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After literally a few YEARS of debating whether we actually LIKE The Curse at Alton Manor or not, our friend over at Moonlight Creative Writing has written up our final thoughts on the latest upgrade to Alton Towers’ classic Haunted House attraction!

“Why The Curse at Alton Manor Falls Short of the Mark”

Alton Towers’ history with this ride is almost as interesting as the attraction itself. When it opened in 1992, it proudly claimed the title of the largest haunted house of its kind in Europe and, honestly, considering the limitations in budget and tech at the time, it was impressive. Simple yet effective practical tricks did the heavy lifting: uneven floors that disoriented guests in the queue, classic Pepper’s Ghost illusions and the iconic trommel tunnel all combined to create something genuinely unique.

In 2002, the atmospheric horror gave way to interactivity with Duel: The Haunted House Strikes Back, adding laser blasters and a point‑scoring system. Then in 2022, Alton Towers announced the closure and third major reimagining of this theme park staple: The Curse at Alton Manor.

The result was an homage to the Haunted House’s past lives, centering on Emily Alton (a character from the earliest iteration) as the main antagonist. The ride is littered with references to “dead” attractions: the duck from The Flume tucked inside Emily’s dollhouse, gravestones dedicated to Ripsaw, Black Hole and other lost iconic rides. It’s a love letter to the park’s history… at least in theory.

And in the lead‑up to opening, Alton Towers did what it does best: hype. Teaser trailers, pop‑up doll house installations, even a massive mural of Emily in Manchester, all building excitement for a ride that, on opening, was… well, mediocre at best.

Perhaps I’ve been spoiled by excellent dark rides like Phantom Manor in Disneyland Paris, but I expected more from an attraction with this much attention and budget behind it. Ironically, the technical improvements seem to have taken away from the scares rather than enhanced them. The over‑reliance on screens gives the ride a cheap, theme‑park‑Halloween‑event look rather than the polished, atmospheric experience it’s clearly aiming for. Suspension of disbelief is shattered by bright backstage light leaking through wall seams and under the doors of emergency exits. And while there are plenty of Pepper’s Ghost illusions, they reflect moving images (again, from screens) rather than physical animatronics – a noticeable downgrade for anyone familiar with the effect done properly.

Now, don’t get me wrong: there are some excellent practical effects in Curse. The problem is that the ride doesn’t showcase them properly. Early on, there’s a brilliant mirror illusion where Emily appears inside the ride vehicle, but most guests miss it because the car is angled away from the mirrors, gliding past them rather than facing them. Another impressive illusion shows Emily on a swing before vanishing, but again, the cars face the wrong direction. Unless you already know to turn around, you’ll never see it. So many of the ride’s strongest moments go unnoticed simply because the vehicles aren’t programmed to direct riders’ attention. A little rotation here and there could have transformed the experience.

And then there’s the infamous black void. The “Hide and Seek” section originally amounted to a twenty‑second journey through pitch darkness while Emily taunted you. It felt unfinished. Because it was. Only after a short closure in 2025 did they add an actual Pepper’s Ghost figure of Emily to break up the void. It’s a welcome improvement, but it does make you wonder why it wasn’t included from the start.

But all of these issues pale in comparison to the biggest storytelling misstep. The narrative behind the manor – the tragic tale of neglected child Emily Alton – is genuinely compelling, yet the ride barely gives it any attention. The pre‑show (if you can even call it that) is essentially a queue‑line filler, and most guests walk straight past the dollhouse that visually explains the events of 1891. Alton Towers can do excellent pre‑shows (Wicker Man is proof of that) so it’s baffling that they didn’t dedicate more focus here. At the very least, they could have pulsed guests into the dollhouse room in small groups, as they already do for Wicker Man and Hex. The story is there; they just don’t let anyone see it.

Final Thoughts

The Curse at Alton Manor isn’t a bad ride – it’s a frustrating one. The bones of something brilliant are absolutely present: a strong central character, clever practical effects and a rich history to draw from. But the execution feels rushed, uneven and, oddly, uninterested in its own narrative. With a few adjustments (better vehicle programming, tighter lighting control and a proper pre‑show to set the tone) it could become the modern gothic masterpiece it wants to be. Until then, it remains a ride full of potential that never quite manages to haunt the way it should.

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If you want to read about what creative writers can learn from the environmental story-telling of The Curse at Alton Manor, check out their companion article and other great creative writing posts at moonlightcreativewriting.com!