The Haunting

[Polperro]

Unfortunately, I had a really bad experience on The Haunting today.

Before I cover that though, I’d like to start by saying the ride is looking the best I’ve seen it in a long time. The garden has been cut back which means the facade and theming is much more visible, which really enhances the queue like experience. Also, pretty much all of the effects were working, which is also great to see.

However, on to the negatives. The ride host, whose name I didn’t catch, but name badge said ‘BFG’ (which I find rather unprofessional), was absolutely awful. As soon as I entered the trailer, he spent about 2 minutes going completely off script and taking away from the experience of the ride. Once we got into the corridor, instead of just letting the effects trigger which normally happens, he started talking about some sort of ‘gateway to hell’ or something? I thought this was bizarre as this has nothing to do with the pre show or storyline of the ride. In the library it was just as bad. He was talking about the lady of the house being a witch? Again, nothing to do with the story. During the library scene he kept shouting out from the back of the room, which caused a lot of confused looks from the other guests, myself included. The chapel was probably the only room he didn’t ruin the experience. The audio is still way too quiet in there too, and also sounded quite tinny.

I think there needs to be some sort of enhanced staff training over winter for The Haunting. It should be a very simple task with limited speech, however somehow this was turned into a completely awful experience by this ride host.

 

[Themeparksandy1981]

The problem is this is staff who are paid a minimum wage and all they do is walk guests thought the house all day. It has to be the most boring ride host job at the park and if they do want a full on guest experience then they need to hire actors to play the role.

 

[Charliie]

I think adapting a similar role as the ghost host on haunted mansion would benefit the haunting especially in terms with keeping the story line and allowing staff to interact in a way that enhances the experience rather than taking away.

 

[Haz]

Hello, i went to Drayton today and rode The Haunting twice. Ride was running flawlessly, notably it seemed the smoke machines had been topped up. Many will be happy that the staff were keeping in with the story and the experience wasn't ruined at all!.
Anyways with that out the way some pretty major updates have happened which are worth posting.


Taken in April this year, extremely overgrown, rocks and cones not visible.


And at some point in the last month they've done a great job at opening this area back up!.

And the exit room has been repainted all black. Possibly turned into a Haunting shop for next year?.

 

[Themeparksandy1981]

I see they fully repaired the cellar door now
View attachment IMG_5960.mov
The crows head moving again but he don’t sound happy

View attachment IMG_5959.mov
Now onto the ride I see the staff have a few more lines to say.
Before they started to play the pre show video they said the usual rules no videos or pictures etc but they did say can you please watch 1 of our 2 screens for a important news update from our team leader Dr X.
Then after the video finished he said Thank you Dr X and can you follow me into the next room with the guests at the back closing the door behind them.
Now as we were the last guests by the time we even entered the skeleton corridor the staff member had already pushed the button so we closed the door and continued straight into the Library.
The floor has been fixed again and the smoke machine underneath really filled the room. So many kids were crying and families left. This is the best it’s been since 2021.
Now this is the point that really slows the queue down with guests leaving the experience they can’t start the ride to it’s evenly balanced. So they was a lot of people moving from side to side.
The ride itself the sound was turned up so you couldn’t hear the motors but it does take a while to start moving. Been 30 next year maybe it needs totally new motors if they plan to keep it for at least another 20 years.
As for the black room I think the pictures could be going back up as they just lying on the floor.


Looks awful how they stopped just there


I wonder what that other side is used for now.

 

[themeparkplanet]

I see they fully repaired the cellar door now
View attachment 7816
The crows head moving again but he don’t sound happy

View attachment 7817
Now onto the ride I see the staff have a few more lines to say.
Before they started to play the pre show video they said the usual rules no videos or pictures etc but they did say can you please watch 1 of our 2 screens for a important news update from our team leader Dr X.
Then after the video finished he said Thank you Dr X and can you follow me into the next room with the guests at the back closing the door behind them.
Now as we were the last guests by the time we even entered the skeleton corridor the staff member had already pushed the button so we closed the door and continued straight into the Library.
The floor has been fixed again and the smoke machine underneath really filled the room. So many kids were crying and families left. This is the best it’s been since 2021.
Now this is the point that really slows the queue down with guests leaving the experience they can’t start the ride to it’s evenly balanced. So they was a lot of people moving from side to side.
The ride itself the sound was turned up so you couldn’t hear the motors but it does take a while to start moving. Been 30 next year maybe it needs totally new motors if they plan to keep it for at least another 20 years.
As for the black room I think the pictures could be going back up as they just lying on the floor.

View attachment 7818View attachment 7819
Looks awful how they stopped just there

View attachment 7820
I wonder what that other side is used for now.

thing is most guests espeicially at the front miss the bit of extra audio thats played in the truck and dr x finishes because your moving into the corridor already

 

[Themeparksandy1981]

Missing the audio is 1 thing but missing the whole scene in the skeleton corridor is not on. I know it’s a bit pointless but so is just walking from 1 room to another. Really do think they could put writing on the walls that only shows up in uv light. Warning you to get out now while you still can.