Monday, 19 October 2015 19:03

Review of Thorpe Park Fright Nights 2015

It wouldn't be Halloween without a visit to Thorpe Park Fright Nights, and with two new scare experiences for 2015 we prepared ourselves for a night full of frights.

SPOILER WARNING: our review does contain spoilers, so if you want your experience to be a complete surprise don't read on...

The event is once again aimed at adults and teenagers, and this year the lineup includes four live action horror mazes, a walkthrough attraction and an interactive experience. Be warned, Frights Nights is not suitable for families with children or even the faint-hearted!

Our first taste of Fright Nights was the new escape room attraction, Containment, which offers a totally new experience for Fright Nights. It features a series of four rooms, each designed to tap into a common nightmare, where against the clock you have to work out the combination to unlock the door and escape. Sounds simple? Not when the actors are doing their best to distract you, as well as light and sound effects. The attraction costs an extra £10 but as a regular to Fright Nights it was definitely worth it for something completely new and different. We loved the challenge and as our group managed to crack the code within the time limit in every room, we were rewarded with 'breakout' wristbands to wear with pride!

This year's new live action horror maze, replacing Studio 13, is The Big Top. Gone are the days of large white marquees plonked in the middle of the park, and instead a collection of carnival themed tents around Amity Beach with themed entrances and other props. The first tent has a fortune teller which tells you your fate and points you to the way out, we weren't sure how this was supposed to scare us! Things got going once we entered the second tent, which included a mirror maze with intense strobe lighting, resulting in a very disorientating experience that takes some time to find the way out. After a short outdoor section, where you walk past some carnival games and a 'Zoltar Speaks' style fortune teller machine, you enter the third tent. This section features a fun house with plenty of creepy characters and the final scene in which you are chased out of the maze by a maniac with a chainsaw. 

Returning for another year, all the popular live action attractions based on Lionsgate horror movies; Cabin in the Woods, My Bloody Valentine, SAW and The Blair Witch Project.

Our favourite from Fright Nights for the last couple of years has been Cabin in the Woods, but unfortunately groups were told to stay together for the duration this year, removing the free flow element which has always been the best bit. However, all the actors were on top form, with the biggest scares of the night thanks to some brilliant personal interactions.

My Bloody Valentine has moved to a new smaller location this year so has lost one section but SAW Alive remains relatively unchanged with all the best scenes from the movies intact.

The woodland path for The Blair Witch Project is now much more overgrown, making the walk harder to navigate in the dark with more places for the actors to hide, but the shed part at the end no longer has a controlled exit, so the previously exciting finale has been lost.

Thorpe Park Fright Nights continues 23rd October until 1st November, with the park open 10am-10pm every day. 

Book now: Thorpe Park Fright Nights Tickets and Thorpe Park Fright Nights Breaks

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