Marhelorpe

Had a listen to the previews and I gotta be honest, but I like what I'm hearing! Sure, it doesn't top the days of Midnight Syndicate pre-2012, but it's far better than what I've heard ever since the Lionsgate takeover in 2013 and the Walking Dead loop from last year. Great to see each ride have their own identity once again for this event.

A sign outside the dome said this deal stands up until 10:30am, which I assume is last admission for guests into Fin’s, so does go into the day just a little bit. Pretty good offer though!

I’m not sure when you rode Colossus that day, but I can say with absolute certainty when I queued there was a period in the early afternoon where the merging point was not being used and no staff member was present, causing a longer queue and people to use the ride exit as their Fastrack/disabled entrance. But something I’ve noticed quite recently is Saw and Inferno have now combined the disabled queue with the Fastrack one if you look at the entrance signs. Whilst on paper this might sound good to keep there being only two queues for each ride, isn’t that a testament to show just how many people are now using the RAP’s?

After visiting the park last Saturday on the 29th September leading up to Fright Nights, I feel now is a good time to voice some big concerns I have with the way several rides are being operated not just across Thorpe, but other Merlin parks such as Alton and Chessington. This problem has been getting worse and worse as 2018 has progressed and up until the start of 2017, this was never an issue before until now. But last Saturday demonstrated this system has now gone too far, and this is regarding the use of priority or disabled passes by guests. Now, I understand this may be a discussion which can be quite sensitive to some readers and I am not criticising or demeaning those who use these passes that have a genuine disability, but I am going to pick at the way the parks manage this system because it has reached boiling point after my experience last weekend and here's why with some examples I've experienced this year and indeed last weekend. Used spoiler tags for each example to keep this post shorter: (Saturday 29th September - Colossus) (August Bank Holiday - Th13teen) (Every visit in 2018 - Derren Brown's Ghost Train) (September 2018 - Vampire) (Opening day 2018 - Wicker Man) Before 2017, this system never really posed any problems or frustrations in the past at any of the Merlin parks, but every time I visit any of the parks now, the number of people I am seeing using these ride access passes has increased dramatically, so much so that in most cases, they are in fact longer than the Fastrack queues and this poses a huge problem. All the main queues for every ride across every park are moving so slowly now that it makes Spinball Whizzer's queue look like nothing these days. What should be short & quick queues on quiet days are now doubling in length for the most part across the majority of rides at Thorpe, and I have noticed this on every visit I have made this year. Staff on most attractions are allocating far more seats to those with a priority/disabled pass to the point where as highlighted with Colossus above, they are now filling entire trains of these people in order to keep the length of them down. With Fright Nights soon approaching where queues will hit their maximum lengths, I am deeply worried many attractions are going to have some horrendous queueing experiences for guests not only in the main queue, but also the disabled and Fastrack ones where they will need to also wait longer because of the quantity of people that are now using these passes. I'm unsure what solution I can suggest to prevent this getting further out of control, but this needs to be brought to attention because the situation is getting worse and worse every visit I make and nobody else is talking about this ever-growing problem shockingly. I need to be careful with how I word this, but something needs to change with the allocation of these passes because right now, I am seeing the disabled entrance as nothing more than just another Fastrack queue given many people through my eyes don't look like they have a disability. And for those with a genuine disability such as being in a wheelchair, I find this incredibly unfair for them, just like the father at the example with Th13teen I mentioned above. I can only ever dream of a queue system similar to the likes of Phantasialand and Europa Park, but understand this will never happen sadly. As it stands, not one of the three queues at Merlin parks is a win for guests, so something needs to change to keep this from degrading and getting worse.

Rather than repeating all the problems I and others have with this attraction, I'll just leave here one extremely major flaw I had with this yesterday on the preview event for Fright Nights (29th September 2018). The fake shop at the end of the attraction wasn't working and so the entire group walked through it without the demon jumping out in front of guests because......... *drum roll*

Contrary to the over-exaggerated praise I am seeing from many blogs/YouTubers about last night's preview everywhere online at present, if everything from yesterday remains in place and things are not improved upon considerably by the time the event arrives in just a week's time, 2018 is shaping up to be potentially the worst Fright Nights in the park's history through my eyes and here's why. Almost every year I have attended Fright Nights since 2007, I have always enjoyed visiting this event to try some of the exclusive attractions the park offered and most times, these mazes were thoroughly enjoyable as they felt very polished and delivered on what makes a good scare attraction, especially for the likes of Asylum, Big Top and Experiment 10. Back then, the park used to pride itself with the event. However, the mazes last night had none of these qualities at all. Blair Witch being a perfect example. It was horrendously and laughably bad and I kept on thinking "why is this back?" the whole time going through it. As for the audio, my question is "what audio"? If you take away Inferno and Canada Creek, along with the bizarre speech coming from Vulcan Peak's empty queue line, not a single other ride or area had music or ambience which matched the event. Everything was playing it's regular version, so you would scarcely think this was a Fright Nights evening if you were on-site. I understand there are more audio changes on the way but come on now, adding at least something to every area whether it's IMAscore's 30-minute Fright Nights loop, or a bit of Midnight Syndicate would've been an improvement. Not impressed with the audio and frankly haven't been with this event since 2011 in all honesty. Park-wide theming was non-existent other than across the entrance bridge, so clearly this is still not a priority for the park when it comes to Halloween. I still miss the days of 2007 - 2009 when this used to matter to them... As for operations, this was the most concerning area. Even on a preview night they were terrible in terms of queue management regarding Fastrack/disabled guests and I dread to think how much worse they will be when the event is in full swing next week when even more people are attending. I'll post these problems experienced in the "Park Operations" topic with examples. The overall vibe I was getting from last night was the park only cares about having the largest number of scare attractions possible now, not about the quality of the mazes and the event itself anymore. Not a single maze impressed me, the audio was a right mess and very inconsistent, the queue management was awful and there was simply no trace of anything resembling Halloween at this park at all, thus having no atmosphere anywhere. There is no "go-to" maze anymore and I doubt Vulcan Peak or Do or Die will change that when they finally open. It truly saddens me that the park is now going down the route where "more equals better" because last night has proven this not to be the case at all. People everywhere are falling over themselves because of the quantity and as a result, the mazes we are likely going to see this year are going to be both short and poor in quality for many guests, especially in comparison to previous years with excellent attractions such as Big Top, Asylum, Experiment 10 etc. For example, Blair Witch didn't need to come back and I would happily have sacrificed this entire attraction and picked a longer version of Dead Creek Woods over this if it meant delivering a better maze. Vulcan Peak feels extremely lazy as it's just gonna use I'm a Celeb's building and route for the most part, just with some changes inside with the props and theming. Do or Die looks to be extremely short and is just Sanctum under a different name, and as for the misleading advertising for the park to class Terror at Amity High an attraction when it's just actors...... no comment needed. Maybe this is an outdated opinion, but I would much rather see fewer attractions of higher quality than more attractions of less quality as we are now seeing. My worry is when the event arrives next week, people are not going to care about the fact the event might have some very poor mazes and will instead focus on the fact there are (supposedly) 12 attractions altogether, which is more than other competitors like Tulleys Farm for example. I guarantee those with a position of influence like bloggers and YouTubers are gonna keep mentioning this in all their reviews and forget everything else at the event (such as the mazes, atmosphere, audio etc), which is going to be sub-standard. As others have said, it was just a preview night, so things might improve and I really hope they do so everyone can enjoy it. But I'm concerned with the way things currently look, this year's quality control will be at an all-time low for them.

If this means every area and ride across the park is once again getting their own individual identity and audio, just like it used to be pre-2012 when Midnight Syndicate was used and not just a 30-minute Walking Dead track like in 2017, I'm all for this! ?

I'm a maybe now.

Right, so with this new announcement today, this is what we have for Fright Nights 2018. Italic ones mean they are "new", or something: • Saw Alive - ticked off as done for 2018 earlier this summer. Not unique to FN. • Platform 15 - average outdoor attraction with a long tunnel again. • Living Nightmare - again, ticked off earlier this year during summer. Not unique to FN. • Containment - more than likely the same rooms as before with a +£10 charge. • Do or Die - Sanctum with a different name. Simples. • Blair Witch - why is this back again? Never thought it was that good. • Terror at Amity High - Dead End Terror Zone meets Amity Cove? • Vulcan Peak - I'm a Celeb meets The Passing? • Screamplexx Cinema - 99% certain it will just be Walking Dead scenes coupled with the occasional Lionsgate film. • The Big Top: Showtime - I don't know whether to laugh or cry at the best attraction in 2016/2017 becoming this... If you factor in Do or Die just being a revised version of Sanctum, the return of Blair Witch and cancel out the scare zones and cinema, the only genuine new maze for this year is Vulcan Peak, which is frankly just gonna be "I'm a Celeb: Extreme Edition" with bags on your head to hide yourself from the frighteningly glaring faces of contempt from Ant and Dec. Still not hyped or excited about this year one bit.

So is it safe to assume this "reveal" means that there is no sign of the Big Top returning then?...... *golf clap* This looks like it's gonna be the first Fright Nights since 2008 where I'm not gonna bother going this year. The one and only thing left which drew me back to this event for the last couple of years is now likely gone. I guess the Figaro Bros. couldn't continue with another year of "crazed debauchery" it seems. ?

Regardless of which previous maze is supposedly returning, my question is this - why? What is the point in holding onto an older maze from years ago other than to give the impression of “we can’t innovate or stretch the imagination enough to build a new one from scratch anymore, so we’re just gonna rebuild an old design”? It makes no sense whatsoever and shows the park won’t let go of the past. So as it stacks up, this is what we could be seeing for 2018: • No return of Big Top. • Possible relocation of cruddy Sanctum. • Reigniting a partnership with Lionsgate. • Bringing back an outdoor scare attraction themed on Blair Witch. How very “year of The Walking Dead” 2018 has become...

Just imagine the reaction if Big Top goes, but Sanctum stays again for this year...... only to push forward the park's partnership with AMC, nothing else. ?

I’m all for seeing new mazes should any appear soon, but I’ve gotta be honest and say despite last year being all about the Walking Dead with two new attractions, they were both pretty poor in my eyes at delivering scares at all. Yes, Living Nightmare is highly themed, but it falls short on just about everything else. And Sanctum? The less said the better. The only real draw factor for me to bother going to Fright Nights this year is not only to get those night rides, but to hopefully try the Big Top once again. It’s the best maze the park has had since Experiment 10 in my eyes (minus 2015) and would be a real shame if it either went or was rebranded. On a side note, whilst I applaud the teams at Thorpe for opening Saw Alive and Living Nightmare during the holidays this spring and summer, these moves have ultimately made me want to visit Fright Nights less than ever before now. Having these open outside of Halloween has devalued the Fright Nights product in my eyes and made part of it “less exclusive” as a result. Literally, the only thing left worth attending for this year at the moment should it be back is the Big Top. If that’s gone, unless the park once again prioritises delivering on quality attractions above an IP like they used to pre-2013 (*hint hint Tulleys Farm*), I’m done with this event and wish to spend my money and time elsewhere this Halloween.

Nah, sod Asylum or Experiment 10, the maze everyone wants back for 2018 is the amazing ‘The Passing’ of course! Always missed those highly detailed white-painted walls, UV death certificate and the £3 up-charge, all with a black bag over your head the entire time, hiding your eyes from Hellgate’s previous theming. But, admittedly, 2010’s ‘Dead End Terror Zone’ is the one that needs to come back more than any other. Nothing screamed “2nd to Disney” quality more than a single actor jumping out from behind Mr. Giraffe with a Tesco Value Halloween mask on their face. Ah, those were the days... ?

I didn't know Corkscrew opened in 1981! ? (Last 20 seconds) Happy this has been released though. ?

Was at the park on Thursday too and decided to get on DBGT first thing when it opened just after 12pm (because I'm insane). Ride broke down twice on us before even the first set of people for the day went through I was in, so technically, it didn't open until 12:40pm. Not surprising though, but when inside, it was obvious why this was. Oh boy, this was a ride I won't be forgetting on it anytime soon... here's a quick rundown of my walkthrough: Good Points: • Pre-show worked nicely with the presentation, audio volume, working bulbs above and most of all, the staff members finally turn the fan off during the speech so you can hear Derren properly again. • Being the first group on, there was no batching thankfully at any point before loading the carriage. • Staff in the queue dealt with some queue-jumpers very well near the batching area. Well done to the team for being vigilant about this, greatly appreciate it. Bad Points: • As others have mentioned, when loading the carriage, the screens inside were all on a blank white screen with no audio or video playing "Welcome on-board" etc. • When seeing the VR in the first half, the carriage lights remained on throughout the entire duration and light was leaking through my headset as a result. • When offloading the carriage, the lights were still fully turned on, killing the whole evacuation atmosphere entirely. • In the mid-section, this was diabolical. When doing through the doors into the little walkthrough section, there was NO AUDIO at all. Not one bit. No rumbling ambience, no sound effects, nothing. So we walked through a zig-zag with a random flashing strobe light and some smoke near the crashed train. It felt extremely weird being in there without that rumbling background noise constantly there like it usually is. • The section where you wait and see a projection on the wall of the demon creature was turned off entirely and was about 2 minutes delayed before a voice appeared, so we stood there waiting for something to happen far longer than usual... with no background audio. • When boarding again for the 2nd half, the carriage lights were all still on. No lights flickering or a voice saying the doors are closing. • 2nd half was once again entirely with lights on during the VR sequence. • No appearance from Derren on the screens once your ride has finished. Still blank. • When waiting in the fake shop, we all stood there for about 3 minutes waiting for something to happen. Far, far longer than usual, no idea why but it killed the suspension. • One of the screens in the fake TV shop kept on flickering on/off randomly, indicating it was broken. Plus, Derren's "keep it a secret" appearance didn't appear on it too. • About 5 of the bulbs in the real shop above the enclosed hovering train carriages for sale are broken and need replacing. I mean, is it really that difficult now to replace a simple light bulb in this attraction?! So yeah, this was one heck of a shoddy experience I had on Thursday and once more just to remind everyone, this is a ride branded as the 'future for theme parks that re-writes the rules of what they can do'. Now, I understand stuff breaks, things go wrong and nothing is ever perfect on any ride, but come on now. For something technically just 2 years old now which is in a condition this bad? Inexcusable for a ride worth £30M and owned my a multi-billion quid company. Probably the worst run I've had on it since Fright Nights 2016. Sort it out please Thorpe, it's a shambles currently.

I believe it has now been confirmed by Andreas that the testing of Valkyria is going to commence sometime this week finally now that the structure of the tunnel is complete. I went on a trip to the park a few days ago and whilst it was disappointing not to be able to ride Valkyria, I can tell you now that in-person, this coaster looks absolutely incredible and is definately one worth keeping everyone's eyes on! It's much larger than I was expecting it to be, the twists and turns look tight and compact and the station looks stunning from the outside, especially with the contrast of Balder and Loke right next to it. Really honestly cannot wait to get back to this park and try it! Below are some pictures of Valkyria I took whilst there from different angles for those interested. We were extremely lucky with the weather: The three giants, all together. ?

Another actor-led attraction with a dark theme once again? *sigh* Do Merlin ever learn from their mistakes or stretch the imagination beyond home-brewed and commercial IP's? The park is currently in desperate need of 'filler' attractions, primarily flat rides and on-park entertainment, not another bleedin' walk-through horror attraction that will likely up-charge guests who need to be aged 12+. Saddest thing about this? Doesn't surprise me one bit Merlin have decided to do this. The bar is that low with them for me now...

Oh yes, something else I couldn’t help but notice yesterday was who here remembers when Lost City/Colossus’ theme used to be high-pitched for a number of years from 2012 - 2016? Well, it’s made a return but to another area of the park this time! It now appears that the Dome’s audio is playing it’s 30-minute ‘Port & Basecamp’ track slightly faster than usual at a higher pitch and was only playing downstairs and through the speakers outside facing Vortex. Inside the Dome however, nothing. No audio playing at all in there yesterday until the park closed with it’s End-of-Day/Shark Hotel audio. Hopefully this is fixed as soon as possible and not left untouched for another 5 years.

Can now confirm the reason Rush has been getting large queues lately is because it's running on one swing at present: On the plus side, at least this swing now reaches beyond 90 degrees (just about) once again finally! Yay! xD

R.I.P Nemesis Inferno's 2003 Theme...... The ride is now playing the full 30-minute Jungle track made by IMAscore, which means less than 10% of the music now uses Inferno's melody, but plays the island theme at least 5 times in that same period. It's being used at the entrance, all queue areas, ride areas (under lift hill, near loop etc) and the station. *sigh* another ride's identity lost... 20180610_121029.mp4

Something I've noticed on the last few visits with the ride is the station and bottom of the lift hill have presently got their white floodlights turned on, constantly illuminating the ceiling and mechanics, but this was not the case when it initially opened back in March and was a lot darker. As a result, the station area is now much brighter than it needs to be and the fancy lighting effects used upon dispatch are rendered pointless as a result. Also, maybe this is just bad memory, but the orange smoke effect after leaving the final brake run with the TV screens just before the on-ride photo does not seem anywhere near as effective compared to when it opened back in Match. The smoke no longer covers riders similar to an archway as they pass through it anymore and instead just fires upwards missing riders entirely. Lastly, the watch tower in the queue no longer plays any themed announcements through the tannoy speakers bizarrely. Can only guess it's not being used anymore because it was incredibly loud and needed to be tuned down a little bit. But it would be nice to hear them used again if possible. As for the rest of the attraction, it's nice to see small updates and changes being made in places since it's inception and guiltily, I'm liking it gradually more and more every time I try it. Still have a slight preference over it being X previously, purely because it was accessible to more people with the lower height restriction, had an up-beat theme and didn't pretend to be an extreme thrill machine like it is now. But the gap has definitely gotten smaller since March.

2nd to Disney right there folks! xD Have they blocked off the old entrance for single riders and the disabled queue?

Tidal Wave is currently running on one boat... On a bank holiday... In 24C temperatures... With a 120 minute queue... *golf clap*