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Chessington World of Adventures Resort

The last time I went to the Vampire Burger Kitchen was sometime around 2021.

I recall the burger tasting absolutely awful and being amongst my worst meals at a theme park. Alongside my meal at Plopsa’s now defunct Pirate Grill and several places at Port Aventura.

Can only imagine it somebow being even worse now.

Chessington can never get a near full park experience ready for opening anymore, when other parks with a shorter closed season can. It’s disappointing.
 
We have taken our own food into the parks for some time now, can't justify the price hikes over the last few years especially considering the poor quality. I remember the kids eat free after a certain time, that was a half decent deal but long gone now.

We are used to a significant number of rides being closed on things like passholder days, it is pretty poor to be honest.

Chessington (and all the parks really) have areas that are pretty run down and seem to have been for ages. I always think of Vampire as an example - significant parts of the ride area if you look down while riding are not in a great state, the building you come into at the end of the ride just looks like some kind of maintenance building, and where you walk to exit the ride looks so tired now. The whole ride needs to be spruced up and themed better throughout. But there are whole areas like that, some of the buildings you look at them and wonder how they are still standing to be honest.
 
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They will probably need to do something with Vampire pretty soon, either a re track or replacement. It's a major ride at the park and they will need to get it right. Especially given that they don't really have much room to expand the park.
 
Relife said:
They will probably need to do something with Vampire pretty soon, either a re track or replacement. It's a major ride at the park and they will need to get it right. Especially given that they don't really have much room to expand the park.
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Re-track with 3 trains running please 🙏🏻

Guessing it would be impossible to extend the width so the rows are 4?
 
Vampire retrack seems certain given how they can't do anything with that area of land so the next best thing is to retrack it.

The real question is who will do it? Will they bring Taziker in for it to do the track and them have S&S supply the new trains and computer system or will it be Vekoma with a layout with a different profile that removes the swinging aspect but has major banked curves?

And please a new colour of purple track and black supports in which given that does to be Vampire's official colours in recent merchandise then I wouldn't be too suprised to see that. Would actually look quite snazzy IMO.
 
I suspect that CWoA could get permission for a family suspended to replace Vampire if they made the argument that it would be no taller and significantly quieter. It would have to be a totally custom model capable of multi-train operation though, I don't think Vekoma have ever made one that runs more than 1 train.

Failing that I guess they'd have to look at another refurb by... someone? The park simply cannot afford to lose the ride.
 
I can't see them retrcking Vampire.
I can see it being closed and left SBNO for years until the whole park dies, and the land is sold off for housing.
 
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I think all eyes will be on Nemesis when it comes to making a decision on whether to retrack Vampire.

Alton Towers have shown the impact you can have reopening a ride that millions of people have been riding for 30 years. If it is seen as a financial success then it will help the case for similar treatment for Vampire.
 
AT86 said:
I think all eyes will be on Nemesis when it comes to making a decision on whether to retrack Vampire.

Alton Towers have shown the impact you can have reopening a ride that millions of people have been riding for 30 years. If it is seen as a financial success then it will help the case for similar treatment for Vampire.
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yes, this is probably a big factor, vampire was one of the rollercoasters that started the uk theme park experience we have today, so far nemesis seems to be sucsessfull but is is only 1 week in.
 
I think that whilst Vampire is definitely a significant ride in terms of its history (being one of a small number of suspended coasters left and also arguably being the first large custom layout coaster in this country) it just doesn’t have the same level of love and acclaim that Nemesis did.

For me it’s in that same kind of category as Revolution and Avalanche at Blackpool, rides that are fun and unique, yet you get the feeling that maybe their time is coming up. Parks need to evolve and change with the times, and I’d actually be interested to see something new come to Chessington that could offer the same kind of thrills and unique feeling of swooping by the trees and buildings that Vampire so brilliantly gave riders when it opened in 1990. Just imagine a F.L.Y style Vekoma Flying Coaster on the site, I think there could be so many possibilities to do something outstanding at the park if Vampire were to replaced by a new headline coaster.
 
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If Merlin really wanted to commit then replacing the ride system with a new Vekoma flying coaster would be perfect. The woods are already an immersive environment and it means they can keep the iconic Transalvani theme the land is known for.

My only concern is that would take some serious money to do well, and they'd need to tread careful to convince planning that it would be a very similar (but hopefully quiter) replacement.
 
Tim said:
If Merlin really wanted to commit then replacing the ride system with a new Vekoma flying coaster would be perfect. The woods are already an immersive environment and it means they can keep the iconic Transalvani theme the land is known for.

My only concern is that would take some serious money to do well, and they'd need to tread careful to convince planning that it would be a very similar (but hopefully quiter) replacement.
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That's actually a really good idea. Not sure Merlin will want to spend that kind of money but it would suite the time an layout pretty well. My only concern would the height restrictions on the ride.
 
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