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2 hours ago, TallGuyDom said:

Realistically what were you expecting? Remember most of you aren't the target market here. With the success of Gruffalo, this seems like a great retheme!

I was expecting Room on the Broom, doesn't mean to say I wanted it though. I'm pretty sure most of us who are disappointed just didn't want an IP.

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Nothing convinces me that enthusiasts/fans hate their chosen subject more than being on internet forums (although typing that out, that seems a pretty obvious thing to say). I remember the hate for Gruffalo when that was announced and it turned out to be a vast improvement on what had gone before and a great ride.

 

Sometimes it's utterly miserable being here, especially when reading anything coming in the future. Fright Nights also got an absolute mauling for weeks before the event but oh look, everybody is having a great time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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@Mark9 Can you blame us though? Especially when we look at the continent to a park like Phantasia land and they build new rides with original IP's or even in the case of Europa Park when they rebuild a classic ride after a disaster. Call it jealousy but it is a shame to think that the UK was KILLING it in the 90's.

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Until the parks aren't owned by Merlin then they will never look at doing things the way those on the continent do it... Especially when our smaller family run parks are basically surviving purely on the basis of an IP themed land...

 

Plus the whole difference in markets... Look at how different the Nordic parks operate for example...

 

Though Gruffalo can only be considered an improvement over Imperial Leather Bubbles mind...

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20 hours ago, Marley said:

@Mark9 Can you blame us though? Especially when we look at the continent to a park like Phantasia land and they build new rides with original IP's or even in the case of Europa Park when they rebuild a classic ride after a disaster. Call it jealousy but it is a shame to think that the UK was KILLING it in the 90's.

 

It's more a case of seeing what you want to see. Our parks build new rides with original IP's (Icon, Smiler, The Swarm in the last six years), Europa Park are building IP rides (Arthur), refurbishing old rides with IP (Jim Knopf) or adding popular characters to VR and meet and greets (Paddington). 

 

Besides, the 90's were a near 20 years ago and European parks have just caught up. I agree the UK is strangled through a lack of competition but I think that does a discredit to our parks which have been doing good stuff of late. 

 

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You’re probably right. I went on the first weekend in March but Transylvania wasn’t open - it still looked like a building site. My friends and I saw The Vampire in testing though which was exciting! We went back for my birthday in April and Transylvania was open and The Vampire was running but Prof Burp’s still wasn’t. Then back again for May bank holiday and finally Prof Burp’s was open (with ALL the glorious animatronics & effects working...not forgetting that delicious smell). It immediately became my favourite ride ever - and still remains so to this day.

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The true factor is that for better and for worse, demographic trends have changed. 

 

Everything in the 80’s/90’s was generally more creative, not just in theme parks, but everything including films, shops and products. Whether that be the likes of Labyrinth, Never Ending Story to things like the Lego Pirates and the launch of the original Disney Stores, which featured animatronic models in their early years.

 

Theme Park’s big and small at this time we’re creating original definitive attractions. From the large scale Lost Continent, Discovery Land and Test Track at Disney and Universal, to the likes of Pirate Adventure and Magic Theatre (LLW). The U.K. was generally blessed with some interesting attractions in those years.

 

Nowadays there is generally a lot more of a trend to go with popular IP’s from books, TV, film, other etc. As opposed to original ideas and more parks have been doing this a lot more especially in the last 5-10 years. Disney and Universal essentially only use IP’s for their attractions now (see Potter, Toy Story & Star Wars Lands). Even the likes of Europa and P.A are using IP’s more too. This isn’t to say non IP attractions aren’t being created though, but there is noticeable higher trend for IP’s. 

 

As choices go, Room On The Broom seems more fitting to Chessington currently and probably makes sense considering it’s a British I?P that’s quite popular and the park has another themed ride based from the same author.

 

And Yes, I hate to admit it but the 90’s nearly started 30 years. Sure it’s 28 right now but it’s definitely much closer to 30 indefinitely.

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Or maybe from a British comic called "Glister", published by Andi Watson, (https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=glister+andi+watson&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjj1ajKi4beAhWLXsAKHShmCycQ_AUIDigB&biw=1366&bih=655)

 

Strange things happen around Glister Butterworth. A young girl living on her family’s English estate, Glister has unusual adventures every day, from the arrival of a teapot haunted by a demanding ghost, a crop of new relatives blooming on the family tree, a stubborn house that walks off its land in a huff, and a trip to Faerieland to find her missing mother.

 

 • Perfect for ages 8 and up!
   • All four Glister stories collected into one new edition! (Glister: The Haunted Teapot, Glister: The Family Tree, Glister: The House Hunt, and Glister: The Faerie Host)

 

What do you think?

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4 hours ago, 08newmanb said:

Or maybe from a British comic called "Glister", published by Andi Watson, (https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=glister+andi+watson&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjj1ajKi4beAhWLXsAKHShmCycQ_AUIDigB&biw=1366&bih=655)

 

Strange things happen around Glister Butterworth. A young girl living on her family’s English estate, Glister has unusual adventures every day, from the arrival of a teapot haunted by a demanding ghost, a crop of new relatives blooming on the family tree, a stubborn house that walks off its land in a huff, and a trip to Faerieland to find her missing mother.

 

 • Perfect for ages 8 and up!
   • All four Glister stories collected into one new edition! (Glister: The Haunted Teapot, Glister: The Family Tree, Glister: The House Hunt, and Glister: The Faerie Host)

 

What do you think?

There's a few reasons why that won't happen, the main one being it's going to be Room on the Broom.

 

Also, why do a lot of your ideas revolve around pretty obscure IPs?

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I’m not going to complain about Hocus Pocus being changed. The Gruffalo has been done very well and I still believe that it’s the best attraction at Chessington currently. So I have no worries about Room on the broom. My only criticism is that for many years now, Chessington has only done refurbishments rather than building any new rides. I wonder if it’s an excuse to not repair older attractions and leave them until they need to be completely redone.

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