Alton Towers Scarefest 2023: I survived the Wicker Man - but barely came out alive after Daz Games Panic

My three friends and I arrived at Alton Towers for its spooky Scarefest event not knowing what to expect - or what was coming for us. But, we were not disappointed. The multitude of thrilling rides, scary mazes, and frightening actors around the resort had us all screaming, laughing, and getting us fully into the Halloween spirit.

On Friday night we arrived at the hotel and checked-in, going up in the lift with its lights temporarily going on and off - which at first we thought we had jumped into an unlucky one, but soon discovered it was the beginning of what we were in for. In coaches we then arrived at the theme park, ready for the Scarefest event.

With pumpkins, hay bales, food, slenderman actors walking past, and spooky music… we were thrust into the Halloween spirit from the off - and what was coming, none of us had predicted. Daz Black, aka Daz Games, new unique immersive scare attraction where escape room meets live action scare maze. Well, let’s just say I barely came out alive.

None of us knew who he was but had done some research before and learnt he is a YouTube gaming sensation, recording himself playing horror games. In a video recording before we went into the maze he said he had combined his two loves of computer games and horror.

I don’t want to give everything away, but it was an experience I will never forget. Before you enter, you are armed with a wristband, and two symbols, which you have to remember and find in the maze. My friends and I were frantically saying our symbols over and over again so we wouldn’t forget.

Once you are in the maze, you have to complete tasks to unlock your exit. Before you enter, the tension builds as a video clip from Daz plays.

He says you must not run and you are working alone. Well, let me tell you, I did run and I definitely did not work alone - as in the darkness I was surrounded, chased after, and did not let go of my friend. My other two friends were more independent - but when we found each other at the end, we were all full of adrenaline on what had just happened.

You are racing against the clock trying to find the symbols, escape, and avoid all of the other ghastly inhabitants that are amongst you. At one point, the lights came on I saw a figure, and the lights went off, and it’s safe to say I have never felt so scared. My friend and I were running back and forth in panic as I couldn’t find my symbols, trying to make our way through the darkness.

It was original, scary, and at the end when we had all calmed down - so much fun. We had thought oh it won’t be scary, it’s just actors, but we were so wrong.

The rides and the Scarefest mazes this year, on top of Daz Games Panic, just add to how good Alton Towers is for the 2023 Halloween season. There are four Scarefest mazes, each one with a different theme.

The scariest one is reported to be the AltonVille Mine Tours, but mine was the Darkest Depths where you are making your way through a spine-chilling ghost ship.

We had to dodge ghoulish pirate mutineers and come face to face with a huge monster. All of the mazes though are full of so many jumps, and surprises.

My friends and I all clung to each other, although in one of them I was separated and ended up in the dark on my own listening to the audio of a creepy vampire story, not knowing what was going on around me. I was holding onto my seat for dear life. The Scarefest mazes are ones you do not want to miss this year.

Now, for the rides. The Wicker Man. That is all I have to say. I thought it was going to be okay, but it really wasn’t.

The first wooden roller coaster to be built in the UK in over 20 years, it was horrifyingly good. This is one of those roller coasters that is just fast the whole way through, no stopping, no time to take in what is going on. It was my favourite.

The first ride we did go on was Th13teen - to which my friend described it as a “PG roller coaster” as she was trying to suppress my fears as I am awful on huge rides. Turns out, she was completely lying. It was not a “PG rollercoaster” at all. With a drop, swinging you backwards, going full speed, it was terrifying, but also fantastic.

Another favourite was Rita, the 5th fastest roller coaster in the UK, powering you to 100kph in just 2.5 seconds. It is safe to say the pictures they captured of us on the ride were hilarious. My friend and I also went on the Spinball Whizzer, where I was screaming “regret” on the whole way through - which sums up how I felt about that ride. A man on the ride with us said it was the “noisiest ride” he had ever been on.

There’s a ride for everyone at the resort. CBeebies Land is full of fun, and we even went on the kiddy Gangsta Granny ride and enjoyed that, as well as the water rides. Haribo’s Trick O Treat Town is an extra delight too, knocking on doors to either get a treat or a trick.

All in all, it was an amazing time full of very scary mazes that put my heart through its paces and exhilarating rides. I am now firmly in the Halloween spirit and I would definitely go back and do it again next year.

Fast track tickets are amazing and definitely worth it as some queue waiting times we saw were 60 to 70 minutes. There are a lot of food options to choose from around the resort - and also, be prepared for the amount of walking.

We totalled that we had walked around 16k for the day. The app is really handy too to download as it shows you a map of where all the rides are and what is going on around the theme park.

If you are wanting to be scared, put on edge, questioning why on earth you are putting yourself through this, clinging onto your family and friends for dear life, well, look no further than Alton Towers Scarefest.