No trip to Chessington for me this year then. I know its ridiculous, but Runaway Train, as rubbish as it is, is a staple attraction for me and I never miss it on a trip. It goes beyond just being a ride and is something that I grew up with. There's no reason for me to visit the park anymore with its closed attractions, rides that have had theming completely wrecked over the past ten years and rides that have throughput deliberately decreased for ridiculous reasons.

A sham of a park.

No trip to Chessington for me this year then. I know its ridiculous, but Runaway Train, as rubbish as it is, is a staple attraction for me and I never miss it on a trip. It goes beyond just being a ride and is something that I grew up with. There's no reason for me to visit the park anymore with its closed attractions, rides that have had theming completely wrecked over the past ten years and rides that have throughput deliberately decreased for ridiculous reasons.

A sham of a park.

Tbh wasn't planning on visiting the park again this year even if Mine Train was reopened. Although the other parks have ad their fair share of pros and cons for this year, Chessington is definitely noticbly worse than the others with two of it's staple rides removed of their theming due to poor maintenance, poor ride operations and their only inverting ride down for the rest of the season or forever.

Even with the few decent changes such as Zufati ad Creaky Cafe, the park is king downhill and has taken two steps forward, three steps back in 2013. The park in one year has gone from quite well themed to badly themed and I believe it to be the parks worst season since 2001. I expect Mine Train to be a disappointment next year from what was there pre 2013.

Well, at least the zoo is still open...

*cue mass lion escape*

Whilst its a shame, I'd rather they fixed it properly than reopen it as another flying fish..

In 2010 I considered this to be the strongest Merlin park...what happened?

I'm gonna say, procrastination happened.

In 2010 I considered this to be the strongest Merlin park...what happened?

I think that's one of the most depressing things, how optimistic the park seemed 3 years ago and it really looked like the park was going places...

Now, a shadow of itself...

It is not perfect, but I've been 7 times this year and had a good time on all visits. I think we just have to get over the fact they are doing the work and accept it for what it is. Things will and are improving.

When I went to Chessington as a child, the park was completely different to what it is now. I remember the Vampire, Bubbleworks opening and it was amazing. If anything they have significantly improved the Zoo, Zufari is right for their target audience. The Sealife centre could be a lot better IMO. As for rides, I don't like what they have done to Dragon falls and RMT, but most people who go there still enjoy what rides they do go on.

The main problem I have is that they are doing up the RMT during the open season and not doing Dragon falls for a long time. It is a shame RR had the problem a few weeks ago.

I still plan to go back several times this year and I realisticly expect RMT to be re-opened in 2014.

It's not just the work on RMT and DF though...

It's the poor operations, the over-reaction to any event that goes wrong, the poor maintenance that leads to such events, the state of Bubbleworks, the decision to have Zufari have a minimum height limit, the general choices made regarding Zufari are poor which lead to be an attraction that just reeks of "could be better", the idea that Madagascar is a good show, getting rid of the 3rd train on Vampire because the staff aren't good enough to run with 3 trains, expanding the hotel into the zoo meaning that they cannot further develop that area, that epic looking plans are made then cancelled for budgetary reasons, etc, etc, etc...

The problems are far, far beyond the issues between RMT and DF being re-worked on...

Well the website confirms it. RMT won't be opening until 2014.

Gives them the time to do a proper job I guess.

http://www.chessington.com/plan-your-trip/ride-status.aspx

and are now asking for ides to retheme runaway train as well as dragon falls now... so are they stopping the work on the runaway train now, and just doing it in the closed season to one of the ideas they like or one of their own - I really hope the themeing is on a scale of how it was before, as flying fish at thorpe is pretty boring with no themeing! :/

I'm going to say they will do the same thing like the bill board on the Swarm, ask for ideas, but still do what they wanted to do in the first place and have what guests suggest as a last minute add on.

To be honest I'd rather they were just going to do their own thing because in theory they'd already have started work behind the scenes.

Looking so bland but a very large area is being word with here.. They have put up some large fences blocking you from seeing it.

(This picture was taken from an area they haven't covered up, I was not trespassing)

With the runaway train being rethemed, do you reckon we'll see new trains, like the ones used on flying fish at thorpe park (different theme obviously), but in terms of individual lapbars... as I found it a lot more comfortable and had more leg space on the new style train.

They're keeping the same track right? If so I don't see a great deal of motivation to bring in brand new cars, just revamp them.

I don't know what thorpe done with the flying fish... but flying fish is an old ride, and when the brought it back under the name flying fish it had a new train - as the runaway train layout is the same as flying fish.

It'll be the same trains I think.

The Flying Fish had its old trains back with newly fitted restraints. Hopefully Chessington will be doing the same because those wobbly double seat bars feel so dated on rollercoasters these days! I love individual lap bars on smaller rides like Fish/Thirteen/X.

And considering the name, a scorpion themed fiberglass shell rather than a train (or fish) one.

I think they're keeping the abandoned mine theme though...

Adventurers must board the old train of the Scorpion Express as it’s the only way to cross the sands, ruins of the mines, and abandoned town.

So I doubt we'll get any fancy new shell, the focus will be on the rockwork (I hope)... Cheaper that way...

Ah, that sounds more likely. I was thinking of the train being a scorpion scuttling through the rocks.

I originally thought that, and then realised they're just calling the train the "scorpion express". Like they name some express intercity trains now.. or the pineapple express maybe.

I think that the giant scorpian is more of a legend that riders will encounter in the middle of the main helix. I can also bet money on the old raised queueline being completly gone (following fears of people falling from height), and we will get a flat cattlepen instead..

I think that the giant scorpian is more of a legend that riders will encounter in the middle of the main helix. I can also bet money on the old raised queueline being completly gone (following fears of people falling from height), and we will get a flat cattlepen instead..

And because making an effort an building a solidly built bridge queueline is out of the question for the park...

Yet they were quite happy to build climable fences in the Tomb queue, I think more kids climb the apparently 'safer' metal fencing than with the shorter fencing...

I really hope we don't get a boring queueline, Runaway's was one of the best queues in the country (before the Zoo/removal of the building balcony walk)...