Hethetheth

So I had my first ever visit to Fright Nights and I really enjoyed it. I've heard a lot of people complaining about this year but I found it great. I went on Saturday 6th October and it was terrible weather. Downside was that the bigger rides outside were very frequently closed, but this did mean that people were put off and went home. As a result the queues were way smaller than I'd been anticipating. The longest we queued was 50-60 mins when Stealth eventually reopened from the rain on the slowest operations I've ever seen (my only legitimate complaint about the whole day). Due to poor sleep I arrived at 2pm having had a lie in order to drive to the park. It was absolutely horrible weather and the dome was rammed and the guest services had an enormous queue. This worried me a lot but upon leaving the dome my worries lifted as the rides that were open had light queues. Walking Dead The Ride First ride of the day was Walking Dead. The coasters were all closed due to the weather (Derren Brown was out of action virtually the whole day as well...which was a shame) my friends had my done this before so it was a no brainer. All 3 of us enjoyed it. It's not amazing but I found it good fun and it's pretty well themed. When I rode this in May there were some live actors and I was a bit disappointed that Fright Nights didn't have them but oh well. We did this twice, first time was a 20 min queue and second time in the night was a 5 minute queue. Living Nightmare First maze of of the day was Living Nightmare. We queued around 20 minutes all huddled an umbrella. I'd never done a scare maze before and was nervous, however I greatly enjoyed this. It wasn't really scary but I found myself enjoying it and chuckling the whole way through. The theming was great too (if lost on me a bit as I don't watch the show on TV). Dead Creek Woods Complete walk-on during the day time. We did this during the daytime for the sake of getting another attraction done since we arrived so late. It was a bit naff, And not in a way which seemed like it'd be redeemed by being in the dark. Saw: Alive Longest queued for a maze was this at 40 minutes. This was probably the scariest maze, but even then it just made me jump and laugh a lot rather than actually being 'scared'. It was very fun though. Stealth When this finally opened after the weather eased off to just light drizzle, the queue still looked short. However the 1 train operations were agonisingly slow. It took nearly an hour to clear what would normally be 30 minutes. 1 train wouldn't bother me but it was extra slow operations too even with this in mind. Still, this is my favourite ride so I was happy to get it done in a day in which rides struggled to stay open due to rain. Do or Die We did this after dinner at Pizza Pasta Buffet, and it was the first maze in the night time. We entered the queue around 6pm and after the 30 minute queue it was pretty dark. I enjoyed this one a lot and had a few jumpy moments. I didn't quite get the story or appreciate the black fabric walls everywhere but enjoyed it overall. A second quick ride on Walking Dead happened after Do or Die before moving on to... Platform 15 Great fun in this maze. We queued 30 minutes for this with the depressing remains of Loggers Leap in view (I am still seething that Thorpe both closed it and can't admit it's not coming back). The scenery in this was pretty cool, and I really enjoyed the house in the middle. The experience was improved by having a particularly scared group and I had a laugh at their expense. I ended up at the front for the tunnel and it actually really intimidated me! The maze was fun but had a naff ending. Nemesis Inferno Final ride of the day was Nemesis Inferno in the dark. There was a 5 minute queue, but we waited longer to do the front row. Wow. Best ride on this I have ever done. Really felt intense in the dark and super disorientating. Great way to end the day. We left at 9pm. Queues by this point were 5-20 mins on the rides which were open and probably could have done more if I didn't have a long drive home to worry about. We skipped Blair Witch as it had a 50 minute queue as we left and skipped Vulcan Peak because I didn't see the point in a hooded maze. So all in all I really enjoyed the event. Getting lunch, 4 rides, 5 mazes and dinner done in around 7 hours seemed pretty fantastic given how busy I've heard FN can be and given the weather was abysmal. I know this year has received a poor reception from regular visitors but as a newbie to it I had a great day out.

X was a decent family coaster from 2013 onwards but now I agree that knocking it down along with slammer could provide space for something better for the whole family.

I would be surprised if there were any more in depth videos than the promo posted. You say your favourite version is the pre-2007 version, but also ask what the experience was like, which makes me confused as to how it's your favourite, but anyway... This may be of interest. This video is from 2001 and has footage of X with lights on (plus footage of the aftermath of the fire) Also might enjoy this: I recall my parents went on it near its opening date in 1996 and both hated it. It made them really nauseous.

I did enjoy The Walking Dead: The Ride. However, I didn't appreciate the loss of X, a decent family coaster, to enable this coaster to exist. It's a big shame as it was one of the most light-hearted rides there. I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with the horror themes, but just not at the expense of a good family coaster. I actually had a go at designing a new 'Walking Dead' ride for the park myself, seeing what it could be like if it were a new coaster and not a retheme of X:

This is something I posted on a FB chat page, but thought I'd share here for your thoughts as well: I have mixed feelings on DBGT. In its favour it is unique and a do mostly enjoy it. However I feel there is lost potential. Its biggest issue though is narrative and immersion. The ride chops and changes what the theme and story of the ride actually is. Here is how the ride pans out. 1. Derren introduction makes it explicit you're preparing for a theme park ride. 2. You see the hanging carriage with a Victorian theme, suggesting a time period to be immersed in... 3. ...which is immediately undermined by making carriage modern inside. I know this was deliberate, but it begs the question what's the point? Illusion for illusion's sake. You go from modern (Thorpe) to Victorian (hanging carriage) to modern again! 4. The first VR section is consistent with the carriage and the story continues as a modern 'ghost train' 5. The middle section is also consistent and keeps with the modern story... 6...but suddenly the final VR section is now showing park guests with headsets, making it explicit that you're on a ride again. It's hard to be immersed in a rise which veers between being: A. Victorian B. Modern C. A ride invaded by monsters. The twist that the carriage is modern inside and old outside is not terrible, but surely that's the wrong way around for interesting theming? To use a different theoretical example, imagine that you had another dark ride which had a modern themed queue and the station was themed to pirates. The ride then starts and magically transports you back to modern for the rest of the ride. Guests wouldn't be going "wow, what a twist", they'd wonder what happened. Turn that the other way around, and have a modern station but the ride takes you back in time to see Pirates, that is a bit more interesting, right? I get the logic in the train changing from modern / Victorian. However, theme parks are at their core about transporting you to 'the other' (so a different theme / time / place. What is seemingly backwards about DBGT is that the queue is 'modern' with mentions of fracking, then the carriage is 'Victorian', but then we're magically transported back to the time period we started off in! It's a bit backwards. This is why I feel that a simple switch from a modern and abandoned tube carriage with a Victorian interior would be more 'magical' and therefore more interesting. It takes guests to a new place, where the current ride takes you super briefly to a Victorian carriage before taking you back to modern immediately. Here is my proposal: 1. You start in Thorpe Park in an abandoned warehouse = modern 2. You see the hanging carriage which is now a modern tube train. The story is now that the train has been experimented on for paranormal purposes. 3. You step on board and now it's Victorian. You've been taken back in time by the mysterious carriage, and the ghosts are after you! 4. Events pan out as they did before but all in a consistent Victorian theme and plenty of ghosts. The second VR section omits the headsets on other virtual people. 5. The shop ending remains the same, because it's the best bit of the current ride. I'm obviously not suggesting the is is viable to change the carriages now...but it's how I'd have done it with the same ride system. What are your thoughts?

For £400 I could afford to go to another theme park in an entirely different country!!! I can see some appeal as, if you go often enough, it likely turns out to be very little per visit (20 trips per year makes it £20 a visit). But if you visit that often surely you'd not want Fastrack, as your ridden everything plenty of times? Sounds to me like a little gamble and I wouldn't be surprised if no one actually buys any.

Great report

I'd rather we didn't have to hear the tired "it's under redevelopment" schtick for 2 years. I recall during a 2016 Behind the Scenes tour our guide said that it may reopen if it found a sponsor, which it seems clear it didn't. It's a shame as I loved the ride. Thorpe needs more moderate thrills and things to do after lunch.

[Long protracted sigh] This sounds dreadful.

But Universe of Energy is being refurbed right now anyway. I hope there's not much damage. EDIT: I've seen more pictures and there is clearly a lot of damage!!!

Great report. It doesn't look as nice as it's 1990s peak, but it looks better than 2013 to 2017...even if that's not saying much. Similar situation to Gruffalo, which was obviously better than Bubbleworks but not better than Professor Burps Bubbleworks.

If they do that it's be amazing. The preshow (and pre-lift hill) sections really elevate the ride to become an excellent experience.

I am impressed at how big the Disneyland Paris increase was. This being said though, it is worth remembering that it recently had a big drop too, so the increase is partially making up for that drop. It seems Efteling did well and overtook Tivoli Gardens. Symbolica seems to have worked well. The UK is very stagnant it seems. I wonder how Wicker Man changes things next year. Out of interest did Blackpool PB appear on the lists at all? I couldn't see it and was curious as to it's yearly attendance.

I am still very curious as to exactly what the 'missions' are for the Apocalypse weekends. Anyone know what this might actually entail?

I've visited EP, Efteling and PhL and I feel that their reputations are deserved. It's more down to their efficient operations, keen attention to maintenance and regular investment in improving the parks. My unpopular opinion: Nemesis Inferno is one of the best rides at Thorpe. It may not be as good as Nemesis but that doesn't mean it's bad. I find it far stronger than most of Thorpe's line up, smooth and forceful and relentless.

It winds me up no end that Merlin parks seem to fail to do this kind of annual maintenance in the 4 months the parks are closed. How can such a big company struggle for money so much that this is necessary?

We have to remember that this is a park which shelved a fantastic log flume to cut costs (whilst claiming it's under refurbishment) so it's not a move which surprises me.

I've ridden Symbolica a few times now and seeing it gain a 40 minute queue on a Monday in February, So it seems clear it's very popular with guests. I absolutely loved the ride and I hope it gains a following and recognition internationally in time.

Of course they should get preferential treatment though, surely? I'd be naturally livid if I'd booked a ticket for a day and paid for that specific day, to be turned away because people who could visit any day of the year decided to rock up that day. If the AP holders are so determined to visit that day they should book with the tiny fee, and this is coming from an AP holder.