Thorpe Park Fright Nights delivered some new additions this year but there was one star that stood out from the rest. A brand new scare maze that has stepped up the quality of Fright Nights offerings, here is our Stitches Thorpe Park review.

As you step into the quaint toy shop, a wave of nostalgic warmth embraces you. But be warned, beneath the innocent exterior lies a malevolent secret — an evil that awakens within the deranged toys when the lights go out. Conjure your bravery as you navigate the eerie corridors of this malevolent toy factory and witness your cherished childhood companions morph into tormentors before your eyes.
This sinister scare maze will shatter your perception of innocence and plunge you into your worst nightmare! Enter ‘Stitches’ if you dare, for once you cross the threshold, there’s no retreat from the horrors that lie within…
Will you outwit the clutches of the Toymaker’s wicked creations, or are you destined to become a permanent resident of her collection?
I love how Thorpe Park give you a detailed backstory of what the maze is all about and it adds a great deal of context to your experience as you’re walking around.
Childhood toys coming to life with murderous intent has a Child’s Play vibe to it or even a Five Nights and Freddy’s feeling about it.
This brand new for 2023 event is located by Rush and Quantum (the old site for The Terminal experience last year) as guests step forward into a Toy Shop run by an evil toymaker.
The facade of the building consists of a solid shop front with toys in the window with the rest of the building going down the line of a temporary vinyl or cover that can easily be removed when the maze is deconstructed.
I love the effort that they have made with the shop facade. Thorpe have themed it beautifully and even the entrance to the maze has a little theming to it which consisted of children’s building blocks.

Music is playing in the queue line and the atmosphere was set. During the night we visited it was absolutely throwing it down with rain and even then the atmosphere was still there. Foreboding with a childlike innocence that ends the moment you step inside.
What I would say is that some cover in the queue line area outside would have been nice, everyone was soaked before stepping inside the maze and some cover would at least keep the floors dry within the maze (they were soaked).
From the pre-show to the eerie and rather chilling finale the level of theming for a Merlin Entertainments maze is a considerable step up.
Much time and effort has gone into crafting this maze and you can tell the immediate step up in quality compared to that of current offerings (Survival Games and Trailers) and previous offerings such as Creek Freak Massacre.
Special effects, lighting cues and even a bungee scare (an actor literally bouncing towards you) just add to the immersion of the maze. I’ve never seen a bungee scare in a maze before and it was used beautifully with that HOLY S**T factor absolutely nailed down to a tee.
Stitches is a maze that gives me hope for the future of Merlin scare attractions.

It’s been too cheap for too long and Stitches finally feels like a maze that a Merlin park deserves and is a considerable step up for Thorpe and their usual offering.
Thorpe always have the best scare event out of the Merlin parks with the best scare zones, entertainment and variety of activities to do around spooky season but Stitches feels like a step above and I welcome it with open arms.

From a variety of rooms with very impressive prosthetics and silicone bodies used as theming the grand finale is nightmare fuel.
For those who have done Trailers before will know about the doll corridor, this scene has been amped up with mirrors and live actors for a truly terrifying finale.
It’s been many years since I’ve not only jumped in a Merlin scare maze but I’ve genuinely been impressed and wanted to do it all over again.
 
Attention to detail is paramount and the maze length is very long indeed offering guests the best value for money in the process.
If they continue to add to this maze and use this particular maze as a benchmark for future projects, it’s going to be one hell of an exciting future for the Merlin UK scare scene.
Stay tuned as in a few days we’ll be doing a VIP tour of the Stitches maze and will bring you all the juicy details of this fantastic new addition to Fright Nights 
SUBSCRIBE TO LIFT HILLS AND THRILLS