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Ash

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I'm wondering that too!

I've never been to a Zoo Day so I don't know what outlets are open etc, but I know that Zoo Hosts (the ones that do the talks etc) are only seasonal. So the only zoo-related staff would be Zoo Keepers, which they would keep anyway because as pluk pointed out, they need feeding etc :P Having said that, they would presumably have *some* food outlets open, so I guess they save money there, plus admissions staff, cleaning staff etc.

Maybe they weren't popular enough to make enough money, no idea, but all I know is even though I love animals, I wouldn't go to a zoo in winter, it's too cold to stand and look at animals! Hmm...

Either way, it's a shame to see yet another cut being made :(

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Zoo days usually had at least the Chicken Shack and Pizza Pasta open as well as the central shop...

Bit disappointing really, but maybe as well to be considered could be the construction involving Wanyama's Safari thing (if that itself doesn't get cut and cancelled) might affect it, and if they have to shut Wanyama for construction reasons, it might well not be worth bothering opening the zoo for the rest of it...

Then again, I don't think these days were ever that popular... Like Chessie during any off peak day really...

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I've just read elsewhere about this Zoo Days business - have Chessington made some sort of announcement that they are over? Comment on a different forum is that it was a planning permission condition for Wanyama that it was to be made available to the public all year round - so would they be in infringement of that rule?

We tend to go about 3 times a month during the close period / Zoo Days, and it's always a nice trip out.

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Hi, I'll be taking my 6 year old on her 1st trip to Chessington on Friday, can't wait to get her on Vampire! Shame she's not quite tall enough for some of the bigger rides, but there's always next time! Anyway... I was wondering, is there a pick up / drop off point in the car park does anyone know? I haven't been for several years and I'm used to going by train, but we're lucky enough to be getting a lift this time. If not, will getting out of the car park be a problem or will we need to be dropped off down the road somewhere? From what I remember Leatherhead Road wasn't suitable for being dropped off on! Thanks!!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Shutting at 5pm at the weekend is ridiculous. Really, really

busy day at Chessington today.

I've never seen so many people still sitting around at closing time on the steps in Transylvania. I know we're in tough times but I think the cost cutting is going a little far now.

60-90 minutes for Vampire straight from when it opened up (late!) right up until closing. 50-80mins for Dragon's Fury all day long. All other rides with huge queues. I suppose Tomb Blaster being shut and Dragon Falls breaking down didn't help either...

Not sure how well their Halloween event is going to turn out to be this year. As it is there is only going to be about 1 hour in the partial darkness, which is hardly very Halloween-like. Seeing as one of the big selling points is getting to ride the rides in the dark it's a bit ironic...

I'm already dreading the queue times for the event. Might need that 3rd Vampire train... Oh wait, it no longer exists aside from parts...

On a positive note my favourite part of my Chessington visits is the 'Children's' Zoo. The baby goat (Willow) and lamb along with all the other sheep, goats, pigs etc are awesome! Really relaxing just to be able to go and stoke some farm animals after a stressful week at work (no pets at home :().

Scaffolding all over Tomb Blaster for the queue re-build, though no visible work happening on it today. Chessington still cautious about all other raised wooden queues with Runaway Mine Train and Rameses' using alternative entrance paths.

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I think you're missing my main point. If it's so busy, which we all know it will be, why on earth are they not open later than 5? :glare:

Even the weekends so far this year, where it's not been as busy, still feel way too much of a rush. If it was my only visit for a year I'd be really annoyed that I couldn't get everything I wanted to do done, whereas last year I could.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Visited Chessie for the first time in a good few years today and needless to say, it was a great day out! I forgot how much I loved it there and despite the hot weather, there was minimal queues. Also had a cheeky shout-out over the mic from a mysterious stalker on Cobra... I was pretty shocked when they were saying my full name and commenting on my hair! :o

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Also had a cheeky shout-out over the mic from a mysterious stalker on Cobra... I was pretty shocked when they were saying my full name and commenting on my hair! :o

Haha, I had that happen to me on my latest visit. I genuinely thought I was hearing things when I heard my name in that snake-like voice... :lol:

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Haha, I had that happen to me on my latest visit. I genuinely thought I was hearing things when I heard my name in that snake-like voice... :lol:

Visited Chessie for the first time in a good few years today and needless to say, it was a great day out! I forgot how much I loved it there and despite the hot weather, there was minimal queues. Also had a cheeky shout-out over the mic from a mysterious stalker on Cobra... I was pretty shocked when they were saying my full name and commenting on my hair! :o

Was probs Sheepie... ;)

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  • 4 weeks later...

Really frustrating day at Chessington yesterday. There is still lots that make it a really charming park to visit, improvements are being made in places (e.g. Tomb Blaster lighting looking good) and I have a ton of fond childhood memories of the place.

It's interesting to see the other thread pop up regarding whether Chessington needs another major ride. We all know the answer (and have done for many years now) - of course it does! Vampire & Dragons Fury just simply don't have enough capacity to fulfil demand. If one goes down, everything really does go to pot. The park still don't have a grip on the selling of fast tracks. Over-selling to the extreme this week it seems.

Arrived at 9.45 yesterday, got on Dragons Fury by 10ish, by the time we got to Vampire after going to the loo, member of staff basically stood blocking the queue entrance stating it already had an hour+ queue! The mind boggles... Staff stood in front of it all day giving the bad news of how long the queue is, when we went back in the afternoon they estimated a mind-blowing 2 hours. Honestly was a bit doubtful and thought, no way, that can't be right, so gave it a go. Stood in the same spot in the queue for 15mins, all while trains going overhead. Then moved (no joke) 2 meters. Stood in that place for another 5mins. Gave up as they were indeed right, it would have taken 2 hours at that pace...

Speaking to member of staff at entrance who said they (like me) had also been to Disney recently where things are operated so much better, and admitted fast tracks had been over-sold, but they had just stopped...

I know it's perhaps a little harsh to compare against Disney but if Merlin are aiming to be one of the best in the world I think it's fair: Seriously, Disneyland can keep the queue for Big Thunder Mountain down below 70mins all day standby in the peak week of the year and they have what 3x(?) the visitors a day that Chessie gets? Even Crush's coaster at the Studios managed to stay at 70mins and they must of had twice Chessie's visitors when we were there last week - compared to 75mins for Fury all day yesterday.

You know when crowds seemingly thin out in the last hour of most days? Wake up Chessington - this does not happen in the summer or at weekends! You need to extend opening to 7pm like Thorpe. Fury queue dipped down to 50mins on its entry sign at about 5.45pm and we were going to join for a 2nd ride of the day. Guess what - break down! Cars stopped all over the course, good way for the ride to end the day ;) . Mooched off to Vampire for 5.55pm where staff still outside trying to warn people away and saying queue is still over an hour. Waited it out and ended up moving a bit faster than our attempt earlier in the day - theory: staff wanted to get home! :ph34r: Took an hour. Ended up on very back of the train which is rare nowadays due to exit riders, was good!

I'll also say this - it's not nice for guests to not only have to wait hour+ in queues for staff to roll their eyes or moan about how there are still loads of people in the Vampire station/queue and they can't leave yet.

Goodness knows what happened to the poor people who waited in the Fury queue in case they managed to get it open again, all other rides would have shut their queue lines at 6pm - Fury cars were still stuck on the MCBRs when we left the park at 7.

Final moan for today, and backed up by the number of similar feelings on the facebook page: How they have the nerve to charge £2 to park in that grass/gravel car park I'll never know. They've just said they inspect and make repairs to it each day. They must be having a laugh. The craters in the surface only get worse on each of our visits to the extent off being car-damaging; and it took us 45mins to get out of the car park!

I thought that Disneyland would be a ton more stressful during the peak of summer and having to cope with all those people, rather than familiar old Chessington. I was wrong - compare:

*Disney: 8am-11pm openings, 2 theme parks, free fast passes meaning you can plan your day with no queueing, 6 parades a day, night time spectacular display, and I didn't even get bothered by a single wasp during a week!

*Chessington: 10am-6pm openings; 1 park with annoying upsellers, 'sideshow-basketball-annoying-people'; fast tracks which cost £5 a pop and cause the standby queue to feel 2nd-rate citizens and not move anywhere, 3 Madagascar shows a day, wasps attacks, and you have to pay to leave the park and still have to add an hour to your day getting out of the damaging car park...

Sort it out.

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What you have to remember, its your joice to pay for the Fast Pass even though realisticly is not needed, and you will find the £2.00 for parking your car, is far cheaper than parking your car at disneyland despite the condition of the surface. Also this is Merlin with a limited budget, not disney with an unlimited budget (within reason!!!)

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