Fright Nights 12th & Scarefest 13th

[Swat]

A Trip report for the first two days of the major Halloween events and a comparison. A few pictures at the bottom.

This was my first year at Fright Nights and I have fairly high hopes going into it, won't go into much detail about the day but everything was basically a walk on.

I was a little surprised with the sheer lack of theming. Thorpe Park Penitentiary? Nothing made this park look or feel like a prison other than a few actors in orange jumpsuits later on at night!

The Swarm was really good but as with the whole park lacked any atmosphere and it felt really disjointed from the rest of the park but that didn't detract from the ride it's self which is a solid addition.

I only got to do half of the Curse as it kept breaking down. The group before us went in 3 times because of breakdowns then after they 'Fixed' it we got in and got half way and it did it again so can't really rate it, but from what we did it was a pretty solid maze with a lot of jump scares!

On to the Mazes: (Spoilers)

Saw: Alive​

After an extremely long queue down to dire batching (The main queue didn't move for 20 minutes whilst they let fast tracks in) It's still basically the same with a few actors in new locations.

Asylum​

This maze felt rather empty but really disorientating.

Spoiler

There was no chainsaw ending just a man who had little effect on our group.

Over all the maze was a fairly jumpy maze.

7/10​

Experiment 10​

This was the best maze of the event in my opinion. There was no music in the queue and a spot light ruining any atmosphere but didn't take anything away from the almost solid maze.

Spoiler

At the start we had a very good actor in the first container who involved the whole of our group and singled people out it really added a lot to the experience. After the separation in which I was in a tiny room with water dripping on me I was ushered through a low tunnel and then encountered an actor in a wheelchair which distracted me from another actor who provided an excellent scare and the two actors working together really made that middle section work. The ending was a video screen where we watched a surgeon work on what appears to be a dead body then she turns and faces us in which time the person had gotten up and started attacking her from behind then an actor dressed completely differently to the person on the video and without an angle grinder jumped out and didn't do much and really didn't give the maze that ending in which it really, really deserves! Other than the lackluster ending the maze was great

9/10​

The Passing​

This being an upcharge I was expecting it to be the best of the park but honestly it's a massive let down!

Spoiler

I can't fully remember the order of the maze but if I remember correctly you start off in a corridor with 2D images made to look like a morgue and a bag is put over your head. These's didn't really add anything for me as it was massive and was easy to see out of. It just got in the way as I had to keep pulling it back on. You then proceed into a room surrounded with red drapes and a TV screen in front of you which I think was meant to show the life of the person you murdered with some rather graphic images. Then a screen above you turns on and it's of people looking at you then proceeding to bury you and shouting stuff at you. You then go into a room with two tunnels, I went on the left hand side (Black Tunnel) which was very cosy and included a slide it was also pitch black. Then I think it was a tunnel like the revolving ones found in ghost trains and other walkthroughs but static with stuff like filthy perv written on it. Next you then go down a slope with an actor in a barrel and the bottom which provided a good scare.

Now this is where it all went from a maze to just pure confusion. We walk out in to a room with two Thorpe Park employees who say congratulations and hand us a certificate which is pictured below then you walk into a white room and a door slides shut we tried to get out but were trapped the lights go out and a UV light reveals writing on the certificate and a door slides open. This for me is the best part of the maze. as you leave the white room an actor gives one of the best scares of the day then you go into a tiny padded room full of handing black strip doors which made us (only four of the original group as we had lost them at the tunnels) keep going back into the white room with diffrent people in it each time and being locked in and the actor kept jumping from different areas scaring us each time after what felt like 15 minutes we got out of the constant circle and got out and felt extremely confused.

Besides the end the maze that didn't provide any huge scares and we all felt a little let down by it. It's only £3 but still asking for more money for a maze which isn't better than the free ones left us disappointed. This is something Alton Towers have taken into consideration and as you'll read later on have seriously blown everything away!

Yeah it was disappointing but after all it was the very first day and hopefully it will be tweaked. You can't fault Thorpe for bravely trying something which offers something you don't normally see from theme parks. You also get a glow in the dark waxed paper wristband which says Notice of Execution on it which is a nice bonus.

Just to add on about the Storm Surge incident, I was coming from Swarm island as a fire engine was coming through and from what I saw a lady had got her leg/foot stuck under the conveyer belt. When we walked past later there was no sign of the belt being cut.

It really was dead for the first night of Fright Nights. Taken at just gone 12.


The Passing Entrance.


Certificate


Alton has seriously upped their game with the mazes. More to come later.

 

[Swat]

Sorry for the double post.

Alton Towers Scarefest​

This was my third year in a row where i've attended Scarefest and after the previous day's trip to Thorpe where it felt like a standard Thorpe with a few mazes and a later closing Alton actually felt like more of an event in comparison.

We arrived at around twelve to be greeted by a rather busy car park.


Once we got the monorail to the park and got our tickets I checked the Scarefest App's ride times and saw the main rides were all 60 plus besides Oblivion so we headed there first. First thing that struck the group I was with was the sheer amount of effort Alton has put in to Towers Street three members of our group hadn't been to Alton or Thorpe before, They were amazed in the difference of professionalism and atmosphere Alton set right from the entrance.

Even with the busyness of the park we still managed to get on all the main coasters without the need to buy stupidly priced fast tracks. Whilst on the subject of Fast Tracks is it just me or are Thorpe and Alton guilty of keeping up queue times even where the queue is no where near the said time to get people to buy them?

I didn't bother with Sub Terror as the queue looked massive and from reading reviews it doesn't seem to justify a 45+ wait.

On to the Mazes, We booked a half six time slot so it was just starting to get dark.

Carnival of Screams​

We did this one first as it has been one of the weaker in previous years.

Spoiler

Right from the get go we knew Alton's entertainment team have really looked into justifying the steep price compared to Merlins other park. We start off outside with a lovely gentleman picking his belly button and interacting with all the members of our group. He was extremely good at his role and was unnerving the group and even dropping a few innuendos about the group only having one female giving us a laugh before telling us to move on. We got into the tent to be told to stand in a semi circle in front of the good old ticket/fortune telling puppet in a box scare which was half open so it kind of ruined the surprise but still go a good scare. Needless to say the maze has a lot of similar content to previous years but felt much longer and a really strong bunch of performances from the acting team really made this one of the best returning mazes.

Despite similarities the maze was a massive improvement even on the 2010 original over at the hotel. It's a shame if they get rid of it for next year but if it does stay they could do with replacing some of the older scenes. Anyone doubting it because it's inside the goalstriker building will have a nice surprise as it's a lot longer than last years.

8.5/10​

The Sanctuary ​

Wow. This maze is in my opinion the best maze this year.

It's located in the towers and uses TOTT's old conservatory entrance. (More on that later)
To get to the entrance you have to through the archway as if you were heading to TOTT then go right and go up and over the archway and round to the conservatory. Once you get to the conservatory you see numerous TV screens which talk about experiments and links in to the new coaster for next year. There is also an actor to the right of the queue in a little garden with hidden stones with faces and messages and warnings on them. Every now and then he would just stare at the queue, scratch new things onto stones and dig holes. Must be good but a tad boring being paid to do that.

Also in the queue are posters telling you to smile among other things, Still nothing has been given away and the fear of the unknown started to set in. You are batched in to large groups of 11-14 either on the left of right and stamped with the smiley face which can be seen all over the park.

Spoiler

Once everything's set you are told to remain smiling and you enter the maze. At this point everything still looks and feels pleasant right up until you turn the corner then you see barbed wire and decaying walls.

You are then met by the same actor as on the videos and picture's spread in the queue and this really added to the immersion. He was an extremely good actor and really sold his role. Once through that the maze is full of wackness and traditional scares all actors throughout the maze were incredible picking the group apart and at one point when the maze goes down stairs a female actor gets to the top and shouts down instructing the new room to pick on individual members which add's a feeling of interaction to the maze.

One of the most standout parts of the maze saw the group led down an extremely dense smoke filled white tunnel by and actor in front. The white walls began to change colours and it was almost impossible to see at points. we turned a corner and still not being able to see a thing were stopped by the actor who just stared at the group. Then all of a sudden air cannons went off along with loads of water getting the group soaked from above then leg feelers starting going off and it was sheer chaos as we were being attacked from above and below. Then the actor who managed to keep a straight t face and stare throughout that ordeal (I could never do it) moved and let us continue on.

At the end the group was split and we worked our way around a fence where we could see the other group with an actor jumping through holes working both groups well and then we walked out.

The ending was a bit lackluster with the strobe being too frequent to have any real effect hopefully something that will be improved for the start of the main event. Maybe a second actor in the ending too and it can complete the almost perfect and genuinely terrifying experience. It was really long as well on par with TOTT's length!

Alton Towers and it's entertainment team need to be applauded. This maze is the best maze they have produced as of late and it by far the strongest maze for people who have done TOTT in the past few years.

9.5/10*​

*Once a few thing's are tweaked it will be perfect.

Terror of The Towers​

Really similar to previous years so if you have done it in 2010 and 2011 it will all be a bit 'meh'.

Yes the whole attraction is still the best themed, longest and to a first timer one of the scariest.

It also still has the best ending in a theme park maze but for next year it does need a rework to keep it from going stale.

On a side note the atmosphere in the queue is down on previous years due to The Sanctuary using the conservatory and it being all lit up in white lights. The music was also a lot quieter which can also be put down to it sharing the area but its really just a small gripe. See picture below.

A solid maze as always just feels a bit too similar to previous incarnations.

8/10​

Zombies​

What went so wrong?

Spoiler

You get batched into this 'Scarezone' in large groups of 20+

Because of the large group and the size of it we couldn't really see much which can also be put down the the huge amount of smoke which also filled the dark forest which made the area filled with flood lights a bit more dark and scary.

I saw 5 or 6 zombies with little interaction and not one scare.

We did it at half seven so it was dark but still it's a big let down.

3/10​

Before I post a couple of pictures I just want to say that Alton Towers is far superior to just about everything Thorpe attempted for the biggest event of the theme park season.

From everything like maze length, atmosphere, quality and setting (Can't really beat Alton if they tried with setting) One thing Thorpe does better though is push boundaries and try new things.

Thorpe Park just felt like a normal day with some mazes it all felt so unorganised and with a load of technical issues just left me feeling a bit let down.

But then again you get what you pay for and seeing as you have to pay Between £9 and £13 for two mazes at Alton compared to four being free and a £3 charge for one at Thorpe you would expect the quality to be of a much higher standard.

Lighting is still an issue at the Towers where as Thorpe's always brilliant.

Music wise I hardly heard anything from Thorpe even in certain queue lines, where as Alton was playing Halloween songs everywhere.

It's hit and miss as with all of these kind of attractions but I just hope things are addressed at both parks ahead of this weekend and the Halloween season.

On to a few pictures:

The Sanctuary

The Towers