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CoasterForce World Exclusive from CWoA

This truely is epic news.

I absolutely adore Chessie,but recently became bored of the place,it just seemed "stuck in a rut".

It needs a radical make over like this,a really good spring clean.

A bit disappointed that we have to wait another 4 years before the Rodeo site is sorted,but at least it's on the "to do list".

Finally,some of the spotlight has fallen on Chessington.
 
Thanks a million for that brilliant update :--D! Really fantastic to read. I love Chessington, and although it's really starting to feel a little dilapidated, it still has an air of 'magic' around it. These plans will no doubt strengthen and enhance that.

Really does sound like Chessington is in good hands!

(Oh, and hey, I'm new here - some may recognise me from TTF :) )
 
I'm mostly happy with what's been said here, though the time span leaves me a little "eugh". No replacement for Rodeo until around 2014? It will have been over 10 years by the time they replace it, which is kind of ludicrous. I guess though, it is in an area that is out of the way and it doesn't especially look empty.

I think having animal attractions scattered through the park is a fantastic idea, both on a personal level and looking at their actual audience. It gives people waiting for those on rides something to do, and brakes up the flow of the park. Also, I bet a lot of people simply avoid the zoo because of how disconnected it is, but now people might be a bit more like "I want to see more animals!" and go to it?

Nothing in Wild Asia, bar the animals, is of any interest to me. I'm not bothered by this, because It's not only an improvement on Beanoland but it's a change to the park and it's got to the point now where any change is good change - because the place is so stale.

I have trouble respecting the lacking effort with regard to Chessington. I get that it's not been doing fantastically well, but that's because of the lacking effort. The public perceive it as a park that hasn't changed in forever, whilst Thorpe has. I really don't think it's got a lot to do with their trouble finding an audience, It's because people don't want to go back because they aren't making significant changes.

Hopefully, though, they will get their act together.
 
I am really glad about this as Chessington as slowly falling down a big hole that would probably be hard to get out of, but at least Merlin are now winching it out and everyone will start looking at Chessie again.
Hopefully (and it looks like) the Wild Asia Land will be the start of something new and great.
Also, with the new hotel, is it going to be on the lines of the Animal Kingdom Hotel in WDW?

And if they are going to make each land into a different country/region, there will be a lot of retheming - Transylvania, Pirates Cove, Land of The Dragons etc.

And do you guya think the zoo will be taken apart and scattered around the park and not have one big block?
If so, there will be a bit of land where new rides can go where the zoo is at the moment
 
I see where you are coming from Joey. Although, they did made a clear point of telling us that over the next five years so much would be changing on a very ongoing basis. It may not always be things you see straight away.

They admit that they have been a little bit unsure of their position. I even asked about the fact that surely they must have been concerned by such a similarity in target audience with Legoland. Something that actually came from Merlin. A long time has been spent trying to define where each attraction is aiming for.

Like I say Joey, I see where you are coming from. Yet, they were very honest about the fact they couldn't put the effort in because they didn't know what they were aiming for. It makes it very difficult to run effective marketing and decide on new attractions and keep the place running well without that direction and so on. That lacking effort is the discontent that occurs in all situations that have a lack of direction. Now they have direction... they have the passion and effort back.

Also, on another note. I would say that rather than Chessington wanting to be like Busch Gardens the similarities with Disneys Animal Kingdom are far more apparent (in terms of demographics, attraction types etc.).
 
Mark said:
I see where you are coming from Joey. Although, they did made a clear point of telling us that over the next five years so much would be changing on a very ongoing basis. It may not always be things you see straight away.

They admit that they have been a little bit unsure of their position. I even asked about the fact that surely they must have been concerned by such a similarity in target audience with Legoland. Something that actually came from Merlin. A long time has been spent trying to define where each attraction is aiming for.

Like I say Joey, I see where you are coming from. Yet, they were very honest about the fact they couldn't put the effort in because they didn't know what they were aiming for. It makes it very difficult to run effective marketing and decide on new attractions and keep the place running well without that direction and so on. That lacking effort is the discontent that occurs in all situations that have a lack of direction. Now they have direction... they have the passion and effort back.

Also, on another note. I would say that rather than Chessington wanting to be like Busch Gardens the similarities with Disneys Animal Kingdom are far more apparent (in terms of demographics, attraction types etc.).
I'll be very happy if they work at the park in an ongoing manner - but I don't see how that's a good marketing strategy. They need something to boast about on a yearly basis to get people back. Also, what worries me, is they have a habit of adding new things which if anything prevent expansion - as if there is no overall, ongoing, plan and just a "tart this up, stick this in here".

Creature comforts is a perfect example of how they just dump things in which are, I think, decent attractions but no thought has gone into it in the long term. It's so out of the way and it LOOKS just plonked there.

Even Dragon's Fury kinda does, precisely because the area is so closed off and segregated. It hasn't become a part of the park with age, because the basically closed it off when they build it (both literally, and metaphorically).

I would love to see them become a mini Animal Kingdom/Seaworld type park, but my worry is that what makes those US attractions so out of this world is the animal exhibits are incredible. They are SO good that they actually make animals I usually have no interest in looking at interesting. The penguin exhibit at Seaworld being the greatest example of this.

Chessington's Creature Comforts was a GOOD idea. The meerkat/porcupine enclosure was fantastic. The issue is it was in the back arse of the park, and that area was so ugly and carelessly layed out. The pond in the middle of it was just laughable.

The Aquarium, again, is just dumped there. The building is... just, awful. Alton's is significantly better, because it's not.

Why not build small attractions, and then build on it later, by adding other relevant exhibits.attractions AROUND it. Ya know? This way they don't have to shed lots in one go.

The issue is clearly a lack of direction and planning. Whether that's because Chessington is given the short straw on funding and they are doing the best they can is another matter entirely. Chessington's creative dept is clearly capable, when you look at how Asia is coming along, so what's the deal?

Something I'd love to see Chessie get is a Kilimanjaro Sarafi type ride. Only, at chessie it could be on a track and have restraints and no actor, but instead have speakers. Kinda like what Flamingoland have done with their water ride. I bet that's a HUGE investment though, for possibly little payback. :(
 
I agree with Joey tbh...

It's nice to make the park look awesome (considering it does/did have some of the best theming in the UK), but they also need to work on adding in new rides/attractions to keep people coming back...

Hopefully they was just keeping planned major rides quiet for now... But the park does need a few new flats with a good capacity... Indeed, Peeking was the last flat ride the park got... In 2005... So it has been 5 years since a ride new to the park has actually been opened... And that was second hand from Thorpe...

Since the Olympics are in 2012, Chessie really need to make full use of it, as it is so incredibly easy to get there from central London... A major attraction (i.e. coaster of the Gerstlauer Launched variety ;)) with maybe various Olympic related events occuring at the park in that year would be fantastic...

The park doesn't need to add flats, but replace existing ones with newer and better rides to suit everyone... Ones that lack issues with capacities and can be enjoyed by everyone...

Park wide entertainment could be another to focus on... The 'characters' on segways this year were rather popular, and Spike and Cinders (the dragons) should be used a lot more in the park and area...

In relation, merch is another hot-spot, since there's not a lot more 'adult' stuff... Bring back Fury tops!

My preference for 2011 would be a total revamp of Bubbles... Since the contract is on it's way out, and will the ducks even make sense anymore? (like they did anyways :roll:) Making Bubbles into a true Translyvania themed ride suitable for everyone would be truly awesome...

I just hope that they give the park a 110% fix-up, and make it look quality and shiny every year... It's gonna take some time to get the true quality there... But hopefully we'll see Chessie become a great park again...
 
Nemesis Inferno said:
A major attraction (i.e. coaster of the Gerstlauer Launched variety ;)) with maybe various Olympic related events occuring at the park in that year would be fantastic...

The subject of a Gerstlauer coaster was brought up by CF. They seemed quite interested in what we thought of them and the capacity so a seed may have been planted there! I will stress though that there are no plans or rumours regarding one of those coasters! But yes, it would make sense!

Screaming Coasters said:
See, and nobody believed me 3 years ago when I was told by Merlins head honcho that Chessington is going to be the Bucsh Gardens of the UK.

Clearly, I was right.
Tick 1 to me. <3

The park is heading for more of an Animal Kingdon vibe than a Busch Gardens vibe, but you can have half a tick anyway.

However...
Well Vampire is being knocked down in around 7 years so something has to take its place.

So I'm going to deduct one tick for that comment as Vampire is certainly not going anywhere! So that's minus 1/2 tick over all, Erol!

I walked away with a good feeling about the park's future. They admitted that some areas had been neglected in recent years but now they're focused on cleaning the park up improving on what they have. It's almost as if for the last few years they felt they had no real direction but they have worked out where they stand in the Merlin group and have a steady - and ever expanding plan - to rebrand and improve.

It is a five year plan we're talking about so don't expect everything to be jaw-dropping amazing when you visit this year. By 2015, I'm sure Chessington will be a brilliant park and will feel a lot differnt to how it felt in 2009.

Exciting times!
 
^Well I'm certainly not gonna wait 5 years to visit when it's within walking distance :lol:

I think it would be nice if they could do something about the irritating dead ends they have all over the place. That's difficult, I know, but it means your journey from one area to another doesn't flow if you keep hving to turn back on yourself.
 
Indeed. Dead ends around the park is definately something they were looking at.

I know for definate that one they said they are particularly looking at is the area of Land of the Dragons at the Griffin end.

They also want to improve the links between the new area and Dragon Falls etc.
 
Mark said:
I know for definate that one they said they are particularly looking at is the area of Land of the Dragons at the Griffin end.

I have an idea for them to do that...

Remove Tiny Truckers and Squirtalot, bam, new pathway and gardens in place of them, done...

In what way improving the links to Falls from Wild Asia? Improving the look of the pathway between the two?
 
I think both the look and the access. Particularly the look I would have thought because they are aware that it is a somewhat dead walk on the way round.

I note you mention Toytown. They are looking at that area too. I know they said as a "theme" it doesn't fit with what they have in mind for the future and it doesn't fulfill the need to be diverse in terms of attractions for all the family. Again, they couldn't tell us what they had in mind for the area but one thing they did say was they are desperate to sort out the whole pond situation.

With Rameses and it's Eygptian theme right there could they possibly extend that? I am very aware that Eygpt is part of Africa in terms of continents so it may not happen that way. Just a thought really.
 
^I'd love for Forbidden Kingdom to be extended into the main section of Toytown... Because that area does have the worst 'area blend' in the park...

Glad to see that they don't think Toytown fits that well into the current park as well... It'll be really interesting to see how things are 5 years down the line... 2017 will be more interesting since it's turning 30...
 
Indeed. It is a very exciting time for them.

Like I say, they are very much saying that nothing will be leaving the park but things will be added, some things may be moved around and so on.

One thing that may be worth noting for future reference. They were also telling us about how the park has actually got a lot of green belt land around and whilst that doesn't mean they CANT build there, the planning application and permission process is a lot more complex which suggests to me that we won't necessarily see any massive extensions and so on.

Besides Wild Asia the other major project for this year is the Serengetti Savanah. If planning permission goes through work is going to start very quickly on this one.

I keep thinking about the fact it is a 5 year plan. Which does seem like a long time but on the other hand 5 years is not a lot of time to almost totally transform the park so I think we will see these changes happening throughout the seasons; certainly anything they can do during open season anyway. With all this work it certainly makes me want to visit the park more often.
 
Anyone remember that flat ride design Tim came up with to extend Egypt?

I think Egypt, both culturally and landscape wise, is a lot different to what most people think of when they think of Africa - and for that reason, one can get away with just having the Forbidden Kingdom and not an entire Africa themed section.

No ones really mentioned up near RMT yet, and I think this is one of the most shabby looking areas of the park. They've recently dumped the petting zoo up that way, havn't they? I'm so confused with that petting zoo/creature comforts. What annoys me is that petting zoo area could have easily been given a wild west theme, especially seen as it's that area of the park. It doesn't have to make perfect sense.
 
I'd be inclined to think that area up around RMT may be what they have in mind for the "Americas" continent area possibly? They did say that Europe and the Americas were lands they were going to be doing. It could work as it is certainly part of the way there already. Couldn't say for definate though...
 
Indeed. Hense why the petting zoo is a missed opotunity. Especially if they brought in some ponys.

I wonder what, if and when they sort out the toy town area, they'd theme that too?

At the moment, they have, bar this new asia area, got very stereotypical kind of "lands". So maybe, the new one would be something really odd.
 
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