This attraction is not for the faint-hearted
I am not the biggest horror fan and I will be the first to admit I scare easily but I thought I would push myself out of my comfort zone when I attended the opening night of Blackpool Pleasure Beach Resort’s Journey to Hell on Friday, October 11.
I knew the actors couldn’t touch me but one thing they can do is follow you and this made for a spooky experience. I have been looking over my shoulder ever since. 70 actors make up the cast of Journey to Hell and they can be found hiding in rides, queues and lurking around the park.
When I entered the park with my boyfriend the first scare zone we entered was Cabinet of Curiosities. This was a bizarre maze filled with inexplicable sights and gruesome creatures. I found this maze more fascinating than scary as my eyes were drawn to all the unique costumes and decorations on show, although there were definitely screams to be heard from others in the group along the way.
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I would have been mistaken to base the rest of the experience off the enjoyment I found from the first scare zone. I spent the other three scare zones hiding behind my boyfriend with a look over my shoulder every two seconds. The later we got into the evening the scarier the fair appeared.
With clowns, plague doctors and witches lurking in the darkness you had to keep an eye out at all times or fall victim to one of the many jump scares creeping in the shadows. I have been on the ghost train at this resort many times so went into it thinking it would be a breeze but I was surprised by how many actors were hiding in the darkness of every twist and turn. It was definitely a much scarier take on the famous attraction.
Once again, I had undermined how scary a ride could be when me and my partner went on one of the fairground rides and scare zone – Down The Rabbit Hole. The classic Alice in Wonderland ride turns into a nightmarish world.
This is the thing nightmares are made of, terrifying figures lurking among our favourite childhood characters. And to make matters worse a terrifying giant bunny rabbit awaits you at the end of your journey. The jump scares are definitely not for the faint hearted where this ride is concerned.
The scariest scare zone of the four had to be Twisted Tunnels. Navigating 100-year-old underground tunnels in the dead of the night does not sound very safe – especially when you are not alone.
However, the storyline addition to this scare zone made it one of the most immersive with sounds, scents and visions all creating a perfect horror theme. I was unfortunate enough to be at the front heading into this attraction so I did scream more times than I care to admit as I was the first to encounter those heart stopping creatures and characters.
Before I even entered Twisted Tunnels I had been spooked by the devils weaving through the crowds. I am never usually at a loss for words but how these actors didn’t break character once was beyond me. I tried my best to get them to crack a smile but they continued with their sinister aura which instilled fear into many waiting in the queue.
There was so much happening in and around the park including a witches parade which happened frequently and fire breathers, stilt walkers, roller-skaters, musicians and a live DJ also performed throughout the night.
Unlimited riding was available on many of the fairgrounds most famous rides including Valhalla, Big Dipper, Flying Machines, Infusion and Derby Racer so it makes for the perfect night for both thrill seekers and those who love all things horror.
