The Problem With The Dungeons
As fans of scare events and scare attractions, we are well versed in the Dungeon attractions, having visited them a few times over the years. They can be fun, slightly scary to those who are easily scared and they offer a unique way of telling the dark histories of the cities and locations they frequent. But upon a recent visit to the York Dungeon, it made me realise again the problem these attractions have.
The issue becomes noticeable when you've visited a couple of them and it strikes you that they are essentially the same, just wrapped up slightly different. Each Dungeon attraction has set scenes which feature at all locations. These are usually a courtroom, torturer and a doctor. Once you've seen one version, you've seen them all. The dialogue may be slightly different, but the scenes play out in an identical way. On top of the identical scenes, each location has scenes set towards the history of the place its located. But again, these tend to be similar style of scenes, just with a slightly different overlay. They do offer new scenes at certain times of the year and I always seem to miss them so I can't comment on those.
The problem is that once you've been to one and experienced what they have and then visit another one and see their scenes, you can't help but feel like you are just experiencing the same thing over again. I'm using the York Dungeon as my example case (I promise i'm not picking on it). Having visited three times over the space of five years, I've not really noticed many major changes over this time. They have added one permanent new scene in that five year period, I believe. And I feel this is a similar story at all the locations.
Because of their locations, the attractions aren't really aimed at returning visitors and they are more focused on getting the tourists to visit who have never been and I think this is where its biggest problem is for me. I love the Dungeon attractions and I always enjoy them when I do visit, but because i've seen it and done it, I tend to put off visiting them frequently. They don't cater towards returning visitors enough to warrant regular visits. Even when I was a MAP holder, I would do one yearly visit to a Dungeon attraction and even then it wouldn't be the same one as the year before.
This lack of regular change to its line up is a problem for the attractions and sooner or later people will start visiting less and less to them and I unfortunately think it could be its downfall. I'm not asking for changes every couple of weeks or every few months, just maybe change a scene once a year to something new, or do something differently to what people already know. Keeping these kind of attractions fresh will keep guests visiting for years to come and enjoying them longer.
What are your thoughts on the Dungeon attractions.
I think this is a fair criticism. The atmosphere and storytelling can be excellent, but once you’ve visited several locations, the repeated set pieces definitely become easier to predict. Even a small annual refresh — a new scene, different ending, or rotating storyline — could give regular visitors a reason to come back. It’s a shame when a good attraction starts feeling familiar instead of surprising. For something different to explore online afterward, Aviamasters is worth a look.
However, here’s where my take might differ from yours. I think the core "problem" is actually the business model itself. Because they are part of a massive, established chain (Merlin Entertainments), they operate on a strict, budgeted formula. Changing a scene isn't just about writing new dialogue; it's about building new sets, training actors, and re-choreographing the entire flow. For a corporate entity, that's a significant cost for a return that might not show up on the balance sheet immediately. So, what’s the solution? For a start, why not gamify the experience a bit? Using something like Slotmonster as an example for engagement, you could create a "Dungeon Passport" where visitors collect digital stamps at each location. If you collect…