Review: I experienced the perfect mix of family fun and fiendish frights at this year's Alton Towers Scarefest event

The annual Halloween event at the Alton Towers Resort is back for the spooky season, and this year, two brand-new scare attractions are on offer.

The first is an extra-charge attraction ominously named 'Edge Of The Forest,' which takes you into the heart of the resort's 'Dark Forest' area.

Here you are shuffled into a mysterious woodland cabin and told of the awakening of an ancient force that twists the trees and infiltrates your mind, The Leshwall.

The suspense is built up by the storytelling, and the wonderful theming brings to life the foreboding fable in front of your eyes, with nothing quite as it seems.

Scarefest always manages to come up with new ways to tell stories and new themes to explore. The second new attraction, Dark Hollow, does this brilliantly by extending the backstory of the popular ride Th13teen, located close to this attraction.

This is one of two free walk-through scare zones. In the dark, you walk through the woodland to meet a series of twisted characters lurking in the bushes and pathways.

Eagle-eyed regular visitors will find many Easter Eggs in this walkthrough, including some props that may seem very familiar from past events. Keep your eyes out.

I thought this attraction was the standout winner at the event this year. It's a good length and just really well crafted and thought out, from the fiendish characters to the hundreds of teddy bears eerily hanging from the trees.

The scare mazes on offer are not for the faint-hearted, but neither are they terrifying to the extent that you can't enjoy them, sure some have their moments that leave you hurtling for the exits, but that's the whole point.

Mazes like 'Skin Snatchers' and 'Compound' are designed to get the pulse racing, everyone screaming, and to give you a good solid dose of terror in dark corridors, but they are soon over, and you are back among the masses at the theme park.

If you let fear take over and you race through the mazes, you will miss so much of the storytelling. Really, you could do with a couple of walkthroughs to take everything in. Resist the urge to run; walk slowly, enjoy it.

From the moment you enter the resort, you are surrounded by brilliant Halloween-themed decorations and entertainment. Every food and drink outlet has its own spookily themed offerings.

The event has something for everyone, with some mazes even aimed at younger visitors, such as the wonderful Trick O'Treat Town or the Mexican-themed Amigos In The Afterlife.

I took my two grandchildren this year, they are 1 and 2, and they absolutely loved the sights and sounds of Halloween and particularly enjoyed the shows and Trick O Treat Town, the latter may have had something to do with the Haribo being dished out.

Alton Towers can be an expensive day out, so make the most of it by downloading the app and planning your time as you go - there's a lot to see and do and some good live shows to watch.

Getting organized lets you circumnavigate the natural chaotic feel of a busy theme park and still have time to sit down, have a chat, and take in the atmosphere.

As ever, for me, the real magic of Scarefest is getting to ride the rollercoasters like Nemesis Reborn and Wicker Man in the dark; they come alive with bespoke lighting, and the fear factor is ramped up in the darkness

VERDICT: With colourful, friendly characters at every turn and lots of great photo opportunities, this is geared up for all ages, whether they are looking for spooky fun or spine-tingling scares.

Entrance tickets from £34, Children under 90cm go free. Scare maze tickets are an extra cost from £10 - the event runs until the 2nd November - altontowers.com