JoshC.

Unless my memory is getting a bit dodgy, I think the Zufari page has had a bit of an update, which gives a bit of a story to the attraction: Sounds very good!

Might be worth mentioning that earlier this season (I think during May Half Term?), 20% AP discount for Fastrack was 'trialled' at Thorpe, following customer feedback. Depending on the successfulness of that and what Merlin think, I guess there's a possibility that next season 20% Fastrack discount could occur.

Obviously the balance has been got wrong again. In honesty, I have no problems with Fastrack whatsoever IF it is operated properly. However, when it is a case of an unfair balance occurring (which normally favours Fastrack), it is not right and is just not being operated properly. In this case, it seems the balance has shifted to 'unfairly' favour the ordinary queue. In my opinion, the balance should be around 80:20, maybe 75:25 pushing it, for ordinary queue : Fastrack queue, but that's an uneducated guess really. Regardless, Thorpe seriously need to sort this out - the Fastrack system is just not working efficiently enough to keep main queue guests happy and allow Fastrack users to get what they pay for. What's the use in making money from a system which annoys guests and can potentially discourage them from visiting again, and spending more money? Of course, in my ideal world Fastrack wouldn't even be around, but it just creates too much money for the park to get rid of it. The least they can do, though, it make it work effectively.

As I say, not having a go or anything, was more just trying to help out, as spoilers and spoiler topics get muddled up and all that. Sorry if it came across abrupt or rude or anything. But yeah, SW7 - yay track is here! Though probably no vertical construction before closed season, it's progress! Roll on March

I guess it's just a case of going for the shortest queue then, as the Fastrack points can get rather long as well. I think the AP office is not actually issuing AP over FNs, and instead they're being done at the ATC, to speed the queue up for people collecting the £5 tickets. I only had about a 5 minute wait when I collected mine, so not too bad.

When I went to collect my £5 ticket from Annual Passes, I was given mine there (as I had the same order number for the actual tickets and The Passing ones). I guess you could pick them up from Fastrack kiosks as well, or from ATC.

Can this post just not be moved to the spoiler topic, please? EDIT: Apologises if this was seen as back seat modding, but it just seemed strange for something to be put in spoilers by a mod when we have a spoiler topic. Was not 'having a go' at anyone or anything, more just asking. Nonetheless, I see that it has been moved; thank you!

I've noticed that if you sign up for the Priority List, dates start from 28th March (a Thursday), up to 4th November. Looks like that's the provisional opening times for next season, and opening day seems to be a couple of weeks later than it has been the past few years?

The introduction of Thorpe's new maze to Fright Nights this year has been quite a hot topic. Since 'The Passing' was announced, many were left fearing (or, depending on your views, hoping!) that their underwear would be stained brown after going through a maze which puts a bag over your head and simulates your death. However, reviews have been mixed, with some feeling as though it is not worth the additional charge, feeling as though there's many wasted opportunities, whilst some - like myself - like the attraction, but do appreciate that there's room for improvement. This entry is all about what exactly I think these improvements need to be, and how Thorpe could go about, realistically, doing this. Firstly, the maze's story isn't conveyed well at all I found. There's a brilliant section on the park's site (here: http://www.thorpepark.com/frightnights/?horror=the-passing) which outlines what 'The Passing' is all about, but I want to focus mainly on this section: We then couple this in with the maze's tagline, 'It begins with death', and it very well seems as though we are executed and die very early on in the maze. The first scene I do like, as you are pretty much read your rights and told that you will be executed. However, a couple of tweaks are needed I think. Firstly, we start the maze off already as guilty - there is no trying of us for our crimes. Perhaps a mention outside the maze during the safety talk could be given, such as "When you enter the maze, you'll be treated as a convicted criminal and have a bag put on your head." This way, it helps tie it all together a little better, and helps make the safety talks, which can sometimes be a bit boring, a bit more interesting (à la Experiment 10). Next off, get rid of the photo bit. Whilst they've tied it in with the maze story a bit, it's just not necessary, is silly penny-pinching in my eyes and just doesn't work. Also, it ruins the feel a bit at the end; after I die, I really hope I don't come across a photo booth selling a photo of my last moments... At a push, I would settle for a compromise in that the photo bit is done in smaller groups (2-3) and serves as a 'prison shot', in a way that would make it act as documentation for official purposes or something. This would not be ideal in my opinion, but if the park really wants it that bad, I think it would just work a bit better. Another gripe of mine is the walls in the first couple of scenes. They look very cheap, very quick and very rushed. In honesty, the morgue ones don't even look that realistic (something which I perhaps at first wasn't too concerned by, when the first picture was released, but hated it when I was in there. Moreover, there were others I heard commenting / laughing at it). The thing is, this can be quite easily remedied with a little bit of work. Considering what they're working with in that tunnel, the fake-ness of it really isn't that bad - there's no other alternatives really. However, they can add to it. Body parts stuck onto the wall to make it look like some bodies are 'sticking out' of their drawers, or perhaps even a bigger prop which is meant to represent a body, perhaps of a small child, on a table (meant to represent, in essence, a fully pulled out drawer). It would work well in setting the scene and just be a bit darker then it currently is. Perhaps the latter of these two is a bit unrealistic due to the logistics of the tunnel, but I just feel as though a fake body / body parts will work well there, and can be done quite easily. Now then, the actual bags. When I first found out about the maze, my thoughts were that it was going to be a bag that you could not see through at all, but it would only be on for a short period of time. However, I'm glad that this is not the case as I think what we have is more effective. With the darkness around, it is hard to see through the bags; restricting vision I found - for me - to a mere foot or two in front of me. For the entirety of the maze, this becomes disorientating and worrying. I think that the only thing which needs sorting with the bags is the speakers - I think I had troubles with mine in the sense that they moved out of place. I guess this is more just something which needs a bit of a think, so that they always stay in place when they are used. No doubt this is something being sorted out as they go along due to the whole idea being a new concept to the park. Now then, the actual simulating of death. First things first, here, I will work on the assumption that the tunnels in the maze signify your burial, the actual 'maze section' is the afterlife where we are tormented for our crimes whilst trying to signify redemption, and the scene post collection the certificate of death shows that no matter what, we will not rest in peace and be tormented for eternity. This seems to be what they are going for, so I'll stick with it. I quite like Maxy's idea that he blogged about, with a firing squad, though I had something much different in mind. I've always thought of being hung as the most gruesome way to be executed, and think there's a chance it could be played with here. As far as I remember, the bags on your head are quite large, and in one way or another, cover your throat to some degree. Personally, I think this could be taken advantage of to 'hang' each person. Unfortunately, my idea would quite probably have to cut the video scene which follows the bag being put on your head. As, for whatever reason, I missed that scene, I don't know significant that scene is, though people do speak about it as a form of highlight I guess, so at the moment, it's a case of leaving it down to those who have experienced it as to whether it would make the overall experience better, or whether the video scene could still be incorporated. Anyway, enough rambling on about that bit, here's my idea: The bags are put on our heads in the morgue section, and once everyone has had this done, they are ushered out. Actors then stop you and, put some rope around the bottom of your bag, where you throat is, putting pressure on it so that you know it's there. This would only have to be done for a couple of seconds and, if executed properly (pun not intended!) would not cause any injury and create a real shock. Assuming that there are ten people (maximum) in a group, two actors could quite easily do this, with one of them being the one who puts the bag on your head. Hopefully I've explained that the way I'm imagining it, but even if I have, no doubt there'll definitely be concerns about safety / H&S passing it. Whilst I have no knowledge on what H&S would or would not pass it, I would say that there would have to be a mention about it on the safety announcement about it (ie you will have a bag put on your head and be subject to a hanging simulation, but you will not be hurt). Also, the bags would have to cover the person's throat and have sufficient padding, which may require some form of modification to the bags. Whilst I may be dreaming in la-la land here, I do think it is possible to achieve this to some degree, but even if there's not, there needs to be a better way of simulating death, and as previously said, I do like Maxy's idea and that would work well (and be logistically easier, more realistic and quicker than my idea). Now then, the tunnels. These are an absolutely brilliant idea and executed very well. As they are, they a brilliant. My only small grumble would be that they perhaps go on for a little too long, which has meant the time in the actual maze section can feel a little short. As I say, only a small grumble, but that can easily be remedied in the maze section itself, and length doesn't have to be everything. Also, are there any smells in the tunnels? I had a cold at the time, which restricted my sense of smell, but I do think a smell in there would be very effective, whether it was of dirt (to signify being buried) or of sweat or something (sweat equating to fear, which is mentioned in the description, and not really being a pleasant smell in itself). As for the maze section, many have grumbled about the lack of theming / similarities to Hellgate. However, I don't think it's that bad. Though, I don't think the main maze reaches its full potential. With restricted vision, there's plenty of opportunity for a different type of scare, be it a bit more psychological or utilise your senses of touch / feel. I found myself regularly putting my hands in front of me / on the walls to help guide myself along the way. Now then, if they could in some way make so of the walls unpleasant to touch, or just make it feel 'un-wall-like', it could help create a sense of unease. Then the actors themselves need to take advantage of the fact people's peripheral vision is pretty much cut off. Hiding to the side, tapping people on the shoulder, only to disappear again - there's real opportunity to make people question their senses and make them feel really uneasy, which is when most people will be vulnerable to scares. Again, it's the idea of a psychological scare, making people fear what could happen, as opposed to what is happening - I find that to be the scariest thing. It would also stop scares being too samey, which was one problem I had; it was all too much of a similar scare with each actor. Varying it up a bit will help so much. Another thing which I think could work well in the maze is some an air effect or something similar. It would likely be completely unexpected due to the lack of sight and something which can target the body to make people feel vulnerable all over; after all, when you have a bag over your head, that's what you are most concerned about, as opposed to the rest of your body. Now then, the fake ending is great, and should be kept just as it is. As for the bit after it, I'm really not sure what is best for that bit. Personally, I think it needs to be a bit longer actually, in that you go past the UV lights, then go through a bit which is quite dark, then a corridor which gets darker and darker, before reaching a 'dead end'. This would be a great chance for an actor to create a scare, and perhaps even a lighting effect or something could be utilised. Personally, I think if the photos were scrapped, the maze / post-certificate section could be made slightly longer, which can only be a good thing. So, that's pretty much it. I did like 'The Passing' on my visit, though naturally, being a new venture for Thorpe, it was always going to need some work. Hopefully the maze continues to improve this Fright Nights, as by the sounds of it, it had improved from the first weekend to the second weekend, when I went, and that it becomes a regular addition to Fright Nights which improves and becomes a solid addition.

The 'earlybird' tickets for The Passing (ie, when booking online) have now gone up to £4. Also, there are two tickets left for tomorrow now, one in two different time slots, as opposed to being completely sold out now..

As is shown with Slammer, in my opinion at least. What I more mean is Merlin / Thorpe like have unique rides, or rides which have certain features to them which are special. X is one of those rides, and with the amount of effort that's gone into preserving Slammer, I'd have hoped that they would've done the same with X, and help make it more ridable by putting more money into a spruce up / retheme.

Thanks for that! So jealous of you though, they certainly weren't there at preview weekend.

Yay - good to hear. Dark rides have so much potential. What a shame. The whole point of X is that it travels backwards. They could quite easily keep this with a retheme and a good amount of lighting. It takes away from the novelty of it all and it loses some appeal of it in my mind. How many rides, other than X, go backwards in the dark? To my knowledge, two. Same argument that people use with Slammer really; it's unique, so why would Thorpe / Merlin want to get rid of it? Unsure about the idea of individual lap bars. I felt that they've overly-tamed Flying Fish with it, but I guess doing so and lowering the height restriction is not too bad I guess. Perhaps the new-X can serve as a step-up ride now for people who don't want to rush straight into the 'big rides'. Very glad to see X getting attention, it deserves it, but I'm a bit disappointed that that the trains are to be reversed. Hopefully, from a purely selfish perspective, the experience and novelty of the ride isn't ruined too much (and there's enough money put aside for the retheme / spruce up, as I assume changing the trains around will affect the ride hardware and won't be quite cheap.)

Nice review there James; glad you liked the mazes! Always a bit of a risk being new to scare mazes as you never know how you'll react to the concept of them. One thing though... SW7 mug?! Pictures please?

http://www.altontowers.com/events/half-term/ Alton Towers have announced some details about next year's February half term event. Much like Chessie did over the some, Alton host the Moshi Monsters during the half term. The ride line up is also up, which includes: Air Nemesis Blade Sonic Spinball Duel Hex Runaway Mine Train Ice Age 4D Sharkbait Reef Along with many of the rides for younger children. No Oblivion or any X-Sector rides this time a round, which isn't surprising really, as I assume the whole area will be shut off to be kept a secret as much as possible / to allow for any spruce ups to the area to happen (if they happen, of course..). Surprised in a way Sub Terra isn't there though; I'd have thought all the dark rides would be included during the half term.

Loggers Leap is about 60ft isn't it? Tallest log flume in the country and all that. EDIT: Ignore me, it's just over 50ft actually. Dunno why, but always thought it was just over 60ft..

I guess the difference in opinion on Experiment 10 shows how scare mazes differ each and every time. On my go, as said, there were 6 actors (of which I only encountered 5) and none of them were very 'in your face' or did anything which created a sense of fear, unless they utilised the maze and the scenery itself (for example, the hand through the door wall). The ending just seemed to go against the maze and story line, in that it groups everyone together again, and was predictable. Sometimes predictability isn't always a bad thing, but in this case, it was for me. Whilst I was one who said the ending needing improving last year, I feel it was much better than this, as it kept people separated / in small groups and created a chance for more scares. It's good of the park to work on the feedback, but it's something which has just led to a maze which is now worse off. However, the fact that people actually run and scream out of it shows that it's doing it's job, scaring people, which I guess is a good thing. Personally though, it just doesn't work and unfortunately takes away from the maze. As for The Passing, I agree about how the £3 charge along with a long queue is ridiculous and it needs sorting, and that the charge doesn't necessarily reflect a much higher quality of maze. However, I think that the fact the park are doing something which is meant to lead to very small groups going through the maze, I believe the general idea is to get 3-4 people to group together after the tunnels, the maze is going to have a lower throughput. I've always thought that having the charge and restriction the number of people who can go of it meant the lower throughput wouldn't be an issue, but this seems to not be the case at the moment. Hopefully with some work, the issue of queuing for it can be sorted out, and the maze's kinks can be ironed away to create a good, solid attraction which is worth the additional charge. On a different note, nice pictures and reviews there Ben - always enjoy reading your FN reviews and comparing them to previous season's ones!

Right, so a more in depth review of my experiences with Experiment 10 and The Passing. This may read a bit like a trip report, but it's pretty much a way of summing up the entire Fright Nights experience. The maze sections have spoilers, of course! Experiment 10 Following the brilliance of this last year, I was really looking forward to it again this year. Having done it 4 time last year, I knew that for me it wasn't a one trick pony, and that the effect always worked. The ending was a bit weak and needed some work doing, but overall, it was a strong maze. Being one of only two mazes we were really concerned about (the other being The Passing, booked for quarter past 4), we decided to head here before 3 so we wouldn't have that long to wait. We arrived at ten-to 3, with a queue already inside the arena (presumably, the gates had already been opened at half 2 for everyone to go in?). It can't be too bad we thought, probably 30-45 minutes, so we decided it was no big issue, so stuck it out. 3 o'clock came, and nothing happened. About 10 past 3 came, and the standard announcements from last year of 'Experiment 10 is now in progress' and 'No smoking inside the facility' were played - hooray, it's finally opened..not. Following those quiet announcements (which were the only ones of the evening that I heard from the queue), there was another 10 to 15 minutes before anything started to happen, with the queue only moving when people had had enough and decided to leave. It got to the point where I was ready to leave at half 3 if nothing happened. The queue moved through slowly, and about 5-10 minutes later, someone behind us asked how long the queue was from where they were, to which the response was "about 45 minutes", in a confident tone. We decided that though this was a lot more then we were wanting to wait, since we had already waited about 45-50 minutes, that we'd stay in the queue a grin and bare it. The ever-slowly moving queue plodded along, and by about 5:20, we were finally near the front. That's right, at this point, we had queue 2 and a half hours for this blooming maze, despite the fact we got there before it even opened. I genuinely cannot remember the last time I queue over 90 minutes for something, though it was probably back in 2006 for Stealth opening weekend, front row, where I queued about 2 and a quarter hours. Considering people behind us were told that a queue which took 100 minutes would only take 45 minutes, it is in my opinion, ridiculous. I understand that the queues are going to be new to staff, and it's hard to judge exactly, but when you are that far out, it is just ridiculous. Couple this in with no announcements, no apologises for the late opening or anything, it just is not right in my opinion. So, by the time we were near the front, it starts to become apparent why the queue is taking a long time. I presume you can guess the culprit - that's right, Fastrack. The hugely long Fastrack line was having large numbers sent through at any one period. For example, when I was near the front, I counted 30 (yep, THIRTY, which is more than a whole group who go in the maze) Fastrack let through with not one person from the main queue let through. I don't give two hoots if Fastrack is good for people or whatever, a balance must be reached where those who pay for the extra service get what they pay for, without affecting the main queue. This balance was just not reached. How it can be justified that such a large number of people is let through from the Fastrack queue does not make sense to me. I can't comment on whether it was oversold, by I think there needs to be a much stricter cap put on Fastrack sales, because quite frankly, it is ludicrous. So, now time to actually review the maze.. The first scene was rather rushed, no doubt to get people through, and just doesn't have as much impact with a larger group. The decontamination chamber, a room which was once dimly lit and had a sinister tone about it now is lit up like daylight. There's less smoke now as well it seems, and it just feels like they've weakened that effect. Also, the fact that the hazmat suits are gone confuses me. Not being able to see a face is a lot scarier than being able to see part of a face. It creates mystery and leaves you to your imagination. Being able to see part of the face / any form of skin makes me feel as though what's happening isn't as harmful as it's being made out to be as well. A good part of the maze ruined. Now, onto the cupboards / individual rooms. They've got rid of the audio in there, so it's just silent. Mixed feelings about this, but it lacks something now, as the screams and bangs really added a sense of insecurity that those around you were petrified. Also, being locked in there with someone else, the silence is a little less unnerving in my opinion. One good change, however, was how the actor shone a light through the peeping hole, attraction our attention, then grabbed me through the hole (which I think is a new feature?); really did catch me off guard! One thing I didn't know last year though was that it was the same actor who puts you who takes you out of the rooms. Also, the fact that the person putting people in the rooms wasn't wearing a hazmat suit made me feel a little more secure - those suits were one of the more dominating aspects of the maze. It's a real shame they're not there any more - I do hope there's a real reason behind that other than cost or something stupid like that. So, the middle of the maze is also a bit naff as well. Lacks actors (I only saw ONE in this section) and lacks audio. In general, it's just a lot weaker than last year, and doesn't really have any scares. The strobe lighting section seems to have changed a bit this year as well, what with the mirror of pointlessness and going on/off a lot weaker than last year. Then there was a bit more walking and nothing happening, apart from loads of people grouping together and being confused, and then an actor directing people into a room. She said something about 'This is what Experiment 10 is really about' or something like that; didn't really hear her. By the time we got in there (we were one of the last people in our group), there was a video playing on the TV screen, with a doctor facing the screen and a patient with a scroll saw walking towards him. She kills him, blood splatters on the screen and a little shoot of water comes out, but misses half the people. The actor starts to panic a little bit, and the patient starts to saw around the TV (there's a nice effect where the surrounding on the TV lights up, but it's nothing special really) and the actor starts shouting 'LET ME OUT' and then after a while, turns to us and says 'Get out. No, really, run!' at which point to patient jumps out at the side of the TV (no logic considering she has sawed the bottom and other side on screen...) and a saw noise is made. It scares some people and others - like myself - are just disappointed in the predictableness of this. The fact that the scroll saw is plastic / rubber is a bit of a letdown as well to a degree, as to those who notice it, it really spoils it. The fact that this maze continues to try and do 'an Asylum' with its grand finale disappoints me; last season, they had the incredibly loud monstrous noise, this season, a fake saw in an overly predictable fashion. Why not try and have a more original / different ending? Have a good two or three actors at the end blocking people on the way out, trying to 'take them away', stopping them whilst others around them freely escape. It would continue the panic as well as the isolation feeling that the maze is so good for. Instead, they're trying to force it into doing something it can't. Though I said the ending last year was a little weak and could do with improving, the park successfully ruined the ending (and half the maze it felt), and have created something which decreases throughput it seems, which in turn has ruined the entirety of the attraction. Another thing I have noticed is the fact that there were a lack of actors. There was one in the reception area, and one in the decontamination room. I assume two actors for the isolation rooms (maybe three, don't know how they deal with the right hand side and its tunnel). Then there was one in the middle section, and two in the end (staff and patient). Six actors for this maze is ridiculous; I'm sorry. I don't have much else to say with regards to Experiment 10. It has been successfully ruined, with the maze itself feeling like it can't cope with demand, the ending being silly, predictable and not in line with the story (though, I guess if some people literally run out of it, then it will be kept..), a lack of audio and tone. A real shame, a real disappointment, and hardly worth a 20 minute wait, let alone a 2 and a half hour one... 5/10 The Passing So, we had missed our slot by some time, but after speaking to a member of management, we were told to just go and explain the situation and we should be let in fine. So, our ticket was checked at the entrance to the queue, and nothing was said, despite the fact it was coming up to two hours past our slot. Unfortunately, it seems the idea of a time slot or Fastrack only maze has not worked; there was a quoted 45 minute queue, which was closer to 55 minutes. Again, a total muck up here by the park in my opinion - unless there's a VERY valid reason for missing your slot, you shouldn't be allowed in. However, the way it operated was you could go in after your time slot, just not before (as opposed to the up to 15 minutes after your time slot stated on the ticket). This means people in theory could book a ticket for half 3, yet use it at 8pm with no issues? I'm sorry, but it's silly and the idea needs a rethink. Though I hate to compare, Alton Towers did very well with the time slots on the mazes, and Thorpe could perhaps learn a bit from how they operated it. I understand this is the first time they've done such a thing, but they need to make sure that it works, and the system just did not work. The fact that the actual entrance to the queue is so far away from all the signs pointing to The Passing makes me think that this was not planned by Thorpe, and something had gone wrong - I just hope they learn from any mistakes made quickly, as many people were annoyed with how the queuing system panned out. Anyone, after queuing and getting our wristband (I assume the 'tagging' idea mentioned), we were batched into a group of five; of which five young boys, oldest must have been thirteen, youngest ten? We had the safety announcement, and as soon as the bag on your head was mentioned, on said 'No, I'm claustrophobic, I can't do that.' and walked off. The others were all very nervous and worried, though some were giving it mouth 'Oh, don't wimp out' and all that went on. Standing in the old Hellgate tunnel and given the nice speech about how we're criminals and been sentenced to death is nice, though the idea of having your photo taken just for the extra money is so cheap, and just is pointless. Even though they try to tie it in with the maze by saying 'Now have a photo taken of your last moments', it just doesn't work and should be scrapped. At this point, the rest of the young boys left as well, too afraid it seems, though the actor stayed in role very well. I was glad that once we moved on, the bags were actually put on our heads. I worried that it would just be 'Here's a bag, make yourself comfortable', but it wasn't. The actor wordlessly and with a stern look on her face put the bags on our heads, and dragging out the process as long as possible. Unfortunately, I had something in front of me, which I now think was one of the speakers, though it didn't feel like one. It almost felt like it was meant to go round my mouth? I really don't know, but it was a bit of a nuisance more than anything, though it did restrict my vision further - a bit of good and bad I guess! One thing I did not like, however, was the cheap looking vinyl-like wallpaper; it just felt a bit of a cheat. Even if there were just a couple of things 'sticking out', it wouldn't be as bad, but it just felt so half-hearted, perhaps even rushed. We moved on to the next scene, which I think was meant to be the video scene I have now read about, though there was an actor blocking our way for some reason. Whether it was because of another group still in there or that it wasn't working at the time, I don't know, but it is a shame, as from what I've heard of it, it sounds interesting and sets up the maze nicely. We moved along to the tunnels, where a hooded actor - possibly Death - guided the two in front of us into one tunnel. I went to follow, when I was stopped and moved to the adjacent one. It also turns out I was the only one in this tunnel out of my whole group, which shocked me a little when I found out after the maze. Anyway, I went along the tunnel and expected something similar to Experiment 10's one; straight bit, little dip, out (maybe not necessarily like that exactly, but pretty much the same thing). I crawled a bit, then banged my head - now this shocked me. For that split second, I feared I was trapped, taken a wrong direction or something, and there was no way for me to go. However, I found the turning and carried on. There were copious little dips and turns, and each time I was asking myself 'So do I get up now?' only to have my head stopped by the ceiling. I was worried; I could not see in front of me, I didn't know how long this was going on for and I didn't even know if I was going the right way. Eventually, I felt a cold surface and knew that it must be time to get up. At this point, there was two of us now to tackle the maze - such a small group is worrying, as you can really get picked on. Having the speaker or whatever it was in my way meant I struggled to see, along with the bag itself which - in darkness - was hard to see through as well, and the actors took advantage of the bag on the head really well. Scares would come from literally out of nowhere. The trouble with the scares is that they are still quite samey - actors hiding, shouting and more leading to 'jumps', than 'scares'. Having a bag on your head should leave you questioning yourself, and it should lead to a psychological experience a lot; somehow the actors need to further scare you with the psychological side more - make you continually second guess yourself as to where you are, what you are doing and so forth. The spinning tunnel was a good touch, with all the words written on and such, and was surprisingly disorientating for me. I quite liked the final scene with your bag on your head; the actor was very good, and even though we caught up with the other two nearly, he did very well in confusing us, blocking our way and touching to scare us. I think I might have ended up in the wrong place, as I went through some curtains, walked into a wall nearly a hit a step / seat, to which the actor moved me whilst saying 'This was you piece of scum'. And that was nearly it. We were told to take off our bags by two staff members, to which I found out my crime was an arsonist, and presented with our certificates of death. I was a bit underwhelmed by the length if I'm honest, and responded with 'Was that it?'. Anyone, we moved on through the UV section, through some curtains and into a pitch black room. There was nowhere to go; were we in the wrong place? I shouted out asking which was do we go, only for an actor to jump out seconds later - it confused me more than scared me, but I was certainly caught off guard. None of us knew where to go or what to do, and then a door seemingly opened, but I couldn't leave as someone had a hold of my ankle. A couple of seconds later, I was allowed to go, caught up with the others in our group, and was greeted by the photo booth - brilliant thing to do after death... My main issues with the maze are the beginning with the vinyl wallpaper bits and the story line being inconsistent. Maybe missing the video did more harm than it should have done, but what does the maze signify? When do I die? How have I been executed? What happens after I die? From my experience, the whole maze experience itself is the execution, where in the moments before dying, all the evil is flashing before me, and I'm contained in a bag helpless. Then, we're presented with the certificate of death, and the final scene is meant to show us that we're tormented after death as well. But with the video, it almost seems like the bag goes on your head, then life flashes before our eyes, then we go through the tunnels to signify being buried, the maze is death / the afterlife, and after that, who knows? However, my point simply is that it needs to be clearer in the story, give a stronger indication as to when we die and what happens afterwards. Oh, and get rid of the photo bit and perhaps give a bit more at the ending. Is it worth the £3? Yes and no; it depends on your definition of worth. In terms of quality, there's better experiences that can be had in my honest, but it's still good, and with some work, would be great. It's a different experience, and is a lot more personal. The nice little mementos (wristbands and certificate) are good as well. So, worth it really, but if you're expecting the additional cost to lead to a much scarier maze than a free one, then you may need a readjustment of expectations. All in all, a good maze that needs some work. 6.5/10 Just a couple of other bits. Serious lack of FN theming - can't say I saw any at all apart from the posters of the criminals and on the island by the bridge. Quite disappointing. Audio was alright, though the park-wide loop with messages from the Governor needed to be longer. The roaming actors were good from what I saw of them too. With regards to Experiment 10 and the Fastrack situation, I decided to go to Guest Services about it (lack of communication about queuing and opening time, too much Fastrack) and pretty much, nothing was written down, we were told 'It shouldn't be like that', and given Priority Passes with no expiry date as an apology. I fear that nothing will come from the complaint, and that the resolution (giving of PP) just makes the issues worse. What I found amusing was at the same time, there was another complaint at the same time about Fastrack - many people in the main queue for attractions do get annoyed with it - it needs serious rethinking. (Also, another random point, anyone able to explain why some people were able to use the Priority Queue for The Passing without being disabled? Definitely saw a group of 4 or 5 using tickets, looked identical to Fastrack ones, being used there... )

Yep, that was the sorta thing I heard too! Another one which stood out for me was "Oi you..in the hood. Cut that out now...I'm warning you!" They were good touches, but I only heard about 3 or 4 different ones before it started to repeat. Could / should have been a longer loop!

I didn't do many rides yesterday, but I only heard Flying Fish with Fright Nights audio. X:\No Way Out had pretty much zero audio in the queue and on ride, apart from a bit at the end, and Zodiac's..well, I can't remember. No doubt if I'd done more of the major rides, I'd have heard some more. Heard two of the pre-recording announcements on Experiment 10 and that was it, and nothing in The Passing's queue. I did hear some FN audio around park, such as WWTP being interrupted and some announcements by the 'Guv'nor', though it felt like the Guv'nor loop was far too short; heard it being repeated an awful lot. Though, I did like what there was, but there just needed to be a lot more of it.

A full review in the next day or two, but quick reviews here (warning, could spoil experiences if you've yet to go in)... Experiment 10 - let down. Lacking audio, lighting changes have taken away from the feel and the new ending is poor. Throughput is worse this season as well it feels. The Passing - good, but room for improvement. A bit gimmicky with the bag on the head, but it works well. Okay length and nice twists. Story needs some work, and needs a bit more immersion at points.

So, I'm off to the park tomorrow, and I've AP tickets and The Passing tickets. On the confirmation email, it says if arriving before 3pm, collect the AP tickets from the AP office (and Advance Ticket Sales after 3pm). At the same time, it says The Passing tickets must be collected from Advance Ticket Sales.. Seems like a lot of kerfuffle if I arrive before 3pm, as I'd have to go to both AP sales and Advance Ticket Sale before I can even go in. So, are we able to collect Passing tickets elsewhere (AP building, fastrack units around the park, etc.) or does it HAVE to be this way? Thanks!

Sorry, don't think I was wholly clear. With R&R, it's more just a one-liner on the website (and possibly something similar on the back of the map?) which says 'Escape apocalyptic devastation and enjoy your final feast at the new Roast & Relish'. Granted, it's not much really, but more just I've always thought of it as 'Here's your roast, relish it whilst you can, the end is coming', but I guess that really doesn't come from that much when you think about it. As for the Calypso BBQ, I guess more the surroundings which work well, and a BBQ place seems most fitting for the area (tropical islands are more likely to have BBQ than a fried chicken place, for example..). More just clutching at straws there really, as I guess you can just say that the Amity Burger King fits in well using that logic, what with the American-stuff around there... But my point really is just make food places have a slight relevance to the area. Even with silly little things like 'Wild Wong's Noodle Bar' given a feel of a different culture or something like that; just little quirky things really.

Pretty much all of the in-house places at Thorpe have something positive about them. Roast & Relish - Good quality food. Rather cheap if you buy the 4 for £15 as well. Amity Kebab Co. - Large portion sizes for the price. Bar 360 - Large variety, top quality food. Mexican Cantina - Very tasty food, cheap prices. Calypso BBQ - Good food, large variety, reasonably priced. Wild Wong's Noodle Bar - Filling meal, cheap price for it. Battered Fish & Chips - Good ol' chippy. Hot dog / snacky places - Do they job really. (Can't think of any more). Whilst there may be downsides as well to some of these places, on the whole, they are all good quality, offer pretty speedy service most of the time, good value for money (even better with AP discount, of course) and are a step in the right direction. A Pizza/Pasta, Fried Chicken Co. (which I always love at Chessie and AT) as well as some different / original places to eat would be a good move in my eyes to act as replacements for Pizza Hut, KFC and Burger King. Of course, the park (and franchises themselves?) may feel differently, but I think replacing them is a good idea. Also, I'd love to see more of the 'themed food outlets' which are starting to come about; for example, the simple concept of Roast & Relish being your last meal works well, as does the Calypso BBQ and so forth. Just quirky little things like that help make a day out a bit more memorable for the right reasons.

Well, that's a shame. I really hoped that they would create a great film with the fourth one and finish the franchise off. The third one was beginning to milk the story, and by the sounds of it, they've now made two films too many... :/