JoshC.

I think once Fastrack is in full effect, the main queue will hold roughly 90-120mins worth of queueing. That's not too dissimilar to their aims for other rides. The challenge comes in a few years when it's not the big shiny new thing, and ensuring it still runs the best it can.
 
I think once it settles it will be fine. But it will be interesting to see if they end up having to "do a Taron". Taron had a main queue originally capable of only holding about 40 minutes of waiting time. That's why Phantasialand had to add the extension of Doom, which was originally unthemed. 

I think once Fastrack is in full effect, the main queue will hold roughly 90-120mins worth of queueing. That's not too dissimilar to their aims for other rides. The challenge comes in a few years when it's not the big shiny new thing, and ensuring it still runs the best it can.
 
I think once it settles it will be fine. But it will be interesting to see if they end up having to "do a Taron". Taron had a main queue originally capable of only holding about 40 minutes of waiting time. That's why Phantasialand had to add the extension of Doom, which was originally unthemed. 

Give people a reason to stay till 9PM and people will. Maybe night rides on Hyperia will be enough. 

Finally been on Hyperia - and wow, what a bloody ride.
 
I can not actually believe we have this thing in the UK. It’s a monster.
 
You really can see it from everywhere.  I particularly like the view of the lift hill as you walk down the path towards it from Inferno‘s direction.
 
The ride may be short in duration, but I was out of my seat for 6 - 8 business days on my first ride alone. I mean even just going through the stall, you’re airborne for about 20 minutes.
 
The seat’s only purpose is to support your ass while you climb the lift - after that, you’re up against the lap bar until the gift shop.
 
The first drop just doesn’t let up, and gives some very weird and different airtime.
 
It’s also FAST throughout. Of course I knew it was >80mph before riding, but until you get on there you really don’t think about how fast that actually is.  Even through some of the higher points of the ride, which look quite slow off ride, you’re flying (literally) through them at huge speed.
 
I can honestly say I was speechless the first time I hit the brakes.  It’s so unique and just something totally different for us here in the UK.
 
Unfortunately the plaza and queue are a bit of a mess, and clearly unfinished. Hopefully this is something that will be sorted before next season, because it would really level the ride up even more.  Also the speed at which the train comes back to the station could do with some work to help with waiting times.
 
I’m very impressed.  An excellent ride which is perfect for Thorpe.  It’s fantastic to have that new ride buzz at Thorpe again!
 
I can’t wait to see it lit up for Fright Nights. It’s encouraging to see the permanent lights already there!

Wonderful news. I know they've been talking about it behind the scenes for a while, so good to see it's come to fruition. 
 
I know some people will say the park should be open that later regardless over summer, but it has always been the case that the demand isn't there. Trialling it / doing it on select days helps test the waters.
 
Hopefully this can be a step to later summer closing, and maybe even the park testing 10pm Fright Nights closes again.

Wonderful news. I know they've been talking about it behind the scenes for a while, so good to see it's come to fruition. 
 
I know some people will say the park should be open that later regardless over summer, but it has always been the case that the demand isn't there. Trialling it / doing it on select days helps test the waters.
 
Hopefully this can be a step to later summer closing, and maybe even the park testing 10pm Fright Nights closes again.

Opening hours have been extended until 9pm on the last 2 Saturdays of August (24th and 31st) 
 
Great to see - especially at a time when hours are being cut on a weekly basis at Towers at the moment... 

I'm less hopeful.
 
Perhaps I've been naive with Thorpe's logic. Or possibly just stupid. But I've realised what their thinking is with maze tickets.
 
The park are offering a Fearsome Four bundle, which costs £34 for the early slot (3-7pm), or £38 for the late slot (5-9pm). One shot maze tickets remain at £8 for the early slot (choosing a 1 hour time slot of either 3-4pm, 4-5pm or 5-6pm) or £10 for the later slot (choosing a 1 hour time slot of either 6-7pm, 7-8pm or 8-9pm).
 
So that means the Fearsome Four early slot bundle is effectively more expensive than buying four early one shot maze tickets. I clarified this with Thorpe (via their Facebook Passholder group), and they said it is correct because "Based on giving a four hour window, it would be 3 Afternoon slots and 1 evening, hence the price".
 
So, that means if you (say) book a One Shot for 3-4pm, the park aren't saying you can choose any time between 3-4pm to visit that maze, they are saying that you should be dedicating the whole 3-4pm slot for that one maze (in both queueing for and experiencing it). That is how they are organising it, and that is how their numbers work.
 
But this is not clear at all, in my opinion. At the very least, I have only just realised this from Thorpe directly saying this, despite the fact it has always been like this since they introduced the ticketing procedure: "Since introducing ticketing it has always been hourly timeslots for one shots, and then an hour per maze in a package, so this has not changed."
 
So herein lies in the issue. People think they can rock up at any time in their time slot for a maze. So if, say, more than half the people for the 3-4pm slot rock up after half 3 (which is a natural reaction as people will think "Everyone will go at 3pm"), then it spills into the 4-5pm slot. Same thing happens for the 4-5pm slot, and that further spills into the 5-6pm slot. Rinse and repeat, and then you've got a horrible overflow of people in the later slots.
 
Bluntly put, too, there have been too many instants I've seen - and experienced - where the queue line for mazes exceeds 1 hour since the paid-for tickets were introduced. Reasons for that will be varied and complicated, and in some cases, unavoidable. But it's been a consistent issue, and one I don't think they will have put any real effort into solving (although please prove me wrong Thorpe).
 
 
I don't want to come across as harsh or dismissive. But simply put, it does not seem like Thorpe know or understand how they are advertising or selling the timed ticket system of their mazes, and how the public view and use them. Operationally, the park have shown themselves to be incapable of running the mazes in a way which matches the timed ticket system, and I don't think this will change this year.
 
I fully expect that whatever the new maze is will be to a good quality. Stitches will return and be a hit again. Survival Games will remain well-received thanks to its split up technique (but be less impactful due to focuses being elsewhere). And Trailers will again be fine, but show both its age, and how it was the first maze to be built under this new, budget-heavy, Fright Nights direction.
 
Again, perhaps I've been naive / stupid and this has been glaringly obvious to everyone else. But if this is how Thorpe have operated, and continue to operate, the paid-for / timed-ticket mazes, it will have the same issues it has every year.

I'm gonna throw "THE VOID" into the ring as a possible name. Likely completely wrong, but it came to me in a dream about easter eggs and nodding.
 
Also, since Thorpe have started the Fright Nights advertising, expect Tulleys to tease/update on their (sort of) 3 new additions for this year (1 new maze, retheme of THE ISLAND, new live show cos no more Circus of Horrors)

The Passing returns - hopefully they’ve at least shaken off the head bags and charged the iPod shuffles before we go again.

As Stealth has 3 trains, the park rotate which one of them goes under annual maintenance. This means at any given time, one train is always in the maintenance area, deconstructed, having its parts checked, cleaned, inspected, serviced, replaced and whatever else is required. This takes the pressure off having to do it all over winter (when such things would normally happen).
 
The maintenance area has room for all three trains to be stored. It will be up to the engineers on the day which train(s) they want to being in there after park close. 

Attraction Source had a presentation and Q&A from Mack Rides at their recent event; it has been uploaded to YouTube:
 
 
 
I haven't watched it all, but there is a look at the first layout that Mack designed (spoilers: it's very different)

Attraction Source had a presentation and Q&A from Mack Rides at their recent event; it has been uploaded to YouTube:
 
 
 
I haven't watched it all, but there is a look at the first layout that Mack designed (spoilers: it's very different)

Thanks for posting this! Was a great read (and also great to re-read everyone else's experiences!)
 
I wonder what the logic behind the switch in style was between 2013 and 2014 (and then to 2015 and 2016)? It very much seems like 2013 they were given free reign, and 2014 they stuck to a much more rigid set up. But they then went to a more fluid style in 2015. 
 
I liked 2013 and 2014 for very different reasons. As you say, 2014 version wasn't that scary, but the experience itself felt a lot more psychological, which I guess makes sense since it was more rigid / scripted. 2013 was a lot more chaotic and left you wondering what would happen next, but also had the psychological aspect.
 
Very much agree that it was the right call to have a pre-selected maze each evening as opposed to them all, given it was a niche product.
 
I would genuinely love for Thorpe to do an alone experience again. So much potential. I will talk about this until the day I die, but Walibi Holland are the perfect model for how to do an alone experience within a normal theme park setting. Yes, it'll be an expensive upcharge, yes it will have a low throughput. But it won't appeal to everyone and that's fine. Create an experience which can be done again and again in a custom space and it will work.
 
I know that towards the end of Face it Alone, there were several bumps in the proverbial road with its running. AMC were, to my understanding, against the idea of having extreme Face it Alone experiences in their mazes. The manager responsible for its organisation left. The actors were expressing concerns about some guest behaviours (I heard stories of some guests basically asking/expecting/demanding certain things be done to them in Face it Alone). Just seemed like a storm perfect for it stop.
 
But again, I'd love to see it brought back. The park clearly have the budget, resources and creative talent to take the gamble on it. It's just whether they actually want to.
 

I should try and share my 2015 and 2016 experiences at some point...

Only 2 years late, but here's my write up of Brave it Alone in Studio 13 in 2014.
 
 

From what I've seen on Twitter, organizers were told very last minute it would be on 1 train, but who knows. 
 
Seems like a very strange decision. People had paid good money and I imagine it'll put people off organizing these type of events at Thorpe in the future.
 
There excuse of needing it ready for the next day is nonsense when it ran till 10pm press night and opening day, and will likely run on 2 trains till 9pm daily during fright nights. They could've ran it on 2 if they wanted to/planned it properly.

I'm a little confused what you mean here? Every park has a limited capacity and all people in the park have paid? But they still have to offer guests value for money, or they won't return / be disgruntled. 
 
Thorpe have made an effort to improve throughputs across the park. Stealth is a prime example of this.
 
I'm not sure how much it's affecting throughput, but the park will no doubt be aware of it. No doubt the park have a list of things they'll want to work on, hopefully alongside Mack, to help get things running smoothly.
 
My bigger concern regarding throughput is whether they can keep up the high standard they've set in the station. The park have been sensible and aren't running it on more staff (I believe they're running it on 1 op and 4 hosts, and that is the bare minimum it would need). But they're working their socks, and clearly have a good team. Can they keep that going all season? What about in future seasons? All well and good running it like that now, but if they can't do it when you've got the extra queues, etc, it's a problem.

One train on ERT is not ideal. Wonder if organisers are aware they're getting 1 train ops or not. It also begs a question: If they need to start train maintenance that early they can't run 2 trains for an ERT session, how will they cope during Fright Nights?
 
 
I went today and got 4 rides by 2pm, which included a closure due to a guest action, as well as weather delays because of heavy rain / threat of electrical storm.

One train on ERT is not ideal. Wonder if organisers are aware they're getting 1 train ops or not. It also begs a question: If they need to start train maintenance that early they can't run 2 trains for an ERT session, how will they cope during Fright Nights?
 
 
I went today and got 4 rides by 2pm, which included a closure due to a guest action, as well as weather delays because of heavy rain / threat of electrical storm.

Detonator's back open for all you Freedom Fireworks Co enthusiasts 

It's giving this, isn't it?

More insight than an endoscopy. Thanks as always Parmesan.

More insight than an endoscopy. Thanks as always Parmesan.

We're just over 3 months to Fright Nights 2024 and we don't have a thread? We're slipping guys...
 
Nothing is confirmed for the event, so for now, everything is speculation / what you want to see...
 
My Predictions
The return of the 3 mazes Trailers, Survival Games and Stitches Return of Lucifer's Lair and Amity High (in some incarnation) Something new in Death's Doors' location Mysterious new attraction  
The glaring omission here is The Crows. I would love to see them return in some way, and I think the scare zone works well. But the simple issue is for now: Hyperia. The area is being used for Hyperia's extra queue. Do the park expect that by Fright Nights, their busiest time of the year, they wouldn't need that extra queue? If that space is used for a FN attraction, where would they sensibly contain people? It just seems like a massive headache. 
Obviously it's difficult: maybe by October they wouldn't need it. But they'll need to make that decision, at latest, by August really. So they've got time to see how it goes. But if they're regularly needing that area over the next month or so, I reckon they have to pull it this year.
 
As for something new, this is a tricky one. I'm behind the park charging for mazes; I think we've seen improvements in the quality of mazes (at the very least, the budgets have increased). But a 4th upcharge maze stretches things a bit; can the park appropriately staff 4 upcharge mazes worth £10 a pop, as well as scare zones and shows? Might be tight. That's not to say they won't do that though.
 
However, I'd rather the park try something different. Obviously we saw them do that a couple of years ago with the audio experience which flopped massively. But something that isn't a standard, upcharge maze is worth a shot. Maybe a proper alone experience? Or a more intimate show (like the Exorcism show at FEAR)? Or, maybe be wild, and do a smaller, but high-throughput / constant conga-line, free maze? Give people a taste for the mazes without them having to pay. I don't know, I'm just throwing ideas out here, but I think it's time for something different.

Still more than Top Thrill 2 though! 😉
 
(Thanks @Mark9 for keeping score)