Chessington changes for 2012

[SaiyanHajime]

Re: Chessington to make drastic impovements for 2012

The main difference I see with theming round the UK is in terms of scale. Alton and Thorpe theme large open areas very well, which allows a high capacity of guests to travel easily around the area, but doesn't give the best immersive experience. I'm thinking Amity Cove here, which has impressive buildings, but nothing beyond a very nice KFC and some annoying fake American DJ.

By comparison, Thomasland and IMO Wild Asia, have a larger quantity of structures and accessories in a small space, which therefore, result in a more natural and atmospheric feel, giving a better experience for guests (statues, elephant tree, tuk-tuks, fountain, bamboo). You'd never be able to pull this off at a larger park though as you'd block access. Whether or not you like the colour scheme is a bit irrelevant (although personally, I find it a bit drab as well; my experience of Asia has always been of vibrant colour and smells, which don't really come across here).

Yeah, I agree completely with this.

The problem is that those smaller, enclosed, immersive spaces are near on impossible to do well on a small budget with no IP funding it. There are so few of them for a very good reason.

 

[CoasterCrazy]

Re: Chessington to make drastic impovements for 2012

Chessington is more of a family theme park and they are unlikely to EVER get a ride over 80ft, a splash battle, although it would fit CWOA'S target market doesn't seem a good idea...and anyway they would have to make a man made lake.

After riding the Jungle rapids at Gardaland, I thought it would be perfect for chessington, so good that you could pick it up and put the exact ride in chessington!

 

[peep]

Re: Chessington to make drastic impovements for 2012

After riding the Jungle rapids at Gardaland, I thought it would be perfect for chessington, so good that you could pick it up and put the exact ride in chessington!

1) Chessington doesn't have that much room.
2) Jungle rapids at Garda is a bit lame


The other night Chessington's facebook page asked peeps for what they'd like to see which is interesting, are they stuck for ideas that need help from the public or are they just seeing what their guests want matches what they have in store? Or it could just be a way of getting some attention.

 

[nadroJ]

Re: Chessington to make drastic impovements for 2012

^Just read through that and in amongst all the *facepalm* there are actually a lot of ideas that would work perfectly for Chessington. Toilets seem like a massive issue though, that's probably at the top of their list already. And rapids seem popular.

 

[Nemesis Inferno]

Re: Chessington to make drastic impovements for 2012

With the current space available, Rapids are a terrible idea unless they decide to do a Drayton and have it interact with a coaster...

THAT... Would be a major investment...

 

[nadroJ]

Re: Chessington to make drastic impovements for 2012

^I'm not familiar with how much space Chessington have to play with, but there are so many things that park is screaming out for, rapids being one of them, and the public on facebook do seem to echo that.

I'd like to think that if there was enough public demand for it then Chessington would look into seeing what they could do.

 

[Anonymous]

Re: Chessington to make drastic impovements for 2012

Something like River-Quest wouldn't really be too hard to fit in Chessington, and a highly themed one would fit pretty well with the rest of the park.

 

[10WaTT]

Re: Chessington to make drastic impovements for 2012

They could get a rapids like the Zamperla ones with the hydro lift as they dont take as much room up the boats are smaller. Plus they give a fairly decent ride (kinda like waltzers then a splash)

http://www.zamperla.com/en/product/82/h ... egory_id=9

 

[Anonymous]

Re: Chessington to make drastic impovements for 2012

^ Ohh, if it's the same as the one at Miragica, then it could be made to look really awesome, plus that it's pretty tiny...

 

[10WaTT]

Re: Chessington to make drastic impovements for 2012

^ Ohh, if it's the same as the one at Miragica, then it could be made to look really awesome, plus that it's pretty tiny...

They have them at Miragica yeah. I think they are a fairly new product, so it's just getting them about really and I think they suit the "smaller" parks needs aswell.

 

[CoasterCrazy]

Re: Chessington to make drastic impovements for 2012

Yes, that seems perfect for chessington, also, wouldn't that be the first in the Uk

Thorpe park, Alton Towers and Gardaland already have river rapid rides...why can't chessington have one?

 

[peep]

Re: Chessington to make drastic impovements for 2012

^I don't think anyone is saying they can't, but the design of it would have to be heavily thought about due to the minimal space the park has left to build on. I think only something along the lines of that Zamperla one or River Quest would suit Chessington, it would be unique to the UK if it was either type and if themed right would be rather epic.

 

[SaiyanHajime]

Re: Chessington to make drastic impovements for 2012

They need a coaster, end of really.

Will they get one anytime soon?

No.

Will they ever realise why they need one?

No.

And people keep saying "its a family park" doesn't help.

 

[Robbie]

Re: Chessington to make drastic impovements for 2012

Yes, that seems perfect for chessington, also, wouldn't that be the first in the Uk

Thorpe park, Alton Towers and Gardaland already have river rapid rides...why can't chessington have one?

Legoland Windsor has one too.

 

[STC]

Re: Chessington to make drastic impovements for 2012

I don't think they need a new coaster anywhere near as much as they need a rapids. I'm only interested in a new coaster if it has a high throughput, unlike Dragon's Fury. My priority list for Chessie would be a new RiverQuest style rapids and secondly replacing the Runaway Train with a Vekoma mine train.

 

[marc]

Re: Chessington to make drastic impovements for 2012

Chessy is just a zoo now days with a few old rides still there from when it was a mixture.

 

[SaiyanHajime]

Re: Chessington to make drastic impovements for 2012

I don't think they need a new coaster anywhere near as much as they need a rapids. I'm only interested in a new coaster if it has a high throughput, unlike Dragon's Fury. My priority list for Chessie would be a new RiverQuest style rapids and secondly replacing the Runaway Train with a Vekoma mine train.

At the end of the day, only large thrilling rides bring substantial numbers of guests BACK to a park. Families care far less about something new. They are more likely to return if the quality is good, regardless of new additions. So in a way, Chessington are doing the right thing with making improvements. But Chessington doesn't get enough numbers through the gates, and the only rides with substantial queues are their coasters and it's NOT just down to bad throughput. Vampire gets longer queues than Fury. They need something big and thrilling to market, but something that won't turn their existing guests off either. A coaster with a height restriction of no more than 1.3 is the way to go.

The thing I really don't get is the zoo emphasis. I mean, I love it, but I cannot see why they think zoo investments will bring people in. If people want to go to a zoo, they will go to London Zoo. On top of that, zoos are NOT just a family thing. I read the other day that 40% of zoo visitors are "adults with no children".

I feel like the park is making decisions based on assumptions and old data.

 

[Anonymous]

Re: Chessington to make drastic impovements for 2012

Something like a woodie would be the absolute best choice then (GCI's can even accommodate children from 1.1 m and up, as they do on Joris en de Draak), and it being a woodie would make it a bit more interesting since it would be the only one in that area which in it's term would bring more people to the park compared to the other London parks.
And you can design it to be massively thrilling or a very tame ride. But I guess that the main problem for them to get one would be noise...

 

[SaiyanHajime]

Re: Chessington to make drastic impovements for 2012

Something like a woodie would be the absolute best choice then (GCI's can even accommodate children from 1.1 m and up, as they do on Joris en de Draak), and it being a woodie would make it a bit more interesting since it would be the only one in that area which in it's term would bring more people to the park compared to the other London parks.
And you can design it to be massively thrilling or a very tame ride. But I guess that the main problem for them to get one would be noise...

Yeah, won't happen, because not only do Merlin seem to have a thing against them... the noise, like you mentioned, and the height would be an issue.

They either would need to dig (too costly) or get a launcher. Family launching coaster, it should happen... Could market it as a worlds (bullsh!t) first.

 

[MouseAT]

Re: Chessington to make drastic impovements for 2012

I hate to sound like I'm just repeating what everyone else is saying, but there's a reason why the same comments keep coming up in this thread.

In my mind, Chessington is a nice park with a decent variety of attractions that make it a fun place to visit... every once in a while. Unfortunately, it's that every once in a while thing that's the issue. If I've travelled all the way down south to visit Thorpe, I'll often try to drop in to Chessington as well, as it makes financial sense, but there's very little incentive for me to get off my arse and plan a several hundred mile and half a paycheque journey specifically for the place.

The park has so much potential. They've got strong foundations and could do amazing things with the place. Unfortunately, most of the best stuff is their older rides and attractions - the place has been allowed to stagnate. No doubt families will continue to make their annual visits, and the park will continue to tick along on their minor tweaks, but they're not going to draw additional new visitors in without a major new attraction to put them on people's radar. Until then, they're just rearranging deck chairs on the deck of the Titanic.

Zoo improvements are nice and all, but the only way they're going to get a thumbs up from me is if said zoo improvements are a prerequisite for a major new ride investment. I'm all for having a quick wander around the big cat areas if I've got a couple of hours to spare and I've ridden everything else, but improved animal attractions aren't going to get me (or very many other people) through the park gates, especially at £30+ a time.

Wake me up when they add something of note.