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Hmm, as last Saturday was to be the better weather for a while, I popped to TP. sadly Stealth was late opening and then went faulty again. After noon she was running, for a short while, before requiring more attention. All seemed good as it was running for quite a good session, queues for all rides were at least an hour and a half due to park attendance being just short of capacity, then about 4.15p.m., we came over the brake hill, I thought I was a tad too fast, and we came to a halt on the bottom straight. With some strange noises when trying to get the drive wheels to pick it up, and failing, they had to close the ride, emptying the queue line and platform. they then had to conduct a "manual evacuation". Health and safety requirements meant that trained management had to do that, and it involves full procedures as if we were suspended on top of a high structure, using harnesses and cables. One person at a time. The whole thing took up to another hour and a half for some. The weather was not warm, nor sunny, and we were also treated to a steady shower, which meant that some people were shivering with cold, all the time with restraints on, though those who needed them were supplied with thermal foil blankets. the "rescuing" staff had to use the electric power pack to release each four seat section, to then secure and assist off the emergency platform, each rider, one at a time, using cables and harnesses. A very difficult task for the staff, and one which they all carried out professionally, but not one I want to repeat.

Seemingly at the moment Stealth seems to be having quite a lot of downtime. Hopefully it's nothing too serious.

Evening. Been a while. Did Fright Nights today, checked my profile, I've exclusively posted about Fright Nights for the last 3 years and I didn't bother last year, probably because I thought last year was the worst FN I've ever done (going since 2020). So, 2026 Tenement Start on a high note, Tenement is probably the best Fright Nights maze I have ever done. This maze is the only one that holds a candle to Traumatica to me, and is right up there with Studio 13 (The Traumatica version), Compound and The Attic (personal bias) as my favourite ever mazes. Genuinely very scary with some impressive show scenes, Only maze that effectively jumpscares without an actor, just using lights and sound. The ending is a bit naff, a common theme with all of Thorpe's mazes for a while now, but incredible stuff. Stitches & Trailers No point in commenting on these separately because what's the point, they're the same as they have been since 2023. Trailers has a new room again, probably the most substantially changed room in there for a while but still follows the same layout as before and still the same maze. Genuinely cannot believe it is still going, I did my first FN during Covid and I've only been to one event that did not have Trailers. Stitches unchanged for the fourth year running. Both quite light on actors. Time for a change. Is quite funny how similar Stitches and Final Exhibit are, though. DeadBeat Best maze last year and second best maze this year. Again light on actors but they were going for it. It's also just a better layout than any of the others, and got a scare I've never had before (an actor came through the mirror that previously would just have a strobe and sound effect). Also, the preshow was delivered through headphones this year, which was unique and works really well with the theme. Survival Games A genuine insult to what this maze used to be. So, so awful. Does not work at all as a linear maze. The Crows & Lucifer's Lair What will happen first, the heat death of the universe, or The Crows leave Fright Nights? Always preferred them as roamers. The new location is comedically short. No point. Lucifer's Lair is fun, if a bit pointless without the stage. Didn't bother with Purgatory Town, which I'm pretty convinced was supposed to go to Chessington and accidentally ended up at Thorpe somehow. Rebel Ball Someone who has been going to Fright Nights for longer than me may have a better answer, but I do not think there can possibly be a worse Fright Nights "attraction" than this. Utterly pointless. General Park Atmosphere 25 years is a massive milestone that they don't really make any sort of deal of. It's mentioned when the event "begins" at 3, but there's no real "anniversary" attractions like previous years. Nothing from past Fright Nights at all until the park shuts and they play a hilarious end of day playlist that just plays The Big Top announcement and a voice clip of the Director over The Weeknd and Fein. On the bright side, the majority, if not all rides aside from Hyperia have a proper Fright Nights overlay now, which is something I've complained about and I know other people have for years. Nemesis Inferno had a cool dispatch sequence, and The Swarm had a different soundtrack and "Fear" announcement which I don't feel like has happened before? Also VERY cool, at 7pm an announcement from "Fear" plays, and the lights on park change. Hyperia turned red and the lights go out as the train goes down the drop. Lighting is also the best it has ever been this year, every ride is lit up very nicely. Overall Thoughts Thank god for Tenement! Fright Nights needs a massive overhaul next year. I genuinely can't decide which maze needs to go the most out of Trailers, Survival Games and Stitches. All incredibly stale, or in SG's case actively a step back. The Crows need to go or roam again, Creature Campus is hilariously still going despite Amity High being a pre-Covid invention, even the music around park has been the same for years now. I don't think they ever would replace as many attractions as they need to sadly, but I'd genuinely take less mazes in favour of a big shake-up. Had a good day, but more due to the company and Tenement than anything else.

That is a good point, I have noticed they've been using the headsets less. I've just noticed them doing this since the 'more cautious' restraint checking so assumed it was linked.

"Down and strapped" or "locked and buckled" in essence shows restraints locked and secondary safety in place. There are additional sensors to detect incorrect variations.

I had noticed a few weeks prior to all this, they had been getting quite lax on checking the bars were down as far as they need to be. Seemed to be almost just touching the bars as they ran by.

I noticed a similar thing at Stealth has been happening recently. I noticed staff weren't wearing their headsets, so maybe something to do with that in that instance? But certainly an odd one.

Good show, it's very good watching from behind the launch as the train blasts into it.

The smoke at the end of the launch is back today!

Engineers have been busy over the closed days it seems - Zodiac has now been completely stripped and gondolas removed. https://ibb.co/KxHgrmKN

The last few visits I’ve noticed new procedures on Hyperia. They seem to be strictly enforcing hands up now when checking your restraint, and doing visual checks on every seat to ensure you’re sitting back in your seat. The operator is now saying along the lines of ‘all clear ready for dispatch’ down the PA before dispatching every train. This is not in response to the Goliath incident as they had started doing this a couple weeks ago. Not sure what’s caused this change but it’s certainly slowing down dispatch times.

Such incidents are rare, yet to those involved it's "the worst" . Naturally many will now their opinion as to how/why it happened and many now have the ability to transmit pictures of incidents without assessing the distress they may cause. Understably several rides, believed all to be B&M's, across the U.S.A., are closed for safety checks.

There has been a really horrible incident on Goliath at Six Flags over Georgia yesterday, with a rider being ejected from the ride. The on ride photo shows the rider fully out of his seat and striking riders in the row behind. The photo also shows his empty seat with the clamshell restraint near-fully open. The man fell to the ground shortly after the ORP towards the end of the ride and has unfortunately died. I cannot imagine how awful this must be for the other riders on the train, especially his son who was sat next to him, and the riders behind who were struck by his body while he was still alive. Truly horrifying. Another terrible, unimaginable incident that should have been impossible. Something that seems to be said more and more about coaster incidents as time goes on. There is something about incidents like this at theme parks that just hits different. We all put our trust in these rides and the operators to keep us and our loved ones safe, and it’s so tragic when that doesn’t happen.

Hello, the park was closed today so I assume you meant yesterday? There is a lost property page on the website which should be able to help - https://thorpepark.com/about-thorpe-park/contact-us/lost-property/ Good luck!

This might be unrelated, but I have seen a shift in tone in regards to the discretion of social media for Fright Nights under RWS. I saw a post earlier on Instagram recommended with like a fair amount of backstage stuff for Stitches, including a kind of warm up thing from a captain. It certainly intrigues me as this kind of thing is usually banned from being posted until the end of the season. It makes me wonder going forward if we are going to see more backstage stuff and details under RWS, and is it nessecarily a positive thing? Edit: Wanted to add I have always thought SG's actors having to use the same toilets as guests, and filling their water bottles in plain sight always interesting. I guess it's human characters, just kind of weird washing your hands next to that guy who told you he would kill you a couple minutes ago lol. Also questionable to the immersion.

Hi, I lost my iPhone on one of the rides at Thorpe Park today. I told a member of staff, but unfortunately I didn't receive any help. My phone was showing its location before it switched off. Could anyone please help me find my phone or tell me how to contact the Lost Property team? I would really appreciate any help. Thank u

Just visited Tulleys myself, and my opinion definitely differs. Anyway Appleton Farm and Sawmill I was a little eh on, the farm had some good new set pieces, and I liked the sets and the actors present, though felt it lacked actors for its duration. I also would like a more punch ending for farm, even if Sawmill is "meant to be the ending". The sawmill was a bit better in regards to actor density, though I think the sets felt quite tired, mostly as a lot of it has been used before. I think the Farm one has more potential with its mostly new sets, and the gruesome parts! But yeah that space seems to be a struggle for them. Cellar Returning is mixed for me, I personally feel maybe it was time to throw new life into the event, though after experiencing it, it might have some of the best scares at the park! It does seem to be fully rebuilt? And some new set pieces towards the end really help, I do still dislike the strobey cage room, feels so random lol. Overall though, strong. The Fuel Girls's House of Hades might be the best thing this year at the event, it feels HHN coded, honestly a absolute must do for any guest visiting. The stage and bar area around it I feel is quite nice. I think that show might be enough reason to visit to be honest. Obviously you have some older favourites, like Coven (which I would like some new scenes added soon to spruce it up), you have DoomTown which has a new room this year. Overall quite actor dense and some nice jumps, a few jump scares with acting lunging at you out in the open, rarely behind doors. A couple of moments embracing comedy too, that was fun! I do think it might be one of the strongest sets on a scale that challenges Universal even. Wastelands is old now, but I don't think we've hit the expiry date yet. It's still pretty full on, and works pretty well in my opinion. The vibe of that little area always brings joy. Electrick was fun, I enjoyed some of the UV stuff added, the theming is a little skeletal so it helps! Obviously very strong scares in there! Finally Chop Shop I think is very much on its way out. Despite great actors Inside, I think it feels a little like a relic of the past. The theming of the exterior and first 1/3 is on par with current standards, but the ending is definitely no longer the shock that it used to be, I think it's time for a more squealers yard style thing. But then I guess Appleton Sawmill kinda blends in a bit too well. (PS I forgot some stuff) Purgatory is fun, though like Tenement, I do think having a throughput disaster maze In a VERY busy event was a little ballzy, if not silly. I do appreciate it's difference to other mazes though, it feels eeriely quiet in there, with more psychological stuff. Definitely not one that is in your face. I did Hayride and loved it as per usual, and skipped Hellements and Cottage. Overall I do think the park has some diversity in scares. Wastelands Chop, Appleton, and Electrick have more verbal human language used. While DoomTown, Coven, and Cellar have the kind of noises and grunting. While Purgatory performers seem to be on the quiet side. I do think the cost is actually surprisingly reasonable as you break down current scare events. The Howl is the best value in my opinion, but let's say my friend who came last minute today, who paid £52 She managed 10 mazes, that is £5 a maze? like is Thorpe or Towers much better value? Arguably worse. It's definitely pricey, but I think the industry is just expensive lol.

I went to Tulleys for the first time in 5 years last weekend. I make it no secret I'm not a big fan of Tulleys, having done 3 visits in the past which never blew me away, but I thought I'd give it another go. In short, I'm still not huge on it. I like Purgatory, and the small groups and lanterns does really differentiate this. The effect of the lanterns is lost when the maze is designed so that you use the same space multiple times and can see other groups' lanterns. Doom Town is nice, but nothing special in my book. Looks nice, but very Tulleys. The Appleton stuff was meh. Wastelands felt nowhere near as good as when I first did it. The street performers remain a highlight, but with the place so busy, your interactions with them become limited. The highlight, but a country lightyear, was House of Hades, the new show this year. 20 minutes of pure spectacle, and enough to make the ticket price justifiable. My issues with Tulleys' mazes remain. Many are too long with not enough actors to justify the length. I know that's by design, but it doesn't work for me. With so many mazes, there's too many similarities between them. So many mazes feature actors yelling at you in made up languages, and have doors left open ajar for you to walk through. It's just tiresome. I went on the cheapest night I could book and it was still like £45. Other nights go up to like £70, which is extortionate. I don't see myself returning any time soon.

So I've taken some time to think before I do my write up. I usually do one the night of (or morning after) the Launch Event on Thursday. My schedule meant I didn't have the opportunity. I then did mazes again on Sunday. So I've got a good vibe for Fright Nights now. I think the headline is, unfortunately, simple. Fright Nights isn't as strong as it has been the last couple of years in particular. For those who maybe have only done Fright Nights, say, in the 2020s, I could understand if their view was it was their weakest Fright Nights yet. That wouldn't be something I'd necessarily agree with. But I could understand. I'll get into ins and outs of that later. For now, let's get into the attractions. Tenement I've done this a couple of times now. The maze is very consistent, in that it is very story-driven and has the same scares designed into it. Lots of show scares, and perhaps slightly HHN in style. There's a lot of tech inside too. There's a reversing wall, doors opening by themselves, lights, audio, etc, plus the torches of course. My runs during the Launch Event weren't as good. The maze was light, the torches added little. On Sunday, it was better: very dark, the torches added more, etc. There's a couple of good scare moments throughout, but it is a lot more atmospheric then jump scary. There's a few scenes which are passive in that you watch stuff happen to actors. It works for some, but not others. One thing I don't like is that actors lip sync to audio. It creates an awkward experience at times. It also means actors can't direct guests appropriately - I've yet to go through the crawl tunnel because everyone goes through the wheelchair route. So that could have been better designed. The best thing about Tenement is that it is very different to the other Thorpe mazes. That's what Thorpe needed, and something I was crying out for. It needs tweaks and fine tuning, but hopefully it will work out. I'm concerned by the amount of tech involved and if it'll last. I'm unsure if the style will hold up each time and if actor numbers will continue to hold up. On top of that, the story is a little lost and confused, and the Luxivora concept is missed a bit as a result. Some of the masks for them don't look great. DeadBeat A surprise favourite for me this year. There's no changes beyond the scrapping of the flying actor. I'm still not big on the pre-show, but the maze is 'fun scary'. It's got a decent cast. I think the fact that I've never rated this one but it is my favourite speaks a lot though. Trailers You know what, people moan about how long this has been around. But it still does the job. Over half the maze has, slightly, changed. It's a good starter maze and works. It's a shame they can't have chainsaws in the building anymore. The new scene is themed to MBV. It's a missed opportunity as it could be more claustrophobic and the miner could have more props to bang on. Survival Games No real changes, beyond new videos. This is a shell of its former self. The current set up is too long and repetitive, with not enough actors. It verges on boring. It's time for this to go. The space could be used much more effectively. In fact, I'd argue it could have been a great place for Tenement to go. Lucifer's Lair I've seen a lot of people talk about how this area has suffered from "cut backs". I think the actual fact is a lot more nuanced. What has effectively happened is Lucifer's Lair has been split into two, with the stage moving to the Launchpad for Rebel Ball. I'll get there later. But last year, if you removed the main stage from Lucifer's Lair, you'd have the small stage with cages, some flame poles and the actors. This year, the flame poles haven't returned. So in some sense, there is very minimal cut back (in theory). But the trouble is, the stage was the focal point of Lucifer's. Lots of shows, from Lilith, the stunt show, the live band and, of course, the mega fire and dance show. Even between all that, the speakers from the stage would play music. But now, there's nothing. It's just the actors roaming around with nothing to work with. The actors work their socks off and are brilliant, mind you. I feel for them so much when they have so little to work with. But yeah, Lucifer's has gone from the crown jewel of Fright Nights (for the past 3 years running), to a floppy pancake. Rebel Ball This is frustrating. The idea isn't bad, using the Launchpad as a central hub and having something a bit more friendly than Lucifer's for it (meaning that people who dislike scares can still use it as a relaxing spot). But it misses the mark a lot. No mega dance and fire show. Big fire shows have been a thing at FN since 2021, so they have lost that. Yes, they have dance shows with fire, but they're shorter and minimal. The opening ceremony largely being based are the promo video feels a bit lazy. The other small dance shows have AI videos in the background. There are other shows there - fire performers, dancers, etc. But there's no times listed, so complete potluck if you see it. Sometimes the Wolf DJ is out with dancers, other times, not at all. This could have been so much more. The Crows There's no getting round it, it's a lot shorter than before. And they could have made it more twisty and maze-like. Perhaps they wanted to keep it open to reduce the need for plain-clothed staff / security, which had been a bugbear for some from previous years? It's fine and does the job. It's nicely done and the Crows as characters are brilliant. But it simply doesn't hit the same highs as previous years. Creature Campus Another fun show. They dialled back the storytelling elements this year compared to the last two. To be honest, it's too dialled back as they basically completely ignore all the previous story (if all the other characters were defeated / killed, how have they come back for a 25 year reunion?). But heyho, it brings it all back I guess. It does very much feel like the end of road for this now. It's been at the park as a dance show since 2019, and I think they've milked the story enough. With Rebel Ball being more family friendly, I think that can replace that gap now. Purgatory Town Aside from the Tarot Desk (which was added later in the event), I think the amount of theming is the same here? It's as it was last year, so it does the job and will get some viral TikToks. Conjuring 4D Good to have a new film. Maybe not as good as the IT 4D highlight reel, but still the perfect add on to Fright Nights. The screening I watched on Sunday (6pm) was completely full with people turned away. As a side note, though, it is rated 15. WHY was there multiple children clearly under 15 in there? They'd get turned away at an actual cinema. Why were they not turned away there? At least two of them also left mid-way through the screening too... 25 Years of Fear Big issue number one. The park made a lot during marketing about it being 25 Years of Fear. There were lots of high expectations as a result. On park, you wouldn't know that the park were celebrating a self-proclaimed anniversary (is 25 really a big deal?). Does feel like they set themselves up for a fall. Buying Tickets If you're on park and want to buy a ticket for a maze, what do you think you should do? Scan a QR code? Go to the app? Nope, both of those options don't exist. You have to either: -Go to the Fastrack kiosk (not clear at all, and can get busy) -Go to the Thorpe Park website on your phone, and click through christ knows how many screens Why is it so difficult? Don't you want to sell tickets? Speaking of the app, it's a shame there's no FN overlay this year. RWS Now this is the big talking point. Ents has been outsourced to RWS. They're a huge company. They do stuff all over the world, including Disney. It's meant that Tenement was designed and built/contracted out by them (I believe one of the main designers for Tenement is based in the US). Lots has been made of Merlin's decision to outsource that, and the job changes it's made for people. Ultimately, though, it shouldn't really have affected the guest experience. But it has. First one to note, and it's minor, is that the maze hosts are employed by RWS. They have their own uniforms. Or at least, they're meant to. Apparently they hadn't arrived last weekend, so they were dressed in black and with RWS lanyards. Some staff were wearing black clothes with logos on, such as HHN merch. It just didn't scream professional. I don't see why they can't just wear Thorpe uniform (like Aramark and OCS do). On that note too, on Sunday, there was an actor stood outside the exit of Survival Games who was talking with the chainsaw actor in between groups. If it was an important conversation, at least go into the exit? Hugely unprofessional, and something I've never witnessed before anywhere. Next thing to talk about is actor numbers. There are less of them this year. That's caused some mazes (SG, Trailers in particular) to suffer. I expect there will be more issues as the event progresses. It's a real shame. Simply put the transition between Fright Nights being done by Thorpe to being done by RWS hasn't been smooth. Which is a shame, as the event has suffered as a result. Hopefully things improve. Bottom Line Fright Nights is still good. I think there's been some over-reactions floating about online about it's huge dip in quality. But it's definitely not lived up to the highs it's had the last few years, or the push the park put out there. It's a shame. I really hope it is just a blip and not a sign of things to come. I'd still recommend going, but set expectations accordingly.

I've noticed the on ride photos haven't been working for a good couple of weeks now. I believe they're no longer going to be using Pomvom, but I'm quite surprised to see them not working for so long, especially with the busiest time of year coming up.

Yes - there has been no movement on Vortex since that last picture I took in August, so looking like it won't be back till next year unfortunately. Apparently it has a structural issue, which makes sense seeing as its just been sat there.

So I’m guessing this is done for the season now then? Hopefully they can fix both this and Zodiac over winter as it’s not a great look currently to have them both next to each other SBNO

Am disappoint. An actual good ride might have been built instead.

That was there last year

http://www.instagram.com/p/DePC6UTDqam/?stkn=MWlxNzM0ZG1lenUxbw%3D%3D For the bin for good?