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Chessington World of Adventures Resort

There's no way it'll be a B&M. Aside from the fact Merlin can't stretch to the budget of affording one anymore, it'd be far too large for the area. Even if pigs did fly, Thunderbird as a comparable example of what to expect has five rows per train. If Chessington went to them for a launch winged coaster as a shuttle, that throughput would be atrocious as the trains would be too heavy for any more rows on such a small layout.

Intamin seems more realistic, especially if they go down the Skyrush/Hyperion train route.
 
For those that missed this, Josie Gibson test rides the Croc Drop. This was aired live on ITV This Morning back in 9th April. I knew this was coming on TV on the day, but missed it. I only just got to watch it now. The day that this was aired, was the same day that the death of the Duke of Edinburgh was announced.

 
Going for a 1.4 is a bold move but I can see the logic behind it. It's something for the parents to look forward to and something for the kids to build up to. I remember when I was too small to go on Oblivion and Nemesis but was completely amazed by them as a young spectator.

The concept art is really dull looking though. And hopefully 'Amazon Land' isn't the final name.
 
Funcone said:
So if I've got this right, there's Amazonia, The Rain Forest area, and now there's going to be Amazon Land. Do you think people will find them a bit samey?
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The very same company thought it was OK to have a Gloomy Wood, a Haunted Hollow and a Dark Forest all in the same park.

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Jared from CoasterForce (the head of Chessington Buzz) was at the consultation last night, and here’s his basic summary of what was apparently said:
Jared from Chessington Buzz said:
Right, so I'm back home and I've had a little time to digest what was said at the consultation.


The planned new roller coaster is part of a series of investments into the park over the next few years, with other attractions likely to open before/after etc. The new ride is planned as a 1.4m height restriction ride and the park we very tight-lipped when I asked about manufacturer and launches/lifts/switch tracks etc. The ride will be a form of shuttle coaster featuring winged trains, as outlined by both the over-view and the station concept artwork. How the shuttle concept would work in terms of station/trains etc is unknown as again, it's not something they were forthcoming about.


The plans shown were rough outlines of the final layout and proposals, which are due to be released in July alongside the full planning application. The images shown were placeholders. The park is currently finalising the layout of the ride as well as what the other two attractions in the area will be. These will again feature in the full application in July.


The consultation is all about addressing any concerns from the local residents before the formal application process takes place. From what I gathered from the locals in the room, they seemed fairly content. The park believes there will be no adversely loud noise produced from the ride, stating that newer rides are quieter due to newer parts and better engineering than some of those older counterparts in the park. It was also stated that there will be very little visibility of the ride outside of the park, with extra planting going in place to cover those areas where the ride penetrates the surrounding tree heights.


All in all, it all sounded very exciting. A lot of the questions from locals were directed at noise levels, transport concerns etc. A noise survey is currently being conducted and will be included as part of the application.


From what I've heard from a few sources in the park it is highly likely that this ride is being constructed by B&M, but that is of course unconfirmed until we get the full plans. I'll be keeping an eye out for them!
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So basically, all we know at the moment is:
  • 1.4m height restriction
  • Shuttle coaster with winged trains.
The park were apparently very tight-lipped in terms of launches, lift hills etc, and also about manufacturer. This will all be fully finalised in the full planning application in July.

The fact he says that B&M is “highly likely” is interesting, though…
 
Well this is ermmm, disappointing. I was hoping for some sort of fun family launch coaster a la Juvelen yet this looks like it is going to be some sort of inverting family wing shuttle coaster. Not overly long and a very strange layout that just goes around the perimeter of the new area.

The track in the concepts does look like B&M track, so it could well be. A B&M would surely cost more than it is worth for such a project though?
 
Rob said:
Well this is ermmm, disappointing. I was hoping for some sort of fun family launch coaster a la Juvelen yet this looks like it is going to be some sort of inverting family wing shuttle coaster. Not overly long and a very strange layout that just goes around the perimeter of the new area.

The track in the concepts does look like B&M track, so it could well be. A B&M would surely cost more than it is worth for such a project though?
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Maybe they know how being able to push the high quality ride from one of the industry god's will get enthusiasts over, they are hoping to do the same with the public
 
imanautie said:
Maybe they know how being able to push the high quality ride from one of the industry god's will get enthusiasts over, they are hoping to do the same with the public
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‘Oh Joan, this is terrible - it tears through the green belt, ruins the local views and will result in mechanical noise, music and screaming for 8 hours a day’

‘Well yes true Marjorie, but do look, it is going to be built by the very well respected roller coaster manufacturer Bolliger and Mabillard.’

‘Ah yes. Well in that case it gets the seal of approval from me!’



It’s not really how these things work.
 
AT86 said:
‘Oh Joan, this is terrible - it tears through the green belt, ruins the local views and will result in mechanical noise, music and screaming for 8 hours a day’

‘Well yes true Marjorie, but do look, it is going to be built by the very well respected roller coaster manufacturer Bolliger and Mabillard.’

‘Ah yes. Well it gets the seal of approval for me!’

It’s not really how these things work.
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NIMBYs won't be happy regardless will they
 
Spending a fortune on a small B&M with a 1.4mtr height restriction is more insane than a Junior Boomerang. Tenner says it's not a B&M anyway

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Matt.GC said:
Spending a fortune on a small B&M with a 1.4mtr height restriction is more insane than a Junior Boomerang. Tenner says it's not a B&M anyway

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Particularly since it would likely be quite slow, lumbering and forceless, such is the case with many a modern-day B&M. A 1.4 metre restriction all for a single inversion would be odds but look forward to seeing more detail.
 
I can't see how a small B&M winged coaster could make sense. It would be a bizarre way to go.

This concept looks a lot like it could work with a winged configuration.



Now that is something I could go for!
 
Plastic Person said:
Merlin have done their homework. They've asked the people of the South of England want they want and the answer has resoundingly been, "Another wing coaster of some sort, please."
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pluk said:
I suppose it's a great way to get through planning. "Look, we built one at Thorpe, no one screams and no one turned up to ride it"

The two big hurdles to development cleared!
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Yep let’s take our worst received coaster for a while and make a smaller version for a park that really needs some high throughput rides.
 
Skyscraper said:
Rattlesnake is 1.4m though.
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Rattlesnake was installed in 1998 before Tussauds purchased Thorpe Park and in a time when Chessington was still aimed at the family and thrill markets.

Since the shift in the early 2000s they have not installed a ride with a 1.4m restriction as it wouldn’t be suitable for a large proportion of guests at the park, which is why the suggestion this new coaster will be 1.4m is a bit odd.
 
There’s two ways of looking at this.

If we go by the fact that Chessington is (finally) getting another coaster and supporting attractions, it’s hugely welcoming to see.

However when we see what they could’ve done **looks at early concepts**, then it’s just a little disappointing and uninspiring.

The park honestly need another headline filler with a good throughput (1000+PPH). At this precise moment, this looks like neither.

Back in the day, no fewer than three main attractions could reach around 1000 PPH. Nowadays, the park are lucky to achieve 500 PPH and that’s before deducting half of riders to fastrack and RAP pass.

Ok, the development right now is only in it’s infancy, but it could definitely be better. For example Tornado Springs at Paultons is an excellent development. Improving Paulton’s infrastructure, lineup and most importantly, giving guests an immersive experience.
 
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