Mattgwise

Park was absolutely heaving today, most queue lines were virtually full and fast track was destroying operations. Something is wrong when a park closes at 6 and still has virtually full queue lines and pathways. Rides like Monkey Swinger had full queues because only one member of staff is allocated to it, meaning 6 to 7 mins to get everyone on with all the faff involved with getting guests off, checking RAP and fast track, going to the main gate to let just over half the ride capacity through, then realising you then have 2 spare seats so go and ask the queue again, to then manually check every single seats restraint, etc. Painful! That said staff were trying their best with the situation and I still had a fairly good day. The photos below are of the fast track queue for Vampire at 5:20pm. The main queue was almost full as well. I chose not to brave the potential 2hr plus queue it would be.

Glad you enjoyed it. Now try a back row then! I find the front to be slow and sluggish so you will find the back out of control and so much better!

That is a shame, but the couple of 8pm closes I was there the park was dead by 630. But saying that I have been a couple of times when it shut at 6pm and it was still pretty busy, today for instance being one of those days.

The ride was likely purchased for $2.8 million or £2.3 million by today's exchange rate (which is worse than it was back then) , soneary £18 million on all other costs!!! Can't see it! Edit - https://www.sinchew.com.my/content/content_2037421.html?fbclid=IwAR25SGFW5k4h9W1n5rISMI44OXeVUXE8QTf3VfCoAxh2dTHXGGyH2yOHvtM For those who CBA to translate and read the last paragraph reads... "In a press conference today, he said that the new management unanimously decided to sell the roller coaster. The highest bid is currently from buyers in the UK, with a bid of $2.8 million (about 11.48 million ringgit). In other words, if the transaction is completed, Anime Theme Park Co., Ltd. will directly face the loss of RM10.52 million."

I like the design. Cannot wait to see how this looks in testing. Definitely going out there next year.

Was a great meet! Massively impressed with not only Phantasialand, but Toverland as well! Such an underated park I thoroughly enjoyed. I felt like a kid again!

1. B&M 2. RMC 3. Mack 4. GCI 5. Intamin

Which are also the same as on the bridge, DBGT, lumber jump and now Samurai as well.

It has changed its "regular" cycle again to a very very long programme, that is great and intense for the first minute and half or so, then it just spends about 3 minutes going left to right repeating itself, with not much action. Still a massive improvement on the dire setting it had been on recently.

Some updates taking place on Rumba Rapids. Could it get a full gradual repaint over the summer, or is it testing for closed season repaint. (certainly needs it). Also the sound system is gradually being replaced with some new speakers. (yet to be wired up)

SNAP! Haha

Maybe that is the plan. Would be a worlds first and we all know how much Merlin love those.

Me too, although genuinely, the fake shop is literally the best part (and only part I like)!

Awesome Old Tv show Bodger and Badger Series 4 was filmed at the park. This rare clip shows some of the park including Dragon River from the 90s. It ironically shows issues from todays maintaining of effects at Merlin parks 😂

Good on you for being positive! Far more generous than I'd have been! 😂

Surprised nobody has mentioned this. Beach and Bounce has opened at Chessington as shown on social media. I love how they have gone one up on Thorpe by making the bouncy castle 10m longer. Kick in the teeth for Thorpe. Originally it was oddly only for 10 and over but has changed to height of 1.1m with an adult and 1.4m alone. The beach (sponsored by Honest Teas - WHO???? 🤔) looks a nice added touch as well. Looks fun and will certainly be giving it a go. Official site information: https://www.chessington.com/event/1043/beach-bounce.aspx FB post shown below.

Glad you enjoyed the park. It really is a special place for all the reasons all of you have said that have visited. Just like Mark9 says it's great how we all enjoy different coasters for different reasons, and it is the variety that makes it such an awesome place. If funds allowed I'd be back there every year. For me (though minority for people here) I'm a Magnum hater, found it, rough and uncomfortable. My favourite three are Steel Vengeance, Millennium Force and TTD. The water on the exit path to the rapids caught me out! I tried to dodge it then slipped soaking my otherwise (through luck) dry shoes! It's there to clean people's feet from the dirt as oddly they allow the removal of shoes for this rapids. There's lots of shoe storage near the queue line entrance.

It is Freakshow 3D returning, not Big Top. Isn't that obvious?

Please if Thorpe Management are watching just bring it back now for this reason. 😂😂😂

It won't be returning, they have announced all returning attractions and 'new' ones to be released gradually.

No because at fairs it's only a bouncy castle or slide, not an obstacle course. It is generally well received by the public.

Sounds good. A shame there won't be much scope for dark rides this year as the park only open until 7PM.

Everyone I know talks about Bouncezilla and say that they can't wait to go back, sure it will be a success at Chessington too.

A great read! Am very much looking forward to getting to these parks in the future starting with Toverland in a few weeks.

It was having a lot of issues last weekend into the start of last week and was up and down most of the day yesterday. From what we saw it was struggling to get from the brakes turnaround into the offload. We literally crawled around the corner and didn't think we'd make it. An engineer was also present the whole hour we queued.