Fright Nights 2013

[FrightNights04]

Were you not aware that The Asylum already opened two weeks ago or did you just have a very delayed reaction?

I was first on annual pass preview but my internet broke so I coudnt post it

[OldFarmerDean]

I had a completely different day yesterday to people thinking it was disappointing... went last friday, and yesterday (only doing Saw & Cabin in the woods the first time, and all of them this time), and well I thought all the mazes were great, and couldn't fault the actors on both times! I don't do horror movies, or anything remotely scary, but actually look forward to the mazes for some strange reason - and because of my fear of the dark, and being in the woods quite possibly found blair witch the scariest!

yes it was a considerable amount busier yesterday compared to last friday, but nowhere near as busy as I've seen it in half term in past years!

Stealth was down for the last couple of hours (so never got the chance to ride it in darkness with the coloured lights)

Saw was down for a good part of the evening/night

Samurai is still down from last Friday which I'm absolutely gutted about

Having said I hated detonator, decided to give it another go, and really enjoyed it, was floating out of my seat the whole time - went on it again later, and it went no more than a foot off the ground and stopped, stuck there for about 5 minutes, I get claustrophobic, and no way was a risking going on it again after they got us off, and did one test go!

[noseyelephant]

^^ Glad you had a better evening than me!!

Clearly I picked awful time slots to go into the mazes, which is a shame as they should be good quality whatever time you go in them!!

[OldFarmerDean]

that is the problem with mazes - they can be so inconsistent...

I did prefer Cabin In The Woods last friday, as they had a different selection of actors which were better in my opinion, where there were 2 actors in the woods instead of 1 this time... although the first time the doors didn't lock properly so were just following groups through and missed the actual jump scenes which I seen this time round - this time I had a scary girl who forced us, and trapped a group of us in the dead end doll room, which I was left to find myself last time.

so it really is worth doing mazes several times over to get the overall experience, but one amazing experience, and you could be left disappointed going in again... I'm going back for a third time in half term, so will have to see what they are like then

EDIT: it's also worth mentioning I seen the You're Next actors on one occasion the whole time yesterday - when I went last friday (when it was raining) I seen them countless times wandering around the park with woman actors as hostages and scaring guests - that was probably the only disappointing thing about yesterday!

[TPJames]

Following on with the you're next actors:

On my visit, yes it was raining but all the other roaming actors were out except the you're next ones and the ONE time we did see them, they were in a group chatting about where they were going on holiday or something with their masks off. However, when I visit last Sunday cabin in the woods and the Aslyum were amazing which made up for that

[FrightNights04]

Asylum had no recognition this year, nothing on the posters, no banner in the dome, no information about it..... But it 100% was my favourite this year! The exit is amazing, weaving in and out of the curtains!

[jammydodger]

Which maze have usually got the longest queue?

I just wanted to know so I know which ones to go on first, before the queues build up

[OldFarmerDean]

it's hard to tell... as both times I've been, as it opens at 7pm, blair witch seemed to have the longest queue for that hour or so after opening!

saw alive, and cabin in the woods seem to get the lengthier queues as well... unless someone else can say otherwise?

[FrightNights04]

Which maze have usually got the longest queue?

I just wanted to know so I know which ones to go on first, before the queues build up

I would say my bloody valentine, wait outside the arena from 2:45 an you will save lots of time.

Asylum and CITW either have a really long que or really short que.

Leave BWP till 9:30

[noseyelephant]

EDIT: it's also worth mentioning I seen the You're Next actors on one occasion the whole time yesterday - when I went last friday (when it was raining) I seen them countless times wandering around the park with woman actors as hostages and scaring guests - that was probably the only disappointing thing about yesterday!

Ha ha I saw them loads of times yesterday!! Sometimes with an actor trying to get away from them, mostly without though. At the start of the evening they were all female actors then at around 8ish they were male!

Clearly you got good maze action whilst I just got youre next actors!!

[Mitchada04]

A few things from today.

Rumba, Banana Boat, and Rocky stayed open past 5pm (Rumba till at least 8:30). Stealths changing lights look amazing! Samurai down and looks like it's waiting for a part.

The mazes (I'll fully review the 3 I did tomorrow)

Cabin in the Woods: not scary as such, but amazing fun both times we did it and a great concept! Queue also always seemed to be half what it was estimated!

The Asylum: as always very disorientating and fun. It's always in my eyes the most consistent in the experience you get.

My Bloody.... : what an awful run through on this we had! It began quite well and from what we saw in the tour the attention to detail is superb and the potential great but it didn't happen and it does seem like this one has big dips in performance. I'll try it again and hopefully get a decent run through next time.

Saw and Blair Witch weren't done but will probably be done next time.

[JoshC.]

As promised, maze reviews. I'll review them as I did them during the night.

Cabin in the Woods

Incredible. An amazing concept, with excellent theming and execution. Being faced with 4 doors and not knowing where to go was amazing. The free flow idea is really clever. We went through the first door, and were led down and round a wooded area, with an actor making good use of the surroundings. After coming back out, we went through the third door, and things about the route got blurry very quickly. Two of us were in a room with an actor, and she separated us and cornered each of us individually; really invaded our personal space. We then quickly found the control room. This was disappointing for two reasons - I felt like this should have been nearer the end of the maze (almost like an alternative end), and none of the buttons worked. I felt like a facility worker would've been well placed there two, but oh well.

We continued through many doors, and found the dead-end basement. It was a shame that many of the fire exits were so obvious, at it helped me realise where we needed to go, and ruined the effect slightly. The second half of the maze was very busy, but the actors did a superb job in keeping the flow well. I liked the tight-fit corridor and revolving tunnel a lot as well. The end was...well, I don't remember the end very well. I remember seeing the blood stone sacrifices, but after that, nothing was very memorable, which is a shame.

Overall, a very strong maze, which just needs a better ending and a bit more control to make the second half less congested.

7.75/10

The Asylum

Yawn. Once again, a distinctively average maze. Fortunately, the strobes didn't give me a headache, but the effect wears off quickly. It's nice to see the actors be able to be very energetic and climb and such, but they didn't really take advantage of trying to scare people. It was a shame. Many scares felt very obvious and it was just a bit tiring doing the maze in honesty.

No stand out actors for me either, I'm afraid. All were very typical 'jump scares' and run for the next one. The ending was fun; the toilet cubicles were interesting to look at. Chainsaw guy left people running as always; it does always get me a bit as well, I cannot lie, but it has worn off after a few goes.

5.5/10

Blair Witch Project

There was a fantastic actor in the queue line for this. (Though, a queue line for a scare ZONE is stupid...). Very creepy, yet funny. He was a really good laugh to listen to. The zone itself was disappointing. It lacked atmosphere, which is what this needed. It was too dark and too quiet, which sounds like a strange criticism in a way. You couldn't see things like the stick figures hanging from the trees unless you really looked for them. Sounds of people screaming would have been amazing, as well as gusts of winds and stuff. Hearing Inferno's roar isn't scary. Our group quickly separated into two halves, meaning we saw all the scares, and the actors then didn't scare us. A couple gave us 'scary looks' and followed us, but nothing special.

The fundamental flaw with this scare zone is it tries to be a maze. Yet, as it's perfectly linear, you see everything happen in front of you before it happens to you. The shed is a nice idea, but it poorly executed, and looks cheap. A real disappointment. I guess, however, having a 2 star rating, the park weren't aiming for a particularly scary experience - but even then, it lacked atmosphere. One more thing - what's the point in encouraging people to upload photos of the scare zone if they can't use flash, so would naturally end up with rubbish photos?

The amazing queue line actor.

4/10

Saw Alive

No real differences to any other year, except loads more actors than normal. The maze was good fun and I really enjoyed; quite a few stand out actors, and they targeted everyone in our group.

7/10

My Bloody Valentine

This was a huge shame, as it had so much potential.

The maze's introduction is nice, and is actually really good. Having not watched the film, I don't know if he relates to the film itself or not, but he was the best character in the maze. The walk through the hospital is interesting, but being at the front of the group, the actor in there left it too late for us to be scared by her. We were then sent to the right hand side. We were walking past mine shafts.

I guess this is where I was most surprised about the maze - no more separation rooms. Presumably, this is due to throughput issues? A real shame, but I think this is where having done Experiment 10 before rally ruins this maze, as you almost expect to be separated. The actor that lead us down was very blasé and uninterested. I really feel like the park could have made more effort here - having you twisting through very tight corridors, looking like a mine. Anyone remember what the second half of 'The Twilight Zone' at Chessington (for Vampire's 21st birthday) was like? Imagine having that, after having your large group split in two. It would only take up a small amount of one container, and then you could have actors getting in your face. I think that would have been SO much better.

Anyways, we made it to the tunnel, and went through. After this, it felt like we weren't in a mine any more; I had no idea where I was. I then had a big rubber bed pushed up against - why? What? I then ended up in a nicely themed forest, which I guess would have made sense if I watched the film.

I then reached a locked door and couldn't go anywhere. After most of the 20 person group arrived, it randomly opened and then Harry Warden appeared with a pick axe, and then we were out. Wow. It was a pretty weak maze in my opinion, and I just didn't know how to react. There was no audio in the maze, and a lack of actors - no more than 8 that I encountered? I encountered more in the Blair Witch Project!

After a brilliant first year with the shipping containers, the route continues to slip and park aren't using the idea effectively. Next year needs improvements here! For the only 5 star rated maze, this was hugely disappointing.

4/10

You're Next

May as well say a couple of words - these guys were good fun, even if I only saw them once. They did the job and were quite fun to be around at the same time; can't ask for more?

You're Next character 1

You're Next character 2

I also came across the director and his assistant. They were great. The director didn't like me, so refused to touch me and treated me a bit like dirt in a way. Showbiz is a cruel world; all I wanted was to star in his films. The assistant said she should have done my make up, but I thought I did a good job on my own. Apparently she was still more beautiful than me though, which is a shame...

The director, refusing to touch me.

That's about it. Despite not having the best mazes to me, the overall event was great. Would once again highly recommend Face it Alone! The more I think about it, the more struggle to put into words the event. Simply put, it's extreme and exactly what the park needed to offer if they want to advance their scare event.

I hope we continue to see the film idea continue, with new IPs added every year or two. Hopefully Lionsgate and Thorpe will continue with a strong working relationship and build on this event all the more. And, I also hope we see more out of hours things in following seasons, like Face it Alone and the overnight camping.

[Matt 236]

Having just visited my second fright nights this year, here's my opinions so far.

My Bloody Valentine, unlike my first time through the maze, there seemed to be fewer actors (I think) and was somewhat not as impressive, it was ok, but not as good. Maybe it was just the time of day as the attraction had just opened, but who knows.

Cabin in the woods, still my favourite maze, we went through one door, just to end up where we had started. We also went through the route with mime faces and the scary monsters all over.

Asylum, the maze was still very good, but sadly the ending was quite a washout as the group behind d us were too close and meant we weren't so much chased out of the maze which was a shame.

The You're Next actors on the other hand appeared more menacing from the last time.

Hopefully I'll get to attend one more Fright Night if I get chance as I want to try face it alone and try saw alive.

[Emma1980]

How were the queues last night guys? And how did the meet go?

[DangFlabbit]

Was it just my imagination or has anyone else seen the girl with an actual amputated arm in the Asylum? She covered it in blood pretending to be eating her own arm - it was superb

[OldFarmerDean]

yes I seen this... and couldn't exactly make out what was going on - definitely freaked me out!

[James & Co.]

Was it just my imagination or has anyone else seen the girl with an actual amputated arm in the Asylum? She covered it in blood pretending to be eating her own arm - it was superb

Yes, I have seen her, she forced her arm at many of our group on the annual pass preview night, but I didn't see her yesterday

[JoshC.]

I think I saw her on Friday; I wasn't sure if it was her arm cleverly disguised and with lots of make up or if it was actually amputated!

[BenC]

My 10th consecutive year of Fright Nights this year (!) and I thought the Park had produced some quality attractions with the Lionsgate IP - particularly Cabin for its creativity. My go through MBV didn't chime with what's been said on here - I found it genuinely edgy and unnerving the whole way through, and actually overall scarier than Cabin (I found Cabin more entertaining than scary). Was filled with actors on my run, too. I do mourn the loss of the E10 solitary confinement cells though!

Blair Witch was a great idea (taking it outside the Park and into "woodland"), that with some imagination and budget could be really worthwhile. I did have a couple of genuine scares from this (notably from an actor hiding in a bush...), although it suffered from having too few actors overall and looking cheap. I actually hope the Park works on it and we see it return next year!

As ever, my full review and photos (they get longer each year...) can be found over at Total Thorpe Park.

[jammydodger]

Just booked my tickets for this Friday & Saturday, I am very excited!!!

Should have a brief review by Sunday

[Coaster]

Security on park are NOT strict enough.
The idiots on park today were so horrendous it really did make it hard to enjoy the day at all.

We witnessed:
- A woman almost being mugged by a group of t***s running past (they didn't manage it as we asked her if she was alright afterwards).
- A serious fight outside the arena
- Idiots smacking the walls in the MBV queue, causing the actor in the first room to have to come out and shout at them (should have just kicked them out).
- Tons of queueline smokers (NOT ONCE did I see a member of staff tell them off).
- People having DRY SEX in a corner outside the (closed) Ben and Jerry's kiosk
- I'm sure there were a few drunk people at the end of the night
- General threatening, abusive behaviour around the park and in the queues.

It was absolutely horrible, and the staff/security are not strict enough at all! Really ruined our day, and I shall be getting in contact with Thorpe tomorrow.

[Adam P]

I'll agree with a lot of that, with the exception of people smacking the MBV from the queue, We witnessed this with a group in front of us who had actually not been idiots through out the queue and the actor that came out to speak to them was out of order, my girlfriend and I told the member of staff his attitude was out of order as she moved the queue line further away from the walls and low and behold she disappeared and he re-appeared out of character to apologise to the group.

I'm sorry but this has been my biggest upset of the year the way some staff have spoken to people and him saying "It's gets to you a bit after a while" isn't good enough for a paid actor to speak to people like a piece of dirt, It could and should have been done in character. There biggest upset much like ours was the usual "It's a 90 minute queue buy fastrack to skip it" when it took 28 minutes to get in.

The maze itself was much better than last week as too was the Blair Witch which is getting some unfair criticism based on what it is actually supposed to be, loved it last night!

[Benin]

What IS Blair Witch meant to be though?

For an event that claims that you don't have to go to Florida/America to be at a premier Horror Nights, it is an appauling excuse for a Scarezone...

[JoshC.]

What I don't quite get is the park are going for all out scares, and recommending that FN is not for under 13s, and they then create a purposefully less-scary attraction?

Maybe the park knew they couldn't go for the all-out scares for BWP, so tried to create a tame one. But, because the way FN is marketed, people still expect more?

[Coaster]

I'll agree with a lot of that, with the exception of people smacking the MBV from the queue, We witnessed this with a group in front of us who had actually not been idiots through out the queue and the actor that came out to speak to them was out of order, my girlfriend and I told the member of staff his attitude was out of order as she moved the queue line further away from the walls and low and behold she disappeared and he re-appeared out of character to apologise to the group.

Must have been a different instance - in my case a group of chavs were hammering on the doors, then swore at the actor when he (rightly so) told them off.

They should have just been sent out of the queue - much like a lot of the instances.

Smokers in the queue, people trying to mug a woman and people in fights should all be ejected from the park.

Security are useless, and the ride staff even worse. It's always "don't do it again..."