Seasonal Frights and Terrifying Bumps in the Night: Thorpe Park - Fright Nights

Last Sunday, on what has become something of an annual tradition, I took a trip with a few friends to experience Thorpe Park's famous Fright Nights for the fourth year running. Although this meant another early morning and a long journey, I was extremely excited by the prospect of facing two new horror mazes: Containment and The Big Top.

(Fright Night selfie - I am the diddy one on the right)

Since none of the horror mazes opened until 3pm, we spent the morning going on as many different rollercoaster rides as possible. My friends weren't particularly keen on the water rides but I managed to get them on the Rumba Rapids, as you can see below!

 

(Marie, Jason, Rob, Em and I posing for the camera - our boat got stuck in a very convenient place!)

As soon as 3pm hit, we lined up and mentally prepared ourselves for Containment—which was one of Thorpe Park's newest horror mazes. The premise of Containment is that you and your group have to race against the clock to solve various puzzles which are locked in four different rooms. If you solve all of the puzzles, you stop the virus from spreading and are 'cured'. It's not quite that simple, though, as you are joined by live actors throughout the maze—and they do not want you to crack the codes!

The actors in Containment were just brilliant, especially the crazy dentist who immediately picked out my friend, Em, and sent her to the corner of the room. As we got into deciphering numbers, the dentist was soon dragging me off to his 'chair' for an inspection because I was "doing too well" at cracking the codes. Sadly, he got to us before we could finish inputting the numbers.

 Em sporting her 'Outbreak' band after her dentist ordeal

Containment was a good maze on the whole but I would have liked things to be hammed up more. For example, when we didn't finish cracking the code in the final room, it would have been awesome if red lights and alarms had gone off—and we'd been ushered into a 'decontamination' room. The maze needed something extra at the end as it was a little anti-climactic when we were immediately released.

However, we did like the fact that the 'Outbreak' bands meant that other actors around the park were more likely to single us out and pick on us! We'd paid extra money to go in Containment and the added interactions made it worth it!

NB: Containment is limited capacity. We had to book a slot and pay in advance—but this is fairly simple to add on to your ticket if you're paying online! 

After Containment, we queued up for The Big Top. At first, upon entering, I have to say my expectations were not particularly high for this horror maze. After watching several families leave the first tent laughing, I can't say that I thought it was going to be particularly frightening. The Big Top is deceptively clever though and there are a few excellent twists and hidden scares lurking within the abandoned carnival!  I really enjoyed this maze...and the final tent definitely had me running anxiously towards the exit! Deliciously disorientating and disturbing, The Big Top far exceeded expectations!

Unfortunately, being clumsy and only 4 ft 9 in height, I did manage to do myself an injury whilst running out of The Big Top. During the final section of the maze, I managed to face-plant a plastic door sheet which bruised my nose and forehead. It's not really a proper Fright Night until I've done something graceless...but at least I didn't lose a shoe this year! (There's something very wrong about having to approach a chainsaw-wielding maniac to collect your shoe from them...)

Since The Blair Witch Project didn't open until 7pm, we decided to head for Cabin in the Woods next. Although I've experienced this maze twice before, I still think Cabin in the Woods is one of the scariest horror mazes at Thorpe Park. There's something quite terrifying about being told that whichever door you choose will determine what fate you face within the maze. I also like the fact that there are several different doors and rooms to choose from—as it keeps the maze interesting. This year, to my credit, I only hid behind my companions a few times during the jumpiest parts...

As soon as it was dark enough, we queued for 'The Blair Witch Project' horror maze. This maze, unlike any of the others, is set outside in a small pocket of woodland. As with every other maze, there are live actors who are ready to jump out and terrify anyone who dares trek through the pathways and creepy cabins! There's one or two surprises along the way and this maze is definitely a favourite. Although it was only given a 'two' on the scare-factor scale, it actually seemed more realistic to me than any of the other horror mazes. It's easy to believe that horrors are close by when you're stumbling through the forest in the dark—and my overactive imagination had a field day!

Sadly, I was too ill to enjoy My Bloody Valentine this year and couldn't manage the 60 minute long queue. Whilst my friends endured all the terrors which lurked within that scare maze, Marie and I found a nice stone area to perch ourselves on whilst I recovered. The hour we spent waiting went quickly, with highlights which included a group of men stopping by to call us 'beautiful'—and, of course, a mini-trek to get Marie some much-needed coffee. 

Although I didn't experience it this year, I've been told that My Bloody Valentine was extremely impressive—particularly for my friend, Em, who was singled out and separated from everyone else in her group. She was forced down terrifying tunnels and had to endure the maze completely on her own. (Inevitably, at some point during our annual trips, Em finds herself targeted by live actors—usually because she has a tendency to laugh, dance or sing at them when nervous!)

I wish I could have joined my friends for more frights last Sunday but I was just in too much pain to attempt the Saw Horror Maze. This time, when my friends disappeared into the crowd of people queueing, I went on a mission to find some paracetamol. Although this was not the most successful mission I have ever undertaken, the staff were extremely helpful and did their absolute best to make me feel comfortable. It's the little touches, with friendly and caring members of staff, which make all the difference. I have to offer a heartfelt thank-you to the kind members of staff at Thorpe Park for being so supportive.

Overall, I couldn't fault the staff or actors at Thorpe Park. The actors in each maze stayed in character, playing their part with a terrifying menace, and the rollercoasters at Thorpe Park never fail to impress. We were also really lucky and didn't experience any long queues this year, which meant that we had time to fully enjoy all of our favourite rides.

If I could put one item down on the wish list, though, it would be that Thorpe Park's restaurants and fast food chains included more menu choices for celiacs. I enjoyed the jacket potato from 'Peckish' but it would have been nice if other food places within the park had also had celiac-friendly options.

On the whole, I would definitely recommend Thorpe Park's Fright Nights to anyone over the age of thirteen who wants a chillingly spooky Halloween treat! The money spent is well worth it. Another excellent year, Thorpe Park. Well done.

(Also, a big thanks to my friend, Rob, who kindly allowed me to use the pictures he'd taken of Thorpe Park for this blog.)