when did the vampire ride open at chessington
in 1990
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Vampire (roller coaster) Vampire (originally named The Vampire) is an Arrow suspended swinging roller coaster at Chessington World of Adventures theme park in London, England. It opened in 1990 in the new Transylvania area (now renamed "Wild Woods"). The trains hang from the track, and swing freely as the roller coaster completes the course. It has two lift hills, featuring many dives and turns throughout. The ride layout was designed by John Wardley and the theme design by Sparks. During the 2001 season, Vampire was closed so that it could be modified to use new trains, and reopened in 2002.
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of the animated show "60 Glorious Years" for Tussauds' Royalty and Empire'ñ exhibition at Windsor. This led him to meet Elizabeth II. After this he was employed by the Tussauds Group to transform the declining Chessington Zoo in London to become the Chessington World of Adventures theme park. There, Wardley oversaw the production of attractions including The Vampire suspended coaster, constructed by Arrow Dynamics and Dragon River (now Tiger Rock) log flume. In 1990, Wardley collaborated with influential attraction designer Keith Sparks to produce the popular Prof. Burp's Bubble Works dark ride at Chessington World of Adventures, which ran for
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Ride Adventure". The ride was created as part of the second phase to regenerate Chessington Zoo into a popular theme park. The Transylvania area in Chessington World of Adventures was created in 1990, opening with two major rides produced by John Wardley; the Vampire and Prof. Burp's Bubble Works. Park development director for Tussauds, John Wardley, developed the concept of a magical factory following the making of Professor Burp's fizzy pop from juicing to bottling. He collaborated with cartoon company Siriol Animation to create the characters and scenes. Keith Sparks' production company designed the ride, including all scenes, animations and
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the Vampire operated with two trains instead of the original three. This greatly reduced the capacity of the ride, roughly halving its hourly throughput to just 600 riders per hour. This has since drawn lot of criticism from all areas. Vampire (roller coaster) Vampire (originally named The Vampire) is an Arrow suspended swinging roller coaster at Chessington World of Adventures theme park in London, England. It opened in 1990 in the new Transylvania area (now renamed "Wild Woods"). The trains hang from the track, and swing freely as the roller coaster completes the course. It has two lift hills, featuring
Vampire (roller coaster)
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Vampire (roller coaster) Vampire (originally named The Vampire) is an Arrow suspended swinging roller coaster at Chessington World of Adventures theme park in London, England. It opened in 1990 in the new Transylvania area (now renamed "Wild Woods"). The trains hang from the track, and swing freely as the roller coaster completes the course. It has two lift hills, featuring many dives and turns throughout. The ride layout was designed by John Wardley and the theme design by Sparks. During the 2001 season, Vampire was closed so that it could be modified to use new trains, and reopened in 2002.
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Vampire in 1990. It has however attracted criticism for its short layout and lack of story. During its opening year the ride received wait times in excess of three hours. Opening the attraction increased annual park attendance by 15.4%, the highest of any European attraction in 2013. Zufari: Ride into Africa! Zufari: Ride into Africa (officially stylized as ZUFARI: Ride into Africa!) is an off-road safari trail jeep ride at Chessington World of Adventures, a zoo and theme park in London. The ride is located in the theme-park section called Zufari, a 22-acre site landscaped to look like an African
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going through a tiger rock mouth.The area has been re-decorated and re-designed, with a new entrance by dragons fury. The area (originally named'Transylvania') was created in 1990, modeled on a mock Barvarian town street, with tall European Architecture. It opened with two major attractions, "The Vampire" and "Prof. Burp's BubbleWorks". "Vampire" is a steel suspended floorless coaster. The original Arrow Dynamics trains were replaced with Vekoma trains during a closed season in 2001, reopening in 2002. "Prof. Burp's BubbleWorks" was a dark water ride that took guests through an animated fizzy pop factory. For 2006, it was rethemed to an
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party. Bubbleworks Bubbleworks (originally titled Prof. Burp's Bubble Works, then Imperial Leather Bubbleworks from 2006) was a dark water ride opened in 1990 at Chessington World of Adventures Resort in Greater London, England. It took riders through animated scenes of a comical factory producing fizzy pop. The ride was designed and built by the Sparks Group for attraction producer John Wardley. The original ride closed, to be redesigned in 2006 with a sponsorship by Imperial Leather toiletries, with the majority of the animations removed. The new Bubbleworks then itself closed in September 2016 and was then replaced by "The Gruffalo
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Bubbleworks Bubbleworks (originally titled Prof. Burp's Bubble Works, then Imperial Leather Bubbleworks from 2006) was a dark water ride opened in 1990 at Chessington World of Adventures Resort in Greater London, England. It took riders through animated scenes of a comical factory producing fizzy pop. The ride was designed and built by the Sparks Group for attraction producer John Wardley. The original ride closed, to be redesigned in 2006 with a sponsorship by Imperial Leather toiletries, with the majority of the animations removed. The new Bubbleworks then itself closed in September 2016 and was then replaced by "The Gruffalo River
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and sitatungas. Along the pathways of Zufari are various African-style paintings on fences. In the centre of the Wanyama section of ZUFARI is a large faux-stone carving of a lion. A winding waterfall runs along its side. In 1931, Reginald Goddard opened the Chessington Zoo. In 1946 when Goddard died, the Pearson Publishing Company took over the zoo and managed it until 1978, when The Tussauds Group took control of the park. A number of animals were moved to other zoos during the construction of the theme park. In 1990 the polar bears left the park, as did the hippos
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The ride is an off-the-shelf Vekoma Boomerang design common in many amusement parks. The ride started out at Star Lake Amusement Park in China, but was sold soon after opening, Before it moved to Six Flags New England, the roller coaster was located at Kentucky Kingdom where it was known as The Vampire, with its controversial slogan "Give blood at your local park". The ride opened at Kentucky Kingdom in 1990, when the park reopened after being closed for two seasons. Kentucky Kingdom was bought by Premier Parks in 1997, and merged to become Six Flags in 1998, renaming the
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Forbidden Kingdom mirrors Egypt and Arabia, while Land of the Tiger reflects the orient, and Wild Asia an Indian jungle. Major attractions include: The Vampire, Dragon's Fury, KOBRA, Tiger Rock, Scorpion Express, and The Gruffalo River Ride Adventure. The mansion at Chessington World of Adventures Resort known today as the Burnt Stub was originally built in 1348, in Chessington, Surrey. In the English Civil War it became a royalist stronghold, and Oliver Cromwell's Parliamentary forces razed it to the ground. The Burnt Stub site was rebuilt as an inn, until the 18th century, when the Vere Barker family rebuilt it
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effects, making Chessington one of the first true theme parks in Britain. The 1990 season expanded Chessington with the opening of the Transylvania area, featuring "The Vampire" and "Prof. Burp's Bubble Works". Both of these major rides had significant impact on the park's popularity. By this time "Smugglers' Galleon" and the Smugglers' Cove area had been created, both opening in 1988. The 1995 season arrived with "Rameses Revenge", the park's first inverting ride. "Rameses Revenge" was new in the Forbidden Kingdom area; an area which had opened the previous year in conjunction with the "Terror Tomb" dark ride. Also new
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enthusiasts generally regard the decision to be part of Tussaud's (the company which owned Thorpe Park and Chessington at the time) plans to change the target audience of both parks. Chessington was intended to become a more family orientated park and installations since the 2002 season have been in line with this policy. Similarly Thorpe Park has moved towards attracting the 14-30 market and has installed thrill rides since this policy emerged. Keen-eyed guests can still spot a reminder of Samurai at Chessington when they ride the Dragon Falls log flume - a theming item depicting a samurai warrior gripping
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Dragon's Fury (roller coaster) Dragon's Fury is a spinning roller coaster opened in 2004 at Chessington World of Adventures Resort in southwest London, England. This ride has four-person cars that can be weighted evenly or with bias to one side, depending on the amount of spin desired. The general theme is "surviving the dragon's wrath". "Dragon's Fury" was announced at the beginning of the 2003 season to be the main attraction of the Land of the Dragons in Chessington World of Adventures Resort, which was to also open in 2004. The ride was purchased by the Tussauds Group alongside "Spinball
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ride from the Dutch company Mondial. The ride was originally installed at Chessington World Of Adventures in 1999 as part of the Mystic East section of the park, and replaced the original plan of installing a Huss Flic Flac on the site. The ride was the first of its kind in a UK amusement park, though a travelling version, "Top Buzz" debuted on the UK fair circuit the previous year. Samurai stayed at Chessington until the end of the 2003 season when it was closed, dismantled and moved to Thorpe Park. Reasons for the ride's move are largely speculative. Most
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changes were met negatively. In 2017, "The Gruffalo River Ride Adventure" opened, replacing Bubbleworks, as well as the original Carousel being replaced with a newer, themed carousel named "The Chessington Adventure Tree". As of 2015, Chessington operates four annual continuing events; African Adventures, Roar & Explore, Howl'o'ween, and Winter's Tail. The first is African Adventures, a February Half-term event. For the week Chessington Zoo opens with African artwork and culture workshops. Selected theme park rides often open early for this event. For the event, African tribal dancers and street explorers can be found roaming and interacting with guests. On an
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Safari Skyway Safari Skyway was a monorail ride that opened in 1986 at Chessington World of Adventures Resort, in the Market Square area. Manufactured by Mack Rides, the ride gave guests a guided tour of Chessington Zoo, and in its first year, the construction of Chessington World of Adventures theme park. The ride ran for almost thirty years before closing abruptly in late July 2015. In early January 2016, the park announced that the ride would be retired due to continuous troubles with maintenance for the ride. "Safari Skyway" was opened in 1986, as one of the first rides to
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for 1995 was "Seastorm" in Pirates' Cove, and the "Carousel", located next to the explorer gate. In 1999, Chessington opened the hardcore thrill ride "Samurai" in the Mystic East. 1999 also saw the rename of Calamity Canyon into Mexicana, following the opening of "Rattlesnake" the year before. 2000 saw Beanoland open on the former site of Circus World, bringing two new rides to the park: "Billy's Whizzer" and "Rodger the Dodger's Dodgems". On 22 May 2007, The Tussauds Group was taken over by Merlin Entertainments Ltd, which owns other brands such as Sea Life Centres. Besides Chessington, Merlin also purchased
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51 inches. Kobra (ride) Kobra is a Zamperla flat ride which opened in 2010 at Chessington World of Adventures Resort in southwest London, England. As of November 2018, the ride continues to operate. Kobra opened in the 2010 season in the new Wild Asia land at Chessington World of Adventures Resort. It was manufactured by Zamperla. It is only the second model of its type in Britain, after The Edge at Paulton's Park. As with all rides of its type, riders sit in a motorcycle-like position in outward-facing seats at the edge of the circular ride platform. The ride model
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Kobra (ride) Kobra is a Zamperla flat ride which opened in 2010 at Chessington World of Adventures Resort in southwest London, England. As of November 2018, the ride continues to operate. Kobra opened in the 2010 season in the new Wild Asia land at Chessington World of Adventures Resort. It was manufactured by Zamperla. It is only the second model of its type in Britain, after The Edge at Paulton's Park. As with all rides of its type, riders sit in a motorcycle-like position in outward-facing seats at the edge of the circular ride platform. The ride model features an
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Tomb Blaster Tomb Blaster is a dark ride that opened in 2002 at Chessington World of Adventures Resort in London. Riders travel in trains through a series of crypts, shooting laser guns at targets for high scores. "Tomb Blaster" is a dark ride in the Forbidden Kingdom area of Chessington World of Adventures Resort. It originally opened as "The 5th Dimension", a dark ride based on a story of a TV repair robot that operated from 1987 to 1993. The ride system was manufactured by Mack Rides. The area was rethemed as the Forbidden Kingdom in 1994, and the ride
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Creek area and re-themed for the opening of the new roller coaster opening in 2009, however this did not occur. Instead, the blue fences around the ride (seen in the above photo) were painted red to fit in better with the roller coaster. As well as this, the ride received a queue extension so that it could cope with the increased number of visitors in the area of the park. Samurai (ride) Samurai is a flat ride located at Thorpe Park in the United Kingdom. It was originally installed at nearby Chessington World of Adventures in 1999, being transferred to
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Dragon Falls Dragon Falls (originally Dragon River) was a flume ride at the theme park Chessington World of Adventures in Chessington, southwest London, England. Primarily designed by John Wardley and opened in 1987, it was located in the Mystic East area of the park. The ride was originally extensively themed, although the majority of its scenic design was later removed due to lack of maintenance and durability over time. While a contest to propose a re-theme to the ride was held in 2014, the ride was temporarily closed on Sunday 10th September 2017 and was rethemed as Tiger Rock, which
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closed on 6 September 2016 to be replaced by an attraction utilising the same ride system. On 1 January 2017, Chessington announced on social media that the Gruffalo River Ride Adventure will replace the Bubbleworks. In Spring 2018, Chessington are set to retheme Mystic East into Land of the Tiger, accompanied by a re-theme of the existing Dragon Falls into 'Tiger Rock', which closed on Sunday 10 September along with Peeking Heights to make way for the new ride. The newly re-themed park area and log flume will feature a drop through a rock carved into the shape of a
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with laser guns, and competing for top scores. Among the scenes are a crypt, a revolving tunnel, and snake pits. Many of the original set pieces from "Terror Tomb" remain in the "Tomb Blaster" ride with the exclusion of the Abdab animatronics. Tomb Blaster Tomb Blaster is a dark ride that opened in 2002 at Chessington World of Adventures Resort in London. Riders travel in trains through a series of crypts, shooting laser guns at targets for high scores. "Tomb Blaster" is a dark ride in the Forbidden Kingdom area of Chessington World of Adventures Resort. It originally opened as
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Rattlesnake (roller coaster) Rattlesnake is a steel wild mouse style roller coaster ride which opened in 1998 at the Chessington World of Adventures Resort in southwest London, England. "Rattlesnake" is a steel wild mouse style roller coaster ride which opened in 1998 at Chessington World of Adventures Resort as the theme park's third coaster. It was designed by Ing.-Büro Stengel GmbH, and manufactured by Maurer Söhne / Wilde Maus Classic. it is over 1000 feet long. Due to local planning restrictions (a result of the park being on green belt land ) the land designated for the ride area was
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accompanied by someone 16 or over. The ride passed such features in Chessington Zoo, such as Sea Lion Bay, Amazu, Trail of the Kings and other areas. It first passed the smaller animals in the Children's Zoo, before going behind the Sea Life Centre and near to the Lodge Gate entrance. The ride continued passing nearby (but not directly above) the gorillas, lions and sea lions before returning to the station via the theme park. Safari Skyway Safari Skyway was a monorail ride that opened in 1986 at Chessington World of Adventures Resort, in the Market Square area. Manufactured by
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Black Buccaneer Black Buccaneer (formerly Smugglers Galleon) is a swinging pirate ship at Chessington World of Adventures Resort in southwest London, England. It premiered in 1988 in the Pirates' Cove section of the park. Black Buccaneer was originally opened in 1988 as Smugglers Galleon in Pirates' Cove, an area adjacent to Transylvania in Chessington World of Adventures Resort. It was manufactured by Huss Rides. The ride received a soundtrack in late 2013. The ride and surrounding buildings were refurbished in 2014. During the 2016 season, frequent rainfall meant the motor underneath the ride flooded, causing the attraction to close for
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children under 1.1. must be accompanied by an adult. Tiny Truckers Tiny Truckers is a children's rail ride operated at Chessington World of Adventures Resort in London. Originally opened in 1993 under the name "ToyTown Truckers". As of August 2014, the ride continues to operate. "Tiny Truckers" was manufactured by Zamperla for Chessington World of Adventures Resort in London in 1994. It opened in the area of ToyTown, and later moved to the Market Square area. Set on a powered track in the base of Toy Town, the ride makes its way around the winding track, with green scenery, and
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Tiny Truckers Tiny Truckers is a children's rail ride operated at Chessington World of Adventures Resort in London. Originally opened in 1993 under the name "ToyTown Truckers". As of August 2014, the ride continues to operate. "Tiny Truckers" was manufactured by Zamperla for Chessington World of Adventures Resort in London in 1994. It opened in the area of ToyTown, and later moved to the Market Square area. Set on a powered track in the base of Toy Town, the ride makes its way around the winding track, with green scenery, and "Dragon's Fury" overhead. There is no age limit, though
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Flying Jumbos Flying Jumbos is a Red Baron ride operated at Chessington World of Adventures Resort in London. Originally in the area of Toytown, it later moved to the Zufari area. As of April 2015, the Chessington ride continues to operate. "Flying Jumbos" is a Mini Jet Red Baron from 1987. Manufactured by Preston & Barbieri, it is an aerial carousel spinning ride with elephant-themed cabs, originally pink and now grey. Africa was Chessington's new area for 2012, after the former area, Toytown, was replaced with a new land in line with Chessington's image as being "Britain's Wildest Adventure". Many
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The 5th Dimension (ride) The 5th Dimension was a dark ride at the Chessington World of Adventures Resort in southwest London, England, when the theme park opened and was the first major special effects attraction of its kind in the UK. The ride closed at the end of the 1993 season and was replaced by Terror Tomb, which in turn has been replaced by Tomb Blaster. The ride was designed with cars that could stop and rotate to face what was happening in the scene; the same transit system is in use today. The ride opened in the summer of
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ride was extensively redesigned for its second season to make it more appealing to younger visitors, including rewriting Zappomatic as a TV repair robot on a mission to defeat a virus named "The Gorg". This allowed the ride to operate for another six seasons, until being replaced by Terror Tomb in 1994. The 5th Dimension (ride) The 5th Dimension was a dark ride at the Chessington World of Adventures Resort in southwest London, England, when the theme park opened and was the first major special effects attraction of its kind in the UK. The ride closed at the end of
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Imperial Leather toiletries factory. Bubbleworks closed on 6 September 2016 and was replaced by "The Gruffalo River Ride Adventure" in March 2017, prompting the rename of the area to 'Wild Woods', whilst retaining the European street theme. The area was created as a quaint, 'Central-European' town square to one side, where the entrance to "Prof. Burp's BubbleWorks", shops and eateries were located amongst the town buildings, then a path set back from the town leads to the castle entrance of "The Vampire". After the park's various changes of management, the area was repeatedly changed in a piecemeal fashion to more
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open at Chessington World of Adventures. Safari Skyway's entrance was towards the back of the Market Square area, and the monorail gave a guided tour of the zoo, lawn and mansion area. In later years of the ride's operation, maintenance of the aging monorail system became difficult, and it suffered frequent breakdowns, including an incident in 2009 when a park-wide power cut stranded the monorail cars mid-route, forcing those inside to be rescued by a cherry picker. The ride took approximately 8 minutes, and the maximum height restriction for riders was 1.96 meters. Riders under 1.1 meters had to be
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work structure shaped like a tiger around the final drop. The ride closed on so that this overhaul can take place. The nearby "Peeking Heights" ferris wheel was also closed permanently on the 10th of September. In 2018, Chessington announced that Tiger Rock will open on 5 May 2018. Dragon Falls is a water flume ride, and features two drops. The first drop is smaller than the second. The boats are themed to resemble wooden canoes with inline seating. The station building is designed as a pagoda. The ride begins its journey by passing out of the station, and along
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repairs. During this time the ride's facade was repainted in blue. In July 2016, Chessington announced that the ride was set for closure in September 2016 and that the building would be re-purposed for a new dark ride opening in March 2017. The new ride has been developed by Merlin Magic Making, who had no involvement with the creation of the original ride. This was the ride's second refurbishment by Merlin Magic Making (then Tussauds Studios, prior to the restructuring under Merlin), having previously produced the Imperial Leather redesign in 2006. Chessington subsequently announced that a development licensed to the
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must be accompanied by a person aged 16 or over). This was updated early in the 2011 season from a previous restriction. Dragon Falls Dragon Falls (originally Dragon River) was a flume ride at the theme park Chessington World of Adventures in Chessington, southwest London, England. Primarily designed by John Wardley and opened in 1987, it was located in the Mystic East area of the park. The ride was originally extensively themed, although the majority of its scenic design was later removed due to lack of maintenance and durability over time. While a contest to propose a re-theme to the
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seated on the edges of each row, which meant anyone under 16 had to be seated in the middle. This saw queue times increase. Black Buccaneer Black Buccaneer (formerly Smugglers Galleon) is a swinging pirate ship at Chessington World of Adventures Resort in southwest London, England. It premiered in 1988 in the Pirates' Cove section of the park. Black Buccaneer was originally opened in 1988 as Smugglers Galleon in Pirates' Cove, an area adjacent to Transylvania in Chessington World of Adventures Resort. It was manufactured by Huss Rides. The ride received a soundtrack in late 2013. The ride and surrounding
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and elephants in 1993. In 1994 the snow leopards were relocated to the lion and tiger area. For a time the attraction was called Animal Land, before returning to Chessington Zoo in 2007. The zoo is generally open simultaneously with the theme park, but also remains open over the winter when the theme park is closed. Zoo entrance is included with the standard ticket price. As of 2015 the zoo has over 1,000 animals, many of which are endangered and some being extinct in the wild. Chessington Zoo is split up into different areas and walkthroughs. The rhea, mara, wallabies,
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the monorail "Safari Skyway", the dark ride "The 5th Dimension", and the "Chessington Railroad" as the main attractions (all supplied by the German ride manufacturer Heinrich Mack GmbH & Co). Smuggler's Galleon (a swinging ride) reached heights of 20 meters; it was later renamed Black Buccaneer. The new rides were to operate on a pay-one-price admission basis, and replace the existing pay-as-you-go fairground rides. Other support rides were also opened, and the park opened just five themed areas: Calamity Canyon, Mystic East, Market Square, Toy Town and Circus World. The attractions were all heavily themed with emphasis on atmosphere and
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office in Chessington. Chessington houses one of the Europe's leading theme park resorts Chessington World of Adventures. This includes a zoo, a theme park, an aquarium and two four star hotels – the Safari Hotel and Azteca Hotel. In the grounds of the resort lies the historic Burnt Stub Mansion. Chessington Garden Centre is located in the south of the area near Malden Rushett. Chessington offers a range of countryside activities with many open spaces including the "Chessington Countryside Walk" in the London Green Belt. Chessington Wood, in the south of the area, contains the source of the Bonesgate Stream,
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cave feature and an extensively designed queueline above the surrounding buildings, around a lake and down into an underground mine, since a redesign in 2014 the ride has been changed to be completely in the open with new theming and is renamed 'Scorpion Express'. Pirates' Cove is an area adjacent to Adventure Point, originally themed to a Cornish fishing village. Rides include the "Black Buccaneer", a swinging pirate ship that is painted black (hence the name) that opened in 1988 with the name "Smugglers Galleon". "Seastorm" is a circular family boat ride that simulates a sea storm. Until the end
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Alton Towers. Also, in 2006 "The Bubbleworks" was opened at Chessington World of Adventures sponsored by the company. Both rides had the same 'bath time with attitude' theme with many rubber ducks. Original Source, another PZ Cussons product sponsored a ride called Tidal Wave at Thorpe Park. The contract with the rides ended in 2009, the rides had all of the Imperial Leather logos removed. Imperial Leather was a sponsor of the 2011 Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne. The Imperial Leather logo was depicted on the players' chairs. In the 1950s a number of Imperial Leather products were manufactured
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2015 that resulted in its closure, Merlin Entertainment announced on 5 June 2015 that they were closing Saw – The Ride and two other roller coasters at Chessington World of Adventures for the "foreseeable future" while safety protocols and procedures are being evaluated. The ride eventually reopened on 9 July 2015. Saw – The Ride Saw – The Ride is a Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter roller coaster located at Thorpe Park in the United Kingdom. Designed by Merlin Studios and manufactured by Gerstlauer, the roller coaster opened to the public on 14 March 2009. The ride is themed to the "Saw" film
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Samurai (ride) Samurai is a flat ride located at Thorpe Park in the United Kingdom. It was originally installed at nearby Chessington World of Adventures in 1999, being transferred to Thorpe Park in 2003. The song played on the ride is a modified version of "Burly Brawl", from the soundtrack of "The Matrix Reloaded". Ride Type: Mondial Top-Scan <BR> Height: 60 ft (18 m)<BR> Length: Approximately 2 minutes (Setting Dependent)<BR> Height Restrictions: 1.4 m(55 in.)<BR> On-Ride Photo: No<BR> G-Force: +4g / -3g <BR> Status: Operating <BR> Capacity: 30 seats per ride, 400 riders per hour Samurai is a Top Scan
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the Chessington Sea Life Centre. Also in 2010, the Wanyama reserve was opened, giving the Africa-themed Safari hotel guests a view of animals The Wild Asia area was also added, with its KOBRA ride. In 2011 the Ocean Tunnel and surrounding rooms in the Sea Life Centre were re-themed to Azteca. In 2012 a new land themed to Africa replaced ToyTown. In 2013, Chessington introduced "", with visitors touring the area in a safari truck. In the same year, the annual Halloween Hocus Pocus event included a new attraction, "The Mystery of Hocus Pocus Hall", featuring projection-mapped visual effects. In
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a corrupt tour guide named Abdab plotting to steal treasure from within the tomb, before he is captured by mummies and sacrificed in a dramatic hard rock concert finale. Terror Tomb operated for seven years before closing in 2001, as the horror content was considered at odds with Chessington new family target audience. A lot of the ride's sets were recycled for the replacement attraction Tomb Blaster, with the exception of the animatronics. Terror Tomb Terror Tomb (later renamed Forbidden Tomb) was a dark ride attraction at Chessington World of Adventures in southwest London, England, themed as an adventure inside
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had a huge influence on the rides being created at both Chessington and its sister parks Thorpe Park and Alton Towers. The decision was made to open a theme park to complement the zoo, and so Chessington World of Adventures was born. On 7 July 1987 Chessington World of Adventures opened to the public in a ceremony including HRH Prince Edward. The park was built on a relatively small budget of around £12 million, to test the still-emerging theme park market. In its first year, the park opened with the roller coaster "Runaway Mine Train", the log flume "Dragon River",
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Zufari: Ride into Africa! Zufari: Ride into Africa (officially stylized as ZUFARI: Ride into Africa!) is an off-road safari trail jeep ride at Chessington World of Adventures, a zoo and theme park in London. The ride is located in the theme-park section called Zufari, a 22-acre site landscaped to look like an African reserve, it is home to animals such as giraffes, white rhinos, ostriches, blesbok, nile lechwe and more. In 2009, planning started for a five-year development plan, which would give the resort a 'Wild Adventure' brand image. The plan to do this would run from 2010 until 2015
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evening in June, Chessington Zoo opens late for the Chessington Roar & Explore conservation event. The evening involves speeches and information about the charity work the Chessington Conservation Fund is involved in, as well as presentations of some of the Zoo's endangered species. opens late for the event, and all revenue goes towards the fund. Winter's Tail is a Christmas event during December weekends and school holidays. Throughout the event Chessington Zoo opens with Christmas decoration and a Christmas grotto 'village' during daylight hours. Parts of the theme park are open, with Bubbleworks, Carousel and Hocus Pocus Hall operating. A
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The Gruffalo River Ride Adventure The Gruffalo River Ride Adventure is a dark water ride that opened in March 2017 at Chessington World of Adventures Resort in Greater London, England, developed by Merlin Entertainments. It takes riders through scenes based on The Gruffalo franchise. The scenes consist largely of digital projection and include clips from the 2009 animated Gruffalo film. The ride utilises the original Bubbleworks exterior repainted, plus an added green screen photo opportunity in the queue. The riders then enter a redecorated station, with details such as leaves on the ceiling and a stage-flat backdrop. The scenes throughout
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Rameses Revenge Rameses Revenge is a Top Spin ride at Chessington World of Adventures Resort theme park in southwest London, England, introduced in 1995. It is one of the most iconic rides in Britain, with it gaining regional fame since opening in 1995. It was the world's first top spin ride to feature a drown-upside-down element. "Rameses Revenge" was manufactured by Huss Rides, a German company who had previously made Chessington's "Black Buccaneer" ride. It was one of the first top spin flat rides built to feature water fountains, which spray riders at certain points in the ride cycle. Introduced
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Terror Tomb Terror Tomb (later renamed Forbidden Tomb) was a dark ride attraction at Chessington World of Adventures in southwest London, England, themed as an adventure inside a haunted tomb. The ride opened in 1994 along with the Forbidden Kingdom area. All music was composed by Graham Smart, including the hard rock song featured in the ride's finale. The ride was created as a replacement for the 5th Dimension, occupying the same infrastructure and show building. The ride show featured animatronics and practical theatrical effects with an Ancient Egyptian theme, mixing dark humour with ghost train horror. The story followed
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and logo in 2000. The ride entrance was relocated in 2015 and the queue was shortened. Rameses Revenge is one of the most successful and nationally recognised rides to have opened in Britain. Its expansive marketing campaign gained the ride the title as one of the most revolutionary flat rides of its time. The ride is responsible for the most attended year in Chessington's history, with over 2.2 million guests reportedly visiting in 1995. Rameses Revenge Rameses Revenge is a Top Spin ride at Chessington World of Adventures Resort theme park in southwest London, England, introduced in 1995. It is
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area was a retheme for Merrie England. Attractions in Mutiny Bay include: "Battle Galleons", an interactive "Splash Battle" boat ride, where guests sit in tracked boats while soaking other riders with water cannons. Also in the area is the rocking boat ride, "Heave Ho". The park's original teacups ride was re-themed to become "Marauders Mayhem", with the tea cup cars being redesigned as gunpowder barrels. " The Flume" was a Mack log flume ride that opened in 1981 and was rethemed in 2004 with a sponsorship from Imperial leather alongside the bubbleworks at Chessington world of adventure. Upon opening, it
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with a straight piece of track at the back and consists of several helixes, some of which go over and under the queue line, which itself snakes around the ride. The ride makes at least two laps of the circuit, and more on off peak days. An on-ride photo is taken immediately before the train returns to enter the station for the first time. Scorpion Express Scorpion Express is a mine train themed roller coaster at Chessington World of Adventures in Greater London, England. It was originally the "Runaway Train" and opened with the original theme park in 1987. The
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sat in a 20 seat wide, two tier gondola rotated by a pair of robotic arms and allowed to freely pivot. Riders were also suspended above jets of water at one point and were lowered towards it, similar to Rameses Revenge located in Chessington World of Adventures Resort. The ride was located in the Forbidden Valley section of the park adjacent to Nemesis. Ripsaw (Alton Towers) Ripsaw was a Top Spin ride at Alton Towers theme park in Staffordshire, England. It opened in 1997 and closed at the end of 2015. The ride opened on March 15th 1997 alongside The
Ripsaw (Alton Towers)
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been either re-themed over the years, while others have moved to other theme parks and been replaced. Chessington World of Adventures opened on 6 July 1987. Its main ethos centers around the idea of bringing together a collection of the different cultures and experiences from around the world; a considerable amount of the park is built on the stereotypical setting of each area it is focused on. Major attractions include: "Vampire", "Bubbleworks", "Rameses Revenge", "Dragon's Fury", "KOBRA", "" and "Scorpion Express". Shows include "Wild Factor" and "Pandamonium", which is seasonal only showing in the summer from 2017 onwards. The theme
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three larger themed areas, which would probably be the Lost City, Amity Cove and Calypso Quay areas of the park. Subsequent installations in Canada Creek seem to have dispelled this rumour. Samurai's arrival at Thorpe Park met with mixed reactions. The move had been long discussed on fan sites but few saw it as more than a fantasy. When the move was announced, many fans were disappointed to see Chessington lose one of its best (if not the best) rides. There was further controversy when it emerged that Samurai was to retain its name at Thorpe Park, despite not fitting
Samurai (ride)
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images on to whited-out sets, with the remaining spaces shrouded in darkness. Since the building was built to accommodate the original larger and more detailed scenes from Prof. Burp's Bubble Works, most the Gruffalo sets were simply built in front of the old scenes. The Gruffalo River Ride Adventure The Gruffalo River Ride Adventure is a dark water ride that opened in March 2017 at Chessington World of Adventures Resort in Greater London, England, developed by Merlin Entertainments. It takes riders through scenes based on The Gruffalo franchise. The scenes consist largely of digital projection and include clips from the
The Gruffalo River Ride Adventure
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of brakes which will halt you hard. "Rattlesnake" has a height restriction: minimum 1.4 metres, maximum 1.96 metres. There are also chest restrictions for waist measurements 51 inches or above. However, if the lap-bar cannot fit over one's legs, then one cannot ride as they cannot be kept restrained. The ride is quite rough and jerky, and therefore anyone with back and neck problems cannot ride. Rattlesnake (roller coaster) Rattlesnake is a steel wild mouse style roller coaster ride which opened in 1998 at the Chessington World of Adventures Resort in southwest London, England. "Rattlesnake" is a steel wild mouse
Rattlesnake (roller coaster)
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revolves around tiger imagery, and features a large tiger's head on the second drop that replaced the long-lived Angkor Wat heads. The ride was named Dragon River when it opened in 1987, but subsequently named Dragon Falls since the 1999 season. The ride was manufactured by Mack Rides and was produced by John Wardley with the Tussauds Group. In July 2017, Chessington filed for planning permission to undertake a large overhaul of the Mystic East area of the theme park. Part of this overhaul could potentially involve re-theming and renaming Dragon Falls to "Tiger Rock" and adding a large rock
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"Spinball Whizzer" at the UK's Alton Towers and "Dragon's Fury" at the UK's Chessington World of Adventures. A similar ride debuted in 2004 when the first two Gerstlauer Spinning Coasters opened: "Fairly Odd Coaster" (formerly "Timberland Twister") at Nickelodeon Universe inside the Mall of America, and "Spinning Dragons" at Worlds of Fun. These coasters have twisted track layouts similar to Maurer Söhne's Xtended SC, but the seats on Gerstlauer Spinning Coasters face towards each other, as with the Virginia Reel. In 1995 Intamin debuted a spinning coaster with trains instead of individual cars: "Comet Express" at Lotte World in Seoul,
Spinning roller coaster
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of a kind experience and the chance to see what it would be like to get up close to these exotic endangered animals. You will not believe your eyes as these one of a kind mischievous pandas create chaos on stage and have the whole family roaring with laughter at the mayhem that follows. In 2008 Chessington Zoo open Chessington Sea Life Centre on the site of the old children's Zoo, as an attempt to both determine if the park had a positive future and also to attract more multi-day visits. The Sea Life Centre, which is part of a
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2014 the Imperial Leather sponsorship had expired and so the brand logos were removed, but the ride remained in a poor condition. On 6 September 2016, the ride closed and the remaining props auctioned off. On 1 January 2017, Chessington announced that "The Gruffalo River Ride Adventure" would replace Bubbleworks. The new ride was produced by Merlin Magic Making and officially opened on 18 March 2017, with the surrounding Transylvania area renamed 'Wild Woods'. "The Gruffalo River Ride Adventure" features far fewer animations, props and scenic detail than the original "Prof. Burp's Bubble Works", instead employing TV screens and projected
The Gruffalo River Ride Adventure
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meaning boats now travel through exposed back-of-house facilities during the ride. Much of the architectural decoration in the station plaza has also been removed over time. Chessington initially advertised a competition to redesign the ride, claiming the attraction would be rethemed for 2014, although nothing ever came of this development and the ride continued to operate in this half-demolished condition. The ride closed for a tiger retheme on . In October 2017, it was announced that the ride would be renamed "Tiger Rock". As with Runaway Train, the ride itself will remain unchanged, with only the scenery being redesigned. New
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Blaster" is a dark ride shoot out game where riders shoot laser guns at targets and is a retheme of the 'Terror Tomb' dark ride. "Rameses Revenge" is a Top Spin ride with a water element that opened in 1995. One side of Forbidden Kingdom is architecturally designed as an Arabic market town, while Tomb Blaster is set in an Ancient Egyptian courtyard tomb area, though much detail has been removed throughout the area over the years. Land of the Dragons is the park's main children's area. Opening in 2004, it is a self-contained, dragon-themed land containing rides and attractions
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2015, when a loaded train collided with an empty test train, causing serious injuries to a number of riders. Subsequently, Merlin Entertainments decided to close The Smiler, Saw – The Ride at Thorpe Park, and two other roller coasters at Chessington World of Adventures (all of which have since reopened) while safety protocols and procedures were evaluated. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) served a Prohibition Notice upon the Smiler, preventing the ride's use until remedial action had been completed. On 27 July 2015, it was stated by Merlin Entertainments chief executive Nick Varney that The Smiler would "not be
The Smiler
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many complex effects. Prolific designers of dark rides in the UK include Keith Sparks and John Wardley between the 1970s and 1990s. Notable UK dark rides include Phantom Fantasia at Thorpe Park; The 5th Dimension, Terror Tomb and Professor Burp's Bubbleworks at Chessington World of Adventures; Around The World in 80 Days, The Haunted House, Toyland Tours and Hex – The Legend of the Towers at Alton Towers; and Valhalla at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. (Not a ghost train per se, Derren Brown's Ghost Train at Thorpe Park is a motion simulation and virtual reality attraction.) In Australia, a dark ride
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at the foot of the first drop. As the car reaches the vertical turn it starts to spin. This is one of the most popular rides in the park, and queues often reach times of over an hour; even to an hour and a half. This is because at most 28 people can ride at once. The track of this ride can be seen throughout the park, as it reaches heights of in places, and can also be seen at points outside the park. Dragon's Fury (roller coaster) Dragon's Fury is a spinning roller coaster opened in 2004 at Chessington
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of the 2017 season named "Mystic East", this is an oriental-themed area built around the "Tiger Rock" log flume (previously "Dragon River"). In July 2017, Chessington filed for planning permission to partially redesign the area to include new tiger enclosures, including walkways over guests' heads, and a new themed feature for the log flume, to be renamed "Tiger Rock". The park's ferris wheel Peeking Heights was demolished to make way for the tiger enclosures. The area closed for redevelopment on , and is set to reopen in 2018. The ride has two drops, one with a rock tunnel, the other
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central area of the park, it features a selection of shops, restaurants, smaller outlets including hotdog and doughnut units and guest services, as well as the Chessington Adventure Tree carousel, which was added in 2017 The area has mostly Tudor and early Georgian architecture, featuring details such as hanging baskets and boxed plants. The convoy ride "Tiny Truckers" is located in Adventure Point, where children can drive their own vehicles. "Hocus Pocus Hall" is a house of mirrors located just out the area in the Burnt Stub Mansion. In the centre of Adenture Point is a large compass feature in
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teamed up again to produce "The Haunted House" at Alton Towers in 1992. John Wardley later reflected on the attraction as being his "proudest moment at Chessington". The ride also made use of themed merchandising, something which has since become commonplace in UK theme parks. Riders had the option to exit into a gift shop, originally selling BubbleWorks souvenirs, including Professor Burp-branded fizzy pop drinks, figurines of the Bubblehead characters, cassette tapes of the ride music, novelty Professor Burp hats and postcards. In later years, the ride's exit path was permanently routed through the gift shop. Prof. Burp's BubbleWorks operated
Bubbleworks
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2013, Chessington opened the Zufari area with the complete African landscape, merging the Wanyama reserve and Zufari into one. Zufari was the focus point of the park in 2013, with adverts for the ride appearing on national television for the span of the 2013 season. During construction, a mini-site for the ride was launched on the park's website, detailing the plans for the attraction as well as the animals it would include. During the African Adventures event before launch of the ride, one of its trucks was on display in the zoo, with notices up telling guests to "embark in
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in 1995, "Rameses Revenge" was the main focus of advertising for Chessington World of Adventures Resort in that year, and was also widely featured in the British media, even being featured in its own segment by the ITV Evening News. It is situated in the Egyptian themed Forbidden Kingdom area of the park. "Rameses Revenge" was refurbished in 2007, with new settings placed onto the ride's PLC to improve ride-ability. The ride is surrounded by buildings resembling a traditional Arabic market town, while the ride itself is built into a pit. The ride was re-branded with a new colour scheme
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2013". Several videos regarding animal transportation and landscape construction also appeared online. In the Summer of 2013, Chessington created a PR stunt to gain the ride more attention. It involved banning animal print clothing being worn by guests on Zufari. The stunt proved successful, and the summer season was one of the busiest since 2008. The banning rule was not enforced. The ride is themed around an African Conservation team called A.C.R.E (standing for 'African Conservation Research and Exploration') who have discovered a new area within Africa, which they have named 'ZUFARI'. The ride takes guests through the terrain of
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goldilocks buttercup. Birds include the great spotted woodpecker, song thrush and lesser whitethroat. Bonesgate Open Space Bonesgate Open Space is a public park, Local Nature Reserve (LNR) and Site of Borough Importance for Nature Conservation, Grade 1, in Chessington in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames in London. It has an area of 5.07 hectares, and was designated an LNR in 1994. The site is a linear park along the banks of the Bonesgate Stream between Chessington Road and Filby Road. It adjoins Castle Hill LNR to the south and Hogsmill LNR (in Epsom and Ewell) to the north.
Bonesgate Open Space
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Bonesgate Open Space Bonesgate Open Space is a public park, Local Nature Reserve (LNR) and Site of Borough Importance for Nature Conservation, Grade 1, in Chessington in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames in London. It has an area of 5.07 hectares, and was designated an LNR in 1994. The site is a linear park along the banks of the Bonesgate Stream between Chessington Road and Filby Road. It adjoins Castle Hill LNR to the south and Hogsmill LNR (in Epsom and Ewell) to the north. It is mainly grassland with some coppiced hazel, which has the locally rare
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and hazel, and the varied ground flora include bluebell, wood anemone and wood sedge. There are breeding birds such as jay, great spotted woodpecker and song thrush. There is access from Filby Road. Bonesgate Open Space is immediately north, and Horton Country Park in Surrey to the east. Castle Hill, Chessington Castle Hill is a 3.5 hectare Scheduled Ancient Monument, Local Nature Reserve and Site of Borough Importance for Nature Conservation, Grade 1, in Chessington in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, London. It is owned by Merton College, Oxford, and leased to Kingston Council. The site is managed
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or history of Chessington Hall, except for the monuments and graves of its occupants in Chessington churchyard. Chessington Hall Chessington Hall was a country house in Chessington, England. It is important in literary history as the home of Samuel Crisp (1707–1783), a close friend of Fanny Burney, the novelist. At the time of the house's existence, Chessington was a village in Surrey; it now forms part of the urban sprawl of contemporary Greater London. At the time of Samuel Crisp's occupancy, Chessington was a tiny village that stood on a large and nearly desolate common. Crisp retreated to the isolation
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the coaster takes a sudden drop into a tunnel, before entering the brake run. The tunnel was originally longer, darker and themed as an cave, but this has been removed. In 1998, the ride was partly refurbished with new branding, logo and name abbreviated to Vampire. As the ride started to age, it suffered from a number of breakdowns and maintenance problems. The manufacturer, Arrow Dynamics, had gone bankrupt since the ride had been built, meaning little could be done to rectify these issues. The Vampire was closed for the 2001 season, and at the time this was thought to
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the style and theme of the area. There have also been suggestions that since its move to Thorpe Park it has been run on less intense settings and the use of manual control has been all but abandoned, to the disappointment of enthusiasts. Although during Fright Nights, the settings on Samurai were raised on some occasions, comparisons to other Top Scan rides around Europe, particularly on the travelling fair circuit, show that even at Chessington the ride was already running well below its maximum speed and intensity. There were rumours that the Samurai was to be integrated into the Canada
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on one attraction. Clones of the original ride, at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois, became a staple at Six Flags theme parks around the world, and were opened in Six Flags Great Adventure (1993), Six Flags Magic Mountain (1994), and Six Flags St. Louis (1995). Installation of the ride followed at Six Flags Over Georgia (1997), and Six Flags Over Texas (1999). In 2002 La Ronde amusement park, Montreal, opened a clone of the ride under the name Le Vampire (The Vampire), and Warner Bros. Movie World Madrid, under the name (Batman: The Escape). As La Ronde is
Batman: The Ride
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Sydney Opera House in September 2011 and in the UK most years. It returned to the Lyric Theatre, London in Summer 2015. Chessington World of Adventures opened a ride called 'The Gruffalo River Ride Adventure', using the original water transit system used on The Bubbleworks Ride. The book appears in the "Doctor Who" series 5 episode "The Hungry Earth": Mo reads it to his son, then later by himself before the "strange event" happens. The Gruffalo The Gruffalo is a children's book by writer and playwright Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Axel Scheffler, that tells the story of a mouse, the
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place. The area also houses the "Rocky Express" attraction, a small Mack Seastorm ride, "Timber Tug Boat" and "Lumber Jump", a Zamperla rockin' tug and a jumpin' star ride, both of these were relocated to the resort from the Weymouth SeaLife Adventure Park and Marine Sanctuary also "Samurai" opened after being moved from the also Merlin owned Chessington World of Adventures in 2004. The area formerly occupied by the "Loggers Leap" log flume is currently under redevelopment, the ride having been closed since 2015. This area also was home to "Slammer" a "S&S" "Sky Swat" which opened alongside the "Rush"
Thorpe Park
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Chessington Hall Chessington Hall was a country house in Chessington, England. It is important in literary history as the home of Samuel Crisp (1707–1783), a close friend of Fanny Burney, the novelist. At the time of the house's existence, Chessington was a village in Surrey; it now forms part of the urban sprawl of contemporary Greater London. At the time of Samuel Crisp's occupancy, Chessington was a tiny village that stood on a large and nearly desolate common. Crisp retreated to the isolation of Chessington Hall after the failure of his play "Virginia" in 1754, after selling his house in
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High School in Surbiton and Tolworth Girls' School and Centre for Continuing Education in Tolworth. Chessington has two railway stations: Chessington North and Chessington South. They are half a mile apart with South Western Railway services every half-hour to London Waterloo. Chessington South is the end of the line. The line was originally intended to split at Motspur Park, pass through Chessington and proceed on to Leatherhead, but construction was halted at Chessington South in 1940 as World War II began, and it was then the Green Belt with Ashtead Common's 200+ year protection order that stopped it from continuing.
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meerkats and agouti were previously the Monkey Walk area. Monkey Walk was replaced by Creatures Features which in turn was later replaced by the Wanyama Village in 2010. There is also a Children's Zoo, where children may feed domestic farm animals. The "Safari Skyway", an elevated monorail with an entrance in the Market Square theme park area, takes riders around various animal enclosures at the zoo. The ride closed in 2015 due to continuous troubles with maintenance for the ride. In front of "Hocus Pocus Hall", there is Wild Wood, an animal presentation area which hosts the Animal Antics show
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little patchy but is thought to have been built in Germany in the 1920s and imported to Britain with a blank canvas. It's generally the case that British roundabouts run clockwise, whereas their Continental and American counterparts run anti-clockwise. The Chair-o-Plane certainly runs the right direction to be a British-built ride, but it may have been adapted by an early owner. Chessington World of Adventures is home to a monkey-themed Chair-O-Planes, named the 'Monkey Swinger', that squirts water at riders. This formerly had a theme based on Billy Whizz of The Beano. Most of the swing carousel rides in North
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looping coaster "Vortex". The suspended coaster would return to Kings Island in 1993 with the addition of "Top Gun" which after a period of being called "Flight Deck" was renamed "The Bat" in 2014, a reference to the original 1981 coaster. Arrow-Huss refined its suspended roller coaster designs, culminating in the debut of "The Big Bad Wolf" at Busch Gardens Williamsburg and "XLR-8" at Six Flags Astroworld in 1984. After 1984, as Arrow Dynamics, they manufactured ten suspended roller coasters, including "Iron Dragon" at Cedar Point, "Ninja" at Six Flags Magic Mountain, "Vampire" at Chessington World of Adventures, and Vortex
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was well underway on the final part of the line to Malden Rushett and Leatherhead, which was expected to stimulate further housing development beyond Chessington. The railway was extended beyond Chessington South station as far as Chalky Lane, with a bridge built over this road. Work was halted due to the outbreak of World War II, although the Royal Engineers did build a further railway embankment south of Chalky Lane which went as far as Chessington Wood and, probably, not far from the location where Malden Rushett station would have been built. Following the introduction after the war of Green
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festive show named "A Christmas Gift" is performed several times throughout the day as well. During the last two weeks of the theme park season, Chessington hosts its biggest event - Howl'o'ween, previously known as Halloween Hocus Pocus. During the event the park is decorated for halloween with spiders, grave stones, voodoo dolls, skeletons and cobwebs as well as large, coloured eyes. Some actors also roam the theme park and zoo dressed as witches, vampires and zombies. During the event, halloween themed attractions open, rides also operate in the dark. Many of the rides and areas at the park have
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concerned about their secret and that it may bust open. When the police tells them that Megan committed suicide they worry even more since the police is covering the murder. Elena and Caroline find a picture of Megan where she is with Elena's father. Back at the Salvatore house, Katherine makes her unwelcoming appearance asking for Damon's help and protection since now that she is human she is vulnerable and she is scared. Damon offers to turn her back into a vampire to get rid of her but she declines his offer since she does not know if that would
I Know What You Did Last Summer (The Vampire Diaries)
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an inn and was then rebuilt on a grander scale from the 18th century by the Vere Barker family in a Neo-Gothic Victorian style. The grounds were turned into a zoo in 1931 by Reginald Goddard. Chessington Zoo became part of the Tussauds Group in 1978 and is now operated as a theme park. Burnt Stub had no public access until 2003 when it became an attraction called Hocus Pocus Hall. Chessington Hall has a place in 18th-century literary history, as home of Samuel Crisp, a failed playwright and close friend of Fanny Burney. Chessington Road Recreation Ground was purchased
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was completed in 2010. As of 2013, there are 10 gorillas at chessington, as well as two infants born in 2012. The Wanyama Village & Reserve opened in late May 2010, in an area behind the Safari Hotel and houses animals such as Grévy's zebra, sitatunga antelope, ostrich, dorcas gazelle, Nile lechwe, fennec fox, dwarf mongoose, southern ground hornbill, Kirk's dik-dik, Aloatran gentle lemur, black-cheeked lovebird, crested porcupine, meerkats, scimitar horned oryx, common eland and Ankole cattle. It is part of the ZUFARI animal reserve. The area is open to guests staying in the Safari Hotel during the evening. The
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Premier Division of the Middlesex League in 1967, and after finishing second-from-bottom in their first season, they were Premier Division runners-up in 1968–69, after which they left the league. Renamed Chessington United, the club moved up to the Surrey Senior League in 1971. The league evolved into the Home Counties League in 1978 and the Combined Counties League in 1979. When the league was split into two divisions in 1981, Chessington were placed in the Eastern Division. The league reverted to a single division in 1982, but Chessington left the league after finishing bottom in 1983–84. In 1986 the club
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deodorant. The total cost to construct the ride was estimated at £12 million. When Oblivion did open, the area was re-themed to look like a sinister government facility, unlike Fantasy World's fairground theme, and renamed X-Sector. The only surviving ride from Fantasy World, the Black Hole roller coaster, was also changed; the large tent that it was situated in was repainted to blue and silver instead of green and yellow stripes. To make the new X-Sector a major ride area, Alton Towers added two old rides from other parts of the park: Energizer and Enterprise (both from Festival Park, now
Oblivion (roller coaster)
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Ashtead, namely at its northern extreme, was also planned. After the war green belt legislation put a stop to any resumption because Ashtead Common was given protective status. A goods yard south of Chessington South was used as a coal concentration depot from the mid-1960s to the end of the 1980s. The goods yard and the of trackbed towards Malden Rushett are overgrown by trees. Two platforms were built at Chessington South but as a result of the truncation, only one platform has ever been in public use. It was originally intended to name Chessington North station "Chessington Court" and
Chessington branch line
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Chessington & Hook United F.C. Chessington & Hook United Football Club is a football club based in Chessington, Greater London, England. They are currently members of the and play at Chalky Lane. The club was founded by Bill Benham in 1921 as Chessington Football Club, joining Division IV of the Kingston & District League. They won Division IV and the Surbiton Times Cup in 1922–23, earning promotion to Division III. However, they were relegated back to Division IV at the end of the 1928–29 season after finishing bottom of Division III. Despite only finishing fifth in Division IV in 1934–35,
Chessington & Hook United F.C.