OldFarmerDean

floodlights ruined it for me last year (having been the only time I'd ever been scarefest)... I really love the lost city area at thorpe park with the green lighting - and even better again, just everything about chessington, barely seen a single normal coloured floodlight!

so it's been broke since friday - as it failed to open then, after a few hours of testing / trying they gave up, and stuck a sign at the entrance. if they haven't bothered doing anything a few days later, I'm not keeping my hopes up that it will be open for my trip on friday, or even when I go in half term - reckon it will be closed for the season now! (if only it broke earlier, like last year then they could do major maintenance and then open it back up in time for fright nights haha)

well it had the longest queue in the park for most of the night, so highly doubt that!

zombie scare zone, and carnival of screams are free this year... zombies barely had a queue at any time last year as it is a scarezone which you walk through freely and has a large throughput of people. can't comment on the others, as carnival of screams was paid last year, and terror of the towers was the free one... but is paid for, along with the sanctuary (again)

blair witch batches people by the looks of it in a similar fashion to a maze then with a free form walk through (I didn't actually go in it, but got in the queue for a few minutes and gave up as I couldn't be bothered!)

when I was in the park on friday - it was normal theme (although the other rides had their own theme plus the director voice) on full blast which was great, until 3pm when the whole park switched to fright night music - and wasn't as good!

Loggers and Rapids close at 5pm... as a cost saving measure and then to aid with blair witch which doesn't open til 7 (or at least so on friday!) Was stuck in the indoor queue section of cabin in the woods for about 10 mins while an emergency evac happened - I think a group of kids was messing around and got kicked off the park - but then have to get all the actors back inside and reset / check the maze before allowing people back in. things can go wrong - like lighting etc and cause the maze to need to be closed until resolved.

well that's good then... hope it just ran out and they couldn't be bothered to sort it out straight away (this is so like merlin and does get annoying) instead of not bothering to run it on non peak days (like friday, even though it's fright nights!), as I'm back this friday again as well - not sure why the lazers weren't on though and now suddenly are!

I'm there as well then... I would like to think it would be pretty quiet, although doubt it would be quiet otherwise they wouldn't put the event on for that week, and then to reverse the decision to close at 7 instead of 9 as so many people complained - so I'm not getting my hopes up, but as far as I am aware majority of schools are on half term the week after, so should at least be the quieter of the two weeks!

well went on it friday... and with no smoke or lasers, was rather disappointed - absolutely loved it back in the summer when there was smoke in there (even if no lasers) as the main coloured lights look great with the smoke!

all effects... what about the water effect when you pass near the pond (if you want to call it that) by the helicopter!? I miss that!

having been yesterday.... Park was relatively quiet with the swarm being walk on most of the day, as well as Colossus in the afternoon/evening - it's worth noting that nemesis inferno had the longest queue for a ride in the park for most of the day just because it was on one train, and really shouldn't have been (the queue was at the entrance without the extra bit open!). Got countless amount of rides in the day, and night, and due to my friend not wanting to do the mazes, managed to persuade her to go on Saw Alive which I found to be pretty decent, and couldn't compare it to past years considering I would have had my eyes shut the whole way round! (but a lot better now ). cabin the woods was amazing (the ending, and second half of the maze was a bit of a disappointment in terms of themeing) , plenty of actors in your face, and loved the uniqueness of it, so good (and because we didn't find any of the hidden doors for some reason) we had to do it again - got to the control room which was a bit meh (as it was only one room and didn't even know if the effects were working, and then the corridor with the spinning doll, is this really a dead end!? the director and thorpe park as a movie set, seemed good as an idea, but it's pretty rubbish to be honest, it allows for minimal themeing around the park, as individual ride themeing as in past years wouldn't work or fit in, and the 'directors' voice really got on my nerves! overall a great day, and can't wait to get back this friday!

yeah I don't mind either... but would be nice to see something for thrill seekers - but we know any new investments are going to have to have say a 1.2m height restriction or less and appeal not just to thrill seekers - although I seem to find these sort of rides a lot more enjoyable - we'll have to wait and see what the future brings

we have to understand the market drayton manor are now going for, and I find it unlikely that we'll see a big thrill ride - if we get a big investment it will aimed at families, like a relatively small & fun wooden coaster etc.

it's never busy enough to warrant opening with two arms... although as said above they did do a lot of maintenance over winter to open both arms anticipating it to be busy this season due to the close proximity of the smiler.

rameses breaking down wasn't part of that 5 million... and if I'm correct this upgrade plan (or addition to it) only came about since they realised the facade on runaway train and dragon falls were to breach H&S, which then cut into the budget of zufari which had so much more potential that wasn't meant to be because of this! nonetheless I have been to chessington twice this year so far and am returning for halloween hocus pocus, and am very much looking forward to the changed hocus pocus hall, and can't wait to do the vampire walkthrough again!!

does that means opening hours will be extended, or......

I'm guessing the work is being done now, so it can be fully opened when they just have the zoo days - otherwise it would be a bit pointless having zoo days with a main section of it closed off - on another note I also think the zoo days should include zufari as the only attraction running

you can actually feel the force of the ride with how fast it spins round and how much it swings.... vortex is so tame now!

well the new ride... was closed with maintenance people working on the arms/restraints - I was also not happy to see that it incurs a charge (6 tokens which is £3 or £5 for unlimited rides on that, bumper boats and the laser quest thing), as it is a new ride and what attracts people to the park! also the main Xtreme ride was down as well and was testing but never opened! I found out most of the rides have a set time they run for, otherwise they get in trouble for shortening it or making it longer (was told this by a ride staff on hellraiser).

I went on wipeout at brean leisure park which is a kmg ride similar, but a lot smaller, although it still holds 24 people - it span so much faster and went an awful lot higher as well... much more enjoyable!

How do we know the restraints are gone... This isn't Rameses revenge

Can 2 for 1 vouchers (which don't have blackout dates on the scarefest days) be used on the first week of the scarefest event, alternatively are Tesco clubcard vouchers allowed to be used on these events... And then can mazes be brought separately? Thanks

I went last week when it was raining and the ride op said as it was just me and my friend that she wouldn't bother turning the water on...

thorpe park stated when we asked them that it doesn't mean there will be any less actors regardless of what TCITW was described as... it will just differ to the normal mazes as there's interactive elements (either actual interactive features and scares, or interactive in the sense you have to choose your own directions and outcomes, or both).