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RicketyCricket
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Taron
That didn't even cross my mind haha
It's no more enclosed than the old Tiger section tbf (which was open).
Islander
TS Member
Oh I agree entirely, it was an odd decision, maybe not a decision of the park themselves. But fairly sure that was the reasoning.That didn't even cross my mind haha
It's no more enclosed than the old Tiger section tbf (which was open).
StajBeetle
TS Member
It'll probably either be because of the weird rules around what qualifies as 'indoors', or just because there might not be a way out before the tiger enclosure.
Burbs
TS Team
- Favourite Ride
- Voltron Nevera
I rode Croc Drop on Sunday.
The queue, despite being 45-60 minutes long in the end, wasn't as offensive as expected, due to the fact that it only has one switch-back section and then weaves its way around the ride building. The theming is also quite nice and has a few nice details dotted around, although nothing to write home about particularly.
Unfortunately, the ride itself is dull, dull, dull. I am fully aware it's not aimed at me, but neither are Zierer Family Freefall Towers (Poppy Tower, EP; Tikal, Phantasialand) and they're great fun. An ounce of airtime there was not, and the ride cycle is effectively: go up slowly, come down again slightly quicker, rinse and repeat. It was also sad to see the paint on the teeth of the crocodile's mouth already chipping away when at the top of the tower.
The only real benefit to riding Croc Drop is that you get some nice views of the park that you didn't previously, at least not since Peeking Heights was a thing. Additionally, the music is awfully repetitive and not very imaginative in my opinion, making the wait in the slow-moving queue a bit more of a slog. A shame really as on the whole, it's presented quite nicely.
Just my 2-pence anyway.
The queue, despite being 45-60 minutes long in the end, wasn't as offensive as expected, due to the fact that it only has one switch-back section and then weaves its way around the ride building. The theming is also quite nice and has a few nice details dotted around, although nothing to write home about particularly.
Unfortunately, the ride itself is dull, dull, dull. I am fully aware it's not aimed at me, but neither are Zierer Family Freefall Towers (Poppy Tower, EP; Tikal, Phantasialand) and they're great fun. An ounce of airtime there was not, and the ride cycle is effectively: go up slowly, come down again slightly quicker, rinse and repeat. It was also sad to see the paint on the teeth of the crocodile's mouth already chipping away when at the top of the tower.
The only real benefit to riding Croc Drop is that you get some nice views of the park that you didn't previously, at least not since Peeking Heights was a thing. Additionally, the music is awfully repetitive and not very imaginative in my opinion, making the wait in the slow-moving queue a bit more of a slog. A shame really as on the whole, it's presented quite nicely.
Just my 2-pence anyway.
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djtruefitt
TS Team
Yep I agree, the ride is fairly dull. I had a loose restraint hoping for maybe some air time, but nope nothing. The small drop towers like Burbs says are more fun and have loads more air time. It just felt far too controlled and certainly no free fall to it.
Also I do dread to think what it might look like in a year or two, with the paint all peeling off, revealing the firbreglass underneath it.
Also I do dread to think what it might look like in a year or two, with the paint all peeling off, revealing the firbreglass underneath it.
Enter Valhalla
TS Member
I’ve said, ever since my first ride on it in April, that I’d be happy for it to change to an observation tower. The views are the best bit.
You can usually see as far as Canary Wharf, as well as lots of countryside and local landmarks nearby such as Painshill Park and St Helier hospital. I was loving the views and the bouncing up and down was more of an inconvenience really.
But I get that the young thrill seekers will enjoy the drop element of it.
You can usually see as far as Canary Wharf, as well as lots of countryside and local landmarks nearby such as Painshill Park and St Helier hospital. I was loving the views and the bouncing up and down was more of an inconvenience really.
But I get that the young thrill seekers will enjoy the drop element of it.
pluk
TS Member
I too rode a couple of weeks back, and can only really echo what has been said. The ride is dull as hell. Although the same ride type, it somehow seems slower and less forcefull than magma, and that is hardly thrilling.
As for the themeing, it is so badly done I'd wager elements of it will be unsafe and removed or have to be replaced in just a few years. There is already visible patchwork on one of the jaws (the inside sky facing right one as viewed from the front), and where some shaped ridgework has been it has already visibly slipped since paining to expose the building material beneath.
Ride effects somehow have no effect on the ride. The decent amount of smoke/spray seen from off ride go virtually unnoticed while riding. There is no view down into the mouth from the seating position so no sense that you are being eaten by a Croc. The main structure looks squat and the ride insignificant against it.
They had a pit Ramssis was in. They've filled in that pit and put this on top. Why not use the existing excavation to put a bigger, better ride of the same type in? They've gone to a lot of cost and effort to make the plot LESS suitable for the ride type and height planning restrictions. "It's a part for kids" you say, "a larger version would not be suitable". They've just put in planning for a 1.4m coaster. Mental.
I quite liked the chanting dispatch music. The Croc mouth photo op at the queuline entrance is a neat idea, although already looking worn and tatty after just a few weeks lite use.
At the end of my ride it malfunctioned. For some reason they've programmed it to have to quite precisely park at the same place it starts, a pointless trick that plagues multiple flat rides that have been told to do the same. The ride came to an end at the bottom of the tower and span to where it needed to be, but every time overshot it a little so sped up to go around and try to park again, each time a little faster than the time before so overshot it a little further. This went on for whole minutes and was moving at quite a speed by the end, it started to be accompanied by the unnerving smell of burning rubber. Eventually it stopped out of position but the restraints would not open, the op sounded panicked over the tannoy calling his colleague. We were stuck for about 10-15 minutes with no attempt to manually release. I wasn't particularly comfortable with this.
I've been reliably informed that the park did not have any individual seat release bar when the ride opened, one was delivered around a month ago but staff were not trained to use it immediately, so there was basically no way to release individual riders against the wishes of the ride computer. I'd be inclined to disbelieve this if it wasn't for my own experience. The potential repercussions of this had someone been taken ill on the ride, or there have been fire and need for speedy evacuation don't bare thinking about.
As for the themeing, it is so badly done I'd wager elements of it will be unsafe and removed or have to be replaced in just a few years. There is already visible patchwork on one of the jaws (the inside sky facing right one as viewed from the front), and where some shaped ridgework has been it has already visibly slipped since paining to expose the building material beneath.
Ride effects somehow have no effect on the ride. The decent amount of smoke/spray seen from off ride go virtually unnoticed while riding. There is no view down into the mouth from the seating position so no sense that you are being eaten by a Croc. The main structure looks squat and the ride insignificant against it.
They had a pit Ramssis was in. They've filled in that pit and put this on top. Why not use the existing excavation to put a bigger, better ride of the same type in? They've gone to a lot of cost and effort to make the plot LESS suitable for the ride type and height planning restrictions. "It's a part for kids" you say, "a larger version would not be suitable". They've just put in planning for a 1.4m coaster. Mental.
I quite liked the chanting dispatch music. The Croc mouth photo op at the queuline entrance is a neat idea, although already looking worn and tatty after just a few weeks lite use.
At the end of my ride it malfunctioned. For some reason they've programmed it to have to quite precisely park at the same place it starts, a pointless trick that plagues multiple flat rides that have been told to do the same. The ride came to an end at the bottom of the tower and span to where it needed to be, but every time overshot it a little so sped up to go around and try to park again, each time a little faster than the time before so overshot it a little further. This went on for whole minutes and was moving at quite a speed by the end, it started to be accompanied by the unnerving smell of burning rubber. Eventually it stopped out of position but the restraints would not open, the op sounded panicked over the tannoy calling his colleague. We were stuck for about 10-15 minutes with no attempt to manually release. I wasn't particularly comfortable with this.
I've been reliably informed that the park did not have any individual seat release bar when the ride opened, one was delivered around a month ago but staff were not trained to use it immediately, so there was basically no way to release individual riders against the wishes of the ride computer. I'd be inclined to disbelieve this if it wasn't for my own experience. The potential repercussions of this had someone been taken ill on the ride, or there have been fire and need for speedy evacuation don't bare thinking about.
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Enter Valhalla
TS Member
In all fairness, it needs to park in the same place where riders got on. People’s bags are in the boxes in front of their seats.
If it parked in a different place, people would be crisscrossing over each other to get their bags, which would be terrible for efficiency, terrible for guest experience and (at this time) not at all good for social distancing.
If it parked in a different place, people would be crisscrossing over each other to get their bags, which would be terrible for efficiency, terrible for guest experience and (at this time) not at all good for social distancing.
Burbs
TS Team
- Favourite Ride
- Voltron Nevera
I disagree, this is how quite a lot of flat rides work and yes, it's a bit annoying to have to trek to the other side of a ride if it's got a large footprint, but nothing more than a mild inconvenience. With a drop tower of the circumference that Croc Drop has, it's really not an issue, nor is having 16 people walking past each other for a matter of seconds. The only thing it'll affect really is throughput I'd imagine, but then only marginally if it's having to spend time parking every ride cycle.
pluk
TS Member
Yes, it's the preciseness that's the issue. It's great for operations if it's in the same area, but these setups seem to be implemented with such small tolerances they cause more problems than they solve.
Hello Samurai.
Enter Valhalla
TS Member
You talk about other flat rides stopping in random places but all of the flats I’m thinking of which do this are different designs to Croc Drop.
To use the example of Vortex at Thorpe, this covers a much wider and more open space, meaning that people passing each other isn’t an issue. Furthermore on Vortex the bag box is in one place for everyone, so all riders head towards the exit and pick up their bags on the way out.
On Croc this is not the case. The bag storage boxes are literally in front of every seat. If it stopped in different places it would be an operational nightmare. People would crisscross each other and, unlike many flat rides, Croc’s station is small and cramped. It would be a social distancing nightmare. And, even outside of covid times, would be absolute chaos.
Burbs
TS Team
- Favourite Ride
- Voltron Nevera
I think you're blowing this a bit out of proportion. We're talking about maximum 16 people here (from probably no more than 8 groups), who at worst will be walking half way across the ride to pick up their bag before exiting again. The same people that will be in close proximity and pass many other people in the park all day. There are plenty of elements of Chessington and the Merlin estate that could be described as chaotic - this I don't believe to be one of them.
Rick
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Crux
Is it not that it has to hit some contacts of some kind in a particular position?
Tim
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Air / Blue Fire
Can't speak for rides but the animatronic effects I work on use a proxy sensor with only a few mm of range. If it doesn't stop on the sensor the controller has no way of knowing where it is. So it has to stop in exactly the right place.
An analogue system can allow for different stopping points but is far less reliable from a safety perspective.
An analogue system can allow for different stopping points but is far less reliable from a safety perspective.
Matt N
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Shambhala (PortAventura Park)
It would appear that Chessington has been getting very poor press recently regarding crowd levels at the park:
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/chessington-world-adventures-huge-queues-24265847
It’s been reported that there were 2 hour waits to get into the park.
Oh dear… I hope these reports don’t hamper Chessington’s recovery from COVID too much. Good to see that the park has seemingly rectified the issue by adding more people at temperature check!
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/chessington-world-adventures-huge-queues-24265847
It’s been reported that there were 2 hour waits to get into the park.
Oh dear… I hope these reports don’t hamper Chessington’s recovery from COVID too much. Good to see that the park has seemingly rectified the issue by adding more people at temperature check!
jon81uk
TS Member
They could just get rid of the temperature check at present, they are not useful anymore really.