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Chessington World of Adventures Resort

No matter how great or bad the team at MMM are, they are purely there to churn out what the company wants. Ideas and individual creativity are no longer encouraged or given space, the studio is run to provide for the company. This is the big problem.

However, if their individual designers are very good and aware, they will be able to make best of what's within the marketing limitations, and won't make the construction/design mistakes that led to the recent failed attractions and overrun projects. So well done to them on that front with Gruffalo.

I don't think people disliking the Gruffalo can be excused as "they are bitter about BubbleWorks". But for now, probably a large proportion of people criticising it will be, which isn't fair. Since BubbleWorks completely stopped being entertaining 10 years ago in truth and there was no point flogging it.

Regardless, I do think Gruffalo is pretty by-the-numbers on its own, with cheap-outs in many places, but Merlin were going for maxium commercial appeal and that's what they got, so... :/ The youngest kids will enjoy it I'm sure.

Unfortunately whether they like it or not, Merlin has always pretty much been a revolving door for designers who are never really allowed to truly create their own ideas or go outside the box. The Smiler's theme is the closest I think we got to real 'out there' creative design, but even that ended up very cheaply built (the theme I mean, not the coaster hardware). And even the bunch behind that I don't think lasted at all long there.
 
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I just think Chessington has been heading in the wrong direction for a while now, and Gruffalo just feels like another misstep for me. I suppose it's the nature of theme parks now. I.e GIVE ME TEH MONEHZ.
:rolleyes:
 
electricBill said:
No matter how great or bad the team at MMM are, they are purely there to churn out what the company wants. Ideas and individual creativity are no longer encouraged or given space, the studio is run to provide for the company. This is the big problem.

However, if their individual designers are very good and aware, they will be able to make best of what's within the marketing limitations, and won't make the construction/design mistakes that led to the recent failed attractions and overrun projects. So well done to them on that front with Gruffalo.
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Yeah, I kind of agree with you on the creative front, my main applause for the MMM team is taking what they are given and making the most out of it, which you have pretty much agreed with, to be honest there are very few companies that give you full reign of a project nowadays, it's always a case of "I want this..." and then having to provide a solution to what is usually a very generic brief. The conversation most likely went "We want a Gruffalo ride, here's the budget, make it happen..." and then the MMM team had to run with it.

Again like you mentioned, the ride is well thought out and does seem to dodge previous project issues, the ride itself has a fairly low maintenance cost so should last for a long time in the same state.

electricBill said:
I don't think people disliking the Gruffalo can be excused as "they are bitter about BubbleWorks". But for now, probably a large proportion of people criticising it will be, which isn't fair. Since BubbleWorks completely stopped being entertaining 10 years ago in truth and there was no point flogging it..
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Again, my thoughts exactly, Which I completely agree with, the Bubbleworks stopped being the Bubbleworks when it had it's "retheme" and was in a shoddy state, it wasn't doing the ride any kind of favor staying open how it was
 
Hairobics said:
I just think Chessington has been heading in the wrong direction for a while now, and Gruffalo just feels like another misstep for me. I suppose it's the nature of theme parks now. I.e GIVE ME TEH MONEHZ.
:rolleyes:
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What direction should it be going in?

It seems to be trying to get it right as a family zoo-based theme park and that is definitely the direction it is currently going it. They won't build big thrills there anymore.
 
I do think Chessington has improved a bit recently. The stuff they added to the trail of the Kings is really good, as is this adventure Carousel (albeit a bit small). Improvements to the Vampire queue are also welcome.

And tbh, the Gruffalo is far from the worst IP they could have gone with it. At least it's a story from a book, with a natural setting, that feels creative and heartwarming.

Compare that to have the crap that's churned out on kids TV, CGI dogs as police officers and colourful animals in space? Cbeebies land is full of vulgar, obscure shite. The Gruffalo is neither of that.

IMO, the Gruf is a nice subtle IP that blends in well with Chessington.
 
Lordy said:
And tbh, the Gruffalo is far from the worst IP they could have gone with it. At least it's a story from a book, with a natural setting, that feels creative and heartwarming.

Compare that to have the crap that's churned out on kids TV, CGI dogs as police officers and colourful animals in space? Cbeebies land is full of vulgar, obscure ****e. The Gruffalo is neither of that.
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Ha ha yes, thank goodness it's something at least charming. Although I question whether this was down to choice or chance. The other big contender against the Gruffalo was Hotel Transylvania (because it would "fit the theme" uuuuhhhh), and luckily that didn't happen. Don't forget though the park DID go something very similar with grabbing Madagascar when it was going cheap and flogging that for a long time too. And Merlin are also very proud of their CBeebies partnership. So I think as long as they got a big kids IP they were happy, and its only really by chance that The Gruffalo is quaint and nice.


But I disagree Chessington has got better to visit or they're heading in the right direction. They're heading towards a souped up Butlins resort, but filled with African vinyl stickers and commercialised attractions. The park used to champion eccentricity and creative imagination for everyone, thrilling rides and family rides that had a genuine surprise and energy. It was just good, oddbeat fun. And the park is the complete opposite of that now, it's very generic and touristy. Some sticks in the shape of crosses and cardboard graves that get added every year to Vampire really don't make up for this, it's just bits and bobs in the meantime.
 
TPW have uploaded a POV of the Gruffalo ride at Chessington. Surprisingly high quality and you can actually see everything, considering it's a dark ride.

 
Hairobics said:
I just think Chessington has been heading in the wrong direction for a while now, and Gruffalo just feels like another misstep for me. I suppose it's the nature of theme parks now. I.e GIVE ME TEH MONEHZ. :rolleyes:
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What are you on about? This game is all about money. It always was and always will be.
 
Yes, but if it were ONLY about money, then why on earth are we interested ? It's about design and entertainment too, well it should be. But now the designs barely do the minimum to get the profit increased they want for their global expansion. It's not entertaining anymore, on the most part, it's just short term profit making, and that is where it was very different in previous decades it has to be said. Things were designed to be inventive and long lasting entertainment then. There's a big marked difference for Chessington particularly.

Many independent European parks for example care deeply about professionalism and quality, with amazing creations, and are far more profitable than any individual park in the UK, yet Europa Park never sold out their family company for the sake of money.
 
Because the business satisfies our hobby and therein lies the problem for so many enthusiasts. If it wasn't entertaining, nobody would visit and they wouldn't make any money. The two things have to go hand in hand they can't be exclusive of each other. IPs are what families want - they cost a pretty penny to license but there are great rewards to have.

I think it is more prevalent here and in the states than perhaps it is on the continent, in part because so many things are created in the English language for export.

Something like Zufari - not particularly well liked among enthusiasts is every bit more entertaining than some of the older attractions, namely things like Rattlesnake or Runaway Train. It's just not looked upon with the same blinded nostalgia as other older rides - not yet.

If it's not entertaining, don't suffer a day at the park and don't give Merlin your money. If this season is anything at all like last season, some of the summer crowds will be some of the biggest I've ever seen at the park in three decades of visiting (or suffering, if you wish to phrase it that way).
 
Please.

Are seriously saying Zufari is a ride of the quality and status? Rattlesnake is rotting and Runaway Train was also doing so. None of these attractions are/were anywhere near the presentational quality that you should expect from a Merlin theme park.

Gruffalo looks OK to be fair (I had rock bottom expectations) - but for me, the big issue with Chessington (and why I have not been in 2 years) is that successive owners have invested poorly, rides have a declining throughput and queues have increased, and theming has been removed slowly.

The park had 90 minute waits for a Pirate Ship last season.

Enough said.
 
Rick said:
Something like Zufari - not particularly well liked among enthusiasts is every bit more entertaining than some of the older attractions, namely things like Rattlesnake or Runaway Train.
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I really cannot take you seriously if you make a sweeping statement like this, and that's from me being a child on the Runaway Train with friends and family for many years, so I knew it quite well (and wasn't the kind of child to be sentimental about things), and having worked on Zufari and seen the consistent glum, confused faces and the obvious drop in entertainment quality. If you think the only difference is some kind of nostalgia, rather than the clear difference in entertainment quality of these attractions (though you have chosen a weird comparison), it makes you sound very po faced and completely unseeing of fun when you see it. Perhaps its hard to relate to a family ride experience now though.

Also in my experience, daily you'd be having families come up to you on park asking where Prof Burp's Bubbleworks was - some 10 years after it closed. It was by far the most asked question on park, well after "where are the toilets" anyway. And that's saying something. Few people gave a damn about the Madagascar show, which often got lacklustrue responses and neither version lasted long, despite being a much bigger IP than anything else on park.

Families may say they want an IP if you offer it to them - but what they actually respond well to is good, energised entertainment. This is what experience has taught me, not some kind of nostalgia. Merlin deliberately play it to give them what they ask for, not what they'd truly enjoy, just giving enough to get them returning to the parks no matter how tacky they become.

And you're saying that hugely successful parks like Europa etc are only so different because they don't have any of their own language IPs? So, by your sense, would they otherwise be doing exactly what Merlin churn out if they could, and run the park the way Merlin do? Because that is completely un true.
 
No - @AstroDan, I specifically didn't say Vampire. But, as Arrow suspended rides go (or indeed, went) - Vampire is not one of the better ones. I did just say that.

Take Vampire though, without all the nostalgia, someone who visits the park for the first time and rides that thing in my experience doesn't typically come off raving all about it. Nostalgia is so important in this industry, but is often its Achilles heal when folks are trying to be subjective.

@electricBill I'm not entirely sure what you're saying in your final paragraph, but if you take Europa as an example - when they were throwing €25m at a dark ride, they could have gone for 'Euro Maus flies around the forest' or buy in a lucrative IP. Now that IPs have firmly entered the frame, I think it's hard to leave them behind. As soon as I hear the word "Thomas" coming from one of the kids - I know it's time to head to Drayton.

It's so powerful - and the Gruffalo will work in the exact same way. You can build the exact same ride with replacement characters and it'll have a lesser draw, be less memorable to kids/parents and your Wild Woods River Ride merchandise will be gathering dust all season.

Embrace it, kids.
 
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Rick said:
Take Vampire though, without all the nostalgia, someone who visits the park for the first time and rides that thing in my experience doesn't typically come off raving all about it. Nostalgia is so important in this industry, but is often its Achilles heal when folks are trying to be subjective.
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That is because it is utter crap now. Are you aware of quite how much it has changed, and the context that has changed around it? At the time, it was the one ride that got me so hooked on theatre, design and attraction industry in the first place. It was great fun, very original and dramatic. A long satisfying, unconventional coaster too. But now.. it's pretty naff and shockingly maintained, to the point at which it surely entertains very few. Had it not been essentialy ruined through neglect and corner cutting, it wouldn't be so poor.

I'm not trying to argue, I just really don't think you're being objective either i must say. Would you judge say a vintage car by looking at it after years of neglect, botched and broken, and say it'd always been pretty rubbish?

Yes I have stopped giving these parks my money a long time ago. But I disagree entirely with your nihilistic "embrace the trash" approach to the industry.
 
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@electricBill I'm not trying to argue either, for the record - all about the debate.

So that I understand, you don't think there is any art left in the attractions? They take the easy way out and should have more theatre in them etc? I do get point of view, I just don't agree with it - in part because I so much of that effort and expense is wasted on the British public, but more so because of the attendance and revenues that are generated with the current strategy.

Like with my examples above, I don't think generic stuff cuts it anymore. We want instant gratification, we want chain food outlets so we can order without looking at the menu and we want characters/experiences that we are already familiar with.
 
Rick said:
So that I understand, you don't think there is any art left in the attractions? They take the easy way out and should have more theatre in them etc? I do get point of view, I just don't agree with it - in part because I so much of that effort and expense is wasted on the British public
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Ha yes, a large part of the British public get what they deserve and there is certainly a market for trash. But the problem is, for the other half that would enjoy something unconventional and fun, there is no alternative anymore. Me, everyone I knew who visited the parks, and all my friends when we were young, were in this group when it came to theme parks. Real edge, humour and energy beat plastic imported characters any day.

It really wasn't some elitist thing, it wasn't about needing more "art" - it was just inspiring and gutsy fun that you couldnt get anywhere else. Now, it has become a game of producing the same manufactured thing you can get anywhere else, for 10x the price, for flash-in-the-pan satisfaction.

Or even a lot of dissatisfaction, since the parks are mostly so bland and unkept now - which an enormous amount of guests complained about daily in my experience. Derren Brown, Zufari, that Pandamonium thing, etc all had very poor reception from the general public, for a fundamental reason of not being entertaining. So even by following Merlin's restricting "USP", entirely marketing-led strategy, it still fails, and ends up costing them so much more. But thats a different story.

Merlin's whole approach to business comes at the cost of its quality - the parks are now dirty, cheaper build quality and even the newer attractions looking like corpses through poor maintenance. And their fundamentally dysfunctional, careless running has continues to cause design mistakes, & has proven to lead to H&S mistakes over the years. This wouldn't happen with a more efficiently managed, less expansion-obsessed company.
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But more so because of the attendance and revenues that are generated with the current strategy.
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Well, you're right it works for business because it makes the most market noise. But Merlin want inflated numbers and inflated profits than what these parks were already making when successful, all to fuel their company's expansion. The parks themselves have been run into the ground while the company gets what it wants. These parks were actually most successful during the the 1990s, but as regional successes, not as chocolates in the box of Merlin's global empire like they've been turned into.

Chessington's highest attendance year was 1995, arguably the point at which the park was most diverse and creative. It began to fall off dramatically in the park's tackiest years when Tussauds became obsessed with expansion too, only reaching the same attendances again in 2015. That shows two things to me, that being creative and caring about the guest experience did work, both for guests and for business, but also that Merlin's hotel-heavy strategy worked too. Two alternatives.
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I don't pine for ye olden days, I want to move on to the next good thing. I just know that there is a big market that would enjoy real surprises and creativity. A market that isn't just about disposable trash like what dominates currently under Merlin after they bought almost everyone out.

Merlin arent going to change, thats fine. But I believe that a creative alternative counter to Merlin would be successful, just the same as not everyone just listens to Radio 1. Many people will enjoy all kinds of things, but it may take a little bit of luck to realise and stumble across what really entertains you. Will it be a global business like Merlin have made themselves? No, but it will be a much more fun niche, and successful.

Anyway sorry for hijacking this damn topic :p Can you tell I'm passionate about this?
 
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Rick said:
What are you on about? This game is all about money. It always was and always will be.
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Eh. When running any kind of business, of course you want it to make money. But you can still find success and be passionate about it.

Chessington today just feels sort of rushed. Like Merlin think because of the power the name Chessington once held, they can do what they like with it and everyone will be fine.

Don't mind me. I'm just bitter at all these changes. Bah humbug.
 
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