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Chessington World of Adventures Resort

It's quite funny reading the comments on this on the Merlin annual pass FB page, I do think Merlin think people are simple at times, and it's clear when reading the comments that people aren't as thick as Merlin make out!

I can understand why they extended the hotel car park as it was too small before and now they have the new hotel as well. This did mean that there is very little room for normal theme park guests in that car park.

So I can understand them making all guests park in the grass car park, but most people are moaning about pot holes, bad lanes and the car parks being so bad. But as far as I'm aware I don't think chessie can do much with the car parks can they? I suppose they could make the roads leading to them better.
 
Don't know if this has already been posted, but is it true that the tiny sheds on the grass by the reindeer are going to be lodges like enchanted village?
 
Maps around the park at Chessington are showing a 'New ride for 2016' sticker in Samurai's old location in Mystic East.

First new ride since Kobra in 2010 (I think??). No idea what it might be but more importantly perhaps a glimmer of hope it will be combined with a refurb of Dragon Falls?
 
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Benzin said:
And Zufari is also forgotten...

Slightly laughable that a fansite can't get basic facts about the park correct...
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Well to be fair Zufari isn't really a proper ride, and Kobra is extremely forgettable. The large Disc-O is the sort of ride that parks lacking major attractions go for, whilst the medium one offers a better ride experience and is a better fit for parks that don't need it to be a headline ride.
 
Don't think it'll be a large ride but will have to see.

Also the park is getting Glamping (glamorous camping) & a treetop quest style thing near the explorer car park.
 
Wait what, a new ride at Chessington? Something's clearly not right in the UK theme park world, what with Blackpool potentially getting a new coaster in 2017!

In all seriousness I do hope it is something decent although I suspect it won't be. Theming on Dragon Falls next year please!

:)
 
Maybe thorpe are tired of fixing samurai and are giving them it back.

I'm hoping that it will be at the more thrilling end of family rides, but this is CHESSINGTON, they don't make logical decisions. I've noticed legoland are changing their target age slightly so now it's clashing.chessington need theirs to go up so merlin can make even more money (because £40 mil isn't enough)
 
It's really very sad what has happened to Chessington in the last decade or so.

It was the park I most looked forward to visiting back in the early 90s, and still has a certain charm that you don't find in the other merlin parks.

Ever since the removal of the original Bubbleworks however, things have been on the decline. Poor ride operations, lack of investment in new attractions and neglect of existing ones have left the park in a sort of limbo.

I understand the park has restrictions on what it can build due to the green belt laws. but building practically nothing for 5 years at a time is simply a joke on Merlins behalf. The queues are an even bigger joke half the time even on quiet days, with the Vampire running on the lowest capacity I have ever seen it run on.

I have to say though, the staff has always been fantastic when we have been. It's just a shame Merlin don't seem to have the same sort of enthusiasm as they do.
 
Not even sure if this needs agreeing to, but....

Yeah, back in the "proverbial day" Chessington was THE place to go..... etc, etc, Merlin ruined it and so forth....
 
DiogoJ42 said:
Not even sure if this needs agreeing to, but....

Yeah, back in the "proverbial day" Chessington was THE place to go..... etc, etc, Merlin ruined it and so forth....
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DIC ruined it really, Merlin just haven't been bothered to pick up the slack (which is depressing, cos I remember 2010 was really full of optimism from everyone at the park)...

At least Merlin didn't have rotational operators on Sea Dragons and Griffins...
 
Chessington in a summary:

1987-1998 Tussauds Pearsons era (debatably the park's golden age)
Park is owned & operated by dedicated & creative individuals who put lots of effort in to the park and invest heavily in immersive & heavy themed attractions.

The park back then could've been comparable as a smaller Phantasialand or Europa park (most of their main rides were by Mack then)

1999-2007 DIC years (debatably the dark age from 2001)
The early years were ok Sanurai (99) & Brano (00) but things started going down around 2001, vampire changed (noticeably less theatrical) when reopening 2002, less themed areas, theming removed and every generally down on the cheap with short term intentions.

2008-present Merlin domination (debatably the epitome)
There was so much hope at the start with Wild Asia, but then nothing else met up with that greatly themed area, lack of investment and TLC, missed opportunities with Zufari, further theming neglected and removed from Falls, Mine Train, Vampire, Rammy & more, plus formerly immersive levelled queues (which built up towards the experience) being culled & replaced with bland cattle pens.

Though some small bits of the park have been tidied such as market square, pirate fish & chips plus the front parts of Mexicana & Trsnsylvsnia, most of the park is still in a right state with general management appearing only to care about things that will bring in the money and only fixing things that will bring in guests.

Adding further accommodation before fixing the park is another salting of the wound.
 
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