I've just booked tickets to the Thorpe Park Fright Night preview. It asked me how many tickets I wanted so I selected 6. Me & my husband are pass holders as are our 2 children. The kids obviously won't be coming but I booked 6 thinking that our friends could comebut do they need to be pass holders too? Do they ask for your pass as well or do you just need the tickets?

You need your pass as well as it is strictly a Passholder preview event.

Is this like the early season preview event where the tickets are free but with limited numbers to prevent overcrowding?

There are 6000 tickets available (well were when they were first released).

6000 is surely a lot considering its just the mazes and 'selected' thrill rides... Surely you'd be better off going the first 2 Fridays!?

Selected? Did I miss something. Usually fright nights has all the rides running?

The preview event which is on the Thursday before fright nights starts, which is 6-10pm for pass holders only.

Selected? Did I miss something. Usually fright nights has all the rides running?

All rides are open as far as I'm aware.

As for the 6000 limit, the limit was 6000 when the tickets were released as I was first to discover the link and book. Now it has been released publicly, the amount of remaining spaces seems to have disappeared. Whether 6000 is the limit or not I am not sure.

My guess is the mazes will warrant 30-60minute queues as they probably take about 1000pph. The rides will probably get no more over 10-15mins as most people will be at the mazes. Good night for the rides but not so much for the mazes as there is only 4hours to get on everything.

With it being a Thursday I can imagine it being quite a bit quieter than last year, which was on a Friday.

I thought it was on a Thursday last year too...?

The 6000 limit probably doesn't include VIP pass holders though, who apparently don't have to book.

Speaking of VIP holders, does anyone know if they get unlimited maze fastrack too? It could cause even more misery to those in the main queues if so.

Normally for preview events they don't sell fast track and let people fast track that is why they limit the amount of tickets for the event.

I thought it was on a Thursday last year too...?

The 6000 limit probably doesn't include VIP pass holders though, who apparently don't have to book.

Speaking of VIP holders, does anyone know if they get unlimited maze fastrack too? It could cause even more misery to those in the main queues if so.

It was on a Friday last year.

I thought it was on a Thursday last year too...?

The 6000 limit probably doesn't include VIP pass holders though, who apparently don't have to book.

Speaking of VIP holders, does anyone know if they get unlimited maze fastrack too? It could cause even more misery to those in the main queues if so.

 

Nah, Thursday in previous years (not sure about 2012 though to be fair).  

 

Given there's only 1000 VIP holders max, and that all of them might not be available / interested, I don't think it'll be that bad for preview night.  Them getting unlimited maze Fastrack probably won't be *that* big a deal; though I guess we'll have to wait and see with that one!

 

For those worried about queues:  in previous years - definitely up until 2011 at least - the free night for Annual Pass holders was actually open to all guests; it was simply a case that it was treated as a preview night for everyone.  Those preview nights were always really quiet (literally walk ons for the mazes).  Making this a pre-book event might make it a bit more popular, since people love the exclusive feel, but I expect queues will be more than manageable, and it won't be as busy as last season's preview event.

How bad was last years preview event though? What were the queue times like?

Also I just found this, all rides being opened is unconfirmed but the majority will be open .

Melanie Pinfield will all rides be in operation on preview night as got my tickets booked

4 September at 06:44

THORPE PARK Official Hi Melanie! We hope to have the majority of the rides operating on this event however it is yet to be confirmed

2 · 4 September at 07:01

Last year was on a Friday. Same process, 6000 people and I think they all attended near enough as the weather was fine. Coasters on one train had 15 minutes, mazes about 45/60 but most of them were new so not used to working at any throughput levels. They'll operate it just as a FN day, close some of the smaller stuff like Carousel and Rocky with everything else being open. Thursday night ones are dead though, and surprisingly the Fridays get around 6000 as well they're just on two trains and stuff so feel quieter.

Last year's event was fairly busy, but rides had short queues.  We still had time to do all the mazes though.

I hope Samurai and Slammer on the list of rides open for preview night as I have never done Slammer in the dark. I love Samurai lit up and on a better setting which they usually do.

If I can attend, I'm hoping its dead as not prepared to wait more than 30mins for anything as will be expecting to get a decent maze/ride count . I reckon studio 13 will be really busy however, I'm guessing it will have over a 30minute queue all evening if not longer. You can't really predict the amount of people until the night comes around and you see how many people actually turn up to the event.

Also gotta remember hotel guests get to go as well, this happened last year when I was staying and it coincided with the preview night.

There will be selected rides operating on the Preview night, which will include all the coasters and selected flat rides.

^ Rush Slammer Samurai and Detty and the Dodgems please

...and AB 4D. Who knows if they've done a new film for the Halloween season?