JoshC.

No difference.

The park run both events on the same day, but it doesn't matter whether you buy a Spooky Days or Fright Nights ticket. You still get access to park from 10am-11pm.
Officially Spooky Days runs till 5-6pm, with HFN starting at 6pm. In practice all that means is the scare zones are friendlier until 5pm, and then scarier after 6pm.

Just as an update, I've just purchased my Halloween attraction tickets for Walibi Holland. The absolute cheapest way of buying tickets for all the Halloween attractions (which consists of 4 mazes, 3 experiences and 2 outdoor walkthrough) costs 116.50euros (just shy over £100). That includes a "before dark" ticket where you have to do 3 mazes and 1 walkthrough before 7pm, which is very tight to do since most open at 5pm.

It is experience, but genuinely I think is worth it.

Walibi Holland (when I last went in 2019) was by far the best Halloween event outright I've done. Their standard mazes are good quality. They excel with their 'experiences' (of which they have 3), which are more intense, smaller groups / alone. Their scare zones, which they have several of, are brilliant, along with whole park atmosphere. It gets CRAZY busy though.

I'm returning there this year for the event. I've had to budget to include ride and maze Fastrack - whilst it's possible to do all the Halloween stuff without extras, you will be rushed off your feet, and will almost definitely not get a chance to do any rides in the dark without it.

I did Traumatica at Europa Park last year. Given it's Europa, the operations leave a lot to be desired (their Fastpass is necessary), and the quality of the mazes is very mixed. Atmosphere is very good though. You need to book in early September to have a chance of getting Fastpass / doing the alone experience.

Linnanmaki have a fun event, but nothing to write home about.


I haven't done any more, but some notable ones...
-Walibi Belgium rebranded their event last year into Ibilaw. The best years of their Halloween event are arguably behind them, but they still do well (the Zombie Bar hasn't been around for a while)
-Spanish parks tend to do great Halloween events, if you can deal with the queues / atmosphere. There's also a very well received scream park, Horrorland
-Liseberg is pretty consistent

This sounds like most of Thorpe's flat ride line up 🫠

Parm Pap translation service:
 
Wait, this one actually makes sense. These must be troubling times.

Not necessarily. A simple retheme could be hinted at over Fright Nights (to give people a chance to have a final ride), then marketed from early next year. Or even just announced next year.
 
I agree a complete new ride is extremely unlikely, if for no other reason than the fact planning permission would be a nightmare. Plus the fact there is still the Beach development which could happen.
 
One would certainly hope there's thoughts/conversations about the next *big* thing for the park. Though I imagine there's a level of dependence on what the situation with Merlin is there. Arguably though, a major investment shouldn't be the next priority, but rather a couple of medium investments to sort out the support line up (Zodiac and Rumba, I'm looking at you)

A long shot, but here goes...
 
If anyone has any photos related to Face it Alone, that they are willing / allowing to have shared on TPM's website, please pass them my way!
 
And I mean any photo related to it. A photo of a ticket or a poster advertising it. A photo of the selection ceremony from 2015. Or of your wonderful aftermath.
 
I'm in the process of updating TPM's Fright Nights archive, and we don't have many photos of our own.
(If you want to check out said archive, which currently has details from the past 10 years of Fright Nights in gorey detail, it's here: https://www.thorpeparkmania.co.uk/index.php/fright-nights/)

ParmPap translation service:
 
There might be an Easter Egg in DeadBeat this year which relates to the future of the pyramid.
 
There also might not be. Who knows?
 
---
 
As a fun aside though, which has literally just come to mind off the back of this, if Thorpe wanted to retheme The Walking Dead, it could be fun if they themed it to the DeadBeat universe. Effectively it would be taking it back to its X version, but you could have it as the rave before the demons took over. Keep it upbeat and happy. I'd like that. 

In an interesting recent development, it appears most (if not, all) Ghost Train merchandise is on sale / reduced.
 
https://x.com/CalVickers33/status/1959594519923442085?t=3dYMeueKswge5Nfu0LzrBQ&s=19
 
Parks do tend to put merchandise on sale for rides which aren't returning the following season. Equally, they can just do if it's not popular and they want to clear space. 
 
I think it's fair to say that Ghost Train isn't the most popular attraction, and none of the merch is must-have stuff, so it's certainly the realm of possibility that they're simply getting rid of the range. However, given the financial issues and potential cost-cutting Merlin are facing, plus the fact that Thorpe are set to be outsourcing Ents next year, it also wouldn't be too much of a surprise if it didn't return next year...

Wouldn't even remotely be surprised if this was the outcome (even as potentially one of Ghost Train's very few genuine fans) - I think its days were numbered when they stopped running the fakeout finale and just chucked ride staff in front of it to guide guests in the other direction instead of bringing it back or at the very least redecorating the fakeout finale room to be something different so that the original exit route is retained even if the fakeout was cut.
 
I said at the start of the season that I reckon Ghost Train had maybe 2 seasons left in it at most. I will genuinely be sad to see it go - but even more so if it goes without a plan for its future. It may be a bad attraction on paper, but I'd rather take something rather than nothing any day of the week. I just hope that whatever comes next isn't a demolishment of the building and another coaster built there.
 
Thorpe are crying out for a good dark ride - I love the Ghost Train building and is definitely sizeable enough to fit something else in there - the only issue would be getting the motion platform out and the new ride system in. There's many more much more appropriate locations for a new coaster when the time comes. For the love of Christ keep it as a dark ride, but do it more traditionally this time.
 
I'd love to have seen how DBGT could've gone if it weren't for the VR gimmick and Derren had been given full creative control...

Parm Pap translation service:
 
Wait, this one actually makes sense. These must be troubling times.

The situation is entirely caused by management loosing sight of how theme parks make money. 
 
The gate fee covers the running costs, the spend in the park makes the money. Management decided to start contracting things out and cutting on maintenance so short term spend looked good. Unfortunately this meant Merlin earns less per head as another company is skimming off the top and guests spend less when unhappy. They lost sight of the absolute basics and now there is very little room for course correction. 

Just had a quick check on queue times. 2014 is the earliest year its recorded.
 
Rumba was open till 10pm Fright Nights, Loggers closed at dusk. 
 
Thought I had memories of loggers in the dark but maybe I'm imagining things there. 
 

 
2015 was the first year Rumba started closing at dusk by the looks of things. 

Yes the costs are horrific.
 
£14-16 for one go in a maze is gobsmacking. And certainly, neither Compound or Mine Tours are worth anywhere near that price. All that does for me is make Thorpe's maze seem good value in comparison (though, I stress, I believe £10 is also too much).
 
But then again, I guess people pay those prices. The whole cost vs demand thing probably plays a part in their logic, so there we go.
 
Personally, I still feel £5-8 is what these mazes are 'worth', in the sense that of that's the quality they provide in comparison to what's out there (both in terms of other theme parks, and scream parks). But maybe that's just unrealistic of me.
 
I wonder if the increase in prices is directly linked to using RWS and needing to generate more money so all parties get money. Again, thinking in terms of Fright Nights, we might need to brace ourselves...

Rumba was open till around mid September last year so hours are certainly getting less and less for it. Don't forget there was also a period of it opening at 1pm this year too. 
 
Seems hardly worth all the effort getting it open and staff trained if they can no longer keep it operational during the summer holidays. 
 
Who remembers the days of Rumba and Loggers till 10pm in October? 😢
 
I do also understand it from a cost cutting perspective though. If they're being asked to cut costs, would much rather they do this than make staggered openings elsewhere or cut park hours completely. 
 
 
Its reliability has noticeably been a lot worse the last couple of seasons. Its been years of it not reaching full height too. 
 
Its a very old ride, wasn't it 2nd hand from Drayton? No clue how long it operated there. 
 
Zodiac has never been one of my favorites so I wouldn't miss it, but it would be a shame to see it go and not have anything replace it (which would be the most likely option unfortunately) 

Will be interesting to see reviews from Scarefest this year and if theres any difference in quality. Its a good lineup this year, new maze and a new scarezone which is exactly what they needed in my opinion. 
 
I wonder if RWS have any input in design or its purely just from an operational perspective (employing actors.) If I was to guess, RWS are purely operational. 
 
One thing I've noticed though is the prices for the mazes at Towers. 
 
Thorpe this year
4 mazes £34 or £28 with AP discount 
1 shots £8 or £7 with AP discount 
 
Towers this year
3 mazes £38 or £30.40 with AP discount 
Edge of the forest 1 shot (new maze) £16 or £12.80 with AP discount 
Compound or Mine Tours 1 shot £14 or £11.20 with AP discount
 
£16 and £14 for a 1 shot through a maze is absolutely absurd, especially considering cost of entry etc.. 

*blows cobwebs off*
 
I don't know if it's been explicitly discussed on the forums, but Towers' Entertainment function is now in the hands of an external team, outsourced in a similar way to how food is now outsourced to Aramark. The team responsible for that is RWS: https://www.rwsglobal.com/
 
I don't know exactly how it now works, and how responsible RWS are for the design of new attractions. However, the 2 new scare attractions for this year are a scare zone and scare maze, both themed and located in the Dark Forest:
 
 
https://www.facebook.com/reel/24142435788755074/?s=single_unit
 
 
It's worth noting that Thorpe's Entertainment function is going to be in the hands of RWS from 2026. So how Scarefest goes down this year might give an indication to how Fright Nights will go next year (which will be marketed heavily due to it being the 25th year)

*blows cobwebs off*
 
I don't know if it's been explicitly discussed on the forums, but Towers' Entertainment function is now in the hands of an external team, outsourced in a similar way to how food is now outsourced to Aramark. The team responsible for that is RWS: https://www.rwsglobal.com/
 
I don't know exactly how it now works, and how responsible RWS are for the design of new attractions. However, the 2 new scare attractions for this year are a scare zone and scare maze, both themed and located in the Dark Forest:
 
 
https://www.facebook.com/reel/24142435788755074/?s=single_unit
 
 
It's worth noting that Thorpe's Entertainment function is going to be in the hands of RWS from 2026. So how Scarefest goes down this year might give an indication to how Fright Nights will go next year (which will be marketed heavily due to it being the 25th year)

Rode Tomb Blaster today.
 
It remains bloody dreadful.
 
-Every train had at least one car not in use. One train had two cars not in use.
-The 'story' is beyond dull, with the voiceover being one of the worst-sounding, boring and grating things I've ever heard on a theme park
-The guns are rubbish
-Pacing of the ride feels so off. Partially because of the story they shoehorned in, but also just because the ride system feels like it's on its last legs
-Audio is either too quiet or too loud.
-Most of the screens in the on ride photo viewpoint were broken (not necessarily turned off, but physically broken).
 
Honestly, of everything that the park are doing, adding and changing, sorting out Tomb Blaster should really have been number 1 priority.

To be honest, there won't be any real differences in how busy it is. Weather might play a factor, but the Saturdays in September will all be equally busy really.
 
Saturdays will be the busiest day of the week, but it still won't be that busy.

Just replace Rumba with a water ride the little grots can be pinned down into so they can't get out.
 
As always, the UK should get a Chiapas-esque ride. 

Couple of potential theories:
 
-It was found that whoever went into the ride area damaged the ride area fencing. This wouldn't have been immediately obvious, but after dealing with the people in the ride and then surveying the fencing, this would be discovered. That could take 30 minutes. 
I'd say that's most likely.
 
-Further issues with people trying to enter the park / entering the ride area, which were causing further delays.
 
-An unrelated technical issue occurred after the guest action, meaning the ride wouldn't be able to reopen.
 

Rode Tomb Blaster today.
 
It remains bloody dreadful.
 
-Every train had at least one car not in use. One train had two cars not in use.
-The 'story' is beyond dull, with the voiceover being one of the worst-sounding, boring and grating things I've ever heard on a theme park
-The guns are rubbish
-Pacing of the ride feels so off. Partially because of the story they shoehorned in, but also just because the ride system feels like it's on its last legs
-Audio is either too quiet or too loud.
-Most of the screens in the on ride photo viewpoint were broken (not necessarily turned off, but physically broken).
 
Honestly, of everything that the park are doing, adding and changing, sorting out Tomb Blaster should really have been number 1 priority.

Rode Tomb Blaster today.
 
It remains bloody dreadful.
 
-Every train had at least one car not in use. One train had two cars not in use.
-The 'story' is beyond dull, with the voiceover being one of the worst-sounding, boring and grating things I've ever heard on a theme park
-The guns are rubbish
-Pacing of the ride feels so off. Partially because of the story they shoehorned in, but also just because the ride system feels like it's on its last legs
-Audio is either too quiet or too loud.
-Most of the screens in the on ride photo viewpoint were broken (not necessarily turned off, but physically broken).
 
Honestly, of everything that the park are doing, adding and changing, sorting out Tomb Blaster should really have been number 1 priority.

The way SFA is running I don't think half the rides will make it till then even...
 
 
Stealth's repeated downtime is very different. 
 
It had its issue at the start of the season, which was a big unexpected hiccup from winter maintenance. Since then, it's had two, pre-planned, periods of downtime. One of them was for a launch cable replacement, which happens yearly. The other I do not know, but since it was short, pre-planned and stayed on schedule, I don't think is a major concern.
 
Rita has suffered longer, not-planned closures, with no known opening date advertised during those closures. That indicates that those issues are actual problems with the ride which needed fixing / parts replacing. 
 
I don't think the two are linked, and it's more coincidence that there's two rides of the same time that have experienced downtime in the same year.