Chessington General Discussion

[Spider]

Chessington just posted on Facebook :

"What movie should be turned into a theme park attraction?"

Either random status to keep interest in the page or a cheeky bit of market research?

The former. What are they going to do with the information they will receive - that most people would like to see rides based on the most popular films. Star Wars, Avengers, Batman etc. Somehow I don't see Chessington getting the rights to these.

[pluk]

[SteveJ]

This is crazy! Terror Tomb's fibreglass themework has also been condemned, it seems. These photos are from ThemeUK:

This is going too far really. It shows just how poorly kept Chessington was over the last decade. At least money is being spent at last! But if they don't plan to restore all those details then the life could be sucked out of Chessington even more. That truncated obelisk... looks ridiculous.

Wouldn't it be great if rides actually got better after refurbishments? I really hope that will be the case with this 'upgrade'.

[dragon2000]

In case anyone's forgotten what the obelisk should look like:

[pluk]

Sucks bad.

Hopefully this is a case of them thinking that while having the people on park to do Mine Train and Dragon they may as well get these bits done as well to prevent a problem a couple of years down the line.

[Coaster]

Oh for heaven's sake this is ridiculous!

Why can't they look after their theming so they don't have to rip it apart and have rides looking bare and awful? Chessington is losing it's character and what sets it apart from other small parks - without the theming Chessington wouldn't be anywhere near as good tbh.

They better not close Tomb Blaster for this!

[Tom]

Chessington really has been neglected over the years and it's good to see Merlin slowly fixing it all back, even if it takes a few seasons.

[Matt 236]

Wow, they really are stripping theming from Chessington, by the way things are going, Wild Asia and Zufari will be the only themed areas left.

[BigBobJones]

When Merlin report profits of £1.3bn it poor they don't spend the money where it is needed.

[Mark9]

Seems to be a general attack on Merlin over the last page or so. Can we keep in mind that for 20 years, Tussauds did next to nothing with Runaway, Falls and Tomb and when they did do something with Falls, they just destroyed the rockwork with no intention of replacing it.

I am sad for the loss of all the fantastic theming but that is nostlagia talking. When we talk of 2012 Runaway for example, decaying rockwork and scaffolding barely standing is not fit for purpose. I truly hope that Merlin are going to do these original rides justice because without them the park wouldn't be where it was in the 90's and the park would be a far worse a place to visit.

[Coaster]

If the theming is replaced then I will take back my moaning at Merlin...
Somehow I doubt it will though - or at least not all of it.

[Matt 236]

The current state of TombBlaster which is under scaffolding again.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=495430493845588&set=a.166428706745770.47984.163052343750073&type=1&relevant_count=1&ref=nf

Photo from Themepark Guide.

[Coaster]

Ugh! Is the ride closed?

[Topsyturvy15]

Surely lots of this could have been done over closed season. Why wait till peak season is almost beginning to effectively destroy large parts of the park?

[Benin]

Think the issue was that the various issues weren't considered as such until about a week before actual opening, hence the sudden amount of work being done...

Things change in industries quite suddenly at times, especially when it comes to H&S legislation...

[pluk]

Because this investment 'plan' wasn't planned, making it not much of a plan. More a knee jerk reaction.

[SteveJ]

I'd much rather they have the whole year to refurbish ALL the old rides properly, rather than rushing them in time for opening day.

In a way this is what I always wanted to happen: every old ride receiving investment they deserve, refurbishing the decaying facades, and un-doing the mistakes of last decade. But the deconstruction process is still very jarring, and I can't really trust the management will do a good job.

[Mark9]

Hell with it. I don't think there's any point in visiting the park this season. Zufari won't be enough of a reason to go if I have to see Tomb, Runaway Train and Dragon Falls in these naked, dilapidated state. I go to a theme park to see rides and stories, not construction (or more correctly, demolition sites) and Chessington is not delivering at all.

Whilst the theming may return and they may be better then the previous versions, it isn't what I grew up with and it won't be the same for me. The park, instead of looking to the future, is having to revisit the past and this could have detrimental effects. I truly hope this is a wake up call for the rest of the Merlin establishments that if you don't start to look after your rides, theming and areas they will end up like Chessington's 2013 season. An utter shambles.

[Zufari29]

I think people need to remember that Merlin aren't doing it to be difficult, and to upset people..! They have been forced to do it because of how little time, effort, TLC, thinking that Tussauds put in to the park, and because of changing H&S standards over the years.. Things will be replaced don't worry. It will just take a while.

Let's think about how many people would sue if some theming came unattached and injured their children.... Why would Merlin want to risk that just to keep some customers happy by having the ride dangerously open...?

[Mark9]

I think people need to remember that Merlin aren't doing it to be difficult, and to upset people..! They have been forced to do it because of how little time, effort, TLC, thinking that Tussauds put in to the park, and because of changing H&S standards over the years.. Things will be replaced don't worry. It will just take a while.

Let's think about how many people would sue if some theming came unattached and injured their children.... Why would Merlin want to risk that just to keep some customers happy by having the ride dangerously open...?

Congratulations for completely missing the point then.

The fact is, the park has been owned by Merlin since mid 2007. In that time next to nothing has been done to maintain Tomb, Runaway or Falls. It took the near death of a little girl last June for any kind of work to actually start to occur. Tussauds aren't just to blame for what has happened to the park in all that time, Merlin are just as responsible as Tussauds as while Merlin pumped over 30 million into Thorpe and Alton, Chessington got next to nothing levels of investment in new attractions or refurbishing rides that really were past their best.

It's the year when Zufari opens, that the park really had a chance to show what they had to a new audience. Instead these new guests are being treated to naked and ugly rides, decaying theming on Vampire and Bubbleworks and Skyride trains that look like they fell through a time vortex from 1987. I don't see any work happening to Skyway and considering how knackered I know it is I can only assume the only reason it isn't closed for a full on refurbishment is because it isn't seen as dangerous.. yet.

What Merlin are doing isn't actually upsetting me, I'm a grown adult and I've learnt that behind the magic is a management that lack any real power to do anything worthwhile with their park. But its the guests that walk into a park that see things like Tomb and Runaway covered in scaffolding or Falls missing rockwork that is missing out. And I think that's a shame.

[Zufari29]

Congratulations for completely missing the point then.

The fact is, the park has been owned by Merlin since mid 2007. In that time next to nothing has been done to maintain Tomb, Runaway or Falls. It took the near death of a little girl last June for any kind of work to actually start to occur. Tussauds aren't just to blame for what has happened to the park in all that time, Merlin are just as responsible as Tussauds as while Merlin pumped over 30 million into Thorpe and Alton, Chessington got next to nothing levels of investment in new attractions or refurbishing rides that really were past their best.

It's the year when Zufari opens, that the park really had a chance to show what they had to a new audience. Instead these new guests are being treated to naked and ugly rides, decaying theming on Vampire and Bubbleworks and Skyride trains that look like they fell through a time vortex from 1987. I don't see any work happening to Skyway and considering how knackered I know it is I can only assume the only reason it isn't closed for a full on refurbishment is because it isn't seen as dangerous.. yet.

What Merlin are doing isn't actually upsetting me, I'm a grown adult and I've learnt that behind the magic is a management that lack any real power to do anything worthwhile with their park. But its the guests that walk into a park that see things like Tomb and Runaway covered in scaffolding or Falls missing rockwork that is missing out. And I think that's a shame.

I don't see any reason to be like that.. I thought the point of this forum was that people could express their opinions without being belittled for it. Just because that's YOUR point, it doesn't mean that it is THE point, and I actually was writing my post whilst yours was posted, so I hadn't even seen it when I posted my reply to this topic.

Whilst I completely see & understand where you are coming from, if the theming hadn't been based on a temporary structure with the intentions of it being permanent then this wouldn't have been a problem.. I do agree Chess does need a lot more investment and it is hardly fair that the other parks have had so more but then again that's down to Merlin and not Chessington...

I can't comment on Skyway as I have nothing to do with it, though I agree that it does need refurbishment also.

Any businesses focus is profit (unless they are a non-profit organisation), regardless of whether they work directly with guests or not, and I imagine that the reason this refurb has been left for so long has been because Merlin have been avoiding spending money on it for as long as they can. The theming is not the only aspect of the park that is facing £££ cuts.

Though it may not have been the best thing to do to leave it that long, and I do agree that many guests aren't seeing the park how it is supposed to be which is indeed definitely a shame, however I fail to see how it can be blamed on Chessington rather than the parent company.. They do not decide how much of a budget they have.. The issue should therefore be with Merlin/Tussauds rather than Chessington alone.

I do now understand from your explanation that Tussauds aren't completely at fault, it is equally Merlin because they could have done something about this sooner. Though I also see why they didn't, and have seen that the reason some of this work couldn't be carried out over closed was due to issues outside of their control.

Imagine how much enthusiasts + guests would also complain, if runaway was to run without any of the theming.. And then imagine how much more grief employees in the park would have to face from guests who seem to completely miss the point that the girl standing by rattlesnake didn't decide that today she couldn't be bothered to open runaway.

I suggest that you write to Merlin with your complaints, maybe they would listen.

[Mark9]

Imagine how much enthusiasts + guests would also complain, if runaway was to run without any of the theming.. And then imagine how much more grief employees in the park would have to face from guests who seem to completely miss the point that the girl standing by rattlesnake didn't decide that today she couldn't be bothered to open runaway.

I suggest that you write to Merlin with your complaints, maybe they would listen.

I have been that employee Zufari29. I was there telling guests Runaway had 'technical difficulties' when the whole back wall of Runaway train's queue-line fencing gave way, I was ordered to close Rattlesnake as fast as possible after the fire exit door leading from Mexicana into Rattlesnake's main ride area collapsed.

Any businesses focus is profit (unless they are a non-profit organisation), regardless of whether they work directly with guests or not, and I imagine that the reason this refurb has been left for so long has been because Merlin have been avoiding spending money on it for as long as they can. The theming is not the only aspect of the park that is facing £££ cuts.

I know all that, it comes up time and time again, every time someone dares to question why things aren't refurbished or asks why the park is allowed to fall beyond disrepair before anyone gives a damn about it. Instead of the priority of the park being "how can we entice our guests to come back season after season" it's "how can we save an hours worth of pay here and there" or "how can we budget cut Zufari as far as possible, despite this being our first real shot at a major Chessington attraction." If all areas of the park is facing budget cuts because of low visitor numbers then the park needs to ask itself why aren't people visiting our theme park. If Blue Fire can attract a two hour queue on a Friday afternoon in the middle of theme parks quietest part of the year then why can't Chessington achieve this (without of course running the rides so badly that it has a two hour queue because the staff are more interested in you pretending to flap your arms instead of dispatching the rides). The theming demolition is one aspect of a greater problem at the park. I don't for one minute believe that the management at the park have no passion for the place, they clearly love what they do so my points aren't completely directed at them.

Though it may not have been the best thing to do to leave it that long, and I do agree that many guests aren't seeing the park how it is supposed to be which is indeed definitely a shame, however I fail to see how it can be blamed on Chessington rather than the parent company.. They do not decide how much of a budget they have.. The issue should therefore be with Merlin/Tussauds rather than Chessington alone.

In my post, I never apportioned blame to Chessington. In the eyes of a normal, park visiting person the name above the door is Chessington. To all intents and purposes, it is Chessington that the buck stops with. I won't step into a Giraffe restaurant, be disappointed with the food and start laying into Tesco and it is the same with park guests visiting Chessington.

I don't see any reason to be like that.. I thought the point of this forum was that people could express their opinions without being belittled for it. Just because that's YOUR point, it doesn't mean that it is THE point, and I actually was writing my post whilst yours was posted, so I hadn't even seen it when I posted my reply to this topic.

As you say it's supposed to be a discussion. When I talk of Chessington's destroyed theming and scaffold covered Tomb Blaster queue-line I always try and see it from a once in a lifetime visitor. That wasn't belittling, I just really struggle to see how the dressing down of Chessington because of lack of care over the past 25 years can be defended. No offence was intended.

[Fred]

To any guest, it's utterly shocking and disgraceful that the park looks like this. Be it a returner, or a brand new guest. Infact, it's worse if it's a new guest as there's hell chance they'll ever get them coming back.

I can't simply believe this had to happen at the worst possible time for chessington. Heavy investment year, a ride which should've brought the park back onto the map and being very prominant being tainted by the rest of the park looking like something out of Holidays from Hell.

As for guests moaning about runaway, meh to them. I'm sure the guests would actually prefer it to be closed rather than open with no theming showing the back-of-house of Chessington. The same as Air would close rather than be on just one craft operation. It's the experience that matters, and chessington is just failing to provide it.

Shame, as I adore the park. It's gonna be weird staying in their hotel soon but not actually venturing on park as I don't want to become incredibly angry with the place. Zufari will just have to wait.

[JoelPagett]

I went to CWOA today and got some snaps of the goings on around the park! Some are pretty bad in my opinion but if they will help in the future then I am sure they are welcome!

The rest of the photos are on Facebook

[Merry-go-girl]

At this rate the place will look as soulless as Six Flags.