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Chessington World of Adventures Resort

While I feel the theming isn't as immersive as the original, I generally prefer the theme to Scorpion Express. Runaway Train had a very stereotypical theme of a western mountain, while SE is not what you'd normally see in most parks. Plus the area feels a lot fresher and more lively than before!

Anyway, here's a Scorpion Express ad - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dM1TUt2Mfu4
 
I love how the advert uses Mammut at Gardaland... And makes the scorpion look a lot more interesting...

If only they'd bothered to build that instead of not doing much else...
 
nickhutson said:
Couldn't they be told off my trading standards for this ad? Showing the wrong ride?
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Doubt it

PortAventura use a picture of Collosus at Thorpe to advertise furious-backo, they are not even broadly similar.
 
nickhutson said:
Couldn't they be told off my trading standards for this ad? Showing the wrong ride?
Click to expand...

Trading Standards wouldn't do anything about it. I'm sure there have been other theme park adverts in the past using footage from other rides disguised as the parks new ride. EP used Troy in lots of their Wodan promo videos.

:)
 
I think for me the biggest thing which lets the theme down is how the ride system itself just looks so plonked down. One of the things I used to like about the original ride was how it all seemed to sit so nicely together.

With mine train coasters I always think they look so naff when they're just track and supports. I mean, you never really see a real train propped up on stilts! Even if they'd just added some wooden beams at higgledy piggldy angles under the track it would look far more believable and natural, similarly to how naff RMT would look if it didn't have the bridge structure seemingly holding the track up. It sort of gives it a reason to be up there. Here it just looks a bit fake.
 
Ian said:
I think for me the biggest thing which lets the theme down is how the ride system itself just looks so plonked down. One of the things I used to like about the original ride was how it all seemed to sit so nicely together.
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Yeah it certainly makes the ride look slightly temporary now that it's on flat gravel. Before, the floor was sculpted around the track so that the train appeared to run across the rocky landscape (although not nearly as convincing as how Thunder Mountain does it).

The queue also snaked up on a natural incline from the bottom of the cave towards the bridge, and even had a few small trees growing on the false ground level. Chessington used levels and landscape really well for what was just a basic powered coaster. The same went for the original queue which ran around a rocky outcrop waterfall. I didn't actually realise where the real ground level was until they removed all those disguises last year.

However it was probably the reliance on these false surfaces and floors that lead to the refurbishment anyway, since the scenery was never designed to last this long (it was mostly just foam-filled plastic held up by scaffolding!) and I doubt there was any way to regularly inspect its structural integrity without tearing most of it apart.
 
Trading standards won't care. Smiler's advert makes the ride look like it actually has a theme, for example. ;)
 
Dave said:
nickhutson said:
Couldn't they be told off my trading standards for this ad? Showing the wrong ride?
Click to expand...

Doubt it

PortAventura use a picture of Collosus at Thorpe to advertise furious-backo, they are not even broadly similar.
Click to expand...

From what I have heard, they are similar as they are both designed to hurt you ;)
 
My favourite bit about scorpian express, when you enter the queue look right and up and you can see the old mine train queue line, that is sat there rotting away. It ends suddenly, where I guess it used to link to the mountain bit. It also has a nice old mine train sign still there.
 
Doesn't seem like anyone is aware of Amazu, their new play area! Forget Scorpion Express, this place was epic, anyone can go on it and it has a little slide and 'extreme' or 'beginner' courses, and lots of really little monkeys :')
 
I haven't been to Chessington this season but I really like the idea of Amazu, can you actually see into the monkey enclosures from the high level walkways?

Some photos I've seen do make it look like they have added the nice new walkway structures but not done anything to the ground level bits really (like this https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=722435047797211&set=pcb.722435094463873&type=1&theater). Might have been nicer if they had done a bit more work to the existing enclosures that weren't demolished for the hotel extension.
 
jon81uk said:
Might have been nicer if they had done a bit more work to the existing enclosures that weren't demolished for the hotel extension.
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They have! :D All the enclosures have been either relandscaped or refurbished for Amazu. A lot of the animals have moved enclosures as well. :)
 
BenBowser said:
jon81uk said:
Might have been nicer if they had done a bit more work to the existing enclosures that weren't demolished for the hotel extension.
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They have! :D All the enclosures have been either relandscaped or refurbished for Amazu. A lot of the animals have moved enclosures as well. :)
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I have noticed that some of the insides of enclosures have been changed from some pictures. I meant more about the old wood on fences looking very old with the new wood next to it. Particularly as can be seen in the right of the picture I linked to where a new beam has been added to an old fence.
 
jon81uk said:
Particularly as can be seen in the right of the picture I linked to where a new beam has been added to an old fence.
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That's a bit anal isn't it? If it needs doing, they'll do it. It'll age itself eventually.
 
I had my first visit to Chessington yesterday and viewing it through the eyes of a complete noob to the place had some mixed thoughts on the place.
Overall I thought there's some decent theming to be found in some areas but other parts look like they could do with a bit of TLC but I guess that could be said of any UK theme park, but all in all it's not a bad place to spend a day.
If it wasn't for my MAP and the required creds I probably would have stayed away and missed the opportunity to visit a new park.

As for the rides:
Vampire : not a bad ride at all, different from other suspended coasters I've ridden by the swinging action of the cars which made parts of the ride more forceful than I was expecting from a family coaster. The interaction with the trees and ground added interest as well.
I loved the loading station, dark and gloomy with the best theme music I've come across on a ride, it might even end up as my ring tone.

Scorpion Express : Boring, boring, boring. Unnecessarily slow out of and into the station and not much else to say about the rest of the ride either. I know it's only a mine train at a family park and I didn't ride it before the revamp, but I was completely unimpressed .

Rattlesnake : Surprisingly good, nice theming and with it being built in a pit it actually makes a believable mine area. The ride was rough enough to be interesting with a few little airtime hills thrown in and very short queues yesterday led to a quick re-ride.

Dragon's Fury : The surprise hit of the day for me. I've ridden Spinball quite a few times and it leaves me feeling completely underwhelmed every time so I was expecting this to be pretty much the same. But I ended up really enjoying it, there's no point in me describing it, you've all ridden it lots of times I'm sure but I was really surprised just how much better a ride it felt than Spinball and I've no idea why that is.

Bubbleworks turned out exactly as I was expecting it to be, most of it makes no sense, even less than I imagine it did with the sponsorship plastered over everything. I'd have like to have taken a ride on it in its original form, only the room with the fountains and the small drop provided any interest to me sadly.

Zufari : it's hard to disguise the fact that this is just a very short ride in the back of a lorry past some disinterested random animals. A shame really, maybe I expected too much but I'm sure it could be so much better with a bit of imagination/larger budget.

So all in all, not a bad day out, I came away liking Chessington and would probably visit again, but probably not more than once a year.
 
Hi guys, got back from Chessington a couple of days ago and just wanted to do a quick review of the "NEW" editions for 2014! I have to say that Chessington is lookings its best for many years. Market Square is very neat and tidy, Transylvania has had a re-paint, all sorts has been happening. I have to say they really look like the are trying to bring it back to its former glory. I have been visiting Chessingon since 2002 virtually every year and I have to say its starting to get there. Dragons Fury needs a little TLC and obviously Dragon Falls will get that this closed season!

On to Scorpion Express - Queue was a bit boring but I have to say the overall experience of the ride has improved, although they need to hide that Red outer building next to the ride. All in all great effects and stuff like that, the ride is still the same though, not that exciting. Amazu was okay - needs to be a lot bigger but a great idea. Maybe they could extend this another year after the hotel is complete? All in all a great day out and Chessington are starting to get it right - It was extremely busy on a beautiful sunny Sunday but there didn't seem to be a single hiccup!

Few pictures







You can see all 100+ photos on my Flickr!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/themeparkmania/sets/
 
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