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Chessington World of Adventures Resort

Ok assuming that's true, in its first year Chessington still managed a big landscaped flume with a lot of big scenery and rockwork. They built a substantial amount with a nimby council at the very beginning, there's seemingly no reason why they don't have areas like that at a minimum today.

Everything new at Chessington now is just a slightly cheaper job on what was there before. Also I'm certain too that, if they wanted, they could have found a way to build a coaster. After all they're planning one for the coming future according to their public plan, but it's been dying for it for years already.

I think the development attitude and no competition has robbed the country of (what could today be) a fantastic park
 
RicketyCricket said:
Chessington was basically ignored whilst they ploughed money into Thorpe Park in the mid 00's. It's never really recovered from the lack of investment.

It's very well marketed as a family park and perhaps even over-sold. There's now too many guests and not enough rides.
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I don't think the number of rides is a problem it's the capacity of said rides- vampire is a long ride and only runs two low guest number trains (with literally half the seats on RAP last time I went). Dragons Fury is also fairly pathetic in terms of riders per hour.... Its not a big supprise the fast track que on both can get up to an hour
 
I have to agree with the above posts. It's such a pity what Chessington has become. It was a great park back in the day and the additions were top notch. For example it was such an exciting time when Transylvania Land opened back in 1990 with the iconic Professor Burp's Bubbleworks. The Vampire was a great experience too. The queue line and the station were so well done and really built up the anticipation of the actual ride. Sad to see the Vampire such a shadow of its former self. Even the restaurant was excellently themed with dancing animatronics on the stage.

I know it may be a long time coming, but let's hope the future brings the much needed investment to bring the park back up to standard.
 
Was at kolmården today. Chessington could learn a lot from that park on how to do well themed areas, how to keep animals well and how to cater for all the thrill markets. Wildfire is only a 1.2 restriction and the best coaster I have ever rode. I appreciate a 180ft drop wouldn't be possible but something launched perhaps?

Their children's areas were far better themed and had genuine charm along with no reliance on IP's.
 
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Chessington could have been the country’s crown jewel - the council ruined wardleys plans back in the day and continue to do so. From a business perspective I can see why it gets minimal investment
 
Jb85 said:
the council ruined wardleys plans back in the day and continue to do so.
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I don't see how this is true? The planning was extremely tight yes but Tussauds built everything they wanted to at that time. "Wardley's plans" were hardly ruined and the park was extremely successful for its first 10-15 years. In recent years all their planning applications have been granted.

The council are a problem but the relationship between them and the park should have been constructively built up over the years. I don't see the council as the reason the park stagnated so much in the late 90s–2000s
 
Out of interest, is it true that Wardley wanted to build a Nemesis-esque B&M invert on the site that Rattlesnake presently occupies, or did I imagine that?
 
Matt N said:
Out of interest, is it true that Wardley wanted to build a Nemesis-esque B&M invert on the site that Rattlesnake presently occupies, or did I imagine that?
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I've heard that rumour too, but not from a reliable source that I can remember.

There was never any planning put forward for such a thing, but there was definitely something else intended for that site than the travelling wild mouse that we got.
 
TakeYourMedicine said:
I've heard that rumour too, but not from a reliable source that I can remember.

There was never any planning put forward for such a thing, but there was definitely something else intended for that site than the travelling wild mouse that we got.
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I will say though when that area came about the theming was to Disney standards. Did anyone ever see the cowboy show? It was brilliant.
 
TakeYourMedicine said:
I've heard that rumour too, but not from a reliable source that I can remember.

There was never any planning put forward for such a thing, but there was definitely something else intended for that site than the travelling wild mouse that we got.
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Wasn't Rattlesnake always the plan for that area? The wood coaster was for Circus World, not sure if that got planning permission or was just mooted with the council, I thought it was approved at some level.
 
Wasn't there a racing Schwarzy planned as well?
... And no, I'm not getting confused with the dueling one he designed for Towers! Back in the early days of RCT1, before any of the expansions were released, JW put a couple of tracks up for download on his website, claiming they were unused designs for various parks. One of them was a pair of racing "steel rollercoasters" supposedly from Chessy. I'm not too sure where it was going to go, but at the time I assumed it would be more or less where Fury sits today.
 
@DiogoJ42 I thought the woody was a racer? Or maybe it was a steel racer? The plan for the racer (whatever it was made out of ....) is floating around somewhere. The JW tracks are on an old PC somewhere.
 
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