spoonablehippo

have a look on Theme Park Guide - they have taken photos of some areas where the trough used to be

Hex has always been one of my favourite rides, but the last couple of times I've been on it, the music on the actual ride section has been really quiet and only comes from one side of the room. It really robs it of the atmosphere and excitement :-(
Its so quiet you can actually hear the ride mechanism creaking over it lol

Whatever they do with HEX, I just hope they've left the music alone! 

So I've just come back from Chessington, where I had three goes on Tiger Rock. Here are my thoughts:
 
Area
As many have said, "Land of the Tiger" features many high fences. To be honest, though, it wasn't all too noticeable, as the Tiger Rock itself draws most of your attention. The area around the drop and main entrance to the area, is themed around a conservation site, with the wooden fences decorated as large supply crates. There's some nice theming around the enclosures near the drop (I didn't go too far down where Peeking Heights was), with some crates, shovels, binoculars, all that stuff. The bridge going over the flume itself has a new bridge running alongside it for the tigers (although, I personally didn't see any of the tigers on any of the bridges, one came close but walked off). The area where the Buddha is has all sorts of signs, about some festival, and also signs directing you to "Tiger Cave" "Tiger Pool" and of course, "Tiger Rock". The sign pointing to Tiger Rock is pointing to the theming feature, and not the ride, which could cause confusion. The panning for gold thing has been changed to a doughnuts and churros stand. Now, as you've probably seen, unfortunately, the dragon has been covered up and honestly, it looks awful in person, you can easily see where it was the dragon and some of the green paint remains. The ride entrance is pretty much the same, but painted up in a tiger pattern and with a new sign. Finally, the music is absolutely fantastic, really atmospheric and honestly makes the area. It doesn't sound like anything Chessington have done before.
 
Ride Experience
The queue in the station remains, there's some signs explaining the story, how you're in the "Tiger Temple", you're travelling down the "Amur River" and you're "Connecting with the Spirit of the Tiger". There's also a scene up on the wall, and a show sequence plays every so often with a tiger over your head. The ride is mostly the same until you get to the former Dragon tunnel.
 As you exit the tunnel, you catch your first glimpse of the tiger rock on the ride. You pass by the old Chan's Cycles and Lee's Laundry, which are now painted all red and completely bare which I think is a shame. There's some nice audio as you go up the lift and when you're on the top. As you go through the tiger head you're sprayed with mist, like Wicker Man, which means you get wetter than on Dragon Falls. The old photo kiosk is now a tiny gift shop selling mostly just generic tiger stuff, some Tiger Rock bears, cups and pin badges. The old food kiosk is now the photo kiosk.
 
Overall
This review is getting long so I'll keep this short: Overall, I thought Tiger Rock and Land of the Tiger was alright. Not much has changed to be honest, and I was disappointed with some of the theming being removed. I am happy that the ride is back as I felt a part of Chessie was missing without Dragon Falls, without it it was just repeat rides on Fury, Vampire and Rattlesnake.

Gutted. My little boy loves X, one of the few rides there he could go on. He's 9 and under 1.4, and even if he was tall enough, the theme would scare the life out of him :-(

Gutted. My little boy loves X, one of the few rides there he could go on. He's 9 and under 1.4, and even if he was tall enough, the theme would scare the life out of him :-(

Hex is as brilliant as ever and you can really see they have worked hard on it whilst it was closed.
 
The music remains the same and it's still pretty much the same ride but the small details are noticeable - the bit before you go into the vault is so much better in terms of theming and effects  - and I love the smells that they have throughout the experience - very authentic and really enhances the experience.
 
Yesterday was the first time I had ever really queued for Hex - ok it wasn't a huge queue - maybe 20 minutes but it seems to be attracting guests which it absolutely should because it is a brilliant ride.
 
Some of the TLC mentioned you can't physically see but it is good that they have put in lots of work and it is back open (I really missed it last year).
 
It might just be me but when the ride actually started it was so subtle that I thought I was fainting before I realised what was happening!   At the end of the ride pretty much everyone was smiling and a few people started clapping which I think says a lot.
 
My only gripe would be that there is no Hex merchandise which is something I think could potentially be very popular - even if it was just a simple pin badge or keyring 

Whatever they do with HEX, I just hope they've left the music alone! 

Whatever they do with HEX, I just hope they've left the music alone! 

Whatever they do with HEX, I just hope they've left the music alone! 

Whatever they do with HEX, I just hope they've left the music alone! 

Whatever they do with HEX, I just hope they've left the music alone! 

I think it's this version, which was used for the 2015 Firework event - https://youtu.be/_Np6RDSbjiM
 

Well, we had our "Bye bye Bubbleworks" Tour today.
 
I have to say, I was very impressed!
 
The guy playing professor burp was very funny, but most importantly (and somewhat suprising) he knew his stuff!
Right from the get-go, he made it clear that the tour would be talking about the ride as it used to be in 1990, before the 2006 refurb.
And so he did.
He was very knowledgable, going into great detail about the history of the ride and about every room in the tour on how it was originally conceived by
John Wardley, and how it appeared in the final ride! And he wasn't reading from a script, he knew his stuff and seemed very genuine in his enthusiasm for the ride. 
At every stage, he would talk about what used to be there in 1990, what animatronics were there, how they moved, the lines spoken by professor burp during the 4 encounters with him during the ride etc.
Then he would would point our what changed, and he too seemed to hate the imperial leather stuff! I was quite surprised, he knew the ride wasn't a patch on what it used to be.
 
I thoroughly enjoyed it, and it was worth the £28 for me (Merlin pass discount).

Well, we had our "Bye bye Bubbleworks" Tour today.
 
I have to say, I was very impressed!
 
The guy playing professor burp was very funny, but most importantly (and somewhat suprising) he knew his stuff!
Right from the get-go, he made it clear that the tour would be talking about the ride as it used to be in 1990, before the 2006 refurb.
And so he did.
He was very knowledgable, going into great detail about the history of the ride and about every room in the tour on how it was originally conceived by
John Wardley, and how it appeared in the final ride! And he wasn't reading from a script, he knew his stuff and seemed very genuine in his enthusiasm for the ride. 
At every stage, he would talk about what used to be there in 1990, what animatronics were there, how they moved, the lines spoken by professor burp during the 4 encounters with him during the ride etc.
Then he would would point our what changed, and he too seemed to hate the imperial leather stuff! I was quite surprised, he knew the ride wasn't a patch on what it used to be.
 
I thoroughly enjoyed it, and it was worth the £28 for me (Merlin pass discount).

Well, we had our "Bye bye Bubbleworks" Tour today.
 
I have to say, I was very impressed!
 
The guy playing professor burp was very funny, but most importantly (and somewhat suprising) he knew his stuff!
Right from the get-go, he made it clear that the tour would be talking about the ride as it used to be in 1990, before the 2006 refurb.
And so he did.
He was very knowledgable, going into great detail about the history of the ride and about every room in the tour on how it was originally conceived by
John Wardley, and how it appeared in the final ride! And he wasn't reading from a script, he knew his stuff and seemed very genuine in his enthusiasm for the ride. 
At every stage, he would talk about what used to be there in 1990, what animatronics were there, how they moved, the lines spoken by professor burp during the 4 encounters with him during the ride etc.
Then he would would point our what changed, and he too seemed to hate the imperial leather stuff! I was quite surprised, he knew the ride wasn't a patch on what it used to be.
 
I thoroughly enjoyed it, and it was worth the £28 for me (Merlin pass discount).

Well, we had our "Bye bye Bubbleworks" Tour today.
 
I have to say, I was very impressed!
 
The guy playing professor burp was very funny, but most importantly (and somewhat suprising) he knew his stuff!
Right from the get-go, he made it clear that the tour would be talking about the ride as it used to be in 1990, before the 2006 refurb.
And so he did.
He was very knowledgable, going into great detail about the history of the ride and about every room in the tour on how it was originally conceived by
John Wardley, and how it appeared in the final ride! And he wasn't reading from a script, he knew his stuff and seemed very genuine in his enthusiasm for the ride. 
At every stage, he would talk about what used to be there in 1990, what animatronics were there, how they moved, the lines spoken by professor burp during the 4 encounters with him during the ride etc.
Then he would would point our what changed, and he too seemed to hate the imperial leather stuff! I was quite surprised, he knew the ride wasn't a patch on what it used to be.
 
I thoroughly enjoyed it, and it was worth the £28 for me (Merlin pass discount).

Well, we had our "Bye bye Bubbleworks" Tour today.
 
I have to say, I was very impressed!
 
The guy playing professor burp was very funny, but most importantly (and somewhat suprising) he knew his stuff!
Right from the get-go, he made it clear that the tour would be talking about the ride as it used to be in 1990, before the 2006 refurb.
And so he did.
He was very knowledgable, going into great detail about the history of the ride and about every room in the tour on how it was originally conceived by
John Wardley, and how it appeared in the final ride! And he wasn't reading from a script, he knew his stuff and seemed very genuine in his enthusiasm for the ride. 
At every stage, he would talk about what used to be there in 1990, what animatronics were there, how they moved, the lines spoken by professor burp during the 4 encounters with him during the ride etc.
Then he would would point our what changed, and he too seemed to hate the imperial leather stuff! I was quite surprised, he knew the ride wasn't a patch on what it used to be.
 
I thoroughly enjoyed it, and it was worth the £28 for me (Merlin pass discount).

Well, we had our "Bye bye Bubbleworks" Tour today.
 
I have to say, I was very impressed!
 
The guy playing professor burp was very funny, but most importantly (and somewhat suprising) he knew his stuff!
Right from the get-go, he made it clear that the tour would be talking about the ride as it used to be in 1990, before the 2006 refurb.
And so he did.
He was very knowledgable, going into great detail about the history of the ride and about every room in the tour on how it was originally conceived by
John Wardley, and how it appeared in the final ride! And he wasn't reading from a script, he knew his stuff and seemed very genuine in his enthusiasm for the ride. 
At every stage, he would talk about what used to be there in 1990, what animatronics were there, how they moved, the lines spoken by professor burp during the 4 encounters with him during the ride etc.
Then he would would point our what changed, and he too seemed to hate the imperial leather stuff! I was quite surprised, he knew the ride wasn't a patch on what it used to be.
 
I thoroughly enjoyed it, and it was worth the £28 for me (Merlin pass discount).

Well, we had our "Bye bye Bubbleworks" Tour today.
 
I have to say, I was very impressed!
 
The guy playing professor burp was very funny, but most importantly (and somewhat suprising) he knew his stuff!
Right from the get-go, he made it clear that the tour would be talking about the ride as it used to be in 1990, before the 2006 refurb.
And so he did.
He was very knowledgable, going into great detail about the history of the ride and about every room in the tour on how it was originally conceived by
John Wardley, and how it appeared in the final ride! And he wasn't reading from a script, he knew his stuff and seemed very genuine in his enthusiasm for the ride. 
At every stage, he would talk about what used to be there in 1990, what animatronics were there, how they moved, the lines spoken by professor burp during the 4 encounters with him during the ride etc.
Then he would would point our what changed, and he too seemed to hate the imperial leather stuff! I was quite surprised, he knew the ride wasn't a patch on what it used to be.
 
I thoroughly enjoyed it, and it was worth the £28 for me (Merlin pass discount).

Well, we had our "Bye bye Bubbleworks" Tour today.
 
I have to say, I was very impressed!
 
The guy playing professor burp was very funny, but most importantly (and somewhat suprising) he knew his stuff!
Right from the get-go, he made it clear that the tour would be talking about the ride as it used to be in 1990, before the 2006 refurb.
And so he did.
He was very knowledgable, going into great detail about the history of the ride and about every room in the tour on how it was originally conceived by
John Wardley, and how it appeared in the final ride! And he wasn't reading from a script, he knew his stuff and seemed very genuine in his enthusiasm for the ride. 
At every stage, he would talk about what used to be there in 1990, what animatronics were there, how they moved, the lines spoken by professor burp during the 4 encounters with him during the ride etc.
Then he would would point our what changed, and he too seemed to hate the imperial leather stuff! I was quite surprised, he knew the ride wasn't a patch on what it used to be.
 
I thoroughly enjoyed it, and it was worth the £28 for me (Merlin pass discount).

Well, we had our "Bye bye Bubbleworks" Tour today.
 
I have to say, I was very impressed!
 
The guy playing professor burp was very funny, but most importantly (and somewhat suprising) he knew his stuff!
Right from the get-go, he made it clear that the tour would be talking about the ride as it used to be in 1990, before the 2006 refurb.
And so he did.
He was very knowledgable, going into great detail about the history of the ride and about every room in the tour on how it was originally conceived by
John Wardley, and how it appeared in the final ride! And he wasn't reading from a script, he knew his stuff and seemed very genuine in his enthusiasm for the ride. 
At every stage, he would talk about what used to be there in 1990, what animatronics were there, how they moved, the lines spoken by professor burp during the 4 encounters with him during the ride etc.
Then he would would point our what changed, and he too seemed to hate the imperial leather stuff! I was quite surprised, he knew the ride wasn't a patch on what it used to be.
 
I thoroughly enjoyed it, and it was worth the £28 for me (Merlin pass discount).

Well, we had our "Bye bye Bubbleworks" Tour today.
 
I have to say, I was very impressed!
 
The guy playing professor burp was very funny, but most importantly (and somewhat suprising) he knew his stuff!
Right from the get-go, he made it clear that the tour would be talking about the ride as it used to be in 1990, before the 2006 refurb.
And so he did.
He was very knowledgable, going into great detail about the history of the ride and about every room in the tour on how it was originally conceived by
John Wardley, and how it appeared in the final ride! And he wasn't reading from a script, he knew his stuff and seemed very genuine in his enthusiasm for the ride. 
At every stage, he would talk about what used to be there in 1990, what animatronics were there, how they moved, the lines spoken by professor burp during the 4 encounters with him during the ride etc.
Then he would would point our what changed, and he too seemed to hate the imperial leather stuff! I was quite surprised, he knew the ride wasn't a patch on what it used to be.
 
I thoroughly enjoyed it, and it was worth the £28 for me (Merlin pass discount).

Well, we had our "Bye bye Bubbleworks" Tour today.
 
I have to say, I was very impressed!
 
The guy playing professor burp was very funny, but most importantly (and somewhat suprising) he knew his stuff!
Right from the get-go, he made it clear that the tour would be talking about the ride as it used to be in 1990, before the 2006 refurb.
And so he did.
He was very knowledgable, going into great detail about the history of the ride and about every room in the tour on how it was originally conceived by
John Wardley, and how it appeared in the final ride! And he wasn't reading from a script, he knew his stuff and seemed very genuine in his enthusiasm for the ride. 
At every stage, he would talk about what used to be there in 1990, what animatronics were there, how they moved, the lines spoken by professor burp during the 4 encounters with him during the ride etc.
Then he would would point our what changed, and he too seemed to hate the imperial leather stuff! I was quite surprised, he knew the ride wasn't a patch on what it used to be.
 
I thoroughly enjoyed it, and it was worth the £28 for me (Merlin pass discount).

Just booked my tour  :-)
 
I have fond memories of the ride, and my little boy (who is autistic) absolutely adores it! Every time we come home from Chessington, he sits an makes a paper version of the Bubbleworks to play with.
 
He was so upset when I told him it was closing.
 
So I know some may think this tour is a waste of money or Merlin trying to cash in etc, but it will be well worth it for my little boy :-)