Chessington General Discussion

[Matt 236]

Yes, Chessington are getting a carousel because they're going in a circle.

 

The best thing about the new ride  is it's a new ride. It will probably be their best new ride since their last new ride,so it may be an acceptable addition.

 

[StevenVig]

14 hours ago, Matt Creek said:

Yes, Chessington are getting a carousel because they're going in a circle.

 

The best thing about the new ride  is it's a new ride. It will probably be their best new ride since their last new ride,so it may be an acceptable addition.

 

 

Thats like saying oh Thorpe are getting a new Vortex in a different part of the park, but its okay because its a new ride. Doesn't matter if they've had one for 100 years already.

 

This new carousel is pointless, if they are getting a new ride, how about GETTING SOMETHING NEW!? Something they've not already got.......

 

It really feels like a very cheap cop-out for a park that literally gets about £20 for its Annual Budget and has not had a new ride in 6 years, 7 next year

 

Edit: AND GRUFFALO DOESNT COUNT 

[Benin]

But Gruffalo IS the new investment, and the Carousel position was always stupid, hidden behind the shop and stuff...

 

Until Merlin decide on an actual direction on the park and actually allow the infrastructure to be improved after years of neglect, a new ride isn't gonna happen... Hell even if I owned the park I'd be spending two years to put the park into an actual decent state before doing anything actually new...

[yeah]

The Bubbleworks retheme will be the main investment. Tbh I'll be surprised if they advertise the new carousel at all, apart from obviously the odd mention on Twitter. Its basically just moving it and giving it a new centrepiece.

[Whatever]

50 minutes ago, ChessingtonSam said:

The Bubbleworks retheme will be the main investment. Tbh I'll be surprised if they advertise the new carousel at all, apart from obviously the odd mention on Twitter. Its basically just moving it and giving it a new centrepiece.

Knowing Chessie, and Merlin, they'll advertise it as much as possible. 

[yeah]

1 hour ago, Whatever said:

Knowing Chessie, and Merlin, they'll advertise it as much as possible. 

I honestly don't think so, what with Bubbles retheme.

[HermanTheGerman]

The Carousel project isn't just re-locating the old one. They're only getting a new one because the current ride is down to fail insurance and they don't want to be seen removing any more family rides.

[StevenVig]

On 08/10/2016 at 3:10 PM, HermanTheGerman said:

The Carousel project isn't just re-locating the old one. They're only getting a new one because the current ride is down to fail insurance

 

Wow, this park really is in a state isn't it? 

[Coaster]

On a personal level I have no interest in attending Winter's Tale, but this has come to my attention today and I find it outrageous;

https://www.chessington.com/christmas/

 

So, a passholder, someone who has already given their loyalty (and money!) to Merlin, is now expected to pay £16 for the privilege of a zoo, a grotto (despite the fact they might not even want to visit the grotto) and a few other things.  Unless I've missed it, there aren't even any rides open this year so the value has in fact been reduced!

How can they justify this?  What about passholders who just want to visit the zoo, and are not interested in the grotto?

 

Chessington didn't need any more reasons to justify calling it an diabolical park but they've done it again, it's almost like Merlin are trying to go for the worst theme park of 2016 award.  You cannot be taken seriously when all you do is continuously reduce the value of the MAP's, whether it be all the cuts to the theme parks, poor management during busy days, and now this!  What an awful, awful company.

[Marc]

Pretty sure the passes have always stated you don't get guaranteed entry to special events?

 

If you don't like it don't buy a pass - no ones forcing you too

[Matt 236]

There goes all potential hope of visiting Chessington this Christmas.

 

Might as well just spend the money on two Winter Wonderland rides than pay to visit a park I can visit for free any other time of the year.

[Coaster]

4 minutes ago, Marc said:

Pretty sure the passes have always stated you don't get guaranteed entry to special events?

 

If you don't like it don't buy a pass - no ones forcing you too

I'm sure it's in the T&C's but nevertheless, the zoo has always been included in the Merlin passes during winter opening, and for people who aren't interested in the Christmas grotto etc, why should they have to pay?

 

It's just yet another example of Merlin trying to squeeze money out of people who have already bought the passes, and spent money in the parks/attractions.

[Marc]

I guess it's the same argument as why should pass holders have to pay to get into thrope during Fright Nights even if not interested in the mazes!

 

It sounds more than just the zoo being open and can only assume it would be difficult to allow pass holders entry to only the zoo and not the rest of the event - having never been to one I've no idea how the events set out!

[Coaster]

16 minutes ago, Marc said:

I guess it's the same argument as why should pass holders have to pay to get into thrope during Fright Nights even if not interested in the mazes!

Yeah, I still disagree with the FN passholder charge but then with the way they "coped" with crowds during half term, the last thing they need is to be any busier!

 

16 minutes ago, Marc said:

It sounds more than just the zoo being open and can only assume it would be difficult to allow pass holders entry to only the zoo and not the rest of the event - having never been to one I've no idea how the events set out!

It worked fine every other year, it was simply that passholders could gain entry but the grotto wasn't included (think there was an option to pay).  There's no justifiable reason to change this, other than they want to squeeze even more money out of passholders.

[JoshC.]

Maybe the idea is to make it more Christmas, and Christmas Grotto, focused leading up to Christmas?  So the whole idea of people going is for the Christmas stuff and all that, as opposed to going on a zoo day where there just happens to be a couple of Christmas bits?  If done right, then I don't have an issue with there being a slight upcharge for Annual Passholders.

 

Then again, £16pp is still too much for Passholders in my opinion...

[Coaster]

11 minutes ago, BaronC. said:

Maybe the idea is to make it more Christmas, and Christmas Grotto, focused leading up to Christmas?  So the whole idea of people going is for the Christmas stuff and all that, as opposed to going on a zoo day where there just happens to be a couple of Christmas bits?  If done right, then I don't have an issue with there being a slight upcharge for Annual Passholders.

 

Then again, £16pp is still too much for Passholders in my opinion...

That's the thing, a slight upcharge would be bad enough, but £16 is just blatantly exploiting passholders and getting them to pay again, despite having already purchased a pass.

 

If they said it was free to enter the Zoo/Sea Life, but that the Christmas aspects required a fee, then I'd have no issue whatsoever.  The way they're doing it is a blatant money-making scheme which, despite being covered in T&C's, is still absolutely the wrong thing to do given that people have already paid for the MAP's, and the Zoo & Sea Life were always included in the Merlin pass, just as they are for the rest of the year.

[yeah]

2 hours ago, Coaster Jamie said:

On a personal level I have no interest in attending Winter's Tale, but this has come to my attention today and I find it outrageous;

https://www.chessington.com/christmas/

 

So, a passholder, someone who has already given their loyalty (and money!) to Merlin, is now expected to pay £16 for the privilege of a zoo, a grotto (despite the fact they might not even want to visit the grotto) and a few other things.  Unless I've missed it, there aren't even any rides open this year so the value has in fact been reduced!

How can they justify this?  What about passholders who just want to visit the zoo, and are not interested in the grotto?

 

Completely agree with everything there, but tbh youd have a heart attack if you saw LEGOLAND's prices.

 

I'm pretty sure MAP holders weren't charged for any Christmas events before, apart from maybe Towers?

[Coaster]

7 minutes ago, ChessingtonSam said:

I'm pretty sure MAP holders weren't charged for any Christmas events before, apart from maybe Towers?

I know that Chessington's was always included in the Merlin pass, not sure on the others.

 

How they can justify charging passholders more for things given the frankly appalling state of their theme parks this year is beyond me.

[Marc]

4 minutes ago, Coaster Jamie said:

I know that Chessington's was always included in the Merlin pass, not sure on the others.

 

How they can justify charging passholders more for things given the frankly appalling state of their theme parks this year is beyond me.

 

For theme parks in such a an "appalling state" you stated in another topic you visited Merlin attractions 15 times this year - that's an awful lot of times to visit such "appalling" attractions.

[yeah]

5 minutes ago, Coaster Jamie said:

I know that Chessington's was always included in the Merlin pass, not sure on the others.

 

How they can justify charging passholders more for things given the frankly appalling state of their theme parks this year is beyond me.

The zoo days aren't also charging are they?

 

One thing I know for sure is this will probably be the first year I haven't visited a theme park over the festive period since we got map.

[Marc]

3 minutes ago, ChessingtonSam said:

The zoo days aren't also charging are they?

 

One thing I know for sure is this will probably be the first year I haven't visited a theme park over the festive period since we got map.

 

No only during the event!

[Coaster]

8 hours ago, Marc said:

 

For theme parks in such a an "appalling state" you stated in another topic you visited Merlin attractions 15 times this year - that's an awful lot of times to visit such "appalling" attractions.

In fairness most of those were Thorpe, which is largely down to its close proximity and people I know wanting to go; with that said, I still enjoy a day there, and if I want to visit a Merlin park then that's my choice!

 

It speaks volumes that I'd rather make the five hour trip to visit BPB, or pay to get in at other parks than visit the Merlin parks.

[Marc]

20 minutes ago, Coaster Jamie said:

In fairness most of those were Thorpe, which is largely down to its close proximity and people I know wanting to go; with that said, I still enjoy a day there, and if I want to visit a Merlin park then that's my choice!

 

It speaks volumes that I'd rather make the five hour trip to visit BPB, or pay to get in at other parks than visit the Merlin parks.

 

Yes it is your choice - but if you thought they were as terrible as you made out you would simply stop going surely?

[Coaster]

45 minutes ago, Marc said:

Yes it is your choice - but if you thought they were as terrible as you made out you would simply stop going surely?

If they became so awful that I didn't enjoy any aspect whatsoever of visiting then yes, I would stop going.

 

Thorpe and Alton still have a few rides I rate, and with the former being near me I enjoy going during quieter times.

[Benin]

I can imagine there's a fair amount of backlash from MAP holders on this, it won't be heavingly busy (so no real justification for the fee), there's no rides open, and £16 for a zoo which is normally free and some Poundland fire risk Grotto will not go down well...

 

The value of a MAP is being really muddied over the years, which is a real shame as it used to be one of the best values (behind the ridiculousness of a Six Flags one)...