Kobra
Kobra, at Chessington World of Adventures, is an obviously snake-themed thrill ride in the area of Wild Asia where it sits to the right hand side, ready to scare any young minions children who run in and then successfully have their parents board, breaking their backs slightly before they get a nostalgic ride on the Vampire.
Billed as a faff ride, Kobra takes a long time in terms of dispatch and boarding routine. The most runs Kobra can do in a day is at least 50 before breaking down and going through amazing amounts of faff, so much more than the Edge at Paultons Park, which can only manage 10 on a good day.
Kobra is always quite often mistaken for a rollercoaster, mainly by some within the theme park community of TowersTimes for some inane reason. The correct answer is No you tool. Just because it's on a one-way track, doesn't mean it's a rollercoaster. That's like saying Wardley's Jacket is a coat. Then again, Thunderlooper at Alton Towers was on a one-way track... but that was actually a fully fledged rollercoaster so there was totally no point for this sentence.
Ride Idea
Two creative designers got bored during a Chessington meeting for the new area (Wild Asia) and were asked to create a thrill ride on the spot. After their previous drunken night of Pokemon battles, they rather randomly said:
- Creative 1: ARB- I MEAN KOBRA IS THE NAME! And for extra coolness, a K at the start!
- Creative 2: Two enlarged Kobras! Stuck together!
- Creative 1: WITH GLUE. YES.
- Creative 2: And they've got a friggin' big disk rolling up and down their back!
- Merlin Businessman: Oh so those Disk-O rollercoasters-
- Creative 2: IT'S NOT A COASTER! IT'S A RIIIIIIIIDE!
- Merlin Tea Lady: Will there be an ornamental mirror?
- Creative 1: HELL YES.
Ride Construction
Simple:
1) Pushed the now Tuk Tuk Dodgems to the left, destroying all the old Beanoland theming there in the process.
2) Found two cobras, enlarged them and paint brushed them stone grey for the 'old' effect.
3) Got the glue, stuck them together. They broke free. Found the Earl of Shrewsbury's old Duct Tape in Merlin HQ. They didn't break free.
4) Stuck a Zamperla Disk-O in the middle, installing the track with bubblegum. That had slightly broken off.
5) Installed a special mirror on the Ride Op's cabin.
Ride Experience
It's basically a roundabout on a very bumpy and mildly fast railway track. Marginally more painful than Navigator at Flamingo Land, but with extra faff.
