Chessington Howl'o'ween 2023
Like many scare enthusiasts, we were really disappointed when Chessington World of Adventures announced they would be focusing on family scares instead of the more adult experiences of recent years. The different incarnations of Creepy Caves had earned a reputation as being some of the most intense mazes ever - which is amazing considering they were built inside one of the UK's largest family theme parks.
But it has never just been about the scares, so we went along this year to see what Howl'o'ween would be like without the main scare experience. As such, we are really pleased to say that we should never have worried!
First up lets talk about the Caves replacement - a new trick or treat trail called the Enchanted Hollow. This was about as far away from the Creepy Caves as could be, but was actually a fantastic fun family attraction, that didn't skimp on the treats. The sets, costumes and characters throughout were really well done, and gave the younger audience a fun level of anticipation - ie who would open each door and what would they get? Clearly sponsored by Cadbury's, we left the attraction with bags full of chocolate, with even the adults accompanying the children getting treats. It was a fun experience, and dare we say it - a worthy replacement for Creepy Caves.
Obviously the big thing at Chessington has always been the on park entertainment, so we made sure to visit the main Halloween Live show in the main square. We have been visiting the park for years, and this was easily the best main show they have put on, with a great music choice, some impressive performances and (of course) another load of chocolate that left kids in the audience scrabbling to fill their bags. Although we are a scare attraction review site - we love the extra entertainment that parks put on, and always makes a point of seeking out any shows to experience them. As such, this 25+ minute show really was entertaining and performed perfectly!
And talking of perfect shows - we waited until it was dark to experience the latest incarnation of the Banyan Tree in Wild Asia. We first visited this show in 2022 during Covid when the park were unable to promote it during to crowd control. At this point it was just a tree and some fire effects. Since then - this has become a real mainstay of the event, and it is clear that the Entertainments team are passionate about this powerfully aggressive show, as each year the story has expanded with new effects, more pyrotechnics, and even more performers. It is easily one of our highlights of Halloween - we have no idea where this story will go in 2024 - but you can guarantee we will be there to see it!
Alongside the shows we were also able to experience a number of rides in the dark including the brand new Mandrill Mayhem in the Jumanji area as well as the classic Vampire in Transylvania.
And it was in Transylvania where we finished our night. This area has a scare zone called "Vile Villagers " which gets a bit scarier later in the afternoon. Well we visited just before the park close, once the sun had gone down, and it was completely terrifying. The darkness really helped create tension through the outdoor sections and just meant that the indoor sections were completely dark. The actors throughout this attraction did an amazing job mixing mini theatrical scenes with some impressive sudden jump scares. The video below will show just how dark and manic the finale to this attraction was.
So all in - yes we may have lost Creepy Caves - but the Chessington Howl'o'ween event really does have an impressive line up of attractions and shows. It is a truly fun event and we still have a big bag of chocolate to prove it!
But it has never just been about the scares, so we went along this year to see what Howl'o'ween would be like without the main scare experience. As such, we are really pleased to say that we should never have worried!
First up lets talk about the Caves replacement - a new trick or treat trail called the Enchanted Hollow. This was about as far away from the Creepy Caves as could be, but was actually a fantastic fun family attraction, that didn't skimp on the treats. The sets, costumes and characters throughout were really well done, and gave the younger audience a fun level of anticipation - ie who would open each door and what would they get? Clearly sponsored by Cadbury's, we left the attraction with bags full of chocolate, with even the adults accompanying the children getting treats. It was a fun experience, and dare we say it - a worthy replacement for Creepy Caves.
Obviously the big thing at Chessington has always been the on park entertainment, so we made sure to visit the main Halloween Live show in the main square. We have been visiting the park for years, and this was easily the best main show they have put on, with a great music choice, some impressive performances and (of course) another load of chocolate that left kids in the audience scrabbling to fill their bags. Although we are a scare attraction review site - we love the extra entertainment that parks put on, and always makes a point of seeking out any shows to experience them. As such, this 25+ minute show really was entertaining and performed perfectly!
And talking of perfect shows - we waited until it was dark to experience the latest incarnation of the Banyan Tree in Wild Asia. We first visited this show in 2022 during Covid when the park were unable to promote it during to crowd control. At this point it was just a tree and some fire effects. Since then - this has become a real mainstay of the event, and it is clear that the Entertainments team are passionate about this powerfully aggressive show, as each year the story has expanded with new effects, more pyrotechnics, and even more performers. It is easily one of our highlights of Halloween - we have no idea where this story will go in 2024 - but you can guarantee we will be there to see it!
Alongside the shows we were also able to experience a number of rides in the dark including the brand new Mandrill Mayhem in the Jumanji area as well as the classic Vampire in Transylvania.
And it was in Transylvania where we finished our night. This area has a scare zone called "Vile Villagers " which gets a bit scarier later in the afternoon. Well we visited just before the park close, once the sun had gone down, and it was completely terrifying. The darkness really helped create tension through the outdoor sections and just meant that the indoor sections were completely dark. The actors throughout this attraction did an amazing job mixing mini theatrical scenes with some impressive sudden jump scares. The video below will show just how dark and manic the finale to this attraction was.
So all in - yes we may have lost Creepy Caves - but the Chessington Howl'o'ween event really does have an impressive line up of attractions and shows. It is a truly fun event and we still have a big bag of chocolate to prove it!
Chessington Howl'o'ween 2022
Howloween is back at Chessington and brings with it a number of shows and scare attractions for all ages.
In a first for the park, the intensity of the scare attractions have been ranked by ages, giving a scary, very scary and a super scary version of each one. Of course, being scare enthusiasts we decided to leave the milder scare versions and go straight for the main shows that were running for the majority of guests. You can also read about our extreme runs later in this review.
We started our visit with a trip into the Creepy Caves. Now in its final year at the park, the story is that we have been sent into the caves to kill off the deadly plant once and for all. Our job was simple, get in , survive the creatures, and detonate the big stash of dynamite waiting at the end.
One of the things that amazes us about Creepy Caves is just how insanely intense the experience is, and this final version is no different. The actors throughout were easily some of the most active we had seen this Halloween and were literally leaping around the set trying to scare us multiple times. We have said it before - but it still astounds us that some kids actually go through this - it terrifies us as grown adults! In fact, we were so scared that we forgot about our quest so when we finally arrived at the dynamite we just pressed the button regardless. Sadly, this just signalled to the actors where we were, and the finale was suitably chaotic as creatures attacked us from all sides!
Our other daytime experience was Vile Villagers, a walkthrough Scare Zone in the shadow of the Vampire rollercoaster. This attraction is much less intense than Creepy Caves but was a great introduction to the slightly more scared guest. Some nice scenery and fun characterisation help to tell the story of a village suffering a vampire curse.
Elsewhere around the park, there seems to have been a lot of effort put into the entertainment offering, with the Witches casting a spell over Adventure Point, the Trick or Treat Town on the Mane stage and the Banyan Tree in Wild Asia.
At this point we must call out the sheer quality of the Banyan Tree show. Each year, more gets added to this experience and the sheer volume of fire effects is outstanding. Combined with the energetic dancing and lively soundtrack, this show is a spectacle from beginning to end and is something that the park should be very proud of.
So with all that in mind, we could have ended our day at Chessington and gone home quite happy with a fun filled day of scares and entertainment. But like gluttons for punishment, we signed up to do the two After Dark versions of the mazes. Described as "Extreme" and given a waiver to sign - we thought we knew what we were letting ourselves in for. How wrong we were!
From the moment we entered Creepy Caves after dark we were sworn at, manhandled, vomitted over, climbed upon and generally abused in just about every way possible. Our run through the maze was hampered by actors screaming at us, dragging us apart, pushing us into confined spaces etc. After what seemed like forever, we finally made it to "the button" and genuinely had second thoughts about whether we should press it or not. As it was - when the creatures arrived our finale was chaotic, up close and very very touchy feely. Although we were terrified, we were laughing at the same time which soon came to an end when one of the actors literally picked us up and carried us out of the maze in a fireman's hold over his shoulder (we must apologise to this poor actor - we hope they didn't put their back out lifting us!)
Once outside it really took a good few minutes to get our breath back! We all kind of stood there looking at each other saying "what the hell was that!?"
Our other extreme experience was Vile Villagers and we thought it couldn't be any worse than Creepy Caves. Turns out we were wrong again!
With less maze elements this extreme run through relied predominantly on the actions of the actors who were definitely living up to their name of "vile villagers". Between us we were tied up, pulled to the ground, manhandled, belched upon etc. We thought the Creepy Caves team were hands on well this was a different level. These actors had NO concept of personal space and taunted us mercilessly throughout. We don't fully remember everything that happened, but like a war veteran having PTSD flashbacks we keep having visions of the team being ridden like horses, barricaded in stocks and being covered in mud and straw that we spent hours picking out of our clothes afterwards!
It really is a cliche that we say every year, but it's still amazing that all this happens in a such a family friendly theme park. But one thing we must say is that although these run throughs are extreme in nature, it is clear that the team aren't taking things too far and there's no risk of anyone actually getting hurt or too offended by anything!
So, well done Chessington on another incredible line up. We can't wait to see what replaces Creepy Caves in 2023 and whether they do anything to tie in with the new Jumanji area opening next year.
In a first for the park, the intensity of the scare attractions have been ranked by ages, giving a scary, very scary and a super scary version of each one. Of course, being scare enthusiasts we decided to leave the milder scare versions and go straight for the main shows that were running for the majority of guests. You can also read about our extreme runs later in this review.
We started our visit with a trip into the Creepy Caves. Now in its final year at the park, the story is that we have been sent into the caves to kill off the deadly plant once and for all. Our job was simple, get in , survive the creatures, and detonate the big stash of dynamite waiting at the end.
One of the things that amazes us about Creepy Caves is just how insanely intense the experience is, and this final version is no different. The actors throughout were easily some of the most active we had seen this Halloween and were literally leaping around the set trying to scare us multiple times. We have said it before - but it still astounds us that some kids actually go through this - it terrifies us as grown adults! In fact, we were so scared that we forgot about our quest so when we finally arrived at the dynamite we just pressed the button regardless. Sadly, this just signalled to the actors where we were, and the finale was suitably chaotic as creatures attacked us from all sides!
Our other daytime experience was Vile Villagers, a walkthrough Scare Zone in the shadow of the Vampire rollercoaster. This attraction is much less intense than Creepy Caves but was a great introduction to the slightly more scared guest. Some nice scenery and fun characterisation help to tell the story of a village suffering a vampire curse.
Elsewhere around the park, there seems to have been a lot of effort put into the entertainment offering, with the Witches casting a spell over Adventure Point, the Trick or Treat Town on the Mane stage and the Banyan Tree in Wild Asia.
At this point we must call out the sheer quality of the Banyan Tree show. Each year, more gets added to this experience and the sheer volume of fire effects is outstanding. Combined with the energetic dancing and lively soundtrack, this show is a spectacle from beginning to end and is something that the park should be very proud of.
So with all that in mind, we could have ended our day at Chessington and gone home quite happy with a fun filled day of scares and entertainment. But like gluttons for punishment, we signed up to do the two After Dark versions of the mazes. Described as "Extreme" and given a waiver to sign - we thought we knew what we were letting ourselves in for. How wrong we were!
From the moment we entered Creepy Caves after dark we were sworn at, manhandled, vomitted over, climbed upon and generally abused in just about every way possible. Our run through the maze was hampered by actors screaming at us, dragging us apart, pushing us into confined spaces etc. After what seemed like forever, we finally made it to "the button" and genuinely had second thoughts about whether we should press it or not. As it was - when the creatures arrived our finale was chaotic, up close and very very touchy feely. Although we were terrified, we were laughing at the same time which soon came to an end when one of the actors literally picked us up and carried us out of the maze in a fireman's hold over his shoulder (we must apologise to this poor actor - we hope they didn't put their back out lifting us!)
Once outside it really took a good few minutes to get our breath back! We all kind of stood there looking at each other saying "what the hell was that!?"
Our other extreme experience was Vile Villagers and we thought it couldn't be any worse than Creepy Caves. Turns out we were wrong again!
With less maze elements this extreme run through relied predominantly on the actions of the actors who were definitely living up to their name of "vile villagers". Between us we were tied up, pulled to the ground, manhandled, belched upon etc. We thought the Creepy Caves team were hands on well this was a different level. These actors had NO concept of personal space and taunted us mercilessly throughout. We don't fully remember everything that happened, but like a war veteran having PTSD flashbacks we keep having visions of the team being ridden like horses, barricaded in stocks and being covered in mud and straw that we spent hours picking out of our clothes afterwards!
It really is a cliche that we say every year, but it's still amazing that all this happens in a such a family friendly theme park. But one thing we must say is that although these run throughs are extreme in nature, it is clear that the team aren't taking things too far and there's no risk of anyone actually getting hurt or too offended by anything!
So, well done Chessington on another incredible line up. We can't wait to see what replaces Creepy Caves in 2023 and whether they do anything to tie in with the new Jumanji area opening next year.
Chessington Howl'o'ween 2021
Obviously, our main interest when visiting Chessington is for the “non-family friendly” scare maze Creepy Caves Resurgence. This year has seen very little change in the attraction and story but we must comment on just how mad and physical the staff were. From the moment we entered until we were chased out the entrance, we were attacked non stop by the terrifyingly vocal and lively actors. We were totally scared throughout – which is not something we can often say in scare mazes!
Around the rest of the park, the entertainments team have done a really amazing job to provide Halloween spooks around every corner. We watched the intro show (as the witches were summoned the creatures to haunt the park) and everywhere we went there was some kind of live entertainment. From the aggressive street dance of the Banyan Tree, through to the comedy and swashbuckling of the pirates, the sheer volume of entertainment was unbeatable.
Fortunately, we managed to catch all the entertainment offerings including the main show on the Mane stage which provided an upbeat spooky show with a number of fun surprises and special effects.
Elsewhere in the park – the walkway past the Vampire had been turned into a walkthrough/scare- zone called “vile Villagers”. Although not that scary – this experience did have a great mix of horror and humour which entertained the smaller guests but wasn’t condescending to adults and still provided some fun.
We always have a great time at Chessington for Halloween, and it isn’t just because Creepy Caves is so scary. We just love the way that the management just let Halloween over-run the park and the atmosphere is suitably spooky throughout. The park at has a great mix of Spooky entertainment, shows, rides and animals and it all adds up to a perfect event for a family with different intensity experience catering for all tastes. With the main scare maze remaining unchanged in 2021, we look forward to seeing what Halloween brings next year.
Around the rest of the park, the entertainments team have done a really amazing job to provide Halloween spooks around every corner. We watched the intro show (as the witches were summoned the creatures to haunt the park) and everywhere we went there was some kind of live entertainment. From the aggressive street dance of the Banyan Tree, through to the comedy and swashbuckling of the pirates, the sheer volume of entertainment was unbeatable.
Fortunately, we managed to catch all the entertainment offerings including the main show on the Mane stage which provided an upbeat spooky show with a number of fun surprises and special effects.
Elsewhere in the park – the walkway past the Vampire had been turned into a walkthrough/scare- zone called “vile Villagers”. Although not that scary – this experience did have a great mix of horror and humour which entertained the smaller guests but wasn’t condescending to adults and still provided some fun.
We always have a great time at Chessington for Halloween, and it isn’t just because Creepy Caves is so scary. We just love the way that the management just let Halloween over-run the park and the atmosphere is suitably spooky throughout. The park at has a great mix of Spooky entertainment, shows, rides and animals and it all adds up to a perfect event for a family with different intensity experience catering for all tastes. With the main scare maze remaining unchanged in 2021, we look forward to seeing what Halloween brings next year.
Chessington Howl'o'ween 2020
Looking back over previous reviews of Creepy Caves, it is clear that there is one thing we remark just about every year. And that is "how does something this scary exist in a family friendly theme park?" It really isn't overhyping the experience to say that, so when we heard the attraction was getting a new story, we worried that they might tame it down a bit. In fact, it's the complete opposite, as they have made it even scarier!
Entering the attraction at the old exit point, the show started out feeling bright and clinical before chaos erupted and we were shoved into the bedlam that was the cave section. Like before - the actors were some of the liveliest we have seen all Halloween, and they were literally throwing themselves around the sets, making so much noise with weapons against the hard metal walls. With so many hiding spaces in the darkness, we never knew where they would attack from next, and the whole group were left hugging each other and screaming in fright!
Another thing to mention is how much darker the maze now seems to be, which works perfectly with the illuminated masks of the actors. Several times we jumped just as a lit up face would suddenly appear out of the darkness. Of course there was no way we could hear anyone creeping up on us, as the maze echoed with the sounds of heavy dance music such as Prodigy's Firestarter (which itself was an apt choice due to one of the special effects later in the show!)
All in - our time in Creepy Caves Resurgence was one of the scariest we have had this Halloween, as everything about it worked so perfectly to make a terrifying assault on the senses. In fact one of the team went back though later on his own and was serenaded by one of the creatures singing "All by Myself" as he was chased through the maze!
Elsewhere around the resort, a number of live actors have been added to the rides including Tomb Baster, Rattlesnake and the Vampire. These were nice touches, and although they weren't always scary, the actors in the Vampire queue were doing a great job catching people unaware (especially the gravedigger and the vampire in the dark corridors before the ride station.)
A couple of times a day, these characters would leave their spots for a little routine in the main square. These processions are unannounced to present people gathering due to social distancing.
The final extra this year (apart from a children's show on the main stage) is the Tale of the Banyan Tree. Once darkness falls, an impressive light and fire show is presented in the Wild Asia region of the park and this, alongside the park wide theming and lighting, created a really good Halloween atmosphere.
We had a great day and evening at the park, and the incredible scares of the Creepy Caves really were the cherry on the top of the cake. We have said it before, but we really must reiterate this - don't ever write off Chessington Howloween as purely a family event just because it only has one scare maze. If you are any kind of fan of scare attractions, then you HAVE to visit the park to experience Creepy Caves Resurgence for yourself!
Entering the attraction at the old exit point, the show started out feeling bright and clinical before chaos erupted and we were shoved into the bedlam that was the cave section. Like before - the actors were some of the liveliest we have seen all Halloween, and they were literally throwing themselves around the sets, making so much noise with weapons against the hard metal walls. With so many hiding spaces in the darkness, we never knew where they would attack from next, and the whole group were left hugging each other and screaming in fright!
Another thing to mention is how much darker the maze now seems to be, which works perfectly with the illuminated masks of the actors. Several times we jumped just as a lit up face would suddenly appear out of the darkness. Of course there was no way we could hear anyone creeping up on us, as the maze echoed with the sounds of heavy dance music such as Prodigy's Firestarter (which itself was an apt choice due to one of the special effects later in the show!)
All in - our time in Creepy Caves Resurgence was one of the scariest we have had this Halloween, as everything about it worked so perfectly to make a terrifying assault on the senses. In fact one of the team went back though later on his own and was serenaded by one of the creatures singing "All by Myself" as he was chased through the maze!
Elsewhere around the resort, a number of live actors have been added to the rides including Tomb Baster, Rattlesnake and the Vampire. These were nice touches, and although they weren't always scary, the actors in the Vampire queue were doing a great job catching people unaware (especially the gravedigger and the vampire in the dark corridors before the ride station.)
A couple of times a day, these characters would leave their spots for a little routine in the main square. These processions are unannounced to present people gathering due to social distancing.
The final extra this year (apart from a children's show on the main stage) is the Tale of the Banyan Tree. Once darkness falls, an impressive light and fire show is presented in the Wild Asia region of the park and this, alongside the park wide theming and lighting, created a really good Halloween atmosphere.
We had a great day and evening at the park, and the incredible scares of the Creepy Caves really were the cherry on the top of the cake. We have said it before, but we really must reiterate this - don't ever write off Chessington Howloween as purely a family event just because it only has one scare maze. If you are any kind of fan of scare attractions, then you HAVE to visit the park to experience Creepy Caves Resurgence for yourself!
Chessington Howl'o'ween 2019
2019 has seen a number of operational changes to this year's Howl'o'ween event - most notably the inclusion of Creepy Caves Unearthed in the entrance ticket (as opposed to an up-charge attraction) and the removal of Curse of the Lost Tomb. But what did this mean for us scare lovers?
First up, Spyders is a new show that has replaced the Lost Tomb and tells the story of the ongoing war between humans and spiders, through a number of interactive scenes and vignettes. As you would expect the whole show is fairly lighthearted, but could scare smaller guests - especially with the giant spider costumes used throughout. The sets and rooms are nicely decorated, but not quite as elaborately themed as the main show rooms of the Tomb. One of our favourite scenes was with the Black widow in the wine cellar - her vampy, flirtatious character was as entertaining to the adults as it was to the kids. A couple of things we did struggle with in this attraction was a) the unnecessarily long rhyme we were supposed to remember (none of us could, so had to be prompted) and b) the quite frankly nightmare inducing finale. With a human tied up in a giant spider's web, we kind of expected a quick lesson in what spiders do for us and that humans and spiders would agree to live in peace - ie a happy ending. What we actually witnessed was the human eaten alive by the giant spider! It was genuinely unsettling and quite dark for a kids attraction. Although we enjoyed Spyders and it was nice to see something different for this year, we personally felt that the Lost Tomb was a more rounded attraction.
The park itself was beautifully decorated just about everywhere you looked, and really came to life as the darkness fell, with very impressive lighting all over. We also caught this years Halloween stage show in the dark, and it is clear it is designed to be seen like this . The entrance of the dancers was actually quite intimidating and could easily scare little kids (yay!) The lighting and ensuing fire effects all popped in the darkness adding a real class and energy to the show.
But of course our minds were on a certain cave system not that far away, as we had signed up to experience the adults only Creepy Caves After Dark. We already loved the normal version of Creepy Caves Unearthed, but had heard horror stories about how intense the new show would be. It didn't help that we were forced to sign disclaimers that basically gave the team permission to do what they wanted to us. Nervously we went in...
From the start, it was clear that Creepy Caves After Dark has been designed for a strictly adult audience. Even in the batching area, the actors were aggressive and sweary, and although the show followed the same format as the regular daytime one, everything was ramped up off the scale. So once we were through the opening scenes and the "creatures" had escaped, we were fair game for anything. Literally anything. It's hard to remember just what happened, as the next ten minutes were some of the most chaotic we have ever experienced in a UK attraction. Thankfully eschewing the messy or degrading nature of so called "extreme attractions", everything that happened to us was tasteful, clean but absolutely terrifying. We were chased, cornered, pinned against the wall, had our personal space completely invaded, and in later scenes we saw people picked up and carried off. We actually had a lady in our group picked up in a fireman's hold and slung across an actor's shoulders and carted around the maze!
The intense nature continued through to the final where we were hooded, forced onto our knees and had multiple creatures attacking each of us. Some of us were knocked to the floor, and one of us had a creature laying on top of them. It was total carnage and as much as we were all screaming, we were also all killing ourselves laughing! Once they had finished their fun, we were forcibly pushed out the final door and out into the fresh air to ponder what the hell just happened.
The fact that such an intense attraction can be found in a family theme park still amazes us. We understand that the main show has been slightly tamed down now that it is included in park entry, so the last runs of the day are a chance for the actors to let off steam. They certainly gave us hell - and for that we are (bizarrely) all thankful!
So we had a great time at Chessington and enjoyed all of this year's Halloween entertainment. The fact there are so many different levels of intensity of attractions, means that a whole family can visit the park and everyone can find something to their taste. We of course would hate for any scare newbie to go straight into Creepy Caves After Dark as we think that would probably break them for life. But for people like us looking to push ourselves safely , this was a great event, and one we cant wait to return to!
First up, Spyders is a new show that has replaced the Lost Tomb and tells the story of the ongoing war between humans and spiders, through a number of interactive scenes and vignettes. As you would expect the whole show is fairly lighthearted, but could scare smaller guests - especially with the giant spider costumes used throughout. The sets and rooms are nicely decorated, but not quite as elaborately themed as the main show rooms of the Tomb. One of our favourite scenes was with the Black widow in the wine cellar - her vampy, flirtatious character was as entertaining to the adults as it was to the kids. A couple of things we did struggle with in this attraction was a) the unnecessarily long rhyme we were supposed to remember (none of us could, so had to be prompted) and b) the quite frankly nightmare inducing finale. With a human tied up in a giant spider's web, we kind of expected a quick lesson in what spiders do for us and that humans and spiders would agree to live in peace - ie a happy ending. What we actually witnessed was the human eaten alive by the giant spider! It was genuinely unsettling and quite dark for a kids attraction. Although we enjoyed Spyders and it was nice to see something different for this year, we personally felt that the Lost Tomb was a more rounded attraction.
The park itself was beautifully decorated just about everywhere you looked, and really came to life as the darkness fell, with very impressive lighting all over. We also caught this years Halloween stage show in the dark, and it is clear it is designed to be seen like this . The entrance of the dancers was actually quite intimidating and could easily scare little kids (yay!) The lighting and ensuing fire effects all popped in the darkness adding a real class and energy to the show.
But of course our minds were on a certain cave system not that far away, as we had signed up to experience the adults only Creepy Caves After Dark. We already loved the normal version of Creepy Caves Unearthed, but had heard horror stories about how intense the new show would be. It didn't help that we were forced to sign disclaimers that basically gave the team permission to do what they wanted to us. Nervously we went in...
From the start, it was clear that Creepy Caves After Dark has been designed for a strictly adult audience. Even in the batching area, the actors were aggressive and sweary, and although the show followed the same format as the regular daytime one, everything was ramped up off the scale. So once we were through the opening scenes and the "creatures" had escaped, we were fair game for anything. Literally anything. It's hard to remember just what happened, as the next ten minutes were some of the most chaotic we have ever experienced in a UK attraction. Thankfully eschewing the messy or degrading nature of so called "extreme attractions", everything that happened to us was tasteful, clean but absolutely terrifying. We were chased, cornered, pinned against the wall, had our personal space completely invaded, and in later scenes we saw people picked up and carried off. We actually had a lady in our group picked up in a fireman's hold and slung across an actor's shoulders and carted around the maze!
The intense nature continued through to the final where we were hooded, forced onto our knees and had multiple creatures attacking each of us. Some of us were knocked to the floor, and one of us had a creature laying on top of them. It was total carnage and as much as we were all screaming, we were also all killing ourselves laughing! Once they had finished their fun, we were forcibly pushed out the final door and out into the fresh air to ponder what the hell just happened.
The fact that such an intense attraction can be found in a family theme park still amazes us. We understand that the main show has been slightly tamed down now that it is included in park entry, so the last runs of the day are a chance for the actors to let off steam. They certainly gave us hell - and for that we are (bizarrely) all thankful!
So we had a great time at Chessington and enjoyed all of this year's Halloween entertainment. The fact there are so many different levels of intensity of attractions, means that a whole family can visit the park and everyone can find something to their taste. We of course would hate for any scare newbie to go straight into Creepy Caves After Dark as we think that would probably break them for life. But for people like us looking to push ourselves safely , this was a great event, and one we cant wait to return to!
Chessington Howl'o'ween 2018
Last year everyone was talking about Creepy Caves Unearthed at Chessington. The main point being how could a family friendly theme park produce such an intense attraction? It was a massive risk for the park but one that paid off handsomely as the reviews were all extremely positive, with the attraction even winning a SCAR award at ScareCON.
So, what have they decided to do this year? Tone down the scares? No. Keep it the same? No. In an even braver move they seem to have made the attraction even scarier! Once inside the main compound area the actors were the liveliest we have seen all year. They just seemed to be bouncing off the walls, and just continued scaring us from beginning to end. The energy in this attraction was incredible and we screamed virtually all the way round. If you haven’t been to Chessington to visit the Caves then you are definitely missing a real treat!
Also returning is Curse of the Lost Tomb – the more family friendly scare maze. Although aimed at the younger audience there were still some genuinely good scares in this maze which made us jump. We looked at some of the brave kids in our group and all agreed that we would never have done something this scary when we were that young. Kids these days eh?
The final attraction is the Trick or Treat Wood which is aimed at small kids and doesn’t rely on any scares. Sadly, we were pushed for time so didn’t experience it this year but have done it in the past and is great fun for children.
One thing we made sure we didn’t miss is the new stage show that is presented throughout the day. Replacing the flash mob of last year, the new production was a tightly choreographed celebration of Halloween with a very talented cast of singers and dancers. With multiple costume changes and a medley of Halloween hits it really was a joyous celebration of the season, and one not to miss at the park.
We said this last year, but Chessington is often overlooked when people think about scare events and we think this needs to change. The line up of events has something for everyone and with rides and great theming all over the park, we would highly recommend this amazing event!
So, what have they decided to do this year? Tone down the scares? No. Keep it the same? No. In an even braver move they seem to have made the attraction even scarier! Once inside the main compound area the actors were the liveliest we have seen all year. They just seemed to be bouncing off the walls, and just continued scaring us from beginning to end. The energy in this attraction was incredible and we screamed virtually all the way round. If you haven’t been to Chessington to visit the Caves then you are definitely missing a real treat!
Also returning is Curse of the Lost Tomb – the more family friendly scare maze. Although aimed at the younger audience there were still some genuinely good scares in this maze which made us jump. We looked at some of the brave kids in our group and all agreed that we would never have done something this scary when we were that young. Kids these days eh?
The final attraction is the Trick or Treat Wood which is aimed at small kids and doesn’t rely on any scares. Sadly, we were pushed for time so didn’t experience it this year but have done it in the past and is great fun for children.
One thing we made sure we didn’t miss is the new stage show that is presented throughout the day. Replacing the flash mob of last year, the new production was a tightly choreographed celebration of Halloween with a very talented cast of singers and dancers. With multiple costume changes and a medley of Halloween hits it really was a joyous celebration of the season, and one not to miss at the park.
We said this last year, but Chessington is often overlooked when people think about scare events and we think this needs to change. The line up of events has something for everyone and with rides and great theming all over the park, we would highly recommend this amazing event!
Chessington Howl'o'ween 2017
Chessington have been celebrating Halloween for over 20 years in some shape or form, but it is in recent years, where they have added more and more scare based entertainment to the line up, including Hocus Pocus Hall Live, Mystery of Hocus Pocus Hall and The Vampire: The Haunting in the Hollows.
All have been very entertaining and perfectly targeted at thrill seeking youngsters, but for 2017, the park decided they wanted to get scary. And by that we mean REALLY scary! In the search for a new location, the closed Creepy Caves were identified and over the summer period has been gutted and completely transformed . The transformation itself was no easy task – the floors inside the animal cages obviously contained animal waste so couldn’t just be binned, and some of the walls were nearly two feet thick ( the building used to be part of a polar bear enclosure before the critters moved in!)
The work and effort involved was definitely worth it, as the finished attraction is stunning. Mixing a theatrical story line with some very aggressive scares and monsters, Creepy Caves Unearthed actually had a few more scares that some of its counterparts at other Merlin parks! It genuinely was that scary and we saw many people running out the end terrified. It doesn’t help that despite a 12 + age restriction people were still trying to take their kids in, thinking it was just another family attraction. In our group we saw several absolutely traumatised kids and the actors weren’t going easy on them! We were genuinely surprised at the intensity of this attraction and felt the re purposing of the reptile enclosures was perfectly execute,d especially with some of the enclosures providing some great hiding places for the very lively actors!
Returning to the event is the Curse of the Lost Tomb, which has had a few technical tweaks during its build. The show is a more family friendly experience, which still manages some great jumps and an engaging atmosphere. The sets are really detailed and immersive and the actors along the way are more theatrical than scary. Saying that, the actors mixed with the multiple stunning effects and combined to make a scarily fun show that left this group of adults screaming It’s a perfect training ground for scare attraction enthusiasts of the future!
By adding the scare maze, Chessington have really ensured their line up includes something for everyone. Adults and very brave older kids can do the Caves, brave smaller kids can do the Tombs and toddlers can enjoy Room on the Broom story telling session, the Halloween theming around the park, and a fun flash mob in the main square. Not bad for a family theme park!
All have been very entertaining and perfectly targeted at thrill seeking youngsters, but for 2017, the park decided they wanted to get scary. And by that we mean REALLY scary! In the search for a new location, the closed Creepy Caves were identified and over the summer period has been gutted and completely transformed . The transformation itself was no easy task – the floors inside the animal cages obviously contained animal waste so couldn’t just be binned, and some of the walls were nearly two feet thick ( the building used to be part of a polar bear enclosure before the critters moved in!)
The work and effort involved was definitely worth it, as the finished attraction is stunning. Mixing a theatrical story line with some very aggressive scares and monsters, Creepy Caves Unearthed actually had a few more scares that some of its counterparts at other Merlin parks! It genuinely was that scary and we saw many people running out the end terrified. It doesn’t help that despite a 12 + age restriction people were still trying to take their kids in, thinking it was just another family attraction. In our group we saw several absolutely traumatised kids and the actors weren’t going easy on them! We were genuinely surprised at the intensity of this attraction and felt the re purposing of the reptile enclosures was perfectly execute,d especially with some of the enclosures providing some great hiding places for the very lively actors!
Returning to the event is the Curse of the Lost Tomb, which has had a few technical tweaks during its build. The show is a more family friendly experience, which still manages some great jumps and an engaging atmosphere. The sets are really detailed and immersive and the actors along the way are more theatrical than scary. Saying that, the actors mixed with the multiple stunning effects and combined to make a scarily fun show that left this group of adults screaming It’s a perfect training ground for scare attraction enthusiasts of the future!
By adding the scare maze, Chessington have really ensured their line up includes something for everyone. Adults and very brave older kids can do the Caves, brave smaller kids can do the Tombs and toddlers can enjoy Room on the Broom story telling session, the Halloween theming around the park, and a fun flash mob in the main square. Not bad for a family theme park!
Chessington Howl'o'ween 2014
Chessington World of Adventures is predominantly a family theme park and over the years have tried many different types of attraction to celebrate Halloween. In 2012 they ventured just a little bit darker and introduced the Haunting in the Hollows, a genuinely scary attraction that upped the scare level in the park and last year Hocus Pocus Hall saw a transformation into a brand new attraction. Now in 2014 - the whole event has been re-branded into Howl'o'ween and we were recently invited along for a sneak peek at the line up (plus the chance to try a few rides in the dark!)
Despite the name change - there isn't much to differentiate the old Hocus Pocus from Howl'o'ween. The two signature attractions remain the same as last year, but the park has focussed on new entertainment offerings such as the Pumpkin High School of Rock, and the Hairy and Scary shows. Both were entertaining for smaller guests and the chance to get up close to some creepy crawlies is always a highlight for most kids at Halloween!
The scariest attraction in the Chessington line up is Vampire; Haunting in the Hollows and it still surprises us quite how scary this can be inside a family theme park. The whole attraction builds up successfully from outdoor sections to a truly intense finale that left both the adults and kids in our group jumping in fright. The show is a mix of character led narrative with a couple of surprises along the way, as well as some high impact scares. It is impressive how the park have managed to keep this attraction on the right side of scary. It's certainly very jumpy and it's subject matter (bodies drained of blood coming back to life) is actually quite adult in content yet the park have managed to create something that will appeal to young and old. Just make sure you have a firm grip on your young ones when you go through- not for them though - it's just a good excuse for you to have something warm and comforting to grab onto!
The Mystery of Hocus Pocus Hall is back this year with another mix of mystery, mild peril and impressive storytelling. As before - the attraction is a complete makeover of Hocus Pocus Hall and creates an exciting magical experience that is immersive and entertaining
The building is once again unrecognisable, but some of the standing effects (trommel tunnel and mirror maze) are used to great effect and complement the story. The main show seemed a little less scary than last year (there were less sudden appearances by actors) but the mirror maze was populated by a number of unnerving creatures lurking around every corner which left smaller members of our group a bit nervous. The whole design and concept of The Mystery of Hocus Pocus Hall is a brilliant use of the existing attraction and could easily be changed out in future with different" lands" to keep the attraction fresh.
The building is once again unrecognisable, but some of the standing effects (trommel tunnel and mirror maze) are used to great effect and complement the story. The main show seemed a little less scary than last year (there were less sudden appearances by actors) but the mirror maze was populated by a number of unnerving creatures lurking around every corner which left smaller members of our group a bit nervous. The whole design and concept of The Mystery of Hocus Pocus Hall is a brilliant use of the existing attraction and could easily be changed out in future with different" lands" to keep the attraction fresh.
Chessington have to be praised for the professionalism and level of detail in both these shows and the fact that neither of them talk down or condescend their target audience. Hocus Pocus Hall was magical with a few darker scary elements and the Vampire walk was just scary. Many people will leave Chessington off their to do list this year and that would be a grave mistake. The park is a perfect place for families and a great way to get your kids into something a bit scarier.
For opening times and details check out the Chessington World of Adventures website
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