Chessington World of Adventures Resort
-
Themeparksandy1981
- Member
- Posts: 1560
- Joined: Thu Oct 08, 2009 3:34 pm
- Location: Midlands
- Contact:
I haven't been on this at Chessington but went on it at Thorpe park and thought it was pointless. The staff only let you go round once which I couldn't understand why as there was hardly a queue.
-
TB2
- Member
- Posts: 402
- Joined: Thu Nov 06, 2008 10:04 am
- Location: Caterham
- Contact:
Again, all down to balance. I seem to remember in Eclipse's first year at Thorpe, it would do a loading cycle and then do a full rotation. They ditched that quite quickly as it hampers throughput and some people don't want to go round a second time.Themeparksandy1981 wrote: I haven't been on this at Chessington but went on it at Thorpe park and thought it was pointless. The staff only let you go round once which I couldn't understand why as there was hardly a queue.
It's just a ride with so many issues and doesn't belong at Chessington. If what thefatone says it's true, that's really going to annoy Chessie's guests who queue for Peeking. They were never exactly happy when only six pods were loaded..
1. Expedition Everest 2. Hollywood Tower of Terror 3.Superman De Acero 4. Katun and Nemesis 6. OzIris 7. Blue Fire 8. Black Mamba 9. Manta 10. Oblivion
-
BigAl
- Member
- Posts: 1762
- Joined: Mon Jun 21, 2010 11:00 am
- Location: South East Cheshire
- Contact:
Back from my second proper trip to Chessington today and it's quite shocking to see how badly maintained the park is. Here are a few points:
1. The figures in the Vampire queue are embarrassing. Their faces are cracked, paint is flaking off them and their robes are almost worn away completely around the arms and knees. Grave stones have fallen over, as has the cauldron (which has also revealed the ugly, crumbling yellow foam under it). Vampire's stations music is really hard to hear over the relentless shouting from the op and the whole ride needs a good clean and a new layer of paint. The ride ops on Vampire weren't checking how many people were where on the ride and we twice had to point out to them how they could move people on their own to fill up all of the rows.
2. Transylvania in general needs some cleaning.
3. The Safari Skyway looks horrendous. The whole of the track is dirty, rusting and the paint is flaking off it along the whole length of it.
4. Most of the stone-effect paint on the dragon head in the queue for Dragon's Fury has gone and it looks very bad (and a lot of people were pointing at it too, so I was quite obviously not the only one to have seen it).
5. Some of the effects in Bubble Works don't work.
6. The fake mountain for the Runaway Train now looks like a giant dirty sponge because the yellow foam is now very noticeable and it's all very dirty.
7. There's a speaker outside Hocus Pocus that's crackling and spoils the sounds from the others.
8. Noodle Noodle were getting food orders wrong and not being quick enough with other orders and were loosing customers.
9. The Mexican Cantina staff weren't serving anyone as they were putting some more wraps out in foil instead. They too were getting orders incorrect.
10. All queues in general weren't moving very quickly as the ride operators just weren't being as efficient enough. It really did make me appreciate the efficiency of the staff at Alton Towers.
That was all from just my second visit, so I can't imagine what else there is that I've missed. It's probably likely that some of those problems that I've listed have existed for a while, but I've only ever visited twice (both within the past couple of months).
I know that I'm being very critical of the park and it isn't all that bad as there are obviously, many, many good points to Chessington. The thing is, a day at the park could be so much better if some of those points were addressed. I think it's a lovely little park, but Merlin quite obviously don't know what they have. It's such a shame because all of the staff at the park are great, the rides are great and atmosphere is fantastic as well. But I can't imagine what it'd be like if it was given some attention by Merlin.
Sorry for being negative, I just wanted to point some things out because, like the issues at Alton Towers, Chessington's need highlighting too, should Merlin ever wake-up and see what they are doing, or rather aren't doing with their iconic parks.
1. The figures in the Vampire queue are embarrassing. Their faces are cracked, paint is flaking off them and their robes are almost worn away completely around the arms and knees. Grave stones have fallen over, as has the cauldron (which has also revealed the ugly, crumbling yellow foam under it). Vampire's stations music is really hard to hear over the relentless shouting from the op and the whole ride needs a good clean and a new layer of paint. The ride ops on Vampire weren't checking how many people were where on the ride and we twice had to point out to them how they could move people on their own to fill up all of the rows.
2. Transylvania in general needs some cleaning.
3. The Safari Skyway looks horrendous. The whole of the track is dirty, rusting and the paint is flaking off it along the whole length of it.
4. Most of the stone-effect paint on the dragon head in the queue for Dragon's Fury has gone and it looks very bad (and a lot of people were pointing at it too, so I was quite obviously not the only one to have seen it).
5. Some of the effects in Bubble Works don't work.
6. The fake mountain for the Runaway Train now looks like a giant dirty sponge because the yellow foam is now very noticeable and it's all very dirty.
7. There's a speaker outside Hocus Pocus that's crackling and spoils the sounds from the others.
8. Noodle Noodle were getting food orders wrong and not being quick enough with other orders and were loosing customers.
9. The Mexican Cantina staff weren't serving anyone as they were putting some more wraps out in foil instead. They too were getting orders incorrect.
10. All queues in general weren't moving very quickly as the ride operators just weren't being as efficient enough. It really did make me appreciate the efficiency of the staff at Alton Towers.
That was all from just my second visit, so I can't imagine what else there is that I've missed. It's probably likely that some of those problems that I've listed have existed for a while, but I've only ever visited twice (both within the past couple of months).
I know that I'm being very critical of the park and it isn't all that bad as there are obviously, many, many good points to Chessington. The thing is, a day at the park could be so much better if some of those points were addressed. I think it's a lovely little park, but Merlin quite obviously don't know what they have. It's such a shame because all of the staff at the park are great, the rides are great and atmosphere is fantastic as well. But I can't imagine what it'd be like if it was given some attention by Merlin.
Sorry for being negative, I just wanted to point some things out because, like the issues at Alton Towers, Chessington's need highlighting too, should Merlin ever wake-up and see what they are doing, or rather aren't doing with their iconic parks.
-
DiogoJ42
Well the figures in Vampire's queue are the old Abdab animatronics from Terror Tomb. They were never designed to survive outside, and putting them there was never going to work. 
I totally agree with you about the audio in the station. The ops seem to think they are working on a fairground waltzer or something.
Sadly it seems that Chessington is suffering even worse than Towers in terms of neglect from M£rlin The irony there is that without M£rlin, Chessie would have closed years ago. They saved the park from going bust, only to leave it to rot to death.
I totally agree with you about the audio in the station. The ops seem to think they are working on a fairground waltzer or something.
Sadly it seems that Chessington is suffering even worse than Towers in terms of neglect from M£rlin
The irony there is that without M£rlin, Chessie would have closed years ago. They saved the park from going bust, only to leave it to rot to death.-
BigAl
- Member
- Posts: 1762
- Joined: Mon Jun 21, 2010 11:00 am
- Location: South East Cheshire
- Contact:
The ops in Vampire's station are that loud that you can't even hear yourself, let alone the music. And it's practically every minute that they're doing it. People were half way through saying something and had to stop until the ride ops had finished.
I agree that Chessington wouldn't be here without Merlin, but it feels as if Merlin are neglecting the park anyway. If this continues then I don't know how long the park will have left. It literally is falling to pieces.
I agree that Chessington wouldn't be here without Merlin, but it feels as if Merlin are neglecting the park anyway. If this continues then I don't know how long the park will have left. It literally is falling to pieces.
-
Benzin
- Member
- Posts: 599
- Joined: Fri Feb 11, 2011 5:30 pm
- Location: Stafford
Half those points were happening years ago... It's beyond funny now tbh...
Some people think Towers is in a bad state, Chessie is much, much worse these days... In many departments, the only shining light last year was the Ents lot, but ride staff were really poor and everyone seems so robotic when they do the interaction, making it more awkward...
And they STILL haven't turned down Vampire's speakers? Jesus... Last year it was vibrating the bloody fences indoors...
The park seems to lack some form of direction though... If they could get some of that and decide what they really want to do they might get some budget...
Some people think Towers is in a bad state, Chessie is much, much worse these days... In many departments, the only shining light last year was the Ents lot, but ride staff were really poor and everyone seems so robotic when they do the interaction, making it more awkward...
And they STILL haven't turned down Vampire's speakers? Jesus... Last year it was vibrating the bloody fences indoors...
The park seems to lack some form of direction though... If they could get some of that and decide what they really want to do they might get some budget...
-
thefatone
- Member
- Posts: 865
- Joined: Fri Jan 14, 2011 7:14 pm
- Location: Hidden behind an ancient bookcase..
Worse than towers, yes.. but in terms of invesment and actually sorting the park out, chessington actually gets some sort of budget and things have been done (whereas absolutely diddle squat was done between 04-08 excluding a free wheel from thorpe).
-
Rowe
Whilst I agree in the majority that Chessington is worse than the other Merlin parks, I disagree with several points.
I believe that management has tweaked several different aspects within the park needed or not which I found impressive alongside the new addition of Africa including the Madagascar stage and retheme of Berry Bouncers even if my visit was fleeting this morning. With regards to Vampire's ride ops and the microphone it honestly wasn't that bad either, I would say it's quieter than previously rather than so loud you can't hear yourself think and the ride staff haven't become robotic or poor in their job either. They're still as friendly, talkative and funny as before!
As much as the funds are tightly controlled by Merlin it's great to see that they're still edging forward rather than stopping altogether. I would rather see that happen than nothing at the park when anything more than medium investment is unlikely.
I believe that management has tweaked several different aspects within the park needed or not which I found impressive alongside the new addition of Africa including the Madagascar stage and retheme of Berry Bouncers even if my visit was fleeting this morning. With regards to Vampire's ride ops and the microphone it honestly wasn't that bad either, I would say it's quieter than previously rather than so loud you can't hear yourself think and the ride staff haven't become robotic or poor in their job either. They're still as friendly, talkative and funny as before!
As much as the funds are tightly controlled by Merlin it's great to see that they're still edging forward rather than stopping altogether. I would rather see that happen than nothing at the park when anything more than medium investment is unlikely.
-
BigAl
- Member
- Posts: 1762
- Joined: Mon Jun 21, 2010 11:00 am
- Location: South East Cheshire
- Contact:
My point regarding Vampire's music being too low and the ride op being too imposing stands but then I have a feeling that it's only certain ops that do this because we visited two months before and the music was more or less at the right volume, although the ride op was still quite loud then. Either way, I still think Chessington's management need to go and see how the ride is being operated so that they can correct those who aren't doing the best job. But it's not down to a lack of effort, they're just not getting the sound levels right (in my opinion, anyway).
Also, the lightning effects over the organist weren't on this weekend either. I don't know whether they're broken, being fixed or if that too is down to the ops?
Also, the lightning effects over the organist weren't on this weekend either. I don't know whether they're broken, being fixed or if that too is down to the ops?
-
Islander
- Member
- Posts: 2204
- Joined: Sat Mar 21, 2009 8:12 pm
- Location: Space Station Mir
- Contact:
^Yep. Due to a mixture of fast track guests (can't merge them too far up the queue, and fire regs (or so I heard, but probably more to do with fast track).
-
Fiyero
- Member
- Posts: 74
- Joined: Sun Mar 14, 2010 10:14 pm
- Location: Hampshire
I went to Chessington today with family and had a great day. There was a power failure that caused a few rides to close but they all re-opened. As is to be expected people were unhappy and complaining but some I heard were going over the top (I don't think they actually got stuck on a ride) but they were swearing and everything which isn't nice for a family park. They also said that when they got to the front of the queue for a ride (not sure which one) their child was refused as he was too short. I saw this happen myself on Kobra to another girl and although it is the parents fault for not reading their map / sign I think it should be made more obvious. I like the Legoland metal bars that if you can walk under them you are too short.
Anyway, I thought the park looked in great shape. The staff were all friendly, The new show was great fun and fits in well with the rethemed area (be interesting to see what they do when the IP runs out) and the parking was well managed.
The only grumble I had is the inefficiency of ride loading. I know Peking Heights has stupidly low capacity (2x3 pods filled, all others empty) but emptying each pod 1 at a time then filling one pod at a time seems silly when you could batch people ready to board.
Anyway, I thought the park looked in great shape. The staff were all friendly, The new show was great fun and fits in well with the rethemed area (be interesting to see what they do when the IP runs out) and the parking was well managed.
The only grumble I had is the inefficiency of ride loading. I know Peking Heights has stupidly low capacity (2x3 pods filled, all others empty) but emptying each pod 1 at a time then filling one pod at a time seems silly when you could batch people ready to board.
-
BigAl
- Member
- Posts: 1762
- Joined: Mon Jun 21, 2010 11:00 am
- Location: South East Cheshire
- Contact:
They do have people stood in queues with those metal bars. Some rides like Vampire have one person with one in the queue (before you're let into the station) and then there's someone else with one in the station as well. They also have the height restrictions at the entrance to every ride. If a family or group tried to get their child onto a ride past all of this and then got turned down when it was time to get on then it's their own fault. They can't really make it much clearer.Fiyero wrote: They also said that when they got to the front of the queue for a ride (not sure which one) their child was refused as he was too short. I saw this happen myself on Kobra to another girl and although it is the parents fault for not reading their map / sign I think it should be made more obvious. I like the Legoland metal bars that if you can walk under them you are too short.
-
pixie-ro
- Member
- Posts: 86
- Joined: Sun Nov 15, 2009 7:10 pm
- Location: Down in the Dumps
I thought I would revisit this thread following my first ever visit to Chessington at the weekend. We stayed at the hotel, which I did enjoy, although I couldn't stop myself from comparing it to AT! I loved the animal reserve, and wandering around in the beautiful sunshine with a glass of wine in my hand did add a certain something to the experience. The staff were all friendly, although when we bumped into a family who had been dining next to us in the restaurant, they complained about being rushed off their table before they had managed to order desert.
On to the park - the hottest day ever (it was almost unbearable by 10am) and for most of the day the log flume was down! The rides were ok...Vampire was better than I expected, although I did resent the minutes of my life wasted queuing for Tomb raider! As it was so hot we were on a bit of a go slow, so didn't manage to cover everything, although to be honest I wasn't that bothered. Some of the theming left a lot to be desired, but I probably only paid attention to it because I had read about it on here. I was a pleasant atmosphere on the park...it was nice to be away from gangs of teens being generally loutish and annoying - I know that makes me sound old but I am, so I don't care! Interestingly, when I was leaving I went to the toilets just outside the entrance, and there were two staff members talking about gate figures. Apparently it had been 6000 that day, which one said was fairly low considering the weather and that it was a weekend. Overall, I'm glad I went but I doubt I'll be rushing back, not really the fault of the park but at the moment, without small children, I would prefer a day at Thorpe!
On to the park - the hottest day ever (it was almost unbearable by 10am) and for most of the day the log flume was down! The rides were ok...Vampire was better than I expected, although I did resent the minutes of my life wasted queuing for Tomb raider! As it was so hot we were on a bit of a go slow, so didn't manage to cover everything, although to be honest I wasn't that bothered. Some of the theming left a lot to be desired, but I probably only paid attention to it because I had read about it on here. I was a pleasant atmosphere on the park...it was nice to be away from gangs of teens being generally loutish and annoying - I know that makes me sound old but I am, so I don't care! Interestingly, when I was leaving I went to the toilets just outside the entrance, and there were two staff members talking about gate figures. Apparently it had been 6000 that day, which one said was fairly low considering the weather and that it was a weekend. Overall, I'm glad I went but I doubt I'll be rushing back, not really the fault of the park but at the moment, without small children, I would prefer a day at Thorpe!
-
markfranklin
- New Member
- Posts: 25
- Joined: Wed May 02, 2012 12:37 pm
Excuse my terrible ignorance, but could someone tell me what "IP" stands for? I've seen the term mentioned a few times...Fiyero wrote: Anyway, I thought the park looked in great shape. The staff were all friendly, The new show was great fun and fits in well with the rethemed area (be interesting to see what they do when the IP runs out) and the parking was well managed.
Regarding Madagascar, I have to say that I'm not quite as happy as many of the fellow members are, having read through a number of the forum entries.
I think it is "not bad" but on balance preferred the Dragon's Theatre for the following reasons:
1) Huge space being taken up by Madagascar
2) You could watch Dragons even in rain / poor weather
3) You could safely leave very little ones in Dragons whilst having a coffee
4) Based on the feedback from my daughter and her friends who are very regular visitors (ages 3-6) they liked Madagascar but didn't want to watch it again. Compared to Dragons, when they even wanted to go and watch repeat performances on the same day.
-
jordanc44
- Member
- Posts: 60
- Joined: Mon Apr 18, 2011 11:31 pm
- Location: Nottingham
IP stands for Intellectual Propertymarkfranklin wrote:
Excuse my terrible ignorance, but could someone tell me what "IP" stands for? I've seen the term mentioned a few times...
2012- Alton Towers - 3 | Thorpe Park - 1 | Legoland - 1 | Chessington World of Adventures - 0 |
-
James6
- Member
- Posts: 764
- Joined: Wed May 06, 2009 6:20 pm
Just received my Merlin annual pass Magazine thing for the first time and there is quite a good section on Chessington over the years. Although it does say "The resort has changed beyond all recognition" which I think is at odds with what we think, that the park has stayed pretty much the exact same. It does also state that it has received "huge investment" have to say I haven't seen any...
Still it is a nice article with some great pictures, and it states that the finale of the Safari Tour next year will be "one of the most spectacular you're ever likely to witness at a theme park."
Nemesis also gets a mention as the "coaster king" :P
Still it is a nice article with some great pictures, and it states that the finale of the Safari Tour next year will be "one of the most spectacular you're ever likely to witness at a theme park."
Nemesis also gets a mention as the "coaster king" :P
Last edited by James6 on Sat Jun 02, 2012 9:59 am, edited 1 time in total.
If you go down to the Towers today, you\'d better ride Th13teen. :P
-
jmgpannal
- Member
- Posts: 51
- Joined: Mon Mar 05, 2012 6:34 pm
I actually do agree when you look at the map in there from 1987 and then think what it's like now. And think about what it was like when it was just the zoo, it has changed massively!James6 wrote: Just received my Merlin annual pass Magazine thing for the first time and there is quite a good section on Chessington over the years. Although it does say "The resort has changed beyond all recognition" which I think is at odds with what we think, that the park has stayed pretty much the exact same. It does also state that it has received "huge investment" have to say I haven't seen any...
Still it is a nice article with some great pictures, and it states that the finale of the Safari Tour next year will be "one of the most spectacular you're ever likely to witness at a theme park."
Nemesis also gets a mention as the "coaster king" :P
There hasn't been much change in recent years but lots over the last 25