Coaster Kingdom

homeCurrentarchive

.
As usual, Universal’s Islands of Adventure set the benchmark for this type of event. While the park is open as normal by day, it closes in time to transform into veritable smorgasbord of all things dark and sinister.

Toxic City in 2004 at Islands of Adventure

Halloween Horror Nights have set the standard for Halloween events. Picture: HHN Vault

Of course, you have to pay another day’s park entry on top of whatever you paid to get in during daylight hours, but by night, Islands of Adventure is a very different place. You can look forward to the major rides and attractions being open, but each of the five ‘islands’ in the park are transformed almost beyond recognition with ‘scarezones’ in each, mazes and haunted houses.

The idea that Thorpe Park should do the same is, at best, far fetched. But that doesn’t mean that Thorpe Park shouldn’t aspire to follow in Universal’s hallowed footsteps and at least take a couple of steps in their direction.

Of course, the idea that Thorpe should open as normal by day, close, get transformed and reopen by night is a gamble I don’t expect any discerning park to take.

Firstly, the public are a fickle bunch. However much interest there is in Fright Nights at the moment, it is – for all intents and purposes – free. Faced with the prospect of paying admission for just the Halloween event, many will just stay at home, such is the level of interest in Halloween.

Secondly, this is a radical step for a theme park to take, and a concept the public may just not understand. If Thorpe Park were ever to adopt such a structure for their Halloween nights, it would have to be a gradual process that evolves over time. It is unthinkable that a park would ever have the mettle to confuse the public in such a fell-swoop.

Lastly, staff. If we work on the assumption the park opens at 10am, closes at 5pm, re-opens at 7pm until, say, 1pm, then you either have to expect staff to work a gruelling 13-hour day (excluding the intermission between openings), or you have to have adequate staffing to cover both shifts.

Depth Charge

Not all rides need to be open late at night, something to consider in terms of staffing the park for long hours

Of course, if the park were to open for late nights, we can automatically disqualify kids rides from opening (Depth Charge, Octopus’ Garden), maybe some water rides, many catering outlets and shops, and stick with just the core backbone of big hitters; if there were five or six mazes, two shows and a few scarezones, it isn’t unreasonable to expect only the major coasters and support rides to be open. This alone will allow many staff the night off.

Acting talent for mazes, shows and scarezones would of course be in accessory to Thorpe’s normal staffing levels, as it always is and always has been. So, with a minimum of two shifts, or at least an unfeasibly long working day, the staff issue is probably one of the biggest stumbling blocks when it comes to making such an event possible.

Naturally, it is worth looking back to Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights’ humble beginnings to see how much untapped potential Fright Nights have.

Growth of Halloween Horror Nights, Universal Studios

Halloween Horror Nights first started in 1991 at Universal Studios. Entrance was around $10 USD, included one maze and a tens of shows. Such was the interest in the maze, more and more were added, and by 2005, admission was $59.75 USD and included seven mazes.

Source: HHN Vault

Houses per year

The dawn of Halloween Horror Nights was in 1991. With just a single maze, the prospect of moonlit riding, and a nominal charge of $10 USD, Halloween Horror Nights’ infancy makes Fright Nights look untouchable. Continues...


Coaster Kingdom Magazine
.
Issue 11: Oct 2005

Issue 11
A New Dawn for Fright Nights?
How to improve Thorpe Park's Fright Nights
.