Chessington World of Adventures Resort

[bensaund]

Of course I will be going to the Festive Zoo days at Chessington, it is such a shame that this year they are not doing the Zoo days throughout the autumn/winter months like last year. Plus it looks like no Hocus Pocus Hall/Bubbleworks this year which will be a downer as this is always an added bonus.

[Burniel]

I heard Hocus pocus hall is being rethemed to a Christmas walk through and will be open, but is there truth in this?

[newrider]

I went to Chessington a couple of months ago (as part of a bid to get over CoasterPhobia, much discussed in the AT general thread). I went on my own.

Interesting fact about Chessington: they're really, really not set up to accept Single Riders. I mean, in ANY sense. It's like it's unheard of to go there as a single rider. I went there (on a reasonably busy day) and got:

1) A Bubbleworks pod all to myself
2) A Tomb Raider car all to myself
3) (Best of all, actually) paired up with a "2" on Dragon's Fury (so I had one side to myself) - they don't seem to send them round in 4's.
4) (Less brilliantly) told I couldn't have a row to myself on Vampire (even though I never asked for that!) - when I said that didn't bother me I was then told I'd have to "ask" a single person (obviously someone who was part of a group of 3) if they minded if I sat next to them. Slightly awkward. (I didn't actually ask, and they didn't seem to mind or question it). I actaully thought it was a bit mean to land me with that bombshell after I'd queued for 40 minutes like everyone else...

The only ride that seemed "normal" was Kobra, which seems completely set up to accept "ones". But Vampire confused me... it routinely gets sent out with large quantities of empty seats. You'd think I'd be welcomed - I rode without zero impact on the queueing time for everyone else!

I wonder why this is... is it "expected" that people will be going there with kids? I know Thorpe Park doesn't "welcome" Single Riders (in that they don't have any dedicated queues for them) - from what I read they believe it hurts rider flow (which I can believe, actaully, assuming the single riders do the decent thing and go away instead of just queueing in the normal queue...), but they are clearly adept with dealing them... Chessington seemed the opposite. I am sure I'll return someday (though now I enjoy more intense rides, it seems a little pointless!) - but just odd!

-NR

[Burniel]

I assure you, nobody has as broader knowledge of chessington queuelines as myself ...

Put simply, Merlin doesn't care enough for chessington. While Thorpe and alton are getting new coasters every 3-5 years, with many thrill rides in between, chessie may get one good ride a decade, which is harsh but true - the last decent ride since ZUFARI (if that counts) was Dragon's fury - 2004. Since 2004 thorpe and alton have had double digits worth of new thrill rides when put together, and chessington has been left unloved. More unloved than legoland.

And so, if they can't be bothered to add new rides, why should they put a single rider system in place. KOBRA is the only ride that takes ones, but even that doesn't work - singles have to queue the long queue (100mins on 30th oct!) so they may as well ride with family and friends.

Vampire "screams" (excuse the pun) for a single rider queue and I would use it all the time. The same goes for Dragon's fury, tomb blaster, KOBRA  and even (on hot days when it's very busy) rattlesnake and monkey swinger! Not forgetting rameses when it reopens.

So merlin, if you're out there ... Please. Invest in a chessington single rider queue. It will go down better with me than a new billion looping coaster at thorpe park

[Jared]

The issue with single riders at Chessington and Legoland to an extent is the parks target audience. Young children and family groups don't tend to lend themselves all that well to sharing with other children and adults they do not know. Then there's the whole worry about certain types being at the park.

The reason for it is to protect the younger guests at the park and I'd rather queue a little longer than have harmless, innocent children and their families made to feel uncomfortable.

[Burniel]

^I'm sorry, I just don't agree.

I can remember being a part of that "young family" category, and not only did I not care sitting next to anyone (reduced my queue after all) I also remember wondering why there was no single rider queue

[newrider]

I'd rather queue a little longer than have harmless, innocent children and their families made to feel uncomfortable.

I take your point about unknown adults being sat next to children (though to an extent, that could apply at any park...) but how does queuing for longer resolve that problem?

And why is there seemingly a policy on vampire that groups of 3 have the third person sitting unaccompanied (never matched up with another odd number to put them next to a stranger), but single riders don't get a row to themselves and have to ask to sit next to someone? (Again, not that I expect one, but it's a bit disappointing to queue for 40 mins and then feel you have to "beg" your way onto the ride...).

[Burniel]

I was actually really annoyed as a one on vampire

Problem was that as a one, they don't let you go anywhere near the back because they lose track of you so you queue 40-100 minutes and A) have to beg and B) have to go at the front, which makes vampire pretty lame

[Lottie.]

^ I was never forced to go near the front when I've been as a one. Normally they let me go wherever the next row was available or they sometimes put me next to someone.

Isn't the back 2 rows for disabled guests anyway? So you can't get the back row unless there is no one waiting for the disabled queue.

[Jared]

It's a disappointment about the rides. You can get 20 goes on the black buccaneer on a good zoo day!

Hocus pocus hall thing sounds cool. How to change it from Halloween:

Into the room. Actor explains how the mystery of santa's grotto is strong, nobody knows where it truly is. Door opens. Surprised guests walk through the corridor with introducer. Finds door, opens it, and sees tunnel. Introducer leaves them to it.

Where cleopatra sat, you find a working elf. He greets you and tells you santa and all your Christmas wishes are ahead but be careful along the way! You move on. "Guardian on the cobra" is santa's wife who tells you that there are people ahead who have snuk in. ("You're much better off taking this route!")

Guests take the route, and come across Scrooge! He's about to throw you out, but santa saves you!

Mirror maze Christmas-like, and then you're out.

If I'm honest, that sounds completely pants. I'm pretty sure it'll be a far bigger transformation than that. There's a lot of other big transformations going on at Chessington this closed season...

[Burniel]

I agree it is pants.

I don't doubt, however, that this is the level of which it will be done. Obviously I hope for better

[Jared]

I agree it is pants.

I don't doubt, however, that this is the level of which it will be done. Obviously I hope for better

You really have so little faith in Chessington. Did you not see how good The Mystery of Hocus Pocus Hall was?

[Burniel]

It was good but it was the first decent transformation

[Dara]

Just to clear something up, the reason Thorpe Park removed single rider queues was because they said it meant throughputs sufferred due to single riders taking a long time to get to their seats on Stealth. This argument is of course a complete load of rubbish as, if you have staff who are on the ball, you will be able to batch single riders into the loading bays before the gates open rather than having to call for them, which is what was hurting throughputs. Clearly some staff just weren't on the ball.

[Burniel]

^ I was never forced to go near the front when I've been as a one. Normally they let me go wherever the next row was available or they sometimes put me next to someone.

Isn't the back 2 rows for disabled guests anyway? So you can't get the back row unless there is no one waiting for the disabled queue.

They chucked me near the front, I dunno

Yeah technically back rows are reserved but on quiet days (try to imagine that!) I've been on the back row

[Emma]

Has Chessington ever had single rider queues?

I am aware Thorpe did and for whatever reason they figured out it didn't work; fair play to them for trying.

The least Chessington could do is see if it can work. Even if it is only for vampire or DF as I can imagine these are the main two rides that would benefit from it, if they want to improve throughput that is ...

[Jared]

Has Chessington ever had single rider queues?

Yes. Dragons Fury used to, along with Tomb Blaster, but neither were used enough to warrant them.

[abigsmurf]

Making you personally search out another single rider among strangers is pretty horrible, I'd even go so far as to say humiliating.

That can't be official policy, it must be better for a ride attendant to shout out for another single rider willing to get on 5 minutes earlier.

[Burniel]

Has Chessington ever had single rider queues?

Yes. Dragons Fury used to, along with Tomb Blaster, but neither were used enough to warrant them.

That's because Chessington didn't use them properly.

[Jared]

Umm. No. You're wrong. Did you even see it?! It's because no one used it!