Chessington World of Adventures Resort

[Buster11]

I would say it’s loosely painted along side the new fence/graphics.

All cheaply done just like tiger rock, so they have the option for future expansion of both of the new Ip lands if deem popular?

 

[JAperson]

I can see Rattlesnake going, this 'retheme' seems to be done pretty cheaply as @Buster11 points out. Prime expansion for so many things, and it's not like they can't flog Rattlesnake either.

 

[Enter Valhalla]

It shows how short sighted Merlin are, that they made quite a big job of refreshing Mexicana only in 2021, it looked pretty good, and yet now Mexicana is officially closed.

Any rethemes of Rattlesnake queue line can of course be speculated to only be temporary. The Mexicana refresh can have only lasted 4-5 years at best.

 

[Skyscraper]

I can see Rattlesnake going, this 'retheme' seems to be done pretty cheaply as @Buster11 points out. Prime expansion for so many things, and it's not like they can't flog Rattlesnake either.

It's also the last remaining 1.4m attraction at Chessy, so it sticks out like a sore thumb.

 

[Zeock]

It's also the last remaining 1.4m attraction at Chessy, so it sticks out like a sore thumb.

I think it would be good for CWOA to have more 1.4m rides, as it is meant to be a family park, and families often include older people who might be bored of less thrilling attractions. Rattlesnake itself is 28 years old though, so I wouldn't be suprised if it leaves soon.

 

[Hid]

I do think it is a bit absurd a kid can ride Hyperia and Icon yet cannot ride Rattlesnake makes zero sense. Do kids remain within the 1.3m and 1.4m height for all that long

 

[JAperson]

I think it would be good for CWOA to have more 1.4m rides, as it is meant to be a family park, and families often include older people who might be bored of less thrilling attractions. Rattlesnake itself is 28 years old though, so I wouldn't be suprised if it leaves soon.

I get what your saying but I think it would be better an approach to get more thrilling rides, that do not require such a high height restriction, giving the broadest possible reach. manafacturers currently seem focused on creating more thrilling family coasters, and bringing height and intensity of major models down so they can attract a younger audience too, looking at Mandrill at Chessington itself as a prime example.

 

[East Coast Mariner]

I haven't ridden Rattlesnake for many years, but as I remember it, it was quite a jerky ride with sharp braking. It's this, presumably, that makes it a 1.4m, rather than how thrilling it is. Modern coasters are so much better in terms of the restraints, and being able to safely accommodate lower heights onto the ride. But yeah, it has to be a prime candidate to leave the park before too long.

 

[SuperMuscleMan]

I haven't ridden Rattlesnake for many years, but as I remember it, it was quite a jerky ride with sharp braking. It's this, presumably, that makes it a 1.4m, rather than how thrilling it is. Modern coasters are so much better in terms of the restraints, and being able to safely accommodate lower heights onto the ride. But yeah, it has to be a prime candidate to leave the park before too long.

Its a fun ride but yes very jerky. Remember tolerances have changed since the 90s when it was built and children seem to be braver at a younger age.

I do think for it's size and thrill it gives the area quite a lot of bang for it's buck. It was clever to use the space that had the reptile house on it (that moved to become the late creepy caves).

Is paw patrol a legacy IP like Peppa pig? Only time will tell. I am no fan of the pig but at least it's style of animation is quirky. Paw patrol just looks like throw away garbage to me, thus easily replaced in kids eyes?

 

[East Coast Mariner]

Its a fun ride but yes very jerky. Remember tolerances have changed since the 90s when it was built and children seem to be braver at a younger age.

I do agree - I've definitely got a different perspective on them now I'm older. I didn't start riding coasters until I was about 8 or 9, and I wouldn't even have thought of riding something like Rattlesnake before then, but it does seem to be different nowadays. I asked Google Ai what the average age of someone 1.4m tall was, and apparently it's 9 or 10. But as you say, kids seem to ride bigger rides earlier nowadays, for whatever reason.

I do think for it's size and thrill it gives the area quite a lot of bang for it's buck. It was clever to use the space that had the reptile house on it (that moved to become the late creepy caves).

Yeah, true, not much else they could have fitted in there.

Is paw patrol a legacy IP like Peppa pig? Only time will tell. I am no fan of the pig but at least it's style of animation is quirky. Paw patrol just looks like throw away garbage to me, thus easily replaced in kids eyes?

It's been popular since 2013, but yeah, it doesn't seem to have the same appeal to adults as Peppa Pig (which is at least full of arch humour).

 

[Bowser]

But as you say, kids seem to ride bigger rides earlier nowadays, for whatever reason.

I think it’s the evolution of ride technology that has enabled it more than a cultural shift.

When i was a child, Flying Fish at Thorpe Park (then Space Station Zero) had OTSR which seems ridiculous now.

Now rides tend to be smoother and have more accommodating restraints.

 

[Benzin]

It shows how short sighted Merlin are, that they made quite a big job of refreshing Mexicana only in 2021, it looked pretty good, and yet now Mexicana is officially closed.

Any rethemes of Rattlesnake queue line can of course be speculated to only be temporary. The Mexicana refresh can have only lasted 4-5 years at best.

Think back in 2021 though they weren't expecting Runaway Express to conk out entirely?


Rattlesnack's original height limit was shorter. Best version of the map I can find online is on https://themeuk.net/ChessingtonWorld/?page_id=6451 which even blurry doesn't look like min 1.4m, and appears to match Vampire and Pirate Ship.

Something probably happened due to the restraint design and thus they went extreme with it. Much like RMT.

 

[LF22]

I think the height restriction for rattlesnake is due to the shared lapbar? When my son first went on at 1.4m, they made us sit in separate rows but imagine the throughput if they had to do that with everyone!

 

[Squiggs]

Rattlesnack's original height limit was shorter. Best version of the map I can find online is on https://themeuk.net/ChessingtonWorld/?page_id=6451 which even blurry doesn't look like min 1.4m, and appears to match Vampire and Pirate Ship.

Just had a look and according to the map Rattlesnake did start at 1.17cm in 1998 (same as Vampire and Black Buccaneer). By 1999 it had been increased to 1.39cm (similar to Rodeo and Ramses Revenge) then up to 1.4cm in 2000, which is when all the height restriction across the park were rounded up.

 

[Roz123]

One large difference in height restrictions I noticed is that Croc Drop is minimum 1.2m but the clone in Gardaland, Wolf Legend is 1.05m.
Is that because we are stricter over here?

 

[SuperMuscleMan]

I remember the marketing for the ride quite well and it was actually overshadowed in some way by creepy caves. (At least on the school bus radio).

It's done it's due but I do argue what would fit in that tiny space that's got such a broad spectrum of appeal. Maybe after Minecraft Chessington could loose a coaster and if it has to then out of that or vampire I know what I would choose.... Mandrill (lol kidding but to me that's the weakest coaster in the park).

 

[Enter Valhalla]

Rattlesnake could be 1.2m if bar padding was introduced, or individual lap bars. At Movie Park Germany, their wild mouse uses the same type of lap bars as Rattlesnake, but we witnessed a man and his daughter being given a foam noodle type thing to slide across the lap bar on the daughter’s side to make it more padded. Thus meaning that the shared lap bar was no longer an issue. No idea why Chessington haven’t looked into doing something like this, particularly since they are supposedly a family park.

 

[Islander]

Rattlesnake could be 1.2m if bar padding was introduced, or individual lap bars. At Movie Park Germany, their wild mouse uses the same type of lap bars as Rattlesnake, but we witnessed a man and his daughter being given a foam noodle type thing to slide across the lap bar on the daughter’s side to make it more padded. Thus meaning that the shared lap bar was no longer an issue. No idea why Chessington haven’t looked into doing something like this, particularly since they are supposedly a family park.

Don’t forget that safety legislation, and also adherence to it, differs between countries.

I’d be surprised if something like a removable lap bar addition would be signed off in the UK, sounds extremely prone to human error