Chessington World of Adventures Resort

[MrTowers]

The cynic in me would suggest that low capacity = greater sales of fast track.

And possibly more return visits... if you can't do everything you want in a day, you'll have to come back!

Within reason, yes. There is a limit to how many people will buy fast track tickets, obviously they don't sell unless there are queues so finding a balance is key. Also if you sell too many its counterproductive as fast track is no quicker. If you only get on 3 rides in a whole day because the offering is poor you will start to lose visitors, and I think chessington is close to this.

Ideally you want there to be too much for a single day creating revisits or overnight stays, or the ability to pay for fast track to do everything in 1 day.

Personally I would say chessington is a 1 day park with poor capacity making it very unpleasant. My kids do love it though so we always end up staying over so it doesn't seem that much of a waste only getting on a few rides each day.

 

[owenstreet7]

The existing RAP entrance is similarly inaccessible for non ambulant so wouldn’t make any difference beyond giving ambulant a wider choice of seating at the cost of a much longer queue. FT often extends well beyond the entrance so combining them would be a disaster.

From a guest experience point of view, I'd say it would be better for RAP to be combined with FastTrack so they can see the station, organ and the theming before boarding which the Trails of the Kings entrance doesn't offer that.

The challenges that Chessington have is that there's not a lot of space for the queues and I don't think it was designed for either Reserve and Ride or RAP.

Another thing about Vampire is that there's often not very good batching and they often leave seats empty on trains when there's odd number groups.

If there was room, splitting the queue into odd and even or a SRQ could've improved Vampires operations but there is literally no space.

The cynic in me would suggest that low capacity = greater sales of fast track.

And possibly more return visits... if you can't do everything you want in a day, you'll have to come back!

I do get the impression that is at the forefront of their planning sometimes.

Even if Chessington should get a Vekoma Mine Train with two lift hills and multiple trains with over 1800pph and above capacity.

It seems lower capacity rides are chosen as a way of bringing in more FastTrack.

 

[Benzin]

Vampire just never tended to get a row batcher. Mostly because on 3 trains you needed 4/6 people on platform to prevent stacking.

Anything would be better for RAP than a repurposed fire exit. However Fastrack isn't accessible so they'd have to spend the money to rejig the entire queue (which actually is accessible. It's the exit that isn't.) which they likely won't do because they won't want to. Spend money on things that would improve guest experience? Never.

 

[owenstreet7]

Vampire just never tended to get a row batcher. Mostly because on 3 trains you needed 4/6 people on platform to prevent stacking.

Anything would be better for RAP than a repurposed fire exit. However Fastrack isn't accessible so they'd have to spend the money to rejig the entire queue (which actually is accessible. It's the exit that isn't.) which they likely won't do because they won't want to. Spend money on things that would improve guest experience? Never.

Vampire hasn't run 3 trains in years. I've seen batchers last year but they don't seem to be bothered about batching as much as they should be. At the same time, they're likely overwhelmed as they're sometimes part of the team on the ride station checking restraints etc.

I don't believe the back exit is accessible (step free) either. It's a series of steps down to the RAP entrance and I'd say the paid FastTrack queue is more accessible than the RAP entrance.

Vampire is a capacity nightmare and needs sorting out really.

 

[Bowser]

I don't believe the back exit is accessible (step free) either. It's a series of steps down to the RAP entrance and I'd say the paid FastTrack queue is more accessible than the RAP entrance.

Fast Track has 2 sets of stairs versus RAP's 1 so the less accessible of the two but neither option is great, though as you say FT at least get the organ player/theming compared to a dank hanger.

 

[jon81uk]

CWoA would benefit a lot from fewer passholders (or more blackout days) and higher ticket prices. Fewer guests paying more should be similar income to them, but everyone gets a better day out.

 

[rob666]

Another vote for £500 minimum for passes.
And one park passes at that.

 

[owenstreet7]

Another vote for £500 minimum for passes.
And one park passes at that.

I know this might upset a few people although I'm suggesting this in humour and is exaggerated.

I'm thinking that Merlin Annual Passes should be scrapped at all tiers except for Platinum which shouldn't be available to the general public.

• Discovery - Scrapped Completely.
• Silver - Park Only Annual Pass with No Weekends, Bank Holidays or School Holidays. £250 per year
• Gold - Park Only Annual Pass with No Bank Holiday Weekends including the Saturdays and school holiday Saturdays. £500 per year.
• Platinum - All Merlin Theme Parks with no restrictions. Exclusive to invite only or membership with a rollercoaster enthusiast group such as ECC or RCCGB. Not available to the general public. £550 per year for Coaster Club members or £200 if invited.

Parking will be free for Platinum only.

Discounts at 10% for Silver, 25% for Gold and 50% for Platinum.

Platinum Passholders are invited to VIP events.

I would suggest mentioning having RAP as a paid product but I'd be rocking the boat there.

I know this is giving Merlin ideas which I shouldn't be doing but this is an exaggerated way of updating the MAP to make extra money

 

[Bowser]

I know this is giving Merlin ideas which I shouldn't be doing but this is an exaggerated way of updating the MAP to make extra money

I’m not convinced it would make them extra money as none of those products are particularly appealing so you’d be relying on many existing MAP visiting regularly on paid day passes to make up the shortfall.

The answer really is to look at the parks who deliver, eg Paultons, Disney, Efteling, with higher prices for both day passes and annual.

In the end you get what you pay for. People only tolerate mediocrity when it’s cheap.

I would suggest mentioning having RAP as a paid product but I'd be rocking the boat there.

Why you little…

 

[jon81uk]

Discovery pass is the main one that is priced OK, but needs the days tightened up slightly, so it is only term-time weekdays excluding events and school trips. Most of the time those dates are £29 for the theme parks, so four visits and it covers the pass. But it helps bring in more guests on days that the park will never get even close to full. Increase the gate price and the pass price should go up too. Paulton have a similar weekday only pass for £165, so again four visits covers it.

Whereas the higher cost passes where people can visit every weekend you still only need six to eight visits (silver & gold pass, based on a roughly £35 day ticket price) to get the pass value back, but you can visit on a lot more busier weekend and school holiday dates.

No one is going to pay £250+ for a single park pass, it needs to be linked to the entry price. Paulton star (roughly Merlin silver) pass is £217, but as entry is £45 you need five visits to get the money back.

Whereas a Chessington single park pass is cheap at £99, only need three visits to cover that cost.

TL;DR bigger issue is the single day cost is too low, only then annual passes can go up in price and maintain the ratio. But it should be at least four visits to a single park or eight to a Merlin pass.

 

[rob666]

I know this might upset a few people although I'm suggesting this in humour and is exaggerated.

I wasn't either kidding or exaggerating.
Scrap all passes, or make them restrictively expensive.
Same as fasttrack.
Passes have ruined my experience at the Towers.
I remember the good old days.

 

[DiogoJ42]

Even I draw the line at spiting myself just to spite others.

 

[Bowser]

No one is going to pay £250+ for a single park pass, it needs to be linked to the entry price

Paultons Premium Pass is £280
Efteling's start at €225 and go up to €390

Lots more examples where the "value" aspect requires at least 6, often 8 visits per year. People will pay it if the experience is good enough to justify it. Just watch them lap up £400+ Universal Annual Passes.

I think the cheap and very restrictive passes are less of an issue. Like you say, they're only being used on days that are never close to capacity.

It's the Silver/Gold options that strike a good balance of value and flexibility at the expense of customer experience. I imagine they are the most popular tiers.

Unfortunately Merlin can't reasonably increase prices with their current offerings so it's a chicken and egg paradox of their own creation unless they're willing to take the short/medium term hit on profits to justify long term gains.

 

[owenstreet7]

I wasn't either kidding or exaggerating.
Scrap all passes, or make them restrictively expensive.
Same as fasttrack.
Passes have ruined my experience at the Towers.
I remember the good old days.

I can't help but agree certainly with FastTrack and RAP on every ride.

It was simpler when there was main queue that everyone queued from.

FastTrack was only available on the major coasters water rides and dark rides

RAP (with tighter restrictions) was using the exits and was a hand stamp.

I feel the expanded FastTrack and RAP queues ruined the experience for everyone and the pre-booking was a ill thought out solution to very lax RAP requirement before Nimbus came in.

I don't feel quite the same about passes but I do want it to be more exclusive to dedicated enthusiasts and those who can visit regularly. It's become incredibly cheap to be a passholder when it was a premium product.

I swear annual passes were simpler when it was park only passes. I'd agree and say making it a more premium product and having it more expensive in line with Paultons would be better in the long run.

I feel the Merlin passes have created a lot of Merlinophiles (Merlin Fans) who will only visit Merlin parks and defend Merlin's shortcomings. I also feel that the very open RAP system might've contributed to the increased amount of passholders for Merlin as well as they can get access to rides at multiple parks quicker than the ordinary guest without RAP.

With my joke post earlier, I feel that Merlin should consider making park only annual passes more exclusive and consider axing, restricting or making more expensive the whole Merlin chain annual pass so it's a premium product. I feel a all Merlin parks Annual Pass should be a platinum pass perk which could be very expensive or exclusive to enthusiasts and VIPs.

I do agree that it was simpler years ago when FastTrack was premium and RAP was less prominent.

 

[jon81uk]

Paultons Premium Pass is £280
Efteling's start at €225 and go up to €390

Lots more examples where the "value" aspect requires at least 6, often 8 visits per year. People will pay it if the experience is good enough to justify it.

But Paulton having a much higher entry price of £45 also the number of visits needed is different to the Merlin parks at £29-37 a visit.

It's the Silver/Gold options that strike a good balance of value and flexibility at the expense of customer experience. I imagine they are the most popular tiers.

Unfortunately Merlin can't reasonably increase prices with their current offerings so it's a chicken and egg paradox of their own creation unless they're willing to take the short/medium term hit on profits to justify long term gains.

it did feel like Merlin were moving towards slightly higher prices and less reliance on offers a few years ago and they were willing to try and switch model and take the hit for a year. But 25% off the online price has replaced the 2for1 of the gate price and that gives even lower prices.

 

[Ash]

No one is going to pay £250+ for a single park pass, it needs to be linked to the entry price. Paulton star (roughly Merlin silver) pass is £217, but as entry is £45 you need five visits to get the money back.

This is the problem.

I’d be intrigued to see prices inline with inflation, wages where prices should be for tickets and passes.

If people will pay £200+ a year for Netflix etc I’d argue closer to £300/£400 for passes is better and £70/80 a day ticket.

And as others have said, remove fast track and place sensible restrictions on RAP as it’s clear the current system is a farce.

 

[Poisson]

Vampire would do well with 3 new trains and a new PLC. Then staff need to be trained (and in adequate numbers) to keep the queue moving. Pre-merged RAP/FT/Main Queue in sensible ratios (I would personally scrap FT but it makes £££)

 

[GooseOnTheLoose]

I can't help but agree certainly with FastTrack and RAP on every ride.

The language we use is extremely important, especially when we're describing other people, or groups of people, which we may not belong to. Language shapes how we see people and treat them. Whilst I'm sure the comments in your post aren't meant with any malice, I would like to take a moment just to reflect some of them back to you, to see if you can understand where I'm coming from.

RAP stands for Ride Access Pass. It is designed to be inclusive and offer ways for people with access needs to experience a ride.

It was simpler when there was main queue that everyone queued from.

Not everyone can queue from the main queue, that's why the alternative provision is provided. It was simpler for some, but not everyone.

I feel the expanded FastTrack and RAP queues ruined the experience for everyone and the pre-booking was a ill thought out solution to very lax RAP requirement before Nimbus came in.

RAP hasn't ruined the experience for everyone, it has allowed and permitted people who couldn't previously experience an attraction to do so.

I also feel that the very open RAP system might've contributed to the increased amount of passholders for Merlin as well as they can get access to rides at multiple parks quicker than the ordinary guest without RAP.

RAP users are ordinary guests, there's nothing extraordinary about them, they simply have access needs. By using the word "ordinary" you're othering people with access needs. You're implying that RAP users aren't ordinary, which can be incredibly hurtful.

I do agree that it was simpler years ago when FastTrack was premium and RAP was less prominent.

It may have been simpler, but it wasn't as inclusive. Theme parks are there to be enjoyed by all, not serve the elite or chosen few, we do have a dedicated topic for that though.

"The General Public" is a term which has bothered me a while. It's bothered me because the language that we use is meaningful, it helps us view the world in a certain way. It's why certain terms are considered antiquated, or not really on. It's why terms like "collateral damage" exist, to shroud what we actually mean. A form of doublespeak, perhaps, but it works.

"The General Public", within this community, creates an "other". It suggests entitlement. We are all part of the general public, we are (after all) generally the public. We are not, generally, shareholders in the park, owners, employees. We are guests, the same as anyone else who's visiting. The difference, from our perspective, is that this is our niche interest. We really like this stuff, some of us are incredibly knowledgeable. We're enthusiasts. Some of us begrudgingly call ourselves "thoosies", we have a good term for us... but then we go and call everyone else "the general public".

I propose a new term, a new dawn! One which is far less snobby, but still offers enough distinction without coming across as patronising or othering.

"The Casual Visitor / Guest". This is someone who likes theme parks, this is someone who enjoys spending time at attractions. They're not overly enthusiastic about it, they just like a day out. Isn't it much better? It's a term I'll be using from now on, for sure.

Now, for anyone who comes forward and accuses me of being a woke poncy lefty liberal delicate snowflake, who worries too much about words and the language that we use... Thank you for calling a goose a goose. I don't deny it!

I'm not calling for a moratorium on the phrase "the general public", I just have a preferential phrase; "the casual visitor" or "the casual guest". I'm not going to force anyone to use it. I'm not going to hound anyone for not using it. I'm happily sharing a thought, an idea and a preference for being a little more thoughtful in the language we use to distinguish and identify ourselves. I hope you adopt it too, and if you don't? Well, that's just fine.

🪿

The actual problem with the parks isn't that they're not exclusive enough and too many people are visiting, it's that the capacity isn't there to serve them. Rather than restricting who can visit, we ought to be expanding and accommodating those who do want to visit.

We are wayyyy off topic though, I will accept my whipping from the mods.

 

[Bowser]

Vampire would do well with 3 new trains and a new PLC. Then staff need to be trained (and in adequate numbers) to keep the queue moving. Pre-merged RAP/FT/Main Queue in sensible ratios (I would personally scrap FT but it makes £££)

I imagine/hope that in the future Vampire will be retracked and they will be able to amend the entire queuing infrastructure whilst again modifying the trains (vest restraint please).

But that is likely many years away, 2030 at the earliest. They also need multiple new attractions to take that hit as whilst losing Wild Asia is going to be a struggle, losing Gloomy Woods (and thus Gruffalo too) for at least a season will be catastrophic.

 

[owenstreet7]

The language we use is extremely important, especially when we're describing other people, or groups of people, which we may not belong to. Language shapes how we see people and treat them. Whilst I'm sure the comments in your post aren't meant with any malice, I would like to take a moment just to reflect some of them back to you, to see if you can understand where I'm coming from.

RAP stands for Ride Access Pass. It is designed to be inclusive and offer ways for people with access needs to experience a ride.

Not everyone can queue from the main queue, that's why the alternative provision is provided. It was simpler for some, but not everyone.

RAP hasn't ruined the experience for everyone, it has allowed and permitted people who couldn't previously experience an attraction to do so.

RAP users are ordinary guests, there's nothing extraordinary about them, they simply have access needs. By using the word "ordinary" you're othering people with access needs. You're implying that RAP users aren't ordinary, which can be incredibly hurtful.

It may have been simpler, but it wasn't as inclusive. Theme parks are there to be enjoyed by all, not serve the elite or chosen few, we do have a dedicated topic for that though.

The actual problem with the parks isn't that they're not exclusive enough and too many people are visiting, it's that the capacity isn't there to serve them. Rather than restricting who can visit, we ought to be expanding and accommodating those who do want to visit.

We are wayyyy off topic though, I will accept my whipping from the mods.

Thank you for your thoughtful feedback on this and I do admit that this could've been misconstrued if not taken in the right context.

I was incredibly passionate and admittedly, the overcomplicating of queueline management was something I do feel strongly about.

This wasn't intended as critique of solely the RAP system but the overcomplicating of queueline management in general including paid fast track.

It was equally as much about paid FastTrack as it is about the expanded RAP system.

I completely appreciate that there's people who genuinely need a RAP system but there is a high abundance of people who use the system at Merlin compared to Efteling, Paultons and Europa.

I'm hoping that in the long term, the Nimbus system will allow RAP users to go without concern for pre-booking capacity to be full and dedicated queues to be over an hour long on busy days. It has become more inclusive yes, but at the same time, there's 3/4 queues now at the Merlin parks when Paultons would have 1 with RAP using the exits.

My use of the word ordinary in that context was ill-judged and should've been non-RAP guests. I apologise for that.

In comparison to Paultons, the passes for Merlin have become more affordable to obtain which I feel has contributed to more people coming.

I wholeheartedly agree with you about capacity, I feel higher capacity rides should be prioritised for guest experience over lower capacity and occasionally more experimental experiences. It's Vekoma Mine Trains with two or three lift hills that need looking at, not B&M Shuttle Launched Wing Coasters.

Let's move back towards Chessington discussion.

I imagine/hope that in the future Vampire will be retracked and they will be able to amend the entire queuing infrastructure whilst again modifying the trains (vest restraint please).

But that is likely many years away, 2030 at the earliest. They also need multiple new attractions to take that hit as whilst losing Wild Asia is going to be a struggle, losing Gloomy Woods (and thus Gruffalo too) for at least a season will be catastrophic.

I'm hoping that the planning restrictions around that area would've been relaxed since 1990 and something more modern can be built in the area.

Whether this is a spiritual successor of Vampire (such as an SFC from Vekoma or a B&M Family Inverted) or something completely different.

As long as the capacity is at least 1500pph.