Review – Thorpe Park Fright Nights 2019

I’ve been a regular at Thorpe Park Halloween events for YEARS now, and it’s amazing to watch them grow and evolve. I was excited to see what Thorpe Park Fright Nights 2019 would bring! Last year they declared that ‘Nowhere is safe’, Fright Nights 2019 gives Thorpe Park the moniker of ‘The home of fear’. Is everyone’s favourite Staines based attraction the home of fear? Or is it all just marketing talk? I went down to the Thorpe Pake Fright Nights 2019 Press Launch to find out!

I’ve written all the details of Thorpe Park Fright Nights 2019 here, all the details, times, dates and prices are explained. I’m not going to go over that too much, this post is all about how I found the offering.

As with previous theme park Halloween Reviews, I’ll be looking at three main areas. The atmosphere, the mazes, and rides in the dark!

So first up..

Thorpe Park Fright Nights 2019 Atmosphere

I’m a massive fan of hanging out at Thorpe Park during Fright Nights. There’s a real buzz in the air. As the sun sets the mood changes. We arrived to the Press Launch as the sun was setting, and as you look out across the park from the dome, you get to take in the whole place looking amazing, and the atmospheric lighting firing up.

To add to the ‘spooky’ atmosphere you’ll find roaming actors from 3pm. As well as that there is a stage set up next to Stealth for the ‘Terror at Amity High’ show.

Every 20 minutes you’ll see the Vampires put on a fun ‘flash mob’ style show in the shadow of Stealth –

“Witness this shocking Halloween show every 20 minutes from 3PM, as Stealth Plaza plays host to Terror at Amity High. This is no seductive vampire TV show or harmless Halloween movie; Terror at Amity High is a live vampire experience, and they’re out to drink blood.”

I love the creepy soundtrack that plays around the island, it really sets off the mood brilliantly. Plus Thorpe Park have left lots of gory theming lying around. Although the ‘bodies’ swinging in the body bags above Saw : The Ride look suspiciously like blow-up sex dolls.

To add to the atmosphere, the ‘Angry Birds 4D’ Cinema has become the ‘Screamplexx Cinema’.

“From 3pm onwards, our horror movie marathon commences, with a line-up of short films on the hour, every hour. Grab your popcorn and settle into your seat to devour a series of tantalisingly terrifying short horror films.”

I didn’t experience this at the press launch, but having something like this really adds to the atmosphere in the park.

Thorpe Park Fright Nights 2019 Mazes

Thorpe Park always has a strong line-up of mazes. I always love seeing how old favourites have evolved, or what new mazes bring. The first maze we took on was a BRAND NEW maze for Thorpe Park Fright Nights 2019.

Creek Freak Massacre

There has been a RIDICULOUS amount of hype for this new maze. Thorpe Park have been building up the expectations of this maze since it was announced. I must admit I was concerned just HOW you’d squeeze a half-decent maze into the relatively small space of the former ‘Loggers Leap’ station. As we were dragged into the maze because of our recent ‘job application’, those fears were quickly put to rest.

Creek Freak Massacre is packed with intense actors, loud noises, killer music, disorientating lighting and a horror maze staple – CHAINSAWS! With a few different routes and a confusing maze finale, Creek Freak Massacre is a STRONG maze. It’s really good to have such a fabulous new addition to the line-up.

The Walking Dead – Do or Die

This wasn’t one of the strongest mazes in 2018. There were some good scenes, but it sort of fell flat at the end. I heard that it had a bit of a refresh Thorpe Park Fright Nights 2019. I wasn’t quite prepared for just how much it had improved. There are two extra shipping containers with different scenes to make the maze longer.

It feels a lot busier and more chaotic than last year, it felt really aggressive and fierce. It leaves you feeling on edge and unnerved – ideal for a scare maze! It went from being one of the weaker mazes last year to the strongest maze at Thorpe Park Fright Nights 2019. It’s good to see from social media a lot of people are feeling the same!

Platform 15

I’m a massive fan of Platform 15, after a bit of a shaky start in the opening year – I’ve found Platform 15 to improve each year. This year is no exception. They have changed the entrance slightly, and the finale is completely different. It also felt like they’d got a few more actors this year too – there weren’t so many dead spots. I really enjoyed Platform 15 this year – it’s definitely one of my favourites.

The Walking Dead – Living Nightmare

Probably one of the most ‘immersive’ and well themed of the mazes at Thorpe Park Fright Nights 2019 – Living Nightmare is back! It hasn’t changed massively this year. There is a new finale and some different scripting for the first scene, but that’s essentially it. I wish the maze was just a little bit longer – it feels so much shorter than the other mazes. There is obviously a limited amount of space in the building, so I understand it – but – I’m greedy for Maze goodness!

Blair Witch & Containment

Dear reader – I apologise – I didn’t get time at the Press Launch to sample the Blair Witch maze, or the Containment escape room. I can’t comment on these! I’ve heard great things about Blair Witch, and honestly, I’m gutted I couldn’t try it – HOPEFULLY, I’ll pop back at some point to experience them both.

Rides in the Dark

Stealth in the dark and Swarm in the dark are some of my favourite coaster experiences in the UK – without question. Thorpe Park Fright Nights 2019 allows you to experience this, and I urge you to do it. Thorpe Park have actually introduced the “Feared 5 Challenge” this year. If you scan the QR codes in the queue lines of the 5 biggest rollercoasters (after 5pm) you’ll get a ‘letter’. Unscramble the letters into a word and quote that word at the Thorpe Park Megastore to collect a FREE, exclusive Feared 5 wristband.

Also, don’t forget to listen out to the AWESOME Fright Nights themed launch audio on Stealth too – it’s bloody marvellous!

Thorpe Park Fright Nights 2019 Overall

It really feels like Thorpe Park Fright Nights 2019 is a slightly scaled back experience. This isn’t a negative – at all. It feels like rather than having a tonne of average mazes or experiences. They are concentrating on having fewer mazes but throwing EVERYTHING at them to give you a stronger experience.

It’s not perfect, and I REALLY REALLY miss the Big Top – but – Thorpe Park Fright Nights 2019 really is a fantastic Halloween experience. If you want a mixture of great mazes and brilliant rides, then Thorpe Park is perfect. I hope that Thorpe Park continues this trend of ‘quality, not quantity’ and bringing new ideas to the table and giving existing mazes a bit of a refresh. I’d love to see Big Top return, and maybe the ‘Saw : Alive’ boat used again.

Thorpe Park Fright Nights 2019 really has kicked off the scare season with aplomb! Check out the video from the event below –