Fear at Avon Valley - 2023
Following the 2022 additions of The Core and The Exorcism, it looked (well at least on paper) that there would be nothing new for 2023. As it was - there were are a number of key changes throughout the event.
First up was the new laser and sound show in the New World Order area. This show kicks off every 20 minutes and really added to the theming of this area. We hadn't really thought about it before but this area, and the themes of the mazes contained within, are a complete polar opposite to the carnival atmosphere of the front of the park. We've heard of theme parks having different themed areas but apart from Wastelands at Tulleys (which is in effect just one maze) this is the first time we've seen it a scream park!
Of course, all three attractions in this New World Order area gave us impressively scary experiences, with our highlight being a complete solo version of Vita Nova. Somehow we managed to make it all the way through this maze without bumping into any one else in our group. We could hear them screaming around us but had no idea where they were and just had to keep going forward and face our fears. It really was terrifying - but was great fun at the same time!
In The Core - it was harder to get split from our group, but this time we were actually grateful for the safety in numbers. It just seemed that in the second year, the actors have found a way to be a bit more active within the water. There still aren't places where the actors can actually use the water as a hiding place (as we mentioned last year with Below at Walibi Holland) but we had some really fun scares in our waders!
Finishing out the trilogy - X4 was as chaotically loud and scary as it has always been. The actors throughout this maze just seemed to come out of nowhere and used a lot of sudden startle techniques that genuinely left us screaming. Before leaving the area, we spent time with some of the add on experiences such as Axe throwing and the bottle smash stall.
Back out in the main arena - we obviously stopped to take in the hourly fire show. Fire has become such common place at scream parks around the UK, but Fear were the originators and still place their show at the front and centre of the park. The sheer power (and heat) that comes from the show always amazes, and we stopped several times through the night just to watch it again!
Of the three returning attractions in this part of the park, Malefica has easily seen the most changes. First up - the entire route has been reversed - and the addition of a number of new scenes, makes it feel like a completely brand new experience. We also have to mention the incredibly acrobatic performers who seemed to be bending themselves in two, throughout this maze. The physical nature of these actors meant that we had some incredible scares. How those actors were able to do that night on night was beyond us!
And talking of acrobatic - the poor actor playing Evelyn Grace really has her work cut out for her. To perform this incredibly physical show every 15 minutes would test even the limits of the fittest person. The show hasn't changed from 2022 but remains totally terrifying with a number of great scares and surprises throughout. It still amazes us that none of the actors fall over in the darkness, but even now - having experienced this show multiple times over the last two years, it still manages to unsettle and terrify us in equal measures.
The final experience of the night was House of Clowns which still remains one if the UK's most intense clown mazes. Attacks seemed to come from everywhere, and with a number of sudden air and sound effects in the finale, we all left with massive similes on our faces.
So there we have it - despite the park not officially announcing anything new for 2023, there were a number of changes across the event which all just added to our enjoyment of the night. We cant find fault in any of the attractions and entertainment at Fear At Avon Valley and when we weren't in a show, we would just soak up the atmosphere from the roaming characters. For a park that only started under ten years ago, it is really easy to see how they have won so many awards since then, and why the event is so universally loved!
First up was the new laser and sound show in the New World Order area. This show kicks off every 20 minutes and really added to the theming of this area. We hadn't really thought about it before but this area, and the themes of the mazes contained within, are a complete polar opposite to the carnival atmosphere of the front of the park. We've heard of theme parks having different themed areas but apart from Wastelands at Tulleys (which is in effect just one maze) this is the first time we've seen it a scream park!
Of course, all three attractions in this New World Order area gave us impressively scary experiences, with our highlight being a complete solo version of Vita Nova. Somehow we managed to make it all the way through this maze without bumping into any one else in our group. We could hear them screaming around us but had no idea where they were and just had to keep going forward and face our fears. It really was terrifying - but was great fun at the same time!
In The Core - it was harder to get split from our group, but this time we were actually grateful for the safety in numbers. It just seemed that in the second year, the actors have found a way to be a bit more active within the water. There still aren't places where the actors can actually use the water as a hiding place (as we mentioned last year with Below at Walibi Holland) but we had some really fun scares in our waders!
Finishing out the trilogy - X4 was as chaotically loud and scary as it has always been. The actors throughout this maze just seemed to come out of nowhere and used a lot of sudden startle techniques that genuinely left us screaming. Before leaving the area, we spent time with some of the add on experiences such as Axe throwing and the bottle smash stall.
Back out in the main arena - we obviously stopped to take in the hourly fire show. Fire has become such common place at scream parks around the UK, but Fear were the originators and still place their show at the front and centre of the park. The sheer power (and heat) that comes from the show always amazes, and we stopped several times through the night just to watch it again!
Of the three returning attractions in this part of the park, Malefica has easily seen the most changes. First up - the entire route has been reversed - and the addition of a number of new scenes, makes it feel like a completely brand new experience. We also have to mention the incredibly acrobatic performers who seemed to be bending themselves in two, throughout this maze. The physical nature of these actors meant that we had some incredible scares. How those actors were able to do that night on night was beyond us!
And talking of acrobatic - the poor actor playing Evelyn Grace really has her work cut out for her. To perform this incredibly physical show every 15 minutes would test even the limits of the fittest person. The show hasn't changed from 2022 but remains totally terrifying with a number of great scares and surprises throughout. It still amazes us that none of the actors fall over in the darkness, but even now - having experienced this show multiple times over the last two years, it still manages to unsettle and terrify us in equal measures.
The final experience of the night was House of Clowns which still remains one if the UK's most intense clown mazes. Attacks seemed to come from everywhere, and with a number of sudden air and sound effects in the finale, we all left with massive similes on our faces.
So there we have it - despite the park not officially announcing anything new for 2023, there were a number of changes across the event which all just added to our enjoyment of the night. We cant find fault in any of the attractions and entertainment at Fear At Avon Valley and when we weren't in a show, we would just soak up the atmosphere from the roaming characters. For a park that only started under ten years ago, it is really easy to see how they have won so many awards since then, and why the event is so universally loved!
Fear at Avon Valley - 2022
Having won the best scream park award at ScareCON in May, Fear at Avon Valley could have just sat back and done nothing for 2022. But the team at Fear aren't like that, and for this year they have created not one, but two brand new attractions. But before we get to those - lets talk about the returning line up - all very strong mazes in their own right.
We started the night with House of Clowns which was as chaotic as we remember it from previous years. The clowns seemed omnipresent throughout the maze with multiple attacks coming from all sides. The finale being particularly mad as the crazy crowns used the intense strobe lighting to their advantage as we tried to find our way out.
We then nervously decided to check into the Sisters of Mercy church, to see what the evil nuns of Malefica had been up to since last year. Unfortunately for us - time has not slowed down these crazed creatures, and we had a genuinely terrifying run through. Everything about this maze is outstanding - from the detailed sets, the extremely lively actors and of course that crazy finale as the church burned down around us.
After leaving the main event arena we moved up to the New World Order trilogy and experienced the three mazes in the order they opened. First up - X4 was as crazy and manic as before. The deceptively slow start to this attraction is soon jettisoned out the window, as the creatures escaped and hunted us round the facility. The scares came thick and fact through this maze with some very fast and startling scares from the actors.
Our final returning maze was Vita Nova - which for all intents and purposes might as well be advertised as an "alone" attraction. From the original batching where we were selectively picked to enter the maze on our own, through to the constant attempts by actors to split us up whenever we managed to find each other, we all experienced most of this maze as a solo group. Which just made the scares even more terrifying. As a counterpoint to the other mazes so far, Vita Nova really is a unique experience.
So the final maze in the trilogy is The Core - which is one of the brand new attractions for 2022. It's not really a spoiler anymore to say that this is the UK's first "water maze" where guests are instructed to wear waders before entering. There really is something unique about walking knee deep through cold water, and the sets throughout the experience really helped create the feeling of being underground in a sewer. The other gimmick in this maze was the use of handheld torches, that have been fitted with Haunted Lantern technology. These torches would turn themselves off intermittently or start to flash giving us something else to worry about!
Having experienced Below at Walibi Holland in the past, we couldn't help but compare the two mazes, and this leads us to the follow observation. Basically despite the attraction being set in water, it doesn't really play a part in the scares - its just the theming/environment. In Below, actors actually appear through the water - using waterfalls etc as hiding places in the tunnels, to create a lot of quick impact scares. That's not to say that we didn't have a great time in The Core - and we really have to commend Fear for trying something new, and keeping their line up fresh.
The other new attraction for 2022, is the theatrical show experience - The Exorcism. We really don't want to spoil too much, but the best way to describe it would be like a Dungeons style show on steroids! The experience uses several actors, a number of sound and special effects and large periods of darkness throughout. For the whole of its duration, we were on edge and the experience really left us shaking afterwards. We genuinely weren't expecting a show of this quality and can only only commend Fear for creating something so uniquely scary!
Outside of the mazes, the main event arena was populated with a number of roaming characters who provided great interactions and of course the main stage has the incredible light and fire show. Fire shows seem to very common at parks these days, but this one remains one of the original and best. Alongside the stage, this main arena also includes multiple food stands as well as fairground rides and the bar.
All in we had a great time at Fear At Avon Valley this year. The new additions were stunningly realised and the returning four attractions all remained as intense and scary as ever. If you haven't visited Fear, then you are definitely missing out on a treat. Get it on your to do list for Halloween 2023 now!
We started the night with House of Clowns which was as chaotic as we remember it from previous years. The clowns seemed omnipresent throughout the maze with multiple attacks coming from all sides. The finale being particularly mad as the crazy crowns used the intense strobe lighting to their advantage as we tried to find our way out.
We then nervously decided to check into the Sisters of Mercy church, to see what the evil nuns of Malefica had been up to since last year. Unfortunately for us - time has not slowed down these crazed creatures, and we had a genuinely terrifying run through. Everything about this maze is outstanding - from the detailed sets, the extremely lively actors and of course that crazy finale as the church burned down around us.
After leaving the main event arena we moved up to the New World Order trilogy and experienced the three mazes in the order they opened. First up - X4 was as crazy and manic as before. The deceptively slow start to this attraction is soon jettisoned out the window, as the creatures escaped and hunted us round the facility. The scares came thick and fact through this maze with some very fast and startling scares from the actors.
Our final returning maze was Vita Nova - which for all intents and purposes might as well be advertised as an "alone" attraction. From the original batching where we were selectively picked to enter the maze on our own, through to the constant attempts by actors to split us up whenever we managed to find each other, we all experienced most of this maze as a solo group. Which just made the scares even more terrifying. As a counterpoint to the other mazes so far, Vita Nova really is a unique experience.
So the final maze in the trilogy is The Core - which is one of the brand new attractions for 2022. It's not really a spoiler anymore to say that this is the UK's first "water maze" where guests are instructed to wear waders before entering. There really is something unique about walking knee deep through cold water, and the sets throughout the experience really helped create the feeling of being underground in a sewer. The other gimmick in this maze was the use of handheld torches, that have been fitted with Haunted Lantern technology. These torches would turn themselves off intermittently or start to flash giving us something else to worry about!
Having experienced Below at Walibi Holland in the past, we couldn't help but compare the two mazes, and this leads us to the follow observation. Basically despite the attraction being set in water, it doesn't really play a part in the scares - its just the theming/environment. In Below, actors actually appear through the water - using waterfalls etc as hiding places in the tunnels, to create a lot of quick impact scares. That's not to say that we didn't have a great time in The Core - and we really have to commend Fear for trying something new, and keeping their line up fresh.
The other new attraction for 2022, is the theatrical show experience - The Exorcism. We really don't want to spoil too much, but the best way to describe it would be like a Dungeons style show on steroids! The experience uses several actors, a number of sound and special effects and large periods of darkness throughout. For the whole of its duration, we were on edge and the experience really left us shaking afterwards. We genuinely weren't expecting a show of this quality and can only only commend Fear for creating something so uniquely scary!
Outside of the mazes, the main event arena was populated with a number of roaming characters who provided great interactions and of course the main stage has the incredible light and fire show. Fire shows seem to very common at parks these days, but this one remains one of the original and best. Alongside the stage, this main arena also includes multiple food stands as well as fairground rides and the bar.
All in we had a great time at Fear At Avon Valley this year. The new additions were stunningly realised and the returning four attractions all remained as intense and scary as ever. If you haven't visited Fear, then you are definitely missing out on a treat. Get it on your to do list for Halloween 2023 now!
Fear at Avon Valley - 2021
Fear at Avon Valley is back for 2021 with a brand new maze, loads of new scares and a refreshed desire to scare, after being forced to take a year off in 2020. The atmosphere in the park (once through the revolving clown mouth tunnel) is like a non stop party with loud music, roaming characters, a busy bar area, and of course the now infamous fire show.
It's quite funny to think that fire logo signs, and fire cannons are now quite synonymous with Halloween events these days with large events such Tulleys, York Maze, and Thorpe Park all pushing spectacular fire and lighting packages over recent years. But of course this all started at Fear at Avon Valley - they were the first to put on a stand alone show and even now, the location of the presentation means that it can be seen and heard across the whole site. It remains the original fire show, and in our hearts will remain the best!
A great aspect as well is that all the site audio was connected up as one, so during the shows the whole site (including the fairground rides) played the same soundtrack. There really is nothing worse than an atmospheric show or dramatic magic act being ruined by The Vengaboys blasting from the Waltzer!
Between the fire shows - the magic acts were really impressive and included some elaborate tricks we would have expected to see in a more "controlled " atmosphere than on an open air stage . You can see in the video below that the impaled woman trick worked so perfectly as part of the event, and we have never seen this performed as a carnival act such as this.
But on to the mazes - we decided to work our way through the exiting attractions and finish on Malefica. To be honest - its wouldn't have mattered which way we did them - as they were all equally terrifying!
Anarchy Live is one of the original mazes from when we first visited Fear in its opening year and still remains an insanely chaotic maze full of impact scares and jumps. The simple corridors and strobe lights create a terrifyingly intense experience that just seems to go on for ever. It may sound cliched - but if Anarchy Live doesn't scare you, then you are already dead!
House of Clowns has seen a number of changes for 2021 and seemed far more intense than previous versions. The clowns throughout knew how to work the strobes and flashing lights, and managed to get many many screams from all of us. Clown mazes really are becoming quite passé these days, but House of Clown remains on top of its game, and provided multiple scares and moments of sheer anxiety as we tried to get out.
X4 is probably the most changed of the existing mazes, with more story led scenes added to the experience. Being fans of Phobia - we could see remnants from this past attraction throughout X4, and towards the end the clinical corridors became a lot more organic and alien, as the creatures stalked us through the facility. Like all the other mazes - our group was scared from multiple angles and we we cant praise the actors enough for their agility and enthusiasm.
The final returning maze was Vita Nova which has the unique ability to split groups, separate friends and leave you completely confused as to what is going on. The scares throughout this maze are endless, and this is made so much scarier by the fact that you rarely end up with the people you went in! The thing is - the separation points are done so seamlessly that most of the time, you don't event really realise you are being split up, until you find yourself stood on your own in the dark calling out for your friends. The best solution? Just grab whatever stranger comes your way and try to find a way out!
New for 2021 is Malefica - a nun themed attraction that is probably the most detailed themed attraction that Fear have ever created. The set and room designs were spotless, and we spent ages just trying to take in our surroundings. Which isn't easy when there are demon possessed nuns around every corner. This maze seemed just full of secret hiding places, and we were attacked and stalked mercilessly throughout, The intensity of the scares throughout this maze was as strong as the other 4 mazes, meaning that, in total, the park has five intensely scary attractions on their hands!
The only negative we have to report on our visit was that food service was really slow and we had to wait nearly 45 mins for our meal. We were lucky, that it didn't impact our night, but with maze queues averaging about 30 minutes each - this could have hindered some people. We were advised that this was a one off supply glitch and that the team are already looking to see how this can be corrected for the rest of the Halloween run.
In summary, we thoroughly enjoyed all the shows , atmosphere and mazes at Fear Avon Valley, and think it is one of the most intense but fun scare events out there. Our group jumped and screamed so many times during the night with all the mazes providing great scares throughout. We genuinely believe that the park is at the right size at the moment and shouldn't try to emulate the "more is better" approach of other scream parks. It is clear that the owners and the design team have a real passion for scaring people and we cant wait to see what terrors they have in store for us next time!
It's quite funny to think that fire logo signs, and fire cannons are now quite synonymous with Halloween events these days with large events such Tulleys, York Maze, and Thorpe Park all pushing spectacular fire and lighting packages over recent years. But of course this all started at Fear at Avon Valley - they were the first to put on a stand alone show and even now, the location of the presentation means that it can be seen and heard across the whole site. It remains the original fire show, and in our hearts will remain the best!
A great aspect as well is that all the site audio was connected up as one, so during the shows the whole site (including the fairground rides) played the same soundtrack. There really is nothing worse than an atmospheric show or dramatic magic act being ruined by The Vengaboys blasting from the Waltzer!
Between the fire shows - the magic acts were really impressive and included some elaborate tricks we would have expected to see in a more "controlled " atmosphere than on an open air stage . You can see in the video below that the impaled woman trick worked so perfectly as part of the event, and we have never seen this performed as a carnival act such as this.
But on to the mazes - we decided to work our way through the exiting attractions and finish on Malefica. To be honest - its wouldn't have mattered which way we did them - as they were all equally terrifying!
Anarchy Live is one of the original mazes from when we first visited Fear in its opening year and still remains an insanely chaotic maze full of impact scares and jumps. The simple corridors and strobe lights create a terrifyingly intense experience that just seems to go on for ever. It may sound cliched - but if Anarchy Live doesn't scare you, then you are already dead!
House of Clowns has seen a number of changes for 2021 and seemed far more intense than previous versions. The clowns throughout knew how to work the strobes and flashing lights, and managed to get many many screams from all of us. Clown mazes really are becoming quite passé these days, but House of Clown remains on top of its game, and provided multiple scares and moments of sheer anxiety as we tried to get out.
X4 is probably the most changed of the existing mazes, with more story led scenes added to the experience. Being fans of Phobia - we could see remnants from this past attraction throughout X4, and towards the end the clinical corridors became a lot more organic and alien, as the creatures stalked us through the facility. Like all the other mazes - our group was scared from multiple angles and we we cant praise the actors enough for their agility and enthusiasm.
The final returning maze was Vita Nova which has the unique ability to split groups, separate friends and leave you completely confused as to what is going on. The scares throughout this maze are endless, and this is made so much scarier by the fact that you rarely end up with the people you went in! The thing is - the separation points are done so seamlessly that most of the time, you don't event really realise you are being split up, until you find yourself stood on your own in the dark calling out for your friends. The best solution? Just grab whatever stranger comes your way and try to find a way out!
New for 2021 is Malefica - a nun themed attraction that is probably the most detailed themed attraction that Fear have ever created. The set and room designs were spotless, and we spent ages just trying to take in our surroundings. Which isn't easy when there are demon possessed nuns around every corner. This maze seemed just full of secret hiding places, and we were attacked and stalked mercilessly throughout, The intensity of the scares throughout this maze was as strong as the other 4 mazes, meaning that, in total, the park has five intensely scary attractions on their hands!
The only negative we have to report on our visit was that food service was really slow and we had to wait nearly 45 mins for our meal. We were lucky, that it didn't impact our night, but with maze queues averaging about 30 minutes each - this could have hindered some people. We were advised that this was a one off supply glitch and that the team are already looking to see how this can be corrected for the rest of the Halloween run.
In summary, we thoroughly enjoyed all the shows , atmosphere and mazes at Fear Avon Valley, and think it is one of the most intense but fun scare events out there. Our group jumped and screamed so many times during the night with all the mazes providing great scares throughout. We genuinely believe that the park is at the right size at the moment and shouldn't try to emulate the "more is better" approach of other scream parks. It is clear that the owners and the design team have a real passion for scaring people and we cant wait to see what terrors they have in store for us next time!
Vita nova - Terrifying
Unpredictable, adrenaline.Amazing actresses & actor's.Well thought out and immensely executed! Bravo 👏 throughly impressed ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐.The best maze out of all by far! Great work guys! 🥇
Unpredictable, adrenaline.Amazing actresses & actor's.Well thought out and immensely executed! Bravo 👏 throughly impressed ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐.The best maze out of all by far! Great work guys! 🥇
Fear at Avon Valley 2019
Fear has returned for its 6th year to Avon Valley Country Park near Bristol. As an event we have been visiting since it first opened, we are always amazed how far the attraction has come since its humble beginnings. In fact, in just 5 years, it was able to win the coveted best Scream Park award last year, which is no mean feat. So, with an award under their belt, some parks would just sit back and take their foot off the pedal, but not for FEAR.
This year has seen them make big additions to all their existing mazes as well as providing a brand-new maze, an even bigger fire show and more roaming characters than ever before. This is evident in the brand-new entrance façade that has been placed in front of last year’s trommel tunnel. It wasn’t strictly required, but is a great addition that just increases the visitor experience.
Once inside the rearranged event arena, the five mazes, bars, and rides are all easily accessible with the incredible fire show as the centerpiece. Our first maze was House of Clowns that has seen a big change inside with a combination of the classic curtains, fun house elements, crazy strobe rooms and more. The whole attraction was a colourful and loud assault on the senses that had us screaming and laughing in equal measure. If you weren’t scared of clowns before going in, you would soon be!
Phobia Rebirth has been at the park for several years, and so we were surprised to see so many changes in here as well. The reveal of each phobia, using In Memorium placards, was a great way to explain the upcoming scene, whilst creating a creepy horror vibe. The attraction now feels more cohesive then before but still retained the intense scares throughout.
Talking of intense scares, this really seemed to be the theme for the rest of the event. Anarchy Live, has always been one of the park’s most intense experiences, but somehow, the team have managed to ramp it up even more. The scares and shocks were some of the most startling we have experienced this year. The same for X4 – the actors and effects were all off the scale and everyone in our group had a terrifyingly fun time.
The new maze Vita Nova is an unusual one, as we have actually experienced parts of it before. The attraction used to run as the incredible Difference Engine at York Maze Hallowscream but has had a drastic makeover for its Avon Valley debut. With a back story of drug trials in a new Republic of England, the attraction is unrecognisable from its previous incarnation. Like the other mazes at the park, Vita Nova was incredibly intense and gave us multiple scares from the start.
The Republic of England story line then frames a new area that includes Vita Nova, X4 and Kill Zone - the paintball zombie experience and axe throwing . There were also multiple roaming characters to help set the scene and create a good back story.
As we have mentioned above, each maze at the park this year was incredibly intense and are easily some of the best scares we have had this year. Coupled with the fun fire show, the crazy cast of characters and the incredible atmosphere, its hard to believe that this event is only 6 years old. We can’t wait to go back and do it all again!
This year has seen them make big additions to all their existing mazes as well as providing a brand-new maze, an even bigger fire show and more roaming characters than ever before. This is evident in the brand-new entrance façade that has been placed in front of last year’s trommel tunnel. It wasn’t strictly required, but is a great addition that just increases the visitor experience.
Once inside the rearranged event arena, the five mazes, bars, and rides are all easily accessible with the incredible fire show as the centerpiece. Our first maze was House of Clowns that has seen a big change inside with a combination of the classic curtains, fun house elements, crazy strobe rooms and more. The whole attraction was a colourful and loud assault on the senses that had us screaming and laughing in equal measure. If you weren’t scared of clowns before going in, you would soon be!
Phobia Rebirth has been at the park for several years, and so we were surprised to see so many changes in here as well. The reveal of each phobia, using In Memorium placards, was a great way to explain the upcoming scene, whilst creating a creepy horror vibe. The attraction now feels more cohesive then before but still retained the intense scares throughout.
Talking of intense scares, this really seemed to be the theme for the rest of the event. Anarchy Live, has always been one of the park’s most intense experiences, but somehow, the team have managed to ramp it up even more. The scares and shocks were some of the most startling we have experienced this year. The same for X4 – the actors and effects were all off the scale and everyone in our group had a terrifyingly fun time.
The new maze Vita Nova is an unusual one, as we have actually experienced parts of it before. The attraction used to run as the incredible Difference Engine at York Maze Hallowscream but has had a drastic makeover for its Avon Valley debut. With a back story of drug trials in a new Republic of England, the attraction is unrecognisable from its previous incarnation. Like the other mazes at the park, Vita Nova was incredibly intense and gave us multiple scares from the start.
The Republic of England story line then frames a new area that includes Vita Nova, X4 and Kill Zone - the paintball zombie experience and axe throwing . There were also multiple roaming characters to help set the scene and create a good back story.
As we have mentioned above, each maze at the park this year was incredibly intense and are easily some of the best scares we have had this year. Coupled with the fun fire show, the crazy cast of characters and the incredible atmosphere, its hard to believe that this event is only 6 years old. We can’t wait to go back and do it all again!
Fear at Avon Valley 2018
It’s hard to believe that Fear at Avon Valley is only 5 years old. In that short time, the event has grown from a quaint little attraction with just two mazes and a bar, into a full-blown scream park with 5 attractions, fairground rides, an amazing street team and the hourly fire show that wouldn’t look out of place in a large US theme park.
How have they managed this? You only need to look at the teams involved to realise that they are passionate about what they do, and care about providing a great experience to all their guests. The mazes on their own would be good anywhere else, but it’s the sum of all the parts that really makes Fear such a great event.
New for this year was a spinning vortex tunnel on entry to the site. It’s completely unnecessary, but a fun addition, and creates a great “portal” from the outside world into the chaos that lies beyond. Once inside the layout has been jiggled about again and has a neater more cohesive feel, as all the attractions and facilities stem from the one central area. Strange characters roamed around this central hub interacting and scaring guests, as well as performing sketches on the stage between the hourly fire shows. it’s a great atmosphere, and when the fire cranks up, you can’t help but stand and watch it.
New for last year was X4, a mysterious biological army experiment where guests were attacked from any number of weird creatures, and the attraction has remained pretty much unchanged for 2018. Not that this is a complaint, as it is a very manic experience and we had so many jumps and shocks that we genuinely ran out of the facility to get away. We loved the simple use of ropes and netting in some scenes which allowed the actors to swing out above us and attack from different angles.
Another returning maze is Anarchy Live and this remains the pinnacle of intensity at the event. The strobes in the maze section are so confusing, and the actors were just relentless in their attacks. The fact this is a genuine maze too, creates a real sense of panic that you may not actually escape.
Phobia Reborn is supposedly an update to the original Phobia but could effectively be a whole new maze in its own right – so much of it is different to the previous version. We were blown away by the brave opening – effectively separating people and getting them to stand in pairs on individually in coffins. The anticipation whilst waiting in the dark for something to happen, was palpable, and when we were released into the maze, we were alone for at least the first third. The actors throughout were really lively as we faced many terrifying set pieces. Definitely not just an upgrade of an old attraction, but a complete metamorphosis into something new and different!
The final maze was the brand new “House of Clowns. Starting out as a child’s nightmare, the attraction soon became a real nightmare for us. With the fairly generic clown curtains so popular in other mazes we worried that this would be too samey but all the actors were on incredible form and kept us on our toes from beginning to end. Although nothing original – there were some really fun scares in this attraction and we screamed as much as we laughed.
The final experience is Killzone, a pay extra attraction which has had a bit of an upgrade making it a bit more theatrical than last year. It’s still great fun to shoot zombies in the head with “real” ammo, but the setup, lighting, sound etc all combine to make a fun show that gave us several screams as we made our way back to the event field.
We had a great time in all the mazes and the general atmosphere around the park all helps to create an entertaining night out for anyone who loves being scared. Interestingly our visit to the park was on opening night, which can often be an excuse for why something wasn’t ready or why the actors haven’t really warmed to their roles etc. But not at Fear, this opening night was as professional and polished as we would expect of any event, and to that we have to say well done to everyone involved!
How have they managed this? You only need to look at the teams involved to realise that they are passionate about what they do, and care about providing a great experience to all their guests. The mazes on their own would be good anywhere else, but it’s the sum of all the parts that really makes Fear such a great event.
New for this year was a spinning vortex tunnel on entry to the site. It’s completely unnecessary, but a fun addition, and creates a great “portal” from the outside world into the chaos that lies beyond. Once inside the layout has been jiggled about again and has a neater more cohesive feel, as all the attractions and facilities stem from the one central area. Strange characters roamed around this central hub interacting and scaring guests, as well as performing sketches on the stage between the hourly fire shows. it’s a great atmosphere, and when the fire cranks up, you can’t help but stand and watch it.
New for last year was X4, a mysterious biological army experiment where guests were attacked from any number of weird creatures, and the attraction has remained pretty much unchanged for 2018. Not that this is a complaint, as it is a very manic experience and we had so many jumps and shocks that we genuinely ran out of the facility to get away. We loved the simple use of ropes and netting in some scenes which allowed the actors to swing out above us and attack from different angles.
Another returning maze is Anarchy Live and this remains the pinnacle of intensity at the event. The strobes in the maze section are so confusing, and the actors were just relentless in their attacks. The fact this is a genuine maze too, creates a real sense of panic that you may not actually escape.
Phobia Reborn is supposedly an update to the original Phobia but could effectively be a whole new maze in its own right – so much of it is different to the previous version. We were blown away by the brave opening – effectively separating people and getting them to stand in pairs on individually in coffins. The anticipation whilst waiting in the dark for something to happen, was palpable, and when we were released into the maze, we were alone for at least the first third. The actors throughout were really lively as we faced many terrifying set pieces. Definitely not just an upgrade of an old attraction, but a complete metamorphosis into something new and different!
The final maze was the brand new “House of Clowns. Starting out as a child’s nightmare, the attraction soon became a real nightmare for us. With the fairly generic clown curtains so popular in other mazes we worried that this would be too samey but all the actors were on incredible form and kept us on our toes from beginning to end. Although nothing original – there were some really fun scares in this attraction and we screamed as much as we laughed.
The final experience is Killzone, a pay extra attraction which has had a bit of an upgrade making it a bit more theatrical than last year. It’s still great fun to shoot zombies in the head with “real” ammo, but the setup, lighting, sound etc all combine to make a fun show that gave us several screams as we made our way back to the event field.
We had a great time in all the mazes and the general atmosphere around the park all helps to create an entertaining night out for anyone who loves being scared. Interestingly our visit to the park was on opening night, which can often be an excuse for why something wasn’t ready or why the actors haven’t really warmed to their roles etc. But not at Fear, this opening night was as professional and polished as we would expect of any event, and to that we have to say well done to everyone involved!
Terrifying - I absolutely loved it. It's my first maze but after reading your review, I totally believe you when you said it's the scariest! And now they have 4 mazes, so quadruple the amount of terror.
Fear at Avon Valley 2017
It is the fourth year of Fear at Avon Valley and to celebrate they have added a new attraction to their line-up. Hidden behind massive secrecy and a clever marketing campaign, the park offered to let us to be the first ever group to experience the new show. But more on that later….
First off, Fear at Avon Valley always has a massive festival type atmosphere, and this year the layout makes that even more so. Once inside the main arena space, the grass has been covered with gravel, and the mazes and catering facilities are located around the perimeter. Central to the whole event is the small stage area that is home to the massive fire and light show, which for 2017 has been expanded out into towers within the arena space as well. When the gas jets are turned on full in time with dramatic music cues, the heat can be felt from quite a distance! There are also several fairground rides in the area that help to create a lively and fun vibe.
Returning to the event this year are Phobia, Purgatory and Anarchy Live, and all three mazes were as chaotic as we previously remembered. From the strobe lights of Anarchy through to the crawling section of Purgatory – everything about these three mazes oozes class. For the park to have three such high-quality attraction is impressive - most parks can only can manage one! For more information about any of the returning attractions – check out some of our earlier reviews below.
Joining the mazes are two pay extra attractions - battle archery and paintball in the Killzone. We weren’t originally expecting that much from these attractions, but were blown away by the unique storytelling and theatrics of both. It could have been easy to present a “shoot the zombies” experience but instead, each attraction had a full story including some live scares, incredible theming and killer finales that had us running out in fear. We know it is often easy to overlook add on attractors like this, but if you are Fear at Avon Valley then we highly recommend you upgrade to include at least one of these activities.
So, that finally brings us to The Fourth. This has to have been the best-kept secret in scare attraction industry, but we can confirm that the attraction is going to be called X4. On opening night there was nothing around the site that even gave away the name. Even our tickets just listed it as #what is the fourth? Therefore, we genuinely entered the attraction knowing nothing about what to expect (check out our Facebook live feed for our first reactions)
Once inside, it was clear that we were being led into a military facility and after some basic orders and shouting from an armed guard, we were herded into a lift to start our descent. Those who have seen the video of our first run through will have seen how rough this lift is, and once down to the basement level we were ordered into a room to explain why we were there. What then followed was a classic “Fear at Avon Valley” style attraction. By that, we mean it was fast, furious, and frightening. As we tried to find our way out of the facility, we were attacked from all directions including a unique surprise that genuinely startled us. By the time we had passed out the final doors we were scared and breathless. We were so honoured to have been the first people to experience this and we couldn’t wait to go back inside and do it all again!
As with all the attractions at the park, X4 is a masterclass in quality scare techniques, with the actors bouncing all over the walls to scare us. The new maze perfectly complements the existing 3 and helps to cement Fear at Avon Valley as a park not to be missed
So, we would just like to thank everyone at the event for making us feel so welcome and for allowing us to do a Facebook live feed of our first run through the Fourth. We had an amazing time across the whole event and probably screamed more times than we would care to admit! So, if you haven’t visited the park before then we suggest you check them out as soon as possible.
First off, Fear at Avon Valley always has a massive festival type atmosphere, and this year the layout makes that even more so. Once inside the main arena space, the grass has been covered with gravel, and the mazes and catering facilities are located around the perimeter. Central to the whole event is the small stage area that is home to the massive fire and light show, which for 2017 has been expanded out into towers within the arena space as well. When the gas jets are turned on full in time with dramatic music cues, the heat can be felt from quite a distance! There are also several fairground rides in the area that help to create a lively and fun vibe.
Returning to the event this year are Phobia, Purgatory and Anarchy Live, and all three mazes were as chaotic as we previously remembered. From the strobe lights of Anarchy through to the crawling section of Purgatory – everything about these three mazes oozes class. For the park to have three such high-quality attraction is impressive - most parks can only can manage one! For more information about any of the returning attractions – check out some of our earlier reviews below.
Joining the mazes are two pay extra attractions - battle archery and paintball in the Killzone. We weren’t originally expecting that much from these attractions, but were blown away by the unique storytelling and theatrics of both. It could have been easy to present a “shoot the zombies” experience but instead, each attraction had a full story including some live scares, incredible theming and killer finales that had us running out in fear. We know it is often easy to overlook add on attractors like this, but if you are Fear at Avon Valley then we highly recommend you upgrade to include at least one of these activities.
So, that finally brings us to The Fourth. This has to have been the best-kept secret in scare attraction industry, but we can confirm that the attraction is going to be called X4. On opening night there was nothing around the site that even gave away the name. Even our tickets just listed it as #what is the fourth? Therefore, we genuinely entered the attraction knowing nothing about what to expect (check out our Facebook live feed for our first reactions)
Once inside, it was clear that we were being led into a military facility and after some basic orders and shouting from an armed guard, we were herded into a lift to start our descent. Those who have seen the video of our first run through will have seen how rough this lift is, and once down to the basement level we were ordered into a room to explain why we were there. What then followed was a classic “Fear at Avon Valley” style attraction. By that, we mean it was fast, furious, and frightening. As we tried to find our way out of the facility, we were attacked from all directions including a unique surprise that genuinely startled us. By the time we had passed out the final doors we were scared and breathless. We were so honoured to have been the first people to experience this and we couldn’t wait to go back inside and do it all again!
As with all the attractions at the park, X4 is a masterclass in quality scare techniques, with the actors bouncing all over the walls to scare us. The new maze perfectly complements the existing 3 and helps to cement Fear at Avon Valley as a park not to be missed
So, we would just like to thank everyone at the event for making us feel so welcome and for allowing us to do a Facebook live feed of our first run through the Fourth. We had an amazing time across the whole event and probably screamed more times than we would care to admit! So, if you haven’t visited the park before then we suggest you check them out as soon as possible.
Fear at Avon Valley 2016
Fear at Avon Valley is back, and like the ever present fire effects, things are really beginning to hot up, as the event enters it's third year. On the surface, it would appear that not much has changed since last year, but all three mazes have seen some tweaks, including a fun new story for Anarchy, and the general infrastructure around the site feels more organised than before. Certainly, the event was buzzing on opening night with thousands of scare fans enjoying the mazes, the rides and the street entertainment.
Anarchy Live is the most changed of the three live mazes, with a new story about the "games" being televised, whilst we as competitors, get ready to face the horde. The opening scenes set in the TV studios build up the story before we were thrown into the arena to test our survival skills. At this point, the chaos and confusion that we have experienced in Anarchy in the past, really kicked in as this section of the maze is still one of the most intense scare mazes out there, with some of the liveliest actors and blinding strobe lighting that we have experienced all season! This whole section is a sustained attack on the senses and now includes multiple routes and a chance of being separated from your group. It really is genuinely terrifying!
Purgatory is just as intense as previous years, and includes a number of fun tricks to confuse and terrify guests.The highlight being a clever separation trick that left us all crawling on our hands and knees through pitch dark tunnels on our own. The large "prison escape" finale also returns, and is as chaotic and terrifying as when we first experienced the trial version a few years ago. Everything in the final scene, from the lighting and sound effects, through to the lively actors, combines to leave everyone desperately clawing to get out the final door!
Phobia is the final maze at the event and is set in a clinic where the doctors are experimenting with cures for classic phobias. Of course the only way to properly cure a phobia is to face your fears head on, so this maze has everything - clowns, bugs, dentist drills etc. As we dove deeper into the maze, the scares became faster and more intense as we wandered from room to room . Compared to the intensity of Anarchy and Purgatory - we found Phobia a little calmer, but this could be due to the constant changing of environment (from circus to jungle to dentist etc), and as such we needed time in each room to understand what we were entering (it didn't help that it was VERY difficult to read the signs at each room so the transitions between rooms could be a little confusing) But the actors were on top form throughout and the whole maze rang with screams of guests around us!
Aside from the mazes and the fairground rides, there are roaming actors who at certain times all congregate on the stage to play an unusual game of Spin the Wheel, bringing guests up on stage to test their fate. The event also sees the return of the very impressive light and fire show, that just demands to be watched - it's the sort of display you would expect at a major theme park - not a temporary Halloween event!
It will be interesting to see where Fear at Avon Valley go from here.The event was sold out on opening night and the atmosphere was electric throughout with people enjoying all aspects of the shows. With the popularity of the whole thing, we hope that upcoming years will see even more and more mazes added. The future is bright. The future is at Avon Valley!
Anarchy Live is the most changed of the three live mazes, with a new story about the "games" being televised, whilst we as competitors, get ready to face the horde. The opening scenes set in the TV studios build up the story before we were thrown into the arena to test our survival skills. At this point, the chaos and confusion that we have experienced in Anarchy in the past, really kicked in as this section of the maze is still one of the most intense scare mazes out there, with some of the liveliest actors and blinding strobe lighting that we have experienced all season! This whole section is a sustained attack on the senses and now includes multiple routes and a chance of being separated from your group. It really is genuinely terrifying!
Purgatory is just as intense as previous years, and includes a number of fun tricks to confuse and terrify guests.The highlight being a clever separation trick that left us all crawling on our hands and knees through pitch dark tunnels on our own. The large "prison escape" finale also returns, and is as chaotic and terrifying as when we first experienced the trial version a few years ago. Everything in the final scene, from the lighting and sound effects, through to the lively actors, combines to leave everyone desperately clawing to get out the final door!
Phobia is the final maze at the event and is set in a clinic where the doctors are experimenting with cures for classic phobias. Of course the only way to properly cure a phobia is to face your fears head on, so this maze has everything - clowns, bugs, dentist drills etc. As we dove deeper into the maze, the scares became faster and more intense as we wandered from room to room . Compared to the intensity of Anarchy and Purgatory - we found Phobia a little calmer, but this could be due to the constant changing of environment (from circus to jungle to dentist etc), and as such we needed time in each room to understand what we were entering (it didn't help that it was VERY difficult to read the signs at each room so the transitions between rooms could be a little confusing) But the actors were on top form throughout and the whole maze rang with screams of guests around us!
Aside from the mazes and the fairground rides, there are roaming actors who at certain times all congregate on the stage to play an unusual game of Spin the Wheel, bringing guests up on stage to test their fate. The event also sees the return of the very impressive light and fire show, that just demands to be watched - it's the sort of display you would expect at a major theme park - not a temporary Halloween event!
It will be interesting to see where Fear at Avon Valley go from here.The event was sold out on opening night and the atmosphere was electric throughout with people enjoying all aspects of the shows. With the popularity of the whole thing, we hope that upcoming years will see even more and more mazes added. The future is bright. The future is at Avon Valley!
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