James Mundy, creative theming and scenic manager at Alton Towers Resort, has shared his top tips for getting the most out of a scare maze when visiting a theme park
A theme park attraction specialist responsible for some of the UK’s most terrifying scare mazes has revealed the biggest mistakes thrillseekers make while braving the spine-tingling experiences.
James Mundy, creative theming and scenic manager at Alton Towers Resort, has devoted his 20-year career to creating new and more immersive ways to alarm the public. He leads a team of 10, designing and building the resort’s scare mazes, which have become a defining element of the annual Scarefest experience.
This year, visitors can confront the park’s new scare maze, the Edge Of The Forest, come Halloween.
According to James, the secret to a good scare maze is part film, part theatre. He explains: “You need a strong story, just like a movie. Guests want more than jump scares – they want to feel like they’ve stepped into another sphere.
“The world we live in is already a scary place which means people are harder to scare now. So for us, it’s about timing and variety – mixing atmospheric tension with those heart-stopping jump scares.”
Becoming a scare maze master forced James to overcome one of his biggest childhood fears. “I was a really scared kid. I hated haunted houses so much that I’d go round with my eyes shut,” he said.
“But somewhere along the way I started pushing myself with scarier and scarier films, and I realised the adrenaline was addictive. These days, I make a living creating the very experiences I once dreaded.”
Edge Of The Forest is located within the eerie Dark Forest – an overgrown woodland where ancient forces trick thrill seekers.
James says: “There’s something timeless about woodland legends. With Edge Of The Forest we want visitors to feel that they are stepping into a dark fable.”
This year guests can once again brave the Altonville Mine Tours and descend into the unnerving depths of the COMPOUND scare maze – first introduced in 2024.
James has shared his top five tips for getting the best out of a scare maze, including the one thing you shouldn’t do. They are:
- Don’t close your eyes: “It’s natural when you’re frightened to close your eyes, but try to resist the urge, otherwise you will miss out on so much of the experience.”
- Take your time: “Lots of people sprint through scare mazes because they’re so scared. The slower you go, the more fear builds up – making the jump scares even more intense.”
- Explore different routes: “Each route through a scare maze will have its own unique scares, so you’ll only get the full experience with repeat visits.”
- Stick together: “Part of the fun is sharing the fear with others. Hold your nerve and don’t get separated – though if a maze does split you up, embrace it. Everyone’s experience is different, and comparing stories afterwards is half the fun.”
- Remember it’s not real: “Nothing can actually harm you in a scare maze. You might scream, you might laugh, you might swear you’ll never do it again – but ten minutes later you’ll be queuing for another go. That’s the power of adrenaline.”
Scarefest 2025 kicks off on 27th September and is available to book for the following weekends: 3rd-5th October, 10th-12th October, 17th October-2nd November.
