TraX

Looking over Twitter, Storm Surge, Vortex, Loggers Leap and Samurai are all closed. What's up with that during peak season? Don't start with the whole 'their rides are very technical..' Excuse you don't hear thrown around in other parks!

Why did they lower it so much? I do wonder what it will take for them to take the parks disgusting decline seriously. I guess as long as people are visiting there's no need to fix the dreadful state that it's become.

Staff do.

'Do you have what it takes'? No, not for that price hike.

Exactly that, what Benin said. The park are very well aware the dreadful state that it's in. They just can't decide what needs doing first. Tombs plan is/WAS in motion due to the H&S concerns of the interior. Falls is being discussed as it looks, AWFUL, and the same for Bubbles that is always on the to do list. The problem with Chessington is that they are all talk. The entire resort needs someone to come in with a vision and weed out the fools that have no idea what they're doing. There always seems to be very nice, small things happening like Market Sq/Fish and Chips, but they are irrelevant. The park needs to update it's dreadful rides, NOT keep adding things that guests do not want. Hotel extensions (yawn)/Glamping (yawn)/rumored High Ropes course (yawn).. these are NOT the answer. I wonder what the future holds for the place, as it relies on guests who knew it when it was a fantastic theme park, and are now they're taking their kids... thing is, it's not a fantastic theme park any more, and their kids, the next generation for sure won't be taking their own, when it's fallen into such disrepair. It's terrible they've got themselves into such a disgusting state.

It's a shame that following the inspection of the queues and pathways 'at height', that they first decided to throw in the knee-jerk railings, before another quick response to close it all together. Doesn't anyone think long term at Chessington? The irony of them wanting a high ropes course as Towers is also fairly amusing..

My main concern is that the lake and garden area out back of the AT hotel, will feel closed in with the extension opposite. Oh and the ever so handy Woodland Walk will be closed during construction..

....and what they will actually do: Build a high ropes course like Alton Towers, even though no one wants it.

Aren't the water rides closed until 11 anyway (explains why not a soul around them). As for the coasters morning time is the best for no queues. Ain't no shock there, just twisted by the mail.

It suffered last year after the original creators left. The replacement didn't have the know how, or experience to set triggered scenes (hence why it just looped one track, rather than the individual show scene tracks and programned show lighting). It's a shame as it was a fantastic attraction with detail and character. To be too much work for the entertainment team shows they're obviously struggling. While entertainments added the lighting, the theming install was given to studios last year for that reason. I bet the tomb attraction in the marquee isn't even something they're dealing with much, external company all the way.

Just back from Towers and Th13teen, AIR, Rita, and Oblivion were all over 15 mins. Th13teen and Rita reached 60. Understandably their struggling, but from what I saw around The Smiler, is that they could open it tomorrow, and everyone would ride it, there were plenty of people asking the poor host outside.

Screamscape mentions that 'a trusted source' has told him SW8 is on hold, or may never come to be, as they deal with The Smiler blacklash.. Truth, or just Screamscape?? I expected this to be delayed, but hope that it's not shelved completely.

Yes, rollbacks aren't that exciting. They just bring enthusiast bragging rights. I've been on two, for the record. ;-)

Because surely at somepoint, people will want new attractions to bring them to the park. Merlin are ao rubbish at adding hotels, hotel extensions, and smaller scale hotel additions like this, and the awful enchanted village. When will chessington up their game? Seriously what will it take?

This won't be inside the attraction, it will be in the same place crypt was. Tomb is falling apart, and who knows this might tie in with the rumoured re-theme next year (although I doubt it).

Then they suit Merlin's lowest, and most faded of attractions. ;-)

Even then, not to replace anything and just shove some benches on top and hope no one asks 'hey, wasn't there once a nicely themed building here?' Ugh shanty.

So NST is back up, anyone ride it in it's new state?

Anyone that ever rode, or has seen the pictures of Dragon River/Falls, will agree how splendid and spectacular an otherwise run of the mill log flume could be. The fact the bosses at Merlin (not Chessington, as they don't give a crap on such things) are content with it's current state speaks volumes. They should be utterly ashamed of themselves for failing at exactly what a theme park is. Chessington; you are an absolute dump of a park that needs someone to bring it back to the standard in which it once was. Paramount will be a huge kick in the face for you, and it doesn't matter how many hotel extensions, or re-themed attractions due to urgent H&S concerns that you rush through, people will see every disgusting flaw that you are pretending don't exist (rant over).

No, but it is common for the Fastrack team to stand at the entrance of rides and lie..sorry, exaggerate about queue times.

The H&S of the walkways of tomb have leap frogged tombs re-theme over bubbles, to the top of the list. If this IS leading us into the re-theme, all we can hope is they do a good job.

It's a very technical/effect heavy attraction, and I hope it won't fall in the same direction as the Dungeons, with so many effects broken so early on.

Hopefully, they'll sort Falls, Bubbles, and the joke that is Zufari too. The park is a total embarrassment, and Merlin need to address it.. This 'upgrade' is the least of their problems, but demonstrates how much the management give a crap. Jesus, they bang on to staff about standards, what a joke. The park's biggest and most popular ride is something built in the 90's, which today under Merlin, is a shadow of itself.

Anyone notice the awesome audio upgrades at Sea Lion Bay? The park's most popular zoo presentation, has finally had the upgrade they've been requesting for so long! There are huge PA speakers lining the pool, and cable runs over the floor, all the way to the the creepy caves. What's even nicer than the trip hazards, and large black, plonked speakers (come on, a bit of fishing net, a grill cover/and barrel SOMETHING themed, or at least attempted), is that all the old broken tatty speakers are still dotted around the area too. It's this kind of attention to detail, and marks (well lack of), which makes Chessington such a jewel in Merlin's crown.

It's just what they do internally to their staff too. They love the blame game.