The Haunting

The Haunting would be nice to see open during Drayton's Magical Christmas. It's indoor, heated and would be popular with visitors I'm sure, especially the slightly older guests who may come with younger family. The queue line is under the cover of the trees, which hopefully would offer some sort of protection.

I'd like to see Doctor Ghostman rescripted or removed from The Haunting next season and swapped with something which matches the Library, I'd also like to see the skeleton at the back of the basement being repaired - he hasn't worked for quite a while now.
 
The Haunting would be nice to see open during Drayton's Magical Christmas. It's indoor, heated and would be popular with visitors I'm sure, especially the slightly older guests who may come with younger family. The queue line is under the cover of the trees, which hopefully would offer some sort of protection.

I'd like to see Doctor Ghostman rescripted or removed from The Haunting next season and swapped with something which matches the Library, I'd also like to see the skeleton at the back of the basement being repaired - he hasn't worked for quite a while now.
I agree with getting rid of ghost man. It doesn’t fit with the story. I think dr x was actually more in keeping especially now they have included the fake ghostbusters in the story again.
 
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The sound has been fixed and as Dan said above, a lot of effects have also made a return which makes for a much better experience overall! Another example of great maintenance by Drayton Manor.
Glad to hear the sound has returned - the main room had no sound on our visit in the 2019 season which made for a disappointing first ride for the partner.
However, our ride was pretty amusing when a young child pointed at one of the vaults demons and shouted 'ITS SATAN!' in the middle of the dark quiet room.
 
The sound in the chapel remained hit and miss throughout the season, and there seem to be issues whereby the track starts very loud, and suddenly quietens. I think it is evident that the ride section of The Haunting is in dire need of new audio, you can hear the difference in sound quality when comparing to rooms such as the library. I hope they address this in TLC for 2020, and I hope they repair the skeleton at the rear of the basement corridor.

The work done with "Agatha" by Victor Creations was of very high quality, it'd be great to see the park let the team there look at other elements of the ride to help reintroduce a story.
 
The sound in the chapel remained hit and miss throughout the season, and there seem to be issues whereby the track starts very loud, and suddenly quietens. I think it is evident that the ride section of The Haunting is in dire need of new audio, you can hear the difference in sound quality when comparing to rooms such as the library. I hope they address this in TLC for 2020, and I hope they repair the skeleton at the rear of the basement corridor.

The work done with "Agatha" by Victor Creations was of very high quality, it'd be great to see the park let the team there look at other elements of the ride to help reintroduce a story.


Agreed, Victor did a great job on the attraction both there and on a few smaller repairs - The cellar door is one he worked on too I believe.
Would love to see this level followed around the rest of the park :)
 
What I'd like to see on The Haunting:
  • Repair the skeleton at the back of the basement corridor, it doesn't work
  • Add more smoke to the basement corridor if customers are being kept in there, people can see the skeletons, even better run the ride like it used to and have the riders just walk straight through with the skeletons triggering overhead. It would reduce the ride wait time too
  • Fix the Leg Ticklers in the Chapel, they don't work and they would be good to get repaired
  • Remove the UV paintwork on the gargoyles, they are too obvious and it wasn't meant to be like that
  • New speaker system for the chapel, the audio either never works or quietens down half way through the ride
  • Remove the voting machine, it never works with the screens and makes the ride cheesy.
What would you like to see done to The Haunting
 
Would love to see a better ride exit - the return of the dark shop or something - just feels so odd leaving the chapel to then be greeted by a voting machine and then nothing really - the theming sorta just goes a bit downhill.
More crypt / chapel stuff maybe.. or a longer corridor before being greeted by the light of day
 
Would love to see a better ride exit - the return of the dark shop or something - just feels so odd leaving the chapel to then be greeted by a voting machine and then nothing really - the theming sorta just goes a bit downhill.
More crypt / chapel stuff maybe.. or a longer corridor before being greeted by the light of day
I don’t like the voting machine or the whole dr ghost man story. Given the actual library and chapel bits are quite dark now especially the way the lady in the picture transforms, the whole ghost man thing spoils it. I think the dr x fake ghostbusters was a lot more plausible and would work well worth the current story.
 
I don’t like the voting machine or the whole dr ghost man story. Given the actual library and chapel bits are quite dark now especially the way the lady in the picture transforms, the whole ghost man thing spoils it. I think the dr x fake ghostbusters was a lot more plausible and would work well worth the current story.


It all needs to go dark or all be cheesy - it can't really be both :)
Agreed- the fake ghostbusters would work
 
The interactive buttons are cool in concept; the Haunting was always supposed to be about interaction and being involved in an investigation scene. It's just executed poorly and rushed. A simple 'did you see ghosts?' is such a naff question, especially after the ride experience where you're being spoken to by a possessed aristocratic lady, see a giant skeleton swing at you in a corridor, and go inside a huge haunted chapel with a demonic lady in a tomb. And yet they still want to record the evidence for paranormal activity? It's almost like Homer Simpson, eating a pack of donuts and ignoring all the CCTV cameras in the nuclear power station, are the RIPA team that incompetent ? ? Ok, I get that's it's deliberately supposed to be cheesy, but as we've pointed out time and time again: some of it is cheesy, and some of it is quite dark and serious stuff. Blokes lying dead in the ceiling, and a guy talking to you like you're in an episode of Scooby Doo just don't work together. The building, setup of the scenes, and design of most of the ride in general were not made to accommodate a cheesy storyline.

I don’t like the voting machine or the whole dr ghost man story. Given the actual library and chapel bits are quite dark now especially the way the lady in the picture transforms, the whole ghost man thing spoils it. I think the dr x fake ghostbusters was a lot more plausible and would work well worth the current story.
Exactly. The older version was really good. It was a carefully scripted story. I think bring it back BUT with a newer take on it, using the old high quality props where possible and stripping out all the RIPA and Dr Ghostman stuff. Perhaps after 24 years, the old IMR team from the original storyline now haunt the place and are out to get vengeance on other paranormal agents for letting them down and losing their lives, and that's already a good start for a new story. Back in 1996, the Drayton Manor Marketing team came up with the pre show for the Haunting which was so good they used it for the ride advert on TV, which was filmed on site and used some cool cinematic visual effects. That's the kind of thing that would need to be replicated now for the Haunting to succeed.
 
It all needs to go dark or all be cheesy - it can't really be both :)
Agreed- the fake ghostbusters would work
I agree entirely with this comment. The Haunting is at a strange in-between level where it's cheesy and dark, there needs to be a decision made, and I sincerely hope they'd decide to go with the dark option. Children evidently aren't scared by The Haunting and elements of that are dark in story, the park could get away with making it a little more sinister. I think the end product would be great if Dr Ghostman were to be removed from the preshow and another video played, maybe even reuse Dr X as remlap suggested above, and the interludes are also removed at the end of every show. The Corridor is a good product, although I still don't know why staff stop the riders in the corridor, it is designed for them to walk through and the skeletons fly overhead, the library is perfect, and the ride itself is near perfect - the only thing that brings it down is Dr Ghostman tuning in inside every room.

I'd love to see them investigate the possibility of riders travelling the house alone, like Hex at Alton Towers, even if I do prefer Hauntings theme. Automatic doors into the basement, library and two into the chapel corridors are all that is needed. A self guided tour with audible instructions at the end of every show would be very effective, staff would only be needed in the chapel to load the ride. It would make people move much faster and make it much more eerie being alone.
 
I agree entirely with this comment. The Haunting is at a strange in-between level where it's cheesy and dark, there needs to be a decision made, and I sincerely hope they'd decide to go with the dark option. Children evidently aren't scared by The Haunting and elements of that are dark in story, the park could get away with making it a little more sinister. I think the end product would be great if Dr Ghostman were to be removed from the preshow and another video played, maybe even reuse Dr X as remlap suggested above, and the interludes are also removed at the end of every show. The Corridor is a good product, although I still don't know why staff stop the riders in the corridor, it is designed for them to walk through and the skeletons fly overhead, the library is perfect, and the ride itself is near perfect - the only thing that brings it down is Dr Ghostman tuning in inside every room.

I'd love to see them investigate the possibility of riders travelling the house alone, like Hex at Alton Towers, even if I do prefer Hauntings theme. Automatic doors into the basement, library and two into the chapel corridors are all that is needed. A self guided tour with audible instructions at the end of every show would be very effective, staff would only be needed in the chapel to load the ride. It would make people move much faster and make it much more eerie being alone.

Feels like the corridor is always so crowded - I know they need this many people for the main chapel part but the stopping and corridor in general just feels so tight.
 
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