Mattgwise

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.

I am fully aware of that. I work with children with all sorts of physical and mental disabilities. Unfortunately a lot of people using the RAP system in the UK are people with 'disabilities' that do not require them to be unable to stand in a normal queue. The pass is supposed to allow you to skip the queue, but still have to wait the equivalent of the queue time, however many staff don't bother with that aspect of it meaning they can just go and queue for another ride. We actually witnessed a situation on the AT meet where a parent got angry as the staff member wrote the time 60 mins later on his sons RAP sheet and he started going off on one about how his son won't be able to cope, clearly not understanding it wasn't a fast track ticket but merely a means of his son not having to stand in a physical queue.

But it isn't abused. In the few visits I've made to the park I've seen just one couple use it and the person was in a wheelchair.

I fully understand it from the same POV you and Marc mention, I am merely saying a company of that size should not have the issue of not getting money to remove something or repaint it. They are meant to be providing an amazing experience!!! Even small family parks remove things or touch them up! Another thing that I find terrible is that the railway lines through Old Town and the barriers one of the LC's are still there when it closed in 2011!!!! Nearly 8 years ago!!!! Madness!!!!

Because it looks poor, derelict and run down, not something that should be left in an area open to guests. Admittedly you wouldn't paint all sides but if they painted over the logo then the whole of that side should look better than how it's been left. Or better still just remove the thing! Slammer should also be removed!

The coaster has had planning permission refused! A shame and probably means this park will now struggle to grow with larger attractions. http://www.pleanala.ie/casenum/303869.htm