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Chessington World of Adventures Resort

RicketyCricket said:
The Gorilla enclosure must be the longest standing attraction at Chessington. Been there since I was a nipper in the 90s and way before that.

Always thought it looked a bit cramped in there though.
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I feel like im imagining it, but weren't Chessington ordered a while back to enlarge their enclosure as it was too small? Will see if I can find anything on it.

Edit: I knew I hadn't imagined it, but Jesus it was back in 2007. I'm old. This from wiki:

"In 2007 the Trail of the Kings section of the zoo underwent an inspection with the outcome that the gorilla enclosure was too small.[66] A bigger building for the gorillas was completed in 2010.["
 
Reb said:
Croc drop and tomb blaster are in Forbidden Kingdom, not Mexicana.

And I agree. The music next to the Tigers is SO loud. It's actually horrible.
Having an animal side and a rides side of the park would be fine, but having them so close just feels cruel.
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The tigers were quite happy when I last went.



Probably as it was off peak and they'd shut half the park including Tiger Rock.
 
RicketyCricket said:
The Gorilla enclosure must be the longest standing attraction at Chessington. Been there since I was a nipper in the 90s and way before that.

Always thought it looked a bit cramped in there though.
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Nah, Trail of the Kings didn't exist until some point early 2000s. So a massive time jump in how zoo enclosures are formatted.

Doesn't help that half the zoo was removed for a second hotel.
 
Benzin said:
Nah, Trail of the Kings didn't exist until some point early 2000s. So a massive time jump in how zoo enclosures are formatted.

Doesn't help that half the zoo was removed for a second hotel.
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Where was the original Gorilla enclosure? Gorillas have been there since the late 60's apparently and I'm sure you used to go over them on Safari Skyway.
 
RicketyCricket said:
Where was the original Gorilla enclosure? Gorillas have been there since the late 60's apparently and I'm sure you used to go over them on Safari Skyway.
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Done some digging and turns out I was wrong. Was always in that area I just have zero recollection of them ever existing in the late 90s.
 
Chessington are hiring for a new Divisional Director:

We are recruiting for a Divisional Director to lead our teams at Britain’s Wildest Adventure!

Offering a year-round, unique combination of rides, entertainment, and animal experiences Chessington has developed into a resort destination with two onsite hotels, a high ropes course and glamping site, in addition to over 40 rides & attractions, zoo and SEALIFE centre.
With 12,000 daily guests we rely on our 1,000 strong team of passionate people to bring joy, create connections, and make memories. We pride ourselves on creating a fun place to work and inspiring our young workforce to pursue careers in leisure and hospitality.

The position of Divisional Director is responsible for leading the resort to deliver the strategic, operational, and commercial plans, building team engagement, and putting guests at the heart of all that we do.

Leading the business from the front you’ll inspire teams to live the Merlin values and deliver excellent guest experiences. You’ll have full ownership of the resort, making sure we’re uncompromising about safety and security, and you’ll ensure achievement of budgeted EBITDA and KPIs.

This role requires a combination of strategic thinking, operational excellence, and a passion for delivering world-class service. You will have the opportunity to steer the business into its next exciting chapter and leading the charge on exciting new capital projects as we realise our vision for Chessington to be the UK resort every child dreams of visiting.

Qualifications & Experience​

  • You will have at least 10 years of progressive management experience and a strong ability to lead a senior team.
  • Experience with 24/7 operations with a track record in the direct leisure, hospitality and/or retail industries.
  • Financially astute, with the ability to think and plan strategically, but still deliver practical solutions in an agile environment.
  • Your leadership skills will be truly exceptional with highly developed communication skills, a strong belief in creating an inclusive and empowered team, and the ability to influence and to drive change. You care about the culture you create that allows people to thrive and develop.
  • Commercially minded with a track record of success in developing and implementing strategic business plans that deliver growth and margin enhancement.
  • Demonstrable skills in interpersonal relationships, stakeholder management, presentations, negotiations, and verbal and written communications.
  • Must have the ability to build long-term partnerships and connections with industry, community and business groups and sectors to position and promote the resort effectively.
  • A passion for the consumer, service driven with strong attention to detail.
  • Confident, articulate and an excellent communicator at all levels both internally and external to the business.

Benefits​

Alongside a fun, collaborative and friendly environment, we offer a fabulous package and amazing prospects. Benefits include:
  • 33 days holiday (including bank holidays)
  • Life Assurance 4 x salary
  • PMI - Family Cover
  • Discretionary bonus
  • Pension
  • Car allowance
  • Management Incentive Plan (share options)
  • ‘Enjoy the Ride’ Merlin Annual Passes - 6 in total per year, 1 for you, plus 5 to gift to loved ones!
  • Merlin Magic Pass - 20 free tickets for you, your family and friends to enjoy all of our Merlin Attractions across the world rising to 40 after a year’s service
  • Company bonus
  • 40% discount online off LEGO
  • 25% discount in our on-site retail shops and restaurants
  • Plus, many more…
You can expect to work some weekends, and bank holidays due to the nature of our business and our busy times. Here at Chessington, we believe in leading from the front and being present onsite with your teams and colleagues, and our guests.
Ideally the successful candidate will live within a one-hour commute. A relocation package will also be available.
 
Minor change today, but Chesington have launched a new advert for the summer and what looks like a new logo for the Park, although very similar to the previous the new one has a slightly altered colour palette and more cartoon in style, with the text having a solid background instead instead of a gradient and the yellow shape around the Earth also being altered and filled in.
I think this is a great enhancement!!!!!

New logo
a56afda0f38b5954f3a7d4ebf01728d3.jpg


Old logo
2e028a72d72b316268ead21bf1b48430.jpg
 
Realistically, is there any way rattlesnake can be altered so that the height restriction is 1.2m?

I remember growing up I couldn't go on, so me and my dad would wait while my older brother and sister went on, and when I was finally tall enough, I had already ridden the likes of nemesis, rita, colossus etc., I came off like...errr?

It's the sole 1.4m ride there left, and It makes no sense that young riders can go on mayhem, fury, and vampire, but not on a wild mouse.

Like could they not just get different trains to accommodate smaller guests?

Or just axe it completely considering scorpion is also down at the moment - so they could redevelop the entire 'mexicana' area in a few years
 
Skyscraper said:
Just a heads up for anyone who goes to the Monkey Puzzle Beefeater after a day at Chessy;

IMG-20240701-WA0008.jpg
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Whitbread have been looking to offload their unprofitable Beefeater and Brewers Fayre chains for a while now; I guess it’s cheaper to convert them all to the Thyme brand and have the Premier Inn staff do all the work now.

Wonder if they will give it a lick of paint and finally get rid of the sewer smell from the main restaurant floor…
 
Dhev123 said:
Or just axe it completely considering scorpion is also down at the moment - so they could redevelop the entire 'mexicana' area in a few years
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That's been the rumour for a while now and would make much more sense imo.

A 1.4m Wild Mouse that often has a 60+ minute queue on the times it's working is of little use to the park.
 
Dhev123 said:
Realistically, is there any way rattlesnake can be altered so that the height restriction is 1.2m?

I remember growing up I couldn't go on, so me and my dad would wait while my older brother and sister went on, and when I was finally tall enough, I had already ridden the likes of nemesis, rita, colossus etc., I came off like...errr?

It's the sole 1.4m ride there left, and It makes no sense that young riders can go on mayhem, fury, and vampire, but not on a wild mouse.

Like could they not just get different trains to accommodate smaller guests?

Or just axe it completely considering scorpion is also down at the moment - so they could redevelop the entire 'mexicana' area in a few years
Click to expand...
Honestly, I'm surprised they haven't already done something to bring the height requirement down. Especially considering the park's audience of Family and Family Thrill.

I'd have thought new restraints and possibly trains could easily resolve the issue that requires the park to have Rattlesnake as 1.4m.

It seems Rattlesnake had a 1.17m height requirement in it's opening season in 1998 before becoming a 1.4m a year later.

Chessington History 1998 – Chessington World

themeuk.net themeuk.net
 
I largely suspect this is due to concerns about small children riding with a loose lap bar due to sharing a row with an adult. The mouse that used to operate at Holiday Park had a thick sleeve they could slide over the bar (from the side) to reduce the risk.

That said, with how bad the queues get for it already, it's probably for the best that half the guests aren't allowed on.
 
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