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Future Of Chessington


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2 hours ago, Wumbamillio said:

Animal themed boat ride? Maybe they are already ........... boring

 

True - I'm just thinking of the Way Chessington is heading with focus on the zoo and animal attractions - its perfect for the target audience - and elevates it from being a 'zoo' to an 'animal theme park'. 

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I can tell you now as a father of 2 young children they wouldn't be bored with it. They love the zoo and it would be another way to see the animals.

 

Chessington's demographic are young families as that is where the money is. They have to appeal to the kids and then it is that pressure which makes the parents take them and spend money.

 

They need to invest an awful lot of capital into the resort as another family thrill ride would go down a treat, as well as a couple of rides everyone can enjoy. And of course just clean the place up and improve the general atmosphere.

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6 hours ago, BruceyBruce said:

I think it would be a terrible idea to get a boat ride around the zoo because people would be bored sick on it because it isn't the 1980s anymore. How utterly absurd that you could be so ridiculous to think it would be a good idea,


You actually think children in this day and age no longer like to see animals? Even though zoo's up and down the country are still raking in thousands?

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1 hour ago, BaronC. said:

If only Chessington had a monorail attraction that took you over parts of the zoo...  I'm sure that would have been really well received and enjoyable for everyone...  

 

Terrible idea Josh, it'd NEVER work!

 

A boat ride would probably work, but would be basically Zufari on a boat... Why would the park need both?

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Paultons is a perfect example of a park that features animal exhibits without them affecting the rest of the theme park. Their bird gardens are lovely to visit in between rides that have little to do with them, and it never feels out of place.

 

I can't stand the "Wild Adventure" brand that Chessington have gone with, especially when considering how vividly realised the themed areas were beforehand. Theming it as a £20 budget Animal Kingdom was one of the worst things they could have done with this park. It was fine before when it was a WORLD of Adventures - you hear that Merlin? There are continents outside of Africa!

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21 hours ago, BruceyBruce said:

I think it would be a terrible idea to get a boat ride around the zoo because people would be bored sick on it because it isn't the 1980s anymore. How utterly absurd that you could be so ridiculous to think it would be a good idea,

 

What do the 1980s have to do with anything? Kids seem to be equally fascinated with nature and wildlife judging by the vast amount of animal programmes on television for kids over the past few years.

 

And it in no way is an absurd idea, the Zoo is an incredibly disjointed part of Chessington - the trail of the kings is always empty. A ride of some sorts (to counter the absence of Safari Skyway) would be a great way of cohesively connecting the park and zoo.

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Not once on a peak day have we been able to get to the Gorilla enclosure as its packed, if anything to small to view. Since the Lion cubs that end isn't much better either. Whilst the Zufari animals have to put up with the trucks during opening, I imagine the other animals are quite happy without the noise generated from the attractions right next door.

 

A new monorail would require a completely different route, whilst views of a Sealife tent, back end of cats enclosures with limited views and bird cages you can't see in may be to some peoples taste because "its a ride" the Skyway had been useless for years and is one of the few times I can say regardless of if it was costs, maintenance or views it was the correct decision to close it.

 

The animal experience can be better still at Chessington, especially Trail of the Kings and Wanyama Village which need a stable collection of species to theme and call there home, but sticking a ride over or in just isn't needed in the space they have, the only huge space that warrants it is Zufari, which has a ride going through it. I don't agree with the constant Africa theme and whilst I'm sure they aren't the only park in the world to try and copy Animal Kingdom, Animal Kingdom and 90% of all the theme park zoos would appear disjointed in relation to ride and animal locations. I think Chessington has it spot on with the locations even though the theme is a bit weak.

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A zoo can be a brilliant place and very entertaining/educational. Chessington is one of the worst zoos in the UK. It has token animals and token, dated exhibits. Zufari everyone says was a brilliant way of integrating the zoo with the park more, in reality it was an awful attempt at featuring animals and is a terrible attraction. Chessington does not have half the size a good zoo needs to be worthwhile and good.

 

Merlin only fund new developments for Chessington if the concepts have a zoo theme, or incorporate animals somehow, (unless it is an IP). They treat Chessington as "the Africa one" out of all its parks, a slogan and some bamboo constitutes a "brand" in the world of Merlin (and unfortunately, most the parks current visitors), and everything must stick to that brand - no matter how nonsensical for the park's ability and no matter how formulaic & tacky.

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On 4/29/2017 at 6:18 PM, BruceyBruce said:

I think it would be a terrible idea to get a boat ride around the zoo because people would be bored sick on it because it isn't the 1980s anymore. How utterly absurd that you could be so ridiculous to think it would be a good idea,

 

Well how come this boat attraction at Singapore zoo was launched in the last couple of years? and other similar installations have been made around the world?...not in the 80's but now! 

Chessington need to retain their zoo - its part of there conditions - and in many parts of the park they cannot develop as a theme park , so why not install something like this? Surely this is more exciting than walking around the zoo (which I still think IS exciting btw). 

I don't think they should use space in which they could build other attractions such as coasters - I'm talking about how the zoo area could develop in the coming years. It would also be very appropriate for the target market - and as for having ZUFARI too - well they'd compliment each other - you'd see different animals on each attraction, and a truck and boat give differing experiences anyway!  

I agree teenagers COULD find it boring etc etc, but think about grandparents taking their grandkids - its perfect! 

 

Its about balance, yes Chessington need to develop new exciting rides and add a new coaster - but I'm thinking of Chessington as a package, as a Resort - and how it could improve both its theme park AND zoo. 

 

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An example of a VERY well themed zoo is the award winning Pairi Daiza park in Belgium 

 

IF Chessington had vision - they could develop such immersive environments - I'm in no way saying Chessington should copy them and just become a zoo - I'm giving an example of the scope you can go to with theming and incorporating animal habitats. its just an example of what COULD be achieved! 

 

https://www.pairidaiza.eu/en

 

Also check out the chinese cultural sections - I could imagine mystic East being themed to such an extent!.... thats what I mean, Chessinton may be small and limited but it COULD pack a visual punch if it wanted to. 

 

Also to prove that zoos aren't 'not popular' or 'exciting' - because this place looks beautiful, and theres obviously a market for it!

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Chessington could also jettison the zoo and focus on being a brilliant all-round family park with proper regeneration of its aging spaces. Since it can't develop hugely into a big ride park, keep the simpler family attractions being brilliant and with unique hook & character.

 

Gruffalo did this to an extent  - except it was a fairly vanilla ride off an IP, but in the right vein. Chessington needs actual substance rather than a really really poor hash of two things it can't be - it's too limited to be a brilliant zoo and it's too limited to be a big ride park. It needs theme substance and a special character, full of off the wall surprises and unique family attractions, like how it found feet in the past.

 

But this is not what Merlin want of the park, so it simply won't happen, it'll be more of the Wild Adventure branding all the way - it might be rubbish, but people keep coming regardless of the shoddy state and over crowded cheap rides. And as long as people are happy to spend hundreds on a converted Holiday Inn and a falling apart theme park then why should Merlin do any different! A shame it went this way.

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1 hour ago, Wumbamillio said:

Chessington could also jettison the zoo and focus on being a brilliant all-round family park with proper regeneration of its aging spaces. Since it can't develop hugely into a big ride park, keep the simpler family attractions being brilliant and with unique hook & character.

 

Gruffalo did this to an extent  - except it was a fairly vanilla ride off an IP, but in the right vein. Chessington needs actual substance rather than a really really poor hash of two things it can't be - it's too limited to be a brilliant zoo and it's too limited to be a big ride park. It needs theme substance and a special character, full of off the wall surprises and unique family attractions, like how it found feet in the past.

 

But this is not what Merlin want of the park, so it simply won't happen, it'll be more of the Wild Adventure branding all the way - it might be rubbish, but people keep coming regardless of the shoddy state and over crowded cheap rides. And as long as people are happy to spend hundreds on a converted Holiday Inn and a falling apart theme park then why should Merlin do any different! A shame it went this way.

 

 

I agree with a lot of what you say - It has potential, but Current management/ownership doesn't see it!

 

One thing I will add is that Chessington can't Jettison its zoo - they literally are not allowed even if they wanted, I'ts in there planning provision that they retain the zoo! I think they were heading that way in the 90's before realising they could expland but only in animal exhibits! 

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