Fright Nights 2020

Fright Nights 2020 begins on 9th October at Thorpe Park

Yesterday we were invited down to Thorpe Park for a VIP media night to try out this years offerings for Fright Nights, their annual Halloween event.

This year the event features 5 new scare zones and one roaming scare zone, two haunted mazes the returning Platform 15 and the new Roots of Evil which are both outdoor. We were able to try out the houses and visit the new scare zones during our 3 hour preview event. This would be our first Fright Nights event since 2013. Check out our thoughts and a rundown of the event below.

Fright Nights 2020

FRIGHT NIGHTS Fearstival takes place on selected dates throughout October and November, including October Half Term. This year, the theme park will be open from 10am until late 9th -11th October & 16th October – 1st November. The scare activities will begin at 3pm each day with an upcharge of 10 pound per each haunted maze which do need to be booked separately. The scare zones and shows will be included in the price of a ticket for the park. As well as all of this you also have the opportunity to ride all the rides in the dark. The actors will all be wearing masks and be socially distant as well as all guests being required to wear masks on the rides and throughout the mazes.

Fright Nights has been going in various forms at the park since 2002. With varying houses and even an IP deal with Lionsgate for three years from 2013 the event has continued to evolve. This year is no different with social distancing and extra rules in place due to Covid-19 so check out what is on offer this year at the event below.

Scare Zones:

Creek Freaks: Unchained – Tread carefully past the deranged family of lumberjacks lest you find yourself chugging gasoline fumes on the wrong end of a chainsaw! Brace yourself and prepare for the gruesome worst as you take on the chainsaw massacre madness of Creek Freaks Unchained. This Scare Zone is located in Old Town next to the abandoned logger’s leap.

The FEARSTIVAL Arena – A mysterious menagerie has rolled into the heart of the Island, but is it all just smoke and mirrors? Step into the dusty and dilapidated FEARSTIVAL Arena and witness the notorious Compere and their freakish cast astonish and disturb their willing spectators. Located in the Dock Yard by the closed Derren Brown’s Ghost Train this Scare Zone features a stage with live performances occurring frequently.

The Howling of LycanThorpe High – You’re invited to The Howling of LycanThorpe High and they’re on the hunt for new recruits – but be warned, their bite is worse than their bark! Located next to the Cantina and Zodiac this area features a DJ.

THE SWARM: INVASION – Enter the dystopian wasteland after dark as THE SWARM has invaded, leaving a path of carnage and desolation in its wake. Head with caution as you pass through this alien infested landscape and pray you aren’t abducted by these other-worldly extra-terrestrials. Located just next to the Swarm this scare zone continues the storyline of the coaster.

Terror at Amity High – It’s Prom Night at Amity High and the teens of Amity Cove invite you to join their bloodthirsty festivities up at Make-Out Point behind the old Speedway.  But these are no ordinary high schoolers – they’re always on the lookout for fresh young blood to join their gang. Located next to Stealth this one features a stage where dances are regularly performed.

Roaming Scarezones….

THE CROWS – Near The Crows nobody goes, are they watching? Nobody knows. Myths passed down from generation. Did that just move, or was it your imagination? They roam and they creep in the dead of night, but blink and they’re gone, out of sight. Near The Crows, nobody goes. Are they watching? Nobody knows. These scarecrows will great you as you enter the park and then appear at various locations scattered throughout.

Shows

SCREAMPLEXX CINEMA – Nothing says Halloween like a terrifying horror movie marathon, so take a break from the thrills in the Screamplexx Cinema presented by Bloody Cuts! Grab your popcorn and settle into your seat as you devour a series of tantalizingly terrifying short films…plus a few spooky surprises along the way… Located in the Angry Birds 3D cinema the short films include live actors inside the theatre.

Scare Mazes

Roots of Evil – Unearth the horrors that lurk within a forsaken forest and prepare to meet the terrifying abominations that dwell within. Move discreetly through the dark undergrowth and pray your presence goes unnoticed, or risk becoming one of the forgotten forever. Located in the Jungle near to Derren Brown’s Ghost Train. Additional Paid ticket required.

PLATFORM 15 – Depart on a one-way ticket and trek along the overgrown railway line, the last known route of the vanished locomotive – the notorious Sleeper Express. Don’t lose your tracks and risk disturbing the haunted souls that were once aboard, or you may just experience the same chilling fate. Can you outrun what lies at the end of the line or will your journey terminate here, at Platform 15? The entrance is located next to Samurai which is a new entrance compared to previous years.

Thorpe Park Day Time

With the preview event operating between 6pm and 9pm, we decided to head down early and check out the park as it prepared for its first weekend of Fright Nights. This was my first trip since Derren Brown’s Ghost Train opened in 2016 and Sam’s first visit since last September when he took Jackie for the first time.

Covid Measures

After experiencing Alton Towers and Blackpool with social distancing we were curious to see how Thorpe Park was coping.

Rides were regularly closed for extended cleaning with announcements to alert guests. One way systems were in place and ride operators were enforcing mask wearing on rides. On the whole a positive experience.

Upon park entry we were temperature checked and went through security. The entrance was pretty empty of guests as by the time we arrived the park would be closing in just 3 hours at 5pm.

The park was quiet and most rides were a walk on.

We decided to have a wander around, jump on a few rides and view the areas that would be set up for Fright Nights tonight. Take a look at our day time photos below.

Slammer…

We had to get a look at the abandoned Slammer hidden behind Walking Dead. If you haven’t seen our video on the S&S Sky Swat check it out here.

The ride sits with all signage removed. Part of the queue line may be used for the new Black Mirror Labyrinth opening next year.

The rest of the parks major coasters were all operating and closing at regular intervals for cleaning.

We managed to jump on Saw and Stealth with no wait times at all.

Fright Nights 2020 Preview

With the event starting at 6pm we were again temperature checked after checking in out the front of the park. A selection of rides would be operating as well as all the scare zones and haunted mazes for the preview. There was a very limited amount of guests in attendance and somehow the park felt like there were more scare actors than park guests in attendance offering a very unique and intimate experience. We had three hours to see as much as possible.

The Crows greeted the guests as they entered the park.

While we waited for darkness to come we grabbed a drink and explored the Fearstival scare zone near to Roots of Evil. One thing with these outside haunted mazes is it probably best to grab a ticket time closer to darkness. The houses will open from 3pm but it wont be dark until closer to 7pm.

Fearstival Arena

This scarezone was full of actors committed to the role and interacting with the guests. A large stage occupies most of the area with a performance happening every 20-30 minutes, complete with fire bursting from the side of the stage.

Roots of Evil

Approaching just after 7pm we decided to jump in line for the new maze for the year. Roots of Evil. Before entering the queue line you must sanitize your hands. Each group will enter with their own party but no more than 6 people are allowed. Face masks must be warn at all times and you must keep your distance from other groups if you do catch up.

The scare maze will take place inside a “forsaken” forest and feature uneven terrain and a crawl space.

With no wait time for the house we were straight in. You actually start inside the entrance way to the closed Jungle attraction which is the former I’m a Celebrity experience. The last time I visited this was the entrance to the Asylum house.

With a few rooms of build up explaining the story of a research project gone wrong you then enter the forest. It is genuinely a trek through dense bushes and trees while actors attempt to startle you. It is quite difficult to notice if you are going the right way as you head deeper in. The experience lasts 5-8 minutes and is a good tense trip through a forest. We definitely recommend waiting until its dark to experience the attraction though. The actors were all well committed to their roles and tried to interact briefly.

Roots of Evil feels like you are really pushing through the bushes in the woods. The whole experience is unnerving as you have no idea where anyone is or where you are supposed to go.

Platform 15

Up next we headed over to Platform 15 the returning maze for this year. This was our first time doing this house but apparently the entrance and exit has switched positions this year.

The attraction features a rather large tunnel to get to the front of the maze with an announcement informing you of the story. The maze is almost a straight line, heading out the back of the park taking you near to the drop of Loggers Leap and to the old Thorpe Railway maintenance bay. It features an impressive train carriage set with fire. The maze is fun but with the limited places the actors can hide, you can guess where they will be coming at you from.

All in all a fun attraction that again, we think would lose its atmosphere in the daylight.

With the haunts done it was time to grab some food before checking out the scare zones of the park. The three hour limit on the event went by very fast as we wanted to wait for darkness to fall. We didn’t have time to check out the Screamplex Horror movie in the Angry Birds theatre and didn’t make it over to the Swarm scare zone.

The Crows

The Crows are a creepy and fun addition to the event greeting guests as they leave and waving them off on exit. They appear in a few different spots around the park and are good for a creepy photo opportunity.

Terror at Amity High

Located next to Stealth this scare zone features a high interaction area and a dance show. We were the only guests in the area so we were suitably targeted to be terrorized.

Final thoughts

Myself and Sam had a really fun day at Thorpe Park. We were impressed with the social distancing measures during the day and how most people seemed to be wearing their mask even while walking around the park.

As for Fright Nights we enjoyed ourselves immensely and got a great taste of Halloween that we didn’t expect to this year. The scare zones and shows being included in the park ticket is excellent value for money, especially when the park is open until 9pm and you can also ride the rides. Overall I think Thorpe Park have done an awesome job at creating a fun and more importantly safe Halloween event with varied offerings during uncertain times and that should be praised.

The houses they were fun but possibly a little hamstrung by being all outside. The actors were faultless and committed to their roles and there seemed to be an abundance of them. Whether each house is worth a 10 pound upcharge remains to be seen but we definitely recommend getting a time for the houses when it is dark out if you do purchase a ticket.

As for us, next we will be off to Alton Towers Scarefest to see how that measures up to Thorpe Park’s Fright Nights 2020.

We will see you next time.