Should Thorpe's Fright Nights be more intense?

[Ollie]

I know it's a bit out of season.

Do you think the the Fright Nights event at Thorpe should be more intense?

I say this as looking around the internet at other parks Halloween events makes Thorpe look non-existent, even though they do the most for Halloween.

At the moment all Thorpe do is rides in the dark and a few haunts. Hardly any attempt is made to theme the park.
What I'd like to see is more effort creating a full scary atmosphere around the park. Lots of decorations, music, props, and scary music.

Moving onto the haunts, I'd like to see more effort put into these. Like for Hellgate all they do is put a laminated piece of paper over the Collie fastrack sign to make it the entrance for the maze. It doesn't take much to make the area look completely different and much scarier.
Inside the mazes are ok at the moment. Hellgate needs some better themeing as it's just the old XNWO queue. But all of them could be improved, and as they don't look realistic enough.

Scare zones would also be great to see. Roving actors. LOTS of smoke machines hiding paths and actors. I know they made an attempt at doing one the first year but it hasn't returned since so it would be good to see a couple of them.

Another thing that would be nice to see is more shows. Thorpe used to be quite good at entertaining a crowd for half an hour or so. And lots of people do enjoy seeing them when at Parks. The Circus of Horrors is always very successful every year, so why not get a couple more Halloween themed shows?

I know one of the main problems would be families and people that don't like being scared. Noone has a problem with it in the states. You go to a park at Halloween knowing full well that you're going to be scared. It can even stay quiet in the daytime when all the families are about but the later it gets the more actors come out and everything gets more scary and gruesome.

The only thing Thorpe do work on is giving the rides different soundtracks at night and lighting them up in eerie colours.

Imagine having a time such as 6pm (or whatever time it starts to get dark) where all the music suddenly churns to a halt, everything goes silent and then an intro blares, lights come on, and Halloween music starts playing signalling the transformation to fright time.

Also speaking of things coming to life. They could set up a stage somewhere and have an intro show each night similar to what they do at HHN. They also need a good mascot for the parks Halloween event. Something that can advertise it well and people to fear as they go round the park, scared that they may come across him. (Using HHN as an example again) They have Jack the clown. He's a terrifying character that roams the park. You get to meet him in the intro show as he usually cuts up and kills someone from the audience (actor pretending to be a member of the public) to show what he can do.

Most people will also say cost would be an issue. Well Thorpe make loads of profit each day. Enough to pull this off. If they can afford to spend £12 million odd on a Eurofighter then it won't hurt them to pump some money into their main event each year.
I wish I could get hold of the park and give them my ideas, or get employed to run and organise the event *wishful thinking*.

Scare attractions are growing in the UK. Even though the states celebrate it much more than us (thus all the amazing events) it's gaining popularity over here. A park like Thorpe that has the power to truly bring something big into the UK would be great for the industry and could really set the par if other parks decide to follow.
People love being scared. Go round the park at Halloween and everyone is getting scared and laughing at the same time. It's a great time to get together with friends and family and just have a giggle at each other getting scared. Also with the credit crunch people will be looking for more things to do in the UK near where they live. So it will get great attendance figures already.

Saw has also proved that the public enjoy getting scared. Since it's opened it's been extremely popular. Almost everyone has heard of it due to advertisements and word of mouth. It just proves that people are willing to travel long distances to get scared.

So yeah, do you think Thorpe should put loads more effort into Fright Nights? Or are you happy with how they are at the moment?

There's loads more I want to write about this but I'd be surprised if any of you have read all of this post or are interested so I'll stop there for now.

I've been thinking about this way too much.

[/UCpost]

 

[marc]

Tbh after doing BGA and Universal Studios Orlando fright nights Thorpe's are just simply rubbish.

Both the other parks have actors on the foot paths, people jumping out of bushes the whole park is just about turned into a horror park.

We did one maze at BGA and it was meant to be the lamest one, we both found it scary and both jumped. It took about 10 minutes to walk round and was just simply amazing.

Thorpe from what I have seen have miles to go. But its not their fault tbh as the parks I have mentioned charge extra for nights and young kids are not recommended.

Also Saw is simply not scary, I dont know anyone that has been more scared on it than a ghost train. You want to be scared and jump go on the Ghost Train at Brean.

 

[Ollie]

^Yes Thorpe have nothing compared to American events such as Howl-o-scream and HHN

You did that maze where you are inside the wall didn't you?
Even though that was one of their weakest mazes. I think you'll agree that the themeing was incredible. In fact you can't even call it themeing as you are actually there trapped in between the walls as it's so well done.
Space is one of Thorpe's biggest issues. They have plenty of room to expand though. It's just using the space they already have. Or even transforming rides they already have.

Example I hear you say...
Have the whole of Canada Creek as a haunted Mining town. As you go around the Railway (which can be re themed for the event) you can be ambushed by actors and animatronics. You can have the whole area themed like it's deserted. Have a smoky area, which ambient sounds such as the wind howling and the distant sound of a chainsaw. You can also have zombie miners walking around the area scaring people.
They could also theme Loggers and add extras around the course of the ride. When it runs parallel to the railway actors could also scare those on the logs as well.

That's just an idea showing how it doesn't take much to completely change a single area for Halloween. They could just use space they already have and convert it into something much more scary and sinister.

I have very detailed ideas for all the areas if you want.

I would love to see Fright Nights turned into an adults event in the evening. Not that young people can't do it. It's just aimed towards the older members of the public.

 

[marc]

Yes we did the one in the walls, shocked you remember tbh.

Put it this way though I got so scared at BGA at one point I started shouting at Mark to get me out the park. I have never been so scared in my life and that was on a foot path as I thought I saw someone from a film that scared me as a kid.

For me BGA was far to scary and I would not do that event ever again, but people seemed to love it guess thats what they are used to.

Universal was just one big scary circus and was like a scene out of Batman Returns, thats the only way I can describe it. But again we left the park early due to the staff being rude earlier and I did not want to bump into the film person I do not like in the dark.

But you should feel the atmosphere in the parks, I can not describe that at all.

These parks might charge extra, but trust me you get your money worth.

I am sure people here would not mind paying extra to visit if its worth it, but in the parks we went to they also limit the numbers so you can still get on the rides without 3 hour waits.

 

[Ben]

There's SO much wrong with the event at Thorpe, I can't even be bothered to start.


A start would be mazes that are less... crap.

 

[A-Kid]

The park need to look at those americans Seems they do it properly!

The one thing the park lacks at FN's is any atmosphere. Even I couldn't stand it in '08.

The music should be more than a depressing drown that they always do. I would like them to make use normal music, but halloweeny, like Rock Lobster, Twilight zone, Monster mash. Entertaining, party atmosphere that would make the guest less depressed in 2 hour queues!!

Fog and Actors would be nice. A new map with Horror themed areas. Amity Ghost town for example. Each area pacifically themed to a different area of horror.

 

[Ollie]

I just tried to draw some of my ideas...
I can't draw...
So I screwed it up and it's not in the bin.

 

[jokerman]

As you go around the Railway (which can be re themed for the event) you can be ambushed by actors and animatronics.

Health and safety. That's what they will tell you. I know it gets overused as an excuse, but it's not worth Thrope taking risks, when they already get enough people throug the gates on Fright Nights as it is.

 

[Nemesis Inferno]

Problem is with Thorpe is a lack of space...

If you (Ollie) can find a safe way to cover the paths in fog and add some more mazes and general attractions then I will be impressed... Bearing in mind how bloody packed Thorpe is at this time of year...

Main thing imo is the fact that Brits as a whole don't really make too much of a deal over Halloween overall, very few people do trick-or-treating nowadays in general, and our love in general of Halloween is pretty dire in comparison to America...

A-Kid, as much as Thorpe Blast was awesome atmosphere wise because of the music, that kind of music wouldn't work as well (Monster Mash and the ilk) because of Thorpe's target market... The GP go to the Fright Nights to get scared, simple as, hearing the Monster Mash/Adams Family next to Asylum would be more comical and ironic than scary, which is the entire point of the nights, to be scary...

Either way, I'd rather see other things improved rather than something that only lasts a month...

 

[A-Kid]

Im not saying around the mazes...more the ride queues.

I was following what CP do there rather than Blast. More of a cheesy halloween feel than the 'no feel' they keep doing. The ride queues are just hell with the drowning tracks. Atleast liven up the queue and leave the scary themes to ride stations/areas.

Its kinda hard to explain. I can picture it in me head! In '07 they had these sort of tracks on Stealth. It felt alot better and less boring.

 

[jayjay]

I actually like the park as it is at Fright Nights. But then I don't go to Fright Nights for the horror. Making thorpe into a horror park at halloween would stop me going to be honest. I just like Fright Nights for the late opening and night riding.

 

[Nemesis Inferno]

Im not saying around the mazes...more the ride queues.

I was following what CP do there rather than Blast. More of a cheesy halloween feel than the 'no feel' they keep doing. The ride queues are just hell with the drowning tracks. Atleast liven up the queue and leave the scary themes to ride stations/areas.

Its kinda hard to explain. I can picture it in me head! In '07 they had these sort of tracks on Stealth. It felt alot better and less boring.

Aye, I can see where you're coming from, but what would be Fright Nights without Midnight Syndicate being played on almost every ride?

 

[Rob]

^ A Kid, seriosuly. Thorpe Park is fantastic at Fright Nights and the music is brilliant. The only bad music last year was Inferno and Stealth, Stealth because the queue had no identity, no feeling, Inferno as it used a playlist. Always bad because your very aware of the same 3 tunes in a loop. One track is far better because it sits in the back of your mind and doesn't draw attention to it.

Thorpe Blast is for chav tunes and party atmosphere, Fright Nights is for scary atmosphere. And look on the bright side, atleast Thorpe make an effort around the park. Alton do nothing. Same ride music and same themes. The only halloweeny bits are where the extra attractions are. Thorpe are miles above Alton when it comes to halloween and the music is one huge part of it.

What wouldn't go a miss though is use of fog, like in the thriller video, maybe under colossus's station so there is fog rising up the sides of the train etc etc, and a little more themeing here and there to bring the place alive (especially Inferno and Stealth queue lines, while both stations were great, the queues left a lot to be desired).

 

[Ollie]

As you go around the Railway (which can be re themed for the event) you can be ambushed by actors and animatronics.

Health and safety. That's what they will tell you. I know it gets overused as an excuse, but it's not worth Thrope taking risks, when they already get enough people throug the gates on Fright Nights as it is.

Not really. Actors got put in Duel last Halloween and that's alot more dangerous with all the electrics and Darkness, plus frequent moving cars. On the CCR it's just grass and gravel around the edge so it'd wouldn't be much of a problem.
It was just an example anyway. A-Kids kinda caught onto my other idea of having Amity Cove as a scare zone themed to all the spirits of the people that were killed by the tidal wave going around.
Also the park needs more fire cannons at Fright Nights. And things that go off suddenly and loudly.

If you (Ollie) can find a safe way to cover the paths in fog and add some more mazes and general attractions then I will be impressed... Bearing in mind how bloody packed Thorpe is at this time of year...

I don't mean the thick ground hugging fog that they use on stages, I mean just making the area really misty. You can still see clearly, It just gives it more off a eerie atmosphere and really works.

I remember the first time I went to Chessington for Halloween several years ago they filled the whole path from Tomb Blaster to Beanoland with really thick smoke that was quite hard to see through. They've seemed to have stopped that now and just scatter pumpkins around the park. So it seems the effort put into themeing the parks is dropping each year. Also Chessington had Halloween characters going around scaring people that first year as well. I remember someone dressed as the Devil that looked pretty scary chasing people.

It's more the atmosphere around the park that sucks. They think all you have to do is play music and put some cheap ASDA cobwebs in a couple of the ride op windows is theming. I want to see it done really well. The event lasts a whole month and is the parks busiest so it won't be wasted.


Also, if anyone here is good a drawing. Like in a concept art sort of way. Then can you PM me or catch me on MSN so I can explain my ideas if you want to draw what they might look like? It's kinda hard to get what I'm seeing in my head into words.

 

[Ollie]

Also I'm pretty happy with the music at the moment. Midnight Syndicate are amazing and are great at creating that spooky ambience that plays in the background. Songs like Monster Mash would just ruin the whole point of making things scary. It's the sort of thing that is played in a kids Halloween party.
So yeah. The music is pretty good and sorted. It's just everything else that sucks.

 

[Rob]

^ Everything else really doesn't suck. Have you been to Alton at Scarefest? That sucks. The rides arn't even touched, bar Duel, and the music remains the same. Atleast Thorpe try, Rush has it's chalkings, Colossus station looks fantastic, Cobweb everywhere looks fairly good (in my eyes) and the park as a whole with the decent lighting (compared to Alton's generators and construction sight lighting) looks fantastic.

No, I haven't been abroad or seen anyone else's attempt at halloween, but tbh your just comparing it with an event the vast persentage of the general public will never have seen. Thorpe easily have the best UK halloween event and they do set the bar high. Clearly Alton can't match it, and that's saying something. I'm not saying theres nothing they could do better, fog would be one easy thing and would make it far better, but to most of the general public thorpe brings one of the best halloween events out there and aslong as thorpe are keeping the majority happy, thats all that needs to be done. They do far more than is required, and I just hope they don't let it slip to an Alton style Halloween on Towers Street and a couple of mazes.

 

[Ollie]

Have you been to Alton at Scarefest? That sucks.

Nope, I haven't.

No, I haven't been abroad or seen anyone else's attempt at halloween, but tbh your just comparing it with an event the vast persentage of the general public will never have seen.

And they never will see it if Thorpe don't step up their game. Every year it's the same apart from maybe a new maze every couple of years. But the effort around the park gets worse every year.

Thorpe easily have the best UK halloween event and they do set the bar high.

They are the best in the UK, but if no-one is attempting to challenge them then they've got nothing to compete with. If somewhere else steps up and makes an amazing event then Thorpe will be forced to improve it loads to stay ahead of the competition.
Just because it's the best in the UK doesn't mean it's any good either.


Another thing Thorpe need to do is let people know what the mazes are. I've seen hundreds of people walk past the mazes saying things like "what is it?" and "What are they queuing up for?". The entrances are also hidden. Hellgate is down a tiny little path that has a paper sign with 'Hellgate' written on it. Se7en is hidden inside the arena. And Asylums entrance is tucked away on the stage of the showcase thing. They need big dominating entrances. So when people walk past they go "Wow" and go to check it out. Asylum is the most popular, not because it's the best, but because it's well positioned. The exit to the maze is right by a busy path so people walking past will wonder what's going on and go to check it out. If they advertised it more than a weird advert on Youtube that still doesn't tell you what it is, then they'll become even more popular as people will go to check it out.

So yeah, there's loads of REALLY simple things that they can do to make the event 10 times better instantly. It won't cost much more to put some smoke machines in and have some great dominating entrances for the queues of the mazes. And I'm sure there are loads of acting schools nearby that would love to help out and provide cheap actors for the park to act in the scare zones.

It's just at the moment the whole event seems rather tame and the park is kinda split down the middle in what to do. To prove this what do we do at Ghosterforce? When it starts to get dark we split the group. Those that want to do the mazes and the others that want to go on the rides in the dark. It shows that Thorpe don't have much variety and leave everyone with a 50/50 choice on what to do.
If they made all the attractions and rides blend into one with added shows and scare zones then people would be more willing to get into the event and do the attractions that are only there for the Halloween season.

 

[Rush]

Whenever I think of Thorpe Park Fright Nights, I think of 2 hour queues for every ride, the park being overpacked with many unpleasant people, the tightened security and random circus tents placed around the park. That alone is pretty scary itself but it pretty much sums Fright Nights up.

Okay, so what does the park do, well it opens late. I like that, but why do it only in October? I'd like it done in Summer too and possibly Easter. There's just as good events which can be placed but instead we get all the BMX Stunts which no-one has seen before. If the park opened late at these times, then I'd rather visit then than at Fright Nights. So really, the late night opening is perhaps the only reason that I go there at FN.

What else, well there are the mazes, which personally I am not a fan of and they do pale in comparison to those at American parks. In my opinion, the mazes and the late openings are the main reason people come to the park at this time. I mean, the mazes are only there for two weeks and lots of people want to experience them and the late night openings in those two weeks. This means the park is absolutely rammed because of that. A good move would be to extend Fright Nights to the whole of October and beginning of November. That way, at least a fair amount would go earlier in October than wait for half term.

The park decorations are.... minimal. I think I was made aware that it is actually the rides department which organise their ride and put the decorations on rather than management. A bigger budget would be good for decorations because although it may be better than some UK parks, they still look tacky and fresh from the local party store. I mean, wow, chalk on the floor and cobwebs? My room is full of them, I should charge people to come in my room for it. :roll:

Main thing imo is the fact that Brits as a whole don't really make too much of a deal over Halloween overall, very few people do trick-or-treating nowadays in general, and our love in general of Halloween is pretty dire in comparison to America...

200% agreed with that. If the park was decorated and scary music put on, so what? Most people don't care! The decor and the music is just an added bonus, hardly anyone would care if they weren't there, it's all about the mazes and the late night openings. The fact that the music is one of the only things being complimented just shows how mediocre it is.

I'm all up for extra decoration but it's not really going to pull in as many visitors as an extra maze. If I, owned the park, I'd certainly make sure that the park is spooked up to maximum, but I don't.

Seeing as the music is being talked about so much, I'll add my comments. As much as I love hearing, 'PLACE YOUR HEADS BACK AND HOLD ON TIGHT, WE'RE GOING TO PUSH YOU REALLY HIGH!' the rest of the audio I think is mostly really bland and incredibly dull. I would like a more 'fun' atmosphere with the 'Monster Mash' and such being played. It is much easier to create a fun atmosphere than a scary atmosphere and I'd greatly welcome it. As already mentioned though, the mazes and Saw will certainly have their own 'freaky' themes

In my opinion, I think Halloween is more a dress up in a silly outfit and have fun, I reckon due to some horror films and such people now get the idea it's all about getting scared ****less which it really isn't what Halloween is all about.

Until Halloween gets big over here, I really don't think much difference is going to happen at Thorpe. At the end of the day, they are a business and anything deemed unnecessary will be cut. I would like them to invest in these things and also into other events however, I don't see why they can't make Summer a huge event as well as Halloween.

 

[nadroJ]

Whenever I think of Thorpe Park Fright Nights, I think of 2 hour queues for every ride, the park being overpacked with many unpleasant people, the tightened security and random circus tents placed around the park. That alone is pretty scary itself but it pretty much sums Fright Nights up.

Hit the nail on the head right there.

Ollie the thing you have to think about is looking at it from Thorpe's point of view. At the moment Fright Nights are Thorpes most popular event of the year and draw in such massively huge crowds that, like Rush said, all the queues end up being 2 hours+ and the park is rammed.

If they put in as much effort as HHN then Thorpe would be unbearable. At this moment in time, Fright Nights as they are work incredibly well and Thorpe will see no reason for spending a fair bit of money on improving an event which, in their eyes, doesn't need improving.

 

[Pierre]

Yeah lets get some stabbings on the scene, fatal ones at that.