Benin Posted June 23, 2015 Report Share Posted June 23, 2015 ...that makes the ride even more boring then. MachoMachine 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pluk Posted June 23, 2015 Report Share Posted June 23, 2015 How much does a giraffe cost? Will it be replaced by a cardboard cutout sometime soon? OldFarmerDean 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian-S Posted June 23, 2015 Report Share Posted June 23, 2015 I thought they had three more left? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobF Posted June 23, 2015 Report Share Posted June 23, 2015 Yer they had four males, now just the three they seemed quite sad today :-( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merry-go-girl Posted June 23, 2015 Report Share Posted June 23, 2015 He was 19, so getting there! Six years seems like a lot to be robbed of to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaz Posted June 23, 2015 Report Share Posted June 23, 2015 How much does a giraffe cost? Will it be replaced by a cardboard cutout sometime soon? Zoo animals have no monitory value. I can't remember what the giraffes at Chessie were swapped for (we were told during our feed last year), but they basically trade animals to help programs across different attractions. pluk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AstroDan Posted June 24, 2015 Report Share Posted June 24, 2015 Seriously? I know you may dislike the ride and the park as a whole, but this seems quite cold hearted. This must be horrible for the keepers though, the animals must have been like pets to them, and I personally can't stand it when an animal has to be put down. You clearly don't get my sarcasm. I agree it's sad about the giraffes. Zufari is one of the most budget - cut ridden disappointments in the UK. It is synonymous with ill investment at Chessington over the past 15 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraX Posted June 24, 2015 Report Share Posted June 24, 2015 AstroDan, your post is the best thing ever. I'm thrilled so many people have noticed this about that awful attraction. So much potential, then well, Merlin.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashleyrose-66 Posted June 24, 2015 Report Share Posted June 24, 2015 The problem with Zufari is it simply doesn't make sense any more! The ride is nice - you get to go along and see the animals, and when I went on last week, 2 Giraffe were very close to the truck so we got some good photos. BUT... They have totally given up on the pre-show. There is no Gotze or Chase van Driver any more. The queue operators hold you outside the "ACRE Expedition room" and when the time comes, send you through the room, straight through the other doors and in to the final queuing section. So when you finally board your truck, and Chase starts talking to you, you have no idea who he is, or what he is going on about (unless you visited in 2013). It's such a shame that Chessington have simply done away with the pre-show. It was cheesy, but it worked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark9 Posted June 24, 2015 Report Share Posted June 24, 2015 You clearly don't get my sarcasm. I agree it's sad about the giraffes. Zufari is one of the most budget - cut ridden disappointments in the UK. It is synonymous with ill investment at Chessington over the past 15 years. I think most of us got it was sarcasm, it just wasn't very funny. SteveJ, HermanTheGerman, Tom and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coaster Posted June 24, 2015 Report Share Posted June 24, 2015 The problem with Zufari is it simply doesn't make sense any more! The ride is nice - you get to go along and see the animals, and when I went on last week, 2 Giraffe were very close to the truck so we got some good photos. BUT... They have totally given up on the pre-show. There is no Gotze or Chase van Driver any more. The queue operators hold you outside the "ACRE Expedition room" and when the time comes, send you through the room, straight through the other doors and in to the final queuing section. So when you finally board your truck, and Chase starts talking to you, you have no idea who he is, or what he is going on about (unless you visited in 2013). It's such a shame that Chessington have simply done away with the pre-show. It was cheesy, but it worked. To be honest I thought the preshow was dire, but the bit with Chase should still play as you queue there. I'm glad they did away with Gotze. Merry-go-girl 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashleyrose-66 Posted June 24, 2015 Report Share Posted June 24, 2015 I agree, the pre-show was cheesy, and a bit naff, but at least it told you what you were doing there. Chase was asking you to record what animals you see on the expedition, so when you got on the truck and he started talking, you knew who he was and why you were there. Yes Gotze was annoying, but I also know that the small children loved Gotze, especially when Gotze was being interactive and talking directly to them. Chjessington seem to have completely given up on that now, and would rather hold people outside the expedition room until the queue line has cleared the other side and simply let people charge straight through it, and miss out on what used to be an important part of the story! I know we all know what it was like when they did have the pre-show, but imagine visiting for the first time. You'd have no idea who Chase was when he pipes up with "Hello again researchers..." as you board the truck!! Imagine if Disney removed the Twilight Zone pre-show film at the Tower of Terror and just allowed people to go straight on the lift? It's poor by Chessington to simply scrap it! pluk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celia Mae Posted June 24, 2015 Report Share Posted June 24, 2015 Gotze is there sometimes, I've definitely been this year and Gotze has been there interacting with the little kids. But that still doesn't explain about Chase OldFarmerDean 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashleyrose-66 Posted June 24, 2015 Report Share Posted June 24, 2015 I tweeted @CWOA and asked where Chase and Gotze are - they replied saying they have "technical difficulties" and hope to have the pre-show back soon. To be honest, it doesn't matter since they changed the queuing system and removed the wooden benches for people to sit and watch the pre-show with Chase. Now they just wait for the queue line to clear the other side of the expedition centre and send people through. They simply seem to have given up on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HermanTheGerman Posted June 24, 2015 Report Share Posted June 24, 2015 Urrrrgh, I hate Gozee. Why on earth they scrapped Chase but not him I'll never know. Zufari's story is so weak as it is, that to be honest, nobody even realises there's a plot or even a main character until they approach the cave, and even then they're too preoccupied with taking pictures of the Rhinos that the suspense loosed all effect. Removing Chase only slightly hinders an already patchy plot. If they were smart (who knows, they might have been before two budget cuts), then they would have just introduced Chase and the "Zufari region" in the base camp, with the clip repeating every time a new batch is send trough (batches big enough to fill the room but not spilling out to the outside). At least that would cover the sudden appearance of Chase. Then of course comes the cave with its random water effects with no explanation. Something like this really relies on a strong story to make sense, but with the whole conservation image stuck on the attraction, a calm theme and explosive story are never going to work well together. Unless they really build up on it as a mysterious, uncharted area of Africa, the cave and the entire plot of the attraction will always feel a little sketchy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benin Posted June 24, 2015 Report Share Posted June 24, 2015 The funny thing is, the ride doesn't even NEED a plot... Safari, animals, job done... AstroDan, SteveJ, HermanTheGerman and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashleyrose-66 Posted June 24, 2015 Report Share Posted June 24, 2015 No, it doesn't NEED a plot, but Chessington decided to introduce one when theming the ride a few years ago, and have removed a large chuck of it, whilst leaving another chunk of it, which means it simply doesn't make sense any more. At least when Chase and Gotzi (and yes, I accept he was not everyone's cup of tea, but little kids DO like him!) where there, you had a sense of what you were doing there. They led you to believe you were researchers working for ACRE in Africa to make a note of how many animals are roaming in Zufari. However, there is a dark and mysterious cave that you must never enter... Whether it needed it or not, it had a story, and it sort of worked. Now it just doesn't make much sense for people who might be riding for the first time, and I can't help but feel this is systematic of Chessington giving up on things like this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveJ Posted June 24, 2015 Report Share Posted June 24, 2015 The day they get showriters to write shows rather than whoever is around at the board meeting - the day stuff like Gozey (which probably sounded brilliant in planning) stops masquerading as a 'preshow'. I'm sorry Zufari, you're just no fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraX Posted June 24, 2015 Report Share Posted June 24, 2015 The technology that runs GOZI is dire. Additionally, the actors get bored in a small room, with not much communication with the ride operator. The main reason it was scrapped, is because it caused terrible throughput blocks, and caused some trucks to go out empty. The bottom line is that if Chessington had installed automated doors (which were planned and scrapped, due to budget), it would have all been show controlled, and all worked well. My main issue is the awful finale, which again on paper sounded jaw dropping, as guests were discovered, and unearthed a horrible curse, including African masks, lit up with bursts of air shooting at you, doubled with a forceful wind from all around (see the fans that were installed). As AstroDan said, this ride was cut back so much, until we got the mediocre attraction it is today (the best thing about it is the Avatar inspired audio tracks).. Merry-go-girl and HermanTheGerman 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merry-go-girl Posted June 24, 2015 Report Share Posted June 24, 2015 Imagine if Disney removed the Twilight Zone pre-show film at the Tower of Terror and just allowed people to go straight on the lift? Ah but the big difference is that Disney can do a pre show very well. Chessington's pre show is irrelevant, does not appeal to all ages and causes blocking hell. It was just begging to be scrapped from the day it was poorly conceived. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashleyrose-66 Posted June 24, 2015 Report Share Posted June 24, 2015 I don't understand why it causes such a blocking problem? You used to sit in a room and watch a 2 minute video of Chase van Driver and Gozi telling you why you are going on the expedition, then the doors would open and you'd join the final part of the queue. Now, instead of watching Chase and Gozi, you simply stand outside the Expedition Centre and wait for the member of staff to send you straight through! Surely, you are just standing outside for a couple of minutes longer when you could have been inside watching the briefing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraX Posted June 24, 2015 Report Share Posted June 24, 2015 If you understand it or not, that's the reason. Imagine batching people into the pre-show room, The Chase Van Driver video, and Gozi doing his thing..The last part of the queue is short, and more often than not there would be no one in the batching area, as ride staff would be waiting for the pre-show to finish (and would have to send out empty trucks). Its a constant battle between the entertaining department, and the rides department who were pushing for throughputs, but were stuck due to the pre-show. As I said, if it was all programmed then it would run for a set time, and the automatic doors would keep the guest flow. As the park cut that corner, they were stuck with something that now doesn't work (It also doesn't help that the Gozi animation is so awful, that people just take the p-ss out of it). Cheap, cheap cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashleyrose-66 Posted June 24, 2015 Report Share Posted June 24, 2015 I find that very surprising to be honest. I visited Zufari many times in it's first year, and often at busy times. There were never problems with the second part of the queue emptying before the pre-show had finished. The doors usually opened just as the last group of people were making their way to the gates ready to board the next truck. All the people who watched the pre-show would then queue, and behind us the doors would open to the Expedition Centre and a batch of people would begin to shuffle in to watch the pre-show. It seemed a fairly smooth operation even on busy days, regardless of how awful the show or Gozi were. I also suspected that Gozi talking to the audience would be tailored to how quickly the final queue line was moving as it's live. The pre-show just filled that time it took for the final line to clear and for people to get boarded, lap bars down (was seat belts in the first year though) checked and then away. Now instead of Chase and Gozi, you just wait a bit longer before entering the Expedition Centre. and then just walk straight through it. I don't doubt what you are saying by the way, I am just surprised that they scrapped it because it affected through-puts as in theory it really shouldn't make much difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coaster Posted June 24, 2015 Report Share Posted June 24, 2015 My main issue is the awful finale, which again on paper sounded jaw dropping, as guests were discovered, and unearthed a horrible curse, including African masks, lit up with bursts of air shooting at you, doubled with a forceful wind from all around (see the fans that were installed). Agreed about the finale, it is dire and made worse by the fact that the water effects rarely work anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack F Posted June 26, 2015 Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 According to staff there yesterday, Chessington has a hosepipe ban and because of that they can't do water until it is lifted. I hope it comes back soon because its a bit of a let down without it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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