Here's my defense of Thorpe vs scare fest: Smiler is shut, and mazes are expensive AF at Alton. Plus, if I'm being honest, it feels like cheap tactics (blindfolds and 'touching' heavily emphasised). I already said I'm not the biggest fan of Tulleys! 

Timing and organization are needed. You might have to fast track top and Blair but thats it

OK cool. 

Here's my defense of Thorpe vs scare fest: Smiler is shut, and mazes are expensive AF at Alton. Plus, if I'm being honest, it feels like cheap tactics (blindfolds and 'touching' heavily emphasised). I already said I'm not the biggest fan of Tulleys! 

 

Thorpe will never resort to implementing such tactics in their own mazes... Nah, never...

 

Given that part of your argument is something that has nothing to do with the Halloween events themselves, I find it rather flawed to say the least...

Here's my defense of Thorpe vs scare fest: Smiler is shut, and mazes are expensive AF at Alton. Plus, if I'm being honest, it feels like cheap tactics (blindfolds and 'touching' heavily emphasised). I already said I'm not the biggest fan of Tulleys! 

 

You see, I'd argue that touching is only a cheap tactic when it becomes normalised.

 

If, like at Thorpe, touching is allowed all the time, it is basically just another way the actors can try to put you out of your comfort zone.  It allows them to stroke your face / hair, touch your arm, grab at your feet, etc.  It's just another tactic along with loud noises, invading your personal space and the like.  That makes it a cheap scare.

 

But with Alton, the way they are advertising touching is bigger.  This isn't just 'touching' in the Thorpe sense, this is touching in the sense of they can move you, force you into certain ways, pull you from one route into another and so forth.  That isn't cheap in my eyes, that's a lot more extreme, and deserves to be heavily emphasised.  

In cabbin I get pulled around all the time through different doors out of rooms pinned to walls. There no way you class that as "cheap"

In cabbin I get pulled around all the time through different doors out of rooms pinned to walls. There no way you class that as "cheap"

 

Oh, I totally agree!  

 

What I more meant is when it get normalises as just things like slight taps and strokes is when it becomes a cheap and 'just another tactic'.

You see, I'd argue that touching is only a cheap tactic when it becomes normalised.

 

If, like at Thorpe, touching is allowed all the time, it is basically just another way the actors can try to put you out of your comfort zone.  It allows them to stroke your face / hair, touch your arm, grab at your feet, etc.  It's just another tactic along with loud noises, invading your personal space and the like.  That makes it a cheap scare.

 

But with Alton, the way they are advertising touching is bigger.  This isn't just 'touching' in the Thorpe sense, this is touching in the sense of they can move you, force you into certain ways, pull you from one route into another and so forth.  That isn't cheap in my eyes, that's a lot more extreme, and deserves to be heavily emphasised.  

But I feel that Thorpe just do that anyways! Even if you see it as cheap, it's just as cheap as anything else. With Towers, they're plastering all over their website 'you will be touched'. That IS cheap and gimmicky

Thorpe will never resort to implementing such tactics in their own mazes... Nah, never...

 

Given that part of your argument is something that has nothing to do with the Halloween events themselves, I find it rather flawed to say the least...

?? Number one, the fact the main ride at Towers at the mo is screwed does have input! You know, if stealth was closed for FN, you wouldn't be happy, would you? Thorpe has used their tactics, but as a matter of status quo. All of the marketing for scarefest is based on getting touched and being blindfolded. That is the definition of gimmicky

I like Thorpe because if you do mazes alot the actors recognise you can make your life more interesting. This isn't possible at towers because of there pay per go system

Why is Smiler closed again?

 

Oh yeah...

I agree with Benin. Thorpe use loads of cheap tactics!

After being on site today I feel like FN is inferior to scarefest in my opinion.

Sub species wasn't jut touching, our group got split up and the maze had amazing actors.

To Molly Crowe I found it was a maze with a good story which is eerie.

Also the park has some good decorations which thorpe has never had..ever..

I still don't get how you are calling the Thorpe mazes cheap [emoji23] [emoji23] (apart from saw thats s***)

I mean cheap tactics. People are saying that alton are using cheap tactics but when thorpe is doing the exact thing...

does anyone know if I'll need fasttrack if I go this Sunday 1st November?? (for the mazes)

does anyone know if I'll need fasttrack if I go this Sunday 1st November?? (for the mazes)

Probably because it's in half term time.

ah damn, thought it would be quiet as its a sunday and kids go back to school the next day (I have an inset day the day after so). I was only really gonna go because ive been once and can't afford fast track again. ugh, nevermind

ah damn, thought it would be quiet as its a sunday and kids go back to school the next day (I have an inset day the day after so). I was only really gonna go because ive been once and can't afford fast track again. ugh, nevermind

For all I know it might be dead..

I would recommend you ask Madame Mephisto in the Big Top. She's very helpfull!

I like Thorpe because if you do mazes alot the actors recognise you can make your life more interesting. This isn't possible at towers because of there pay per go system

Second that one actor on cabin in the bedroom scene always seems to exclude me from the group and send me around on my own.

For all I know it might be dead..

I would recommend you ask Madame Mephisto in the Big Top. She's very helpfull!

I could give it a go, but it might be a bit difficult if theres a 3 hour queue to see her

I dont think you understand my point! All maze tactics are 'cheap'. Towers is selling their whole event on the basis of 'touching'. That's just gimmicky. Thorpe just does it... Also the reason why the Smiler is closed has no bearing on the point that it is closed.

I dont think you understand my point! All maze tactics are 'cheap'. Towers is selling their whole event on the basis of 'touching'. That's just gimmicky. Thorpe just does it... Also the reason why the Smiler is closed has no bearing on the point that it is closed.

in regards to the smiler, yes it does... stop being so insensitive. they haven't shut it because of budget cuts, or just plain laziness, or even due to the ride malfunctioning or something. they've shut it because an awful accident has occurred on it that's changed people's lives, and also been absolutely teared into by the media, severely affecting the popularity of Towers. not only would it be impossible to open the ride during scarefest, due to the safety reports and stuff... it would also be largely insensitive and also plain stupid... imagine the headlines in the daily mail. 'horror ride opened during horror season' or some bull****e. towers would get teared apart by the media, and Merlin really can't afford to lose anymore customers, or have its reputation tarnished further. the smiler will open when its ready, and when it should be open... not when us enthusiasts want to ride it again asap.

The reason for the closure and the fact that it is event time are something of an irrelevance. It's not hard to see how the parks most recent and prominent ride being closed detracts from from a visit to Towers. Seems like a fair point to me in considering which event is overall the more enjoyable.

I dont think you understand my point! All maze tactics are 'cheap'. Towers is selling their whole event on the basis of 'touching'. That's just gimmicky. Thorpe just does it... Also the reason why the Smiler is closed has no bearing on the point that it is closed.

The event isn't just "touching", or gimmicks. The event is a decent Halloween event with two new long good scare mazes with a old classic being revamped. Unlike thorpe they actually decorate there park with Halloween stuff.

Also with family stuff and scare zones as well.

Also most of the mazes are about double the size of thorpes.

I dont think you understand my point! All maze tactics are 'cheap'. Towers is selling their whole event on the basis of 'touching'. That's just gimmicky. Thorpe just does it... Also the reason why the Smiler is closed has no bearing on the point that it is closed.

I'd like to point out that if Towers' marketing is based on touching that's because it is a pretty big deal for them as I'm sure this is the first year they've gotten rid of their non-touching rule. SCB did Sub Species yesterday, and the 'touching' was extreme - he got yanked from room to room, dragged down a tunnel, pushed, as well as the normal stroking, poking etc we'd see at Thorpe... This was something else, something like we'd expect from a face it alone at Thorpe.