• ℹ️ Heads up...

    This is a popular topic that is fast moving Guest - before posting, please ensure that you check out the first post in the topic for a quick reminder of guidelines, and importantly a summary of the known facts and information so far. Thanks.

Chessington World of Adventures Resort

Maybe it's Merlin's knock off version of Changing Rooms or 60 minutes make over? As we all know from these programs you can't always make something better with just a lick of paint .


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
That fence around the elephant tree and double fence well no words to describe it. Oh Dear...

All this safely and that but Chessington has one major safety issue they have not addressed and that is their car park. Instead of putting unnecessary fences around the park they need to address the mud car parks now that is an accident waiting to happen !
 
I can see the reason for the double fence. The inner fence is holding all the soil and dirt back.
Remove that and it'll go everywhere !
Quite sensible in my opinion :)
 
MaxPower said:
Well Merlin have completely outdone themselves with their latest fenscapades at Chessington.

I couldn't be bothered to take photos but luckily someone over at TPR noticed the same things I did...

image.jpg
Click to expand...

That just looks utterly ridiculous. Why on earth does an interactive tree need a fence around it? There's nowhere for anyone to fall so I assume it is to stop people trying to climb up the tree. Does this mean that every single structure in a theme park needs a fence around it to prevent the same thing? Madness.

:)
 
These fences were both there on opening day. I thought the blue one might have been painted brown or something now to fit in, but clearly not.

The wooden fence in front of a fence was also there on opening day, so old fence could have easily have been removed when they did the new fence or even since the park opened.

Somewhere along the line some director of Merlin must have shares in a fence construction company I think!
 
But as someone has already pointed out, the bamboo fence behind the new one looks to be supporting the soil and plants on the other side, removing it would not be good for the soil and as its an old fence it presumably isn't appropriate for what's needed so this was their best option really.

Other recent fence developments have included black wooden panels over the top of what was previously a very ugly metal railing along Vampire's queue, an improvement which not only stops queue jumping but also looks a lot better, Seastorm's surrounding fence is new and fits in far better with the surrounding area, Bubbleoworks station has new red fences which looks far better than those ugly plastic chains with ducks on them which were there before and Vampire station gates are now black to fit in with the theme of the station.

Has anyone mentioned these improvements? Of course not, people would just rather focus on the negatives. I get that people don't like the appearance of those new fences but it's hardly worth two and a half pages of moaning is it?
 
What the? Are you saying they have new sarcophagi between the air gates on Vampire? Next you'll be telling me the gates actually line up with the train!
rotfl.gif
 
Enter Valhalla said:
Has anyone mentioned these improvements? Of course not, people would just rather focus on the negatives. I get that people don't like the appearance of those new fences but it's hardly worth two and a half pages of moaning is it?
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, I have not seen these improvements. I am sure they look lovely, but couldn't they have done a proper job with the fence holding the soil!?

Given the track record of Chessington World of Adventures since I started visiting theme parks regularly as an enthusiast in 2006, the park has hardly done anything.

The park fully deserves some stick - with Zufari and Kobra the only new rides in a decade, you have to wonder if there's any hope at all for this theme park. Saying that, given the fact that guests continue to visit with no investment in new rides, it is no wonder than Merlin don't bother.

I rememeber being told by someone "in the know" a few years back that Chessington had X, Y and Z attractions lined up in the next few years. I have seen nothing thus far.
 
AstroDan said:
I rememeber being told by someone "in the know" a few years back that Chessington had X, Y and Z attractions lined up in the next few years. I have seen nothing thus far.
Click to expand...

Absolutely this, the amount of times Chessington starts to show some promise but never actually pulls it off is astounding. I think the greatest example of this is the Dragon Falls facade which was publicly advertised and never came to fruition.
 
Then there was the new ride for 2016, which was advertised and then scrapped. Not that it looked very good, but the point stands.

There are also multiple cases of theming elements being removed from rides, never to be replaced.

It is a sad state of affairs - especially after Wild Asia when I felt that Merlin were finally going to send the park skyward again. Seems it was just a one off!
 
Not really. Zufari has opened since then, Trail of the Kings has been refurbished this year, a major new restaurant has opened, a new stage has been built with seating and a new show. Not to mention the fact that SOME theming elements have been improved recently. Vampire's entrance gates have been totally refurbished this season, a waterfall and pool of blood has also been created opposite the ride entrance. All the theming facades in Forbidden Kingdom have been completely updated and restored to their former glory.

They certainly haven't forgotten about Chessington and just left it. Constant improvements are happening across the park. i'm not saying that it's perfect or anything but it's certainly not just been left to rot since Wild Asia.
 
Enter Valhalla said:
Not really. Zufari has opened since then, Trail of the Kings has been refurbished this year, a major new restaurant has opened, a new stage has been built with seating and a new show. Not to mention the fact that SOME theming elements have been improved recently. Vampire's entrance gates have been totally refurbished this season, a waterfall and pool of blood has also been created opposite the ride entrance. All the theming facades in Forbidden Kingdom have been completely updated and restored to their former glory.

They certainly haven't forgotten about Chessington and just left it. Constant improvements are happening across the park. i'm not saying that it's perfect or anything but it's certainly not just been left to rot since Wild Asia.
Click to expand...

CAPEX investment from Merlin into Chessington is almost non-existant. Zufari is hardly anything to write home about, Merlin even slashed its budget to give more money to Alton Towers for The Smiler.

Chessington clearly gets along fine each year, Merlin know they don't need to spend large amounts on new rides to get people to return like they do with Thorpe and Towers.

From what I have seen they have done areas of the park up quite nicely in recent years but the total lack of new rides means I have no interest in returning at present.

:)
 
Indeed, it is CAPEX investment at Chessington which I am talking about, mainly.

Of course there are a few improvements to existing areas, (like Market Square, which looks delightful) - but when all they have for 2016 is 'a new show', you know things are pretty bad. I mean, CBeebies Land has a new show this year which barely gets a look in - and that's in a bad year at ATR, too...

Whenever I think things are getting bad at Alton Towers, I just think of Chessington.
 
AstroDan said:
Indeed, it is CAPEX investment at Chessington which I am talking about, mainly.

Of course there are a few improvements to existing areas, (like Market Square, which looks delightful) - but when all they have for 2016 is 'a new show', you know things are pretty bad. I mean, CBeebies Land has a new show this year which barely gets a look in - and that's in a bad year at ATR, too...

Whenever I think things are getting bad at Alton Towers, I just think of Chessington.
Click to expand...

You know there isn't just a show. There is the new go ape course and the explorer's clamping.
 
ThemeParkCrafter said:
You know there isn't just a show. There is the new go ape course and the explorer's clamping.
Click to expand...
Which completely makes up for years of low investment and the removal of a popular ride. Not forgetting that another ride that makes up a large part of th thrill line up only opening on "busy" days and the general run down feel of th park. I'm not denying that they have made improvements (tomb blaster refurb, TOTK refurb, etc), but it's not enough. Last year visited just once (as opposed to several times as I did in previous years) as part of a four day trip to thorpe and legoland, and I don't intend to go this year (May go if I'm around the area, or if star wars day at LLW is the disaster I expect, but won't go out of my way) as there's simply nothing drawing me to the park :(
 
MAJOR INVESTMENT ALERT: http://www.chessingtonbuzz.co.uk/news/10-year-masterplan-unveiled/

This afternoon the resort publicly released a draft of its ten year long-term development programme. The plan comes with several indicated visuals, as well as a rough outline of what we can expect to see over the coming years. Below is a short list of the noted developments:

  • African Camp Themed Lodges [Adjacent to ‘Zufari’]
  • Medium-sized Family Rollercoaster
  • Secondary Rollercoaster(Water Coaster)/Large Family Attraction
  • Major Enhancements to the Explorer (South) Car Park
  • Relocation of Trail of the Kings [Behind Explorer Glamping]
  • Erection of a New Staff Building [‘Base Camp’] on the former TOTK site
  • Family Entertainment Facility Beside Safari Hotel
  • Possible Standard Camping Site
Many of these developments will take place in existing park areas, and attractions such as ‘Tiny Tuckers’, ‘Peeking Heights’, ‘Toadie’s Crazy Cars’ and the ‘Carousel’ will likely be removed to make way for such projects.
Click to expand...
 
Noticed bubbleworks isn't on the list of rides earmarked for removal. Not overly upset about any of those rides going anyway. And a water coaster :D. Should be good. Slightly doubtful any of this is happening though (well, I expect ride closures...), and why refurb TOTK this year if they intend to move it soon?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top