It’s finally over (for me anyways). I’ve taken my last trip of the season to Alton Towers and it was an extremely mixed bag at Scarefest.
The journey there was the first problem. Roadworks after roadworks causing an hour extension to my journey. I set off at 9:30am and didn’t get to the park until 12:45pm which at the time wasn’t my biggest obstacle. The whole UK was coping with extremely wet weather and as I sat in the car park, I had the thought “Do I really want to be out in this?”. Well, I had no choice as it was a long drive and I didn’t pay all that money for nothing.

The first day was so much fun. I checked the queue times and the shortest queue was Galactica so I hopped aboard the Skyride near Mutiny Bay and made my way over. Now, riding in my gondola was a family who decided to stand the whole trip to Forbidden valley. I didn’t have the balls to tell them to sit down but inside I was FUMIN!!!… Anyways, I got there and power walked my fat arse to Galactica. I got queue jumped and my cowardly self decided to let it slide again. The ride itself was actually quite rough, Not uncomfortable but a bit on the bumpy side. I realise there’s a negative theme going on here but stay with me…

The next ride was Nemesis. I struggled to get into the fat seat last time but this time was no trouble at all and it was running incredible. This ride is an absolute monster (literally, not literally if you know what I mean?) and It never ceases to blow me away.

Then on to Dual where I had a pretty decent ride. It was running so much better than at the start of the season with effects working and audio blaring.
I then took a stroll to Katanga Canyon where I braved the Congo River Rapids on my own in already wet conditions. I had a boat to myself and got awkward/sympathetic smiles from people as I depressingly chugged my way around the river. It was fun though. Just a bit shite and tame. It’s understandable though.

At this point I met up with Nikki from Lush Velvet Coasters. We had a great couple of hours riding Nemesis and a near dusk ride on Th13teen. Both of these were bloody intense and lots of fun. It was absolutely brilliant meeting her and you should check her YouTube and Twitter for awesome content.

As night fell I decided to take a ride on the one they call… WICKER MAN. This was the ride I’ve been waiting for. I’ve only ever done it in the day before and this time was so much better. This is my number 1 coaster and this ride further cemented it to the top. It was fast, furious, mental, slightly rough, twisty and weirdly gave me some great airtime. I don’t know why this gets stick for being a tame family coaster. It’s incredible. It doesn’t need huge drops or the height to make it amazing. It was so good, I bashed my elbow and have a nice big bruise as a memento. 10/10

I headed back to Forbidden Valley for night rides on Galactica and Nemesis. Both were outstanding in the dark. They were full blown out of control.

It was getting late so nabbed a Chicken Tikka wrap from Eastern Express and headed back. On the walk I had a gaze at Wicker Man and BANG! 10 minute queue. It would’ve been rude to not take advantage of that so I slipped myself into the queue and it was straight to the pre show. They sent me to the front row and OH MY HOLY SHIT it was intense and wild. I was enjoying myself that much I forgot how to breathe for like 7 seconds. (Reading this back I understand if that seems weird.)

After a wet 35 minute drive to the hotel I caught up on some YouTube videos and went to sleep.

DAY 2

I was awoken at 6:30am by the person staying above me who decided to pace up and down their room so after a few hours of browsing the interweb i got showered/dressed and left for the Towers of Alton again.

The roads were wet and puddly but with minimal delay but getting into the park was an eye opener. The car park was rammed so had to use the overflow. This was a sign the park was going to be stupidly busy. I was not wrong with my judgement.

Heading into the park I felt less positive vibes than the day before. I don’t know why but I kinda knew it was going to be less epic. The queues were ridiculously long, groups of early teens (not all of them) shouting and climbing stuff, it was cold and wet etc… so I felt less magic. I turned up about midday with a Dungeon walkthrough at 1pm. All the queues were way too long so I filmed some stuff (check out my YouTube Channel) for an hour.
The Dungeon itself was brilliant. The staff handed out umbrellas to victims… I mean guests, and there were actors entertaining in the queues. It was well organised. I’m not going to spoil the attraction but the set design is fantastic and the actors were outstanding. There was some genuine scares but they weren’t very intense.
Fast forward that mutha’ to 1:45pm and I headed straight for Oblivion.
I had a run through of The Attic coming up at 3pm so a 25 minute wait for Oblivion was definitely doable. I forgot about the anxiety inducing moment you see the edge of the drop so I closed my eyes and hoped for the best. Luckily I didn’t die but I did nearly shit myself during the drop (I opened my eyes by that point.). It was forceful and fast. It’s not the best ride at Alton Towers but it still packs a punch.

Now to the Attic. This was certainly an experience. This is a non spoiler blog so let’s just say the actors were brilliant, the set design was brilliant, the story was… well, I don’t know as the pre show dialogue was sped through so i didn’t really take it in and I saw an actor get verbally abused (and another get touched by the same perpetrator). Luckily the person got thrown the hell out after the maze but that stuff shouldn’t happen in the first place. It put a downer on the maze to be honest. It was a great maze though. Not really scary but executed well.

As I was round that side of the park, I decided to wait “60” minutes for Th13teen. This was definitely not the case. There were 2 delays during my queue experience and some guy with an umbrella kept invading my personal space (kept trying to stand shoulder to shoulder with me and not behind). In the end I waited 120 minutes. This chewed through my day and it was soooooo cold. After this ride I was fed up and wanted to go home so instead I went on a merch binge. I bought a 2020 season pass, a mug, some pin badges and a Wicker Man ride wood coaster (like a mug coaster so technically it’s a coaster coaster). I mooched about for a while, said goodbye to my bae Wicker Man, chowed down a quarter pounder from Burger Kitchen and headed on a 3 hour journey home.

On my journey back I got caught up in a gazillion floods and even lost my licence plate (whoops!) but overall it was worth it.
I know this blog seems negative but I honestly had a fantastic time (mainly on day 1) at Alton Towers and can’t wait to come back next year.

If you made it this far into the blog then thank you for reading and don’t forget to smash that subscribe button (On YouTube please.😉).

 

Much love.

Luke

Alton Towers have finally announced a change for 2020 and that is the new David Walliams section which will replace the unloved Cloud Cuckoo land.

This is pretty big news coming from the theme park because Cloud Cuckoo Land has been largely ignored for a few years.
Rumours have been surfacing for a long time about a change because of the areas slow decline and in the last few hours the David Walliams IP has been officially announced.
Now, I’ve seen the rumours. The main one I saw was Paddington Bear and I honestly believe that would’ve been a good IP. As much as I like David Walliams, I don’t think this choice of area is going to be a huge hit. CBeebies Land is a massive area of the park and really caters for small children but these characters are on TV every single day and are well known throughout the UK yet David Walliams has a few books and a couple of movies that get shown at Christmas time. It feels like Alton Towers are temporarily plugging a hole for an area that needs a full refresh. I understand they don’t want to step on CBeebies toes but I don’t think it will attract a substantial amount of people to that corner of the park.
On the positive side, it’s about time Cloud Cuckoo said it’s goodbyes and made way for a new investment with hopefully some new rides and attractions. I’m genuinely looking forward to seeing the changes and improvements.

Overall it’s an exciting new investment but Alton Towers need to execute the renovation well. I have a feeling there will only be a couple of rethemed rides and a paint job but I would love to be proved wrong.

 

What do you think?

As someone from the (nearly) poor community, I always research for the best cheap deal. This means looking on WISH, eBay and Gearbest for cheap alternatives to popular electrical products.
The thing is, I can’t afford a GoPro to film footage but finding something equivalent usually means looking beyond Argos and Currys. Okay, you won’t get hypersmooth footage but cheaper alternatives can give you most of the specs for a fraction of the price and that’s where Chinese knockoffs come into play.
Theres a misconception that these products are awful and don’t work but that’s where you need to do your research and watch reviews on YouTube and compare prices.
Xiaomi and SjCam were the first two companies I bought products from and they absolutely blew me away for the price. The original Yi camera was £45 and boasted very similar specs to the GoPro hero 3 but It was a few hundred pounds. You can also download the files directly to your phone and edit straight from your device so i can be a much cheaper option.
Okay, cheap camera microphones are usually pretty bad but I highly suggest shopping around.

Don’t be afraid of Chinese knockoffs at all. Some are really good for the price, despite the horror stories. These items are a great way to dip your feet into the vlogging world.

Another alternative is using your own phone. I use an iPhone and iPad to edit photos, videos, drawing, writing blogs and  to tweet.
So yeah, utilise what you have and create!!!

*** Sorry for the lack of Attraction blogs recently. I haven’t been anywhere for a while but will be heading on more adventures soon.

As someone who likes the whole scare attraction thing I thought I’d share my idea.
Obviously there’s ‘Do’s and Dont’s’ to creating a horror attraction but from what I’ve seen, there’s a lot of the same approximate theme at a lot of these scream parks. There’s usually a clown maze, a western maze and a secret facility maze but I’d love to see something different. I admit, I don’t know every scare maze in the world so my idea has more than likely been thought of but I did try to take mine in a different direction.

Okay, so here goes…

*Disclaimer: If i offend anyone, I’m sorry. I really don’t want to upset anyone.

So my attraction is going to be called DADDY and the story is…

You have been invited into the home of the Devin family for a dinner party but there’s something not quite right about this family home. You will meet daughter Jessie who talks about the Devin’s being extremely close and DADDY being the protector of the family. She explains that she, her mum “Sue” and brother “Dean” always does exactly what Daddy says and he’s always “Hungry for fresh meat”.

Along your journey through the ‘house’ you will gradually meet the family and some other “guests” who are being prepared or pleading for mercy. Some of the guests will be de-limbed and left screaming in dead end rooms.
Other rooms will include “Dean’s workshop”, “Mums kitchen” and the finale of “Dads Basement” which will include an altercation with Daddy and his Chainsaw “Daisy”.

I would go further into the design itself but quite frankly, I can’t be bothered. 😂

So what storyline would you create for your own personal scare attraction? Let me know in the comments (or Twitter).

Ta

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It’s October which means one thing… Halloween!!! It’s always one of my favourite times of year. It’s the one time where you can dress up, eat gummy bears, watch horror movies and embrace the darkness. It’s silly, camp, glorious and gory and is perfectly matched with my dark soul.
Events have been slowly trickling in, such as Fright Nights at Thorpe Park and Freak Nights at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. It’s been great seeing mostly positive reviews and kicking spooky season off with a bang.

On a personal level, I’m doing my first scare event at Alton Towers’ Scarefest. I haven’t booked any mazes yet (I will soon) but i am booked for my first Alton Towers Dungeon experience. I have pretty high expectations but that’s based on The London Dungeon I did a few years ago which was exceptionally great. It was the first time I saw my wife get jump-scared for the first time and will be forever etched in my memory.

You don’t have to travel to a theme park for scares though. There’s events all over the country such as Shocktober, Frightmare, Fear at Avon Valley and more that I can’t be arsed to type.

If you want to be safely scared shitless then get to your local scare event.

As of RIGHT NOW, this blog will shift towards Attractions as a general topic. The whole coaster thing isn’t really relevant as much nowadays as I go visit more attractions than theme parks so the natural next step is to blog about attractions as a whole rather than just rides.
So welcome to the Unreliable Attraction Blog UK. (I don’t know how to change the blog name.😂).

It’s common knowledge that enthusiasts want more coasters in the UK but it doesn’t look like that’s where the money is at. It’s all in the family market.

We have a fair few family theme parks in the UK but why are they more popular than thrill parks? Okay, I realise that last sentence was controversial but when you head to a theme park, the kids areas are usually the busiest and don’t forget the most popular UK theme park is Legoland. Not only will a family generate more merchandise and food sales but parents and younger children also tend to go during term time whilst adults/older students usually have work/educational commitments.

Not only that, Family rides and coasters tend to be cheaper than huge mammoth rides. Not only that, money also goes on theming and areas like ‘Peppa Pig World’ and ‘Thomas Land’ are some of the best themed areas in the UK. With those IP’s, there’s lots of money to be made but this also means other areas miss out.
Cbeebies Land at Alton Towers is filled with so many fantastic kids rides, shows and theming that brings in crowds of people and contains so much that families spend money on toys, t shirts and other merchandise.

This is where thrill parks seem to lack. There’s always lots to do but the level of theming and immersion isn’t quite there in this country. If you look at the areas at Alton Towers, they aren’t expertly themed. All of the areas rely on music and the view of the rides to immerse people.

One park that is doing it right is Paultons Park. Lost Kingdom is themed extremely well, Peppa Pig World is fantastic and Tornado Springs will follow in 2020. The level of consistent theming is brilliant and that park will be one of the best theme parks in the country in a few years.

So get to your local family park and be immersed.

Being creative can be good for the mind. It takes your mind off day to day struggles, gives you a positive goal and feel rewarded when you make something you’re proud of.
Creativity comes in different forms. Wether you design something on Planet Coaster, create music, art, put together a vlog or complete something you love, it can give you a huge sense of achievement and meaning.

I do bits and bobs. I’m not the most creative person in the world but i love trying different things and having a sense of achievement.

Im not saying being creative will make you money, friends or fans but it can really help you therapeutically so get out there and create.

 

Everyone has different reasons for liking or disliking certain roller coasters but one thing that is a must for me is immersion and theming. I know a really high percentage of people rate a ride on the airtime, size, inversions or the level of intensity/thrill but these things are just a bonus for me. This is why Wicker Man still dominates as my number 1 coaster. In a previous blog entry I compared Wicker Man to Megafobia and I came to the conclusion that Wicker Man had the better experience, though Megafobia has the better layout and elements. I honestly love to get caught up in something theatrical and be able to temporarily vacate real life. But what creates an immersive theming experience? Well.. it ranges from simple rock work, animatronics, scenery and decorated queues to full blown experiences with storylines and sensory elements such as custom smells and professional lighting.

Theming really does can trigger your senses. The only sense I haven’t experienced during a coaster session is taste and to be honest, I can’t see that happening in the future.

Theming doesn’t have to be big and extravagant to be good. Flight of the Pterosaur at Paultons Park is a good example. The rock work is fantastic, the animatronics below the ride are outstanding and there’s a brilliant soundtrack but it doesn’t feel overdone. It’s pretty subtle when you are on the ride and forget the theming is even there until you get off but the area and queue really set the tone for your 1 minute adventure in the air.

Heavy theming is getting pretty common throughout Europe at the moment and especially at Phantasialand which is quickly becoming one of the nicest looking parks in the world. This park is combining world class rollercoasters with world class theming and music, creating something completely different. As a UK based blog I honestly believe at least a few of our home parks deserve high quality theming throughout and a complete unique selling point but unfortunately the funds don’t seem to stretch that far.
For example Alton Towers. Some of the rides are heavily themed but the areas and some rides don’t get the attention they deserve. Look at Galactica/Air. Back when it was built, there was a lot of theming planned but couldn’t be landscaped/constructed due to the budget. That’s understandable as it was an extremely expensive ride at the time but nothing has been added since (except the Galactica portal and the addition/removal of VR).

Overall a great ride with high quality theming is my personal preference but the UK needs to take it up a notch. Make areas as well themed as Wicker Man or PortAventura and I’ll be happy.

What do you look for in a rollercoaster?

If you have a YouTube channel or a blog, I’m sure you know how difficult it can be engaging with others and getting lots of views. The whole influencer game is tough, especially when there’s so many others doing the same thing. For me, I created my first ever YouTube channel back in 2006. Yes, I’m a part of the original YouTube generation but my channel reached a high of… 16 subscribers. Back then I could not give less of a shit but the content was nearly exclusively my music and I didn’t expect worldwide success. It was a little channel I could upload and if other people watched the videos then it’s a bonus.

As time goes on things change and I really wanted to create a dedicated YouTube channel to record reviews, vlogs and occasionally some “Let’s Play” videos. This was in 2015 and i was taking inspiration from so many other YouTubers. I kind of hoped for a certain level of success because I did put in the effort to grow and evolve but it’s obvious that things don’t always go to plan and you’re not always guaranteed success. I’m in no way telling you to give up but things aren’t always like the movies and that’s okay. You always see stories of “rags to ritches” and the cliche underdog story but life doesn’t always work out that way. If you are a new YouTube star, hoping for huge views and thousands of subscribers then please don’t expect success to come from nowhere. There’s a lot of luck involved and finding a unique selling point that will interest others is key. My current main YouTube channel has 42 subscribers, lots of videos with 0 views and I’m 100% okay with that. My UCBUK channel has 11 subscribers. If you have a channel, make sure you do it for yourself and don’t let low numbers put you off. If you enjoy creating content JUST DO IT!

The art of engaging with your audience is a thing of wonder and I’m sure there’s no 100% correct way of doing it but if you want to be a success you need to interact with people, upload frequently, create content you feel passionate about and market your videos accordingly. I don’t do these things. I literally upload when I want, don’t spend much time on editing and hope people watch.

Overall I believe you should just do what you can and be honest with your content. Bollocks to the haters.

*If you are on YouTube, go and subscribe to ‘The Awesome Hangout Show’ and ‘Unreliable Coaster Blog UK’. I understand the hypocrisy here. 😂

Ta

Luke