It certainly looks like an… interesting ride, to say the least, and not what I was expecting at all. Seeing as the park has been (at least, it looks to have been, from an outsider’s perspective) transitioning towards a younger demographic, and milder rides, I find the fact that they’re building a coaster with a 1.4m height restriction very interesting, especially given that they’re referring to it as a “family roller coaster” in the press release. Maybe it’ll be a “starter” thrill ride of sorts to ease guests more gradually into thrill rides, kind of like Air was intended to be when it was built at Alton Towers? On a wider note, could this be the start of the park starting to appeal to a wider demographic a la Alton Towers again, as it did in the early 1990s?
I’m certainly not complaining about another wing coaster being built in the UK, though; heck, Swarm is one of my very favourite rides! I’m interested to see how the concept scales up on a family ride, as I wouldn’t really say we’ve seen a family ride with winged seats before; the closest I can think of is Tranan, the S&S Free Fly at Skara Sommarland in Sweden, but even that’s technically considered a suspended coaster. This ride certainly looks like it could be utterly bizarre and quite unlike anything else in the world from what we’ve seen of it so far, and it’s not what I was expecting in the slightest. Although I guess no Merlin ride is ever truly conventional…
Regardless, I’m just thrilled to see Chessington building a new roller coaster, and I think it could end up very popular and well-received!
Another interesting point to note is that construction is apparently intended to begin in January 2022, which to me would suggest that a 2023 opening is being targeted here.