders. All 4 must be completed within 2 hours. 

I think on the day you can purchase single scare mazes as we have done that in the past.

What Attractions Are Suitable For All The Family?

Alton Towers do try to make it suitable for everyone and over the years we have seen new attractions introduced which make it a family friendly event too.

New for 2023 - Burial Grounds

Burial Grounds is a free-flowing outdoor scare zone shadowed by the mighty Wicker Man where you'll encounter the rejectors of modern-day society fulfilling their terrifying primal instincts.

Trick O'Treat Town

Suitable for all ages Trick O'Treat Town is an interactive walkthrough where you must pluck up the courage to knock on doors. The residents of Spooky Avenue up to Witchy Woods love Trick or Treating so be prepared for plenty of treats and tricks too.

Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult. 2 adults can accompany a child without a purchase of a bag (£12 or £9.60 for Merlin Pass Holders)

Alton Ancestors

On Arrival you will usually bump in to the Alton Ancestors. They have left their gravestones behind and are back from the dead. One thing you should know about the Ancestors is they love to dance so make sure you check them out and even join in.

CBeebies Land Monster Ball

Join the CBeebies characters live in Big Fun ShowTime as they dance and play games. the show features Bing, Ubercorn, Peter Rabbit and many more of your favourite CBeebies friends, you can even dress up in your favourite costume.

Freaky Fun Zone

You won't want to miss the Freaky Fun Zone on the front lawns.  The five super-freaky Halloween characters put on the most spook-tacular shows, with meet and greets and photo opportunities. Little ones will love this as the characters are so much fun and very colourful. 

There are also many other reasons to visit Alton Towers during Scarefest including the Alton Towers Dungeon

Alton Towers Dungeon

As Scarefest descends on the Towers, enter The Alton Towers Dungeon for a little less laughing… and a lot more screaming! Will you be found guilty by the Bishop of Stafford, survive a visit to the Plague Doctor and make it out of The Witch of Burslem’s Cottage? Enter The Alton Towers Dungeon this Halloween, as we celebrate the most hideously horrible time of year with your delightful peasant screams… If you dare!

Recommended for guests age 10+ and a charge is applicable. Pre booking is advised. 

As well as as this scary fun you can enjoy your favourite rides in the dark as the theme park is open till 9pm every night during Scarefest. 

Also if you want to make the most of your visit to Scarefest you can stay over at the resort where the spooky fun continues. 

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Michelle

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Lancashire Encounter Festival 16th - 18th September

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Disclosure - We were invited to visit Lancashire Encounter Festival and have been compensated for our time. 

The Lancashire Encounter Festival takes place this weekend between 16th and 18th September. The 3 day event will offer visitors the chance to enjoy art, music, dance, workshops and so much more. With the majority of the performances being free this is the perfect way to spend the weekend with family and friends. 

What To Expect At Lancashire Encounter, In and Around Preston City Centre

The Lancashire Encounter Festival promises to entertain visitors this weekend. The 'what's on' programme is filled with performances and workshops starting from Friday 16th September at 7pm with Gamcha, A Journey. The show is full of comedy, music and dancing telling the story of a cloth, taken from the loom in a Bangladeshi village. As it makes its journey to  UK we see the tale of a father, Syed, and his daughter, Sharmin, as they make their way across the world and across the generations.

There is something for everyone to enjoy and we have already chosen a few that we definitely want to see. 

The Urban Astronaut

Suspended on a gravity defying flying machine, the Urban Astronaut travels through towns and cities to provide a glimpse of a not-so dystopian future. On his journey he meets a girl who provides the one thing the Astronaut has lost... hope. 

Magic Story Jars

A free drop-in activity designed to inspire kids to have fun playing with ideas and creating their own stories

Born to Protest

Born to Protest aims to dismantle presumptions about the black male and female figure based on intimidation, danger and isolation, revealing instead character traits around fragility, vulnerability and a constant battle to prove oneself.

This hypersensitivity of the black body in space is magnified by Born to Protest's cast performing to a soundscape which sets up an intense energy with Hip Hop beats and voice over.

Make it Wild

We will be on the look out for the Creative Ecologists with the frog and chameleon puppets. They will also be joining in on the Saturday evening Torchlight Procession. 

Anything Else?

These are just a few of the performances that you can enjoy over the 3 day event. All performances, times and locations are available on the quick guide to the Lancashire Encounter. 

The guide also offers you a map so you can plan your visit so you don't miss out on any of the performances. It also shows the parade route, toilets, car parks and cash machines. 

As I said earlier this is mostly a free event however some tickets still need to be purchased for both the free and paid performances which you can find all the details on the quick guide. 

Are you planning a visit to the Lancashire Encounter Festival? if so we would love to know so leave us a comment or message us on socials. 

If you enjoyed this post you can check out more by clicking our  'you may also like' posts below. 

Also you can always keep up to date with us on our socials, give us a like on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or if this post has helped you, you can Buy Us A Virtual Coffee to say thanks.

Michelle

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Zog At Warwick Castle

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Disclosure - This post contains affiliate links

Zog has arrived at Warwick Castle this year with lots to enjoy for all the family. Based on the popular children's book Zog by Julia Donaldson the activities are a lovely addition to Warwick Castle and they have definitely made the attraction more appealing to younger guests. 

What To Expect At Warwick Castle, 

Warwick Castle has done a fantastic job of including Zog in their already very popular attraction. The Zog and The Quest For The Golden Star has returned, but new for 2022 is Meet Zog, Zog Live Show and Zog Playland. 

Zog and the Quest For The Golden Star

The Zog and the Quest for the Golden Star trail begins just as you enter the grounds of Warwick Castle. Pick up your free trail map and follow the trail which will guide you to 5 quests which you must complete to earn a stamp. The trail is interactive and will have you learning all the skills Zog has including flying, roaring and breathing fire. At the end of a quest you will have the chance to earn a golden star. 

Zog Live Show

The Zog live show is a must for any Zog fan. You will find the stage show at a secluded woodland. The show features special content developed by Julia Donaldson, and a set design created using Axel Scheffler’s original artwork. You can expect lots of Zog fun including live puppetry, interactive routines and surprise special effects

The show will run until 30th September and will last 25 minutes.

Zog Playland

Definitely our favourite Zog activity. Zog playland combines both sensory and physical play, and has a range of accessible activities. Why not try out the zip wire and try to fly like a dragon. Climb up Princess Pearl’s tower and then slide down Zog's tail. 

You can crawl through adventure tunnels and find lots of interactive activities including sand play. 

There is a chance for parents to rest with seats available and also a kiosk serving hot and cold drinks and snacks.

Meet Zog

An opportunity to meet Zog for a quick cuddle, high five and a photo. 

Anything Else?

The Zog activities at Warwick Castle are included in your admission. There is no charge for any of the activities. 

As well as Zog you can enjoy all the other features of Warwick Castle including Time Tower, Horrible Histories maze, Birds of Prey Show, The War of the Roses jousting show and much more. 

Have you visited Warwick Castle and the Zog activities? 

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Michelle

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Six The Musical Review

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One of my favourite things to do is visit the theatre. I have enjoyed watching live performances since I was little and over the years I have seen so many great shows including The Phantom of The Opera, Grease, Fame, The Lion King and a favourite of mine Wicked. We try to go the theatre as often as we can as it's the perfect date night for us as John enjoys the shows too. For Christmas last year John bought me tickets to see SIX. It wasn't a show I had heard of however John had read some reviews, watched a trailer and took a chance and bought us two tickets. As I had no idea about the show I managed to avoid anything related to SIX for a whole eight months and a few weeks ago we finally got the see it. I was blown away. 

For those that like to know a little about a show before you go then I'll start by saying SIX is about Henry The VIII's six wives. The idea behind the show is the Six wives Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Kathryn Howard and Catherine Parr get to tell their side of the story and how they came to marry Henry and what happened next. 

Each wife has their own song and about 10 minutes stage time each along with the other wives to share their story. They want to tell their stories and wanted us to choose who we thought had it worst as Henry's wife. As the song goes divorced, beheaded and died, divorced, beheaded, survived. That was really all I knew about Henrys wives but in fact there was so much more to learn and I did watching the show. It was a very entertaining history lesson. 

The whole show felt like a pop concert more than a theatre show. The soundtrack is amazing and very catchy. 

The performance was done in one act so there was no interval and it lasted approx 80 minutes and is recommended for those aged 10+.

I don't like recommending theatre shows as I know everyones taste is very different  however I will say I have already recommended this to friends as I think it is probably one of the best shows I've seen and I think it's worth a ticket if you can get to a show near you. 

The UK tour is underway now until Sept 2023. you can find out dates, times and ticket prices at SIX The Musical

Have you seen SIX or are you planning to see the show while it's on tour? Leave us a comment below and let us know.  

If you enjoyed this post you can check out more by clicking our  'you may also like' posts below. 

Also you can always keep up to date with us on our socials, give us a like on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or if this post has helped you, you can Buy Us A Virtual Coffee to say thanks.

Michelle

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What To Expect At Shrek's Adventure, London

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Even though we have been Merlin Pass holders for as long as I can remember and visited all their attractions, Shrek's Adventure is one we just haven't visited. There was no reason as such it just never made it on to our 'to do' list when visiting the capital and after our recent visit I am sad we haven't experienced it before because it is such a fun attraction. 

What To Expect At Shrek's Adventure, Riverside Building, County Hall, Westminster Bridge Road, London, SE1 7PB

It is a brilliantly bonkers, interactive and immersive walkthrough experience, where the whole family can journey through Far Far Away as the stars of the show.

See, hear, touch and smell the adventure by exploring 10 fairytale themed live shows, from a magical 4D flying bus experience, interacting with various famous characters including Princess Fiona and Donkey to collecting the special ingredients that you will need in order to find Shrek and make it home safely.

Once inside there are lots of photo opportunities before you start your adventure to Far, Far, Away but once you start there are no cameras allowed which I loved as I was able to experience it without reaching for my camera every couple of minutes.

We had no idea what to expect but now that we have visited I would say it is very much like The Dungeons experiences were you move through the attraction and come face to face with characters. 

You move through the attraction in a small group of maybe 20-30 people including children. You stay with your group throughout. 

There is some audience participation but only a small amount and I guess you could hide behind other visitors if you don't want to get picked. 

There is lots to see and some surprises along the way. It's a fun attraction for all the family and I don't think you need to be a fan of Shrek either to enjoy it.

Anything Else?

Shrek Adventure, London is a Merlin Entertainments attraction which allows you to access using your pass however there are exclusion dates so always check the passholder website before visiting. 

There are a wide range of tickets available which include standard, anytime and multi attractions. Standard tickets are from £24 if booked online which is recommended to avoid disappointment and also to save money. To book the best ticket package for you I would recommend visiting the website to view what is available. 

Timed slots are every 15 minutes. 

The attraction can take anywhere from 70 to 90 minutes. 

There are opportunities to meet characters and also have photographs taken. There is an option to buy single photographs or to purchase a travel book with all photographs in. This is available just before the exit. 

To exit the attraction you do have to walk through the shop with opportunities to purchase Shrek branded merchandise. 

We really enjoyed Shrek's Adventure and would definitely visit again. You can find out more information by visiting Shrek's Adventure. If you visit before the 4th September 2022 you can also meet Puss in Boots. 

Are you planning a visit to Shrek's Adventure? Leave us a comment below and let us know.  

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- If you enjoyed this post leave us a comment.

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- If you have visited any of the attractions mentioned in this post share photos with us on our socials. 

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- If you would like to work with us please visit on Work With Us page for more details

Michelle

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Visiting Gripped, London

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Disclosure - We we invited to Gripped for the purpose of this post. All thoughts, opinions and photographs are our own. 

Gripped is a new attraction based in Hounslow. Gripped is designed to thrill you with its line up of exciting Aerial activities. Each activity can be booked separately or as a bundle to help save money and can be combined with a visit to its neighbour, Hobbledown Heath. 

What To Expect At Gripped London, Hounslow, TW14 0HH

Zip, slide, jump or climb... prepare for the thrill of a lifetime! Whether you are 4 or 84, Gripped London have a range of aerial adventures guaranteed to get your adrenaline pumping. Choose from High Ropes, Zip Lines, NetPark, Speed Slides, Power Fan Descender and Bag Jump.

We chose to complete three activities. The High Ropes, Dual Line Zip Trek and the Net Adventure Park.  

On arrival at Gripped you will be given coloured wristbands for each of the activities you book and the booked time will be written on each wristband. 

The Net Adventure Park was a good activity to start with to get our adrenaline pumping. You are allowed 45 minutes from your start time to get climbing, bouncing and sliding, although the staff member did say we could stay a little longer if we wanted. I think this will depend on how busy the net park is. 

We really enjoyed this experience as we hadn’t really done anything like this before, you could climb up, bounce on the individual areas, fight with huge bouncy balls up high and slide back to the ground in special net slides that where really fun to use.  We also played a game of hide and seek, although the net park isn’t huge it was big enough to hide in and chase each other round. 

If the Net Park isn't for you then there are benches and tables surrounding so you can watch from below. 

The other available Gripped activities are located further inside Hobbledown Heath and are accessible through their own entrance. Upon arrival you show your wristband for your chosen activity and a member of staff will take you to the safety briefing area for that activity. 

The Dual Line Zip Trek was a highlight for us. Before we began we were told a little about the course. The course is a mixture go zip lines and high rope obstacles and you are able to go at your own pace. If you are happy you are then moved to an area to be equipped with everything you need to proceed. You will be fitted with a harness and helmet and then shown to the training area. Here you will complete a trainer course first to check you can move your harness around and connect and disconnect to the zips correctly which is really thorough. Our trainer asked little J to do the course again before she would let him proceed. She wanted to make sure he was confident and the second time around he was able to do it with ease so was able to go on the main course. 

There is one course to complete which we thought was the perfect length. The obstacles consist of rope bridges, wooden bridges and nets and all require good concentration to get across. These are separated by zip lines of varying length. 

The course took us about an hour and a half but could be done quicker by those more experienced. We loved the fact that once you are on the course it’s up to you to get around. Help would be there if really needed but the freedom to get around on your own was really refreshing. We did not feel pressured to get around quickly and it was brilliant for confidence building for Little J. 

We had a break before heading onto the high ropes adventure. There are two difficulties to pick from and we chose the easier of the two. This adventure was similar to the zip trekking experience without the zip wires. Instead you have more challenging obstacles high among the trees. There are rope bridges, swinging ropes, challenging bridges with large gaps between each step and much more to work through. Little J loved the experience and was quicker through this one as he had practiced the movement of the harness on the zip trek. 

Overall he preferred the zip trek as he really enjoyed the zip wire sections. 

The other activities available looked really good too and we have already promised little J that we will be back to try them out.

Each activity has it's own minimum age and other requirements so I would advise to check out Gripped website for more information. 

Have you heard of Gripped London or are you planning a visit? Leave us a comment below and let us know.  

For more fun you can head to Hobbledown Heath which is the perfect outdoor adventure play area for the kids. Read our review of Hobbledown Heath for further information. 

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- If you enjoyed this post leave us a comment.

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- If you have visited any of the attractions mentioned in this post share photos with us on our socials. 

- If this post has helped you in anyway you can Buy Us A Virtual Coffee to say thanks.

- If you would like to work with us please visit on Work With Us page for more details

Michelle

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