KarlaKoaster

I found some cheap flights to Orlando (November onwards) so wanted to pick your brains as to when you think would be a good time to visit. The last time I came (I think 2018) I visited immediately after Thanksgiving and for me it was a good time because the weather was great, most parks were quiet and Christmas mode was well and truly activated. Although Universal was quiet, Disney was not. To be honest, I found the planning and strategy required at Disney exhausting and not particularly enjoyable and I get the feeling since covid things are actually worse rather than better. So if anyone has any advice on when the parks will be at their quietest that would be great. And now the dust has settled, any thoughts on Genie+ are much appreciated too. I sort of begrudge paying for 7/14 days for Disney, but I guess there's no cheaper way of doing it.

I heard this in John Wardley's Q&A (think he said he was 'very, very impressed' with the solution B&M came up with. The station is pretty small, so we can probably rule out turntables, sliding track etc, so the only thing I can think of is back-to-back seating. I think there is enough space leg-room wise (it's 2m between each car, and there's no tight turns on this), but it would make a very heavy train even heavier so not sure. I don't feel Chessington really care about ride capacity though so maybe John Wardley was just toeing the corporate line.

So in the biggest surprise to nobody, Chessington have announced their new Jumani-themed area. No specifics on the rides yet, no names announced, but there will be two family flat rides, plus a B&M family shuttle coaster. The B&M is confirmed as the manufacturer code was referenced on site plans photographed on site. It's almost certain to be a wing coaster and will have a beyond-vertical spike behind the station, an inline twist and a helix spiraling around the jaguar statue at the back of the land. I assume unless something special is done in the station this will only run one train. Not sure of the height limit; planning apps initially said 1.4m but that would be pretty high. This is part of a multi-ride deal Merlin have with B&M with similar coasters and family inverts going to Legolands around the world, plus of course the Nemesis rebuild. Jumanji-themed land coming to Chessington Chessington World of Adventures Resort (UK) and Sony Pictures Entertainment announced that ‘World of Jumanji’ is set to open in spring 2023. The project brings together entertainment and industry experts from around the world as they create an experience that deep dives into the adventurous, action-packed stories seen in the Jumanji films. A first look at some of the proposed designs gives a glimpse of what to expect. The entrance portal, shrouded in the ominous and overgrown Jumanji jungle that dominates the development, creates the immersive starting point for guests as they prepare to take on a host of challenges. The Jaguar Shrine structure looms 55ft tall, keeping a watchful eye out over all who enter as it awaits the return of the curse-lifting Jaguar’s Eye jewel. More details about the wild rides, adventurous attractions and drama-filled experiences guests can expect to discover in the ‘World of Jumanji’ will be revealed over the coming months. The news follows a multi-territory exclusivity agreement between the Resort operator, Merlin Entertainments, and Columbia Pictures Location Based Entertainment, that was announced earlier in 2022. The scale of these plans forms part of Merlin’s broader global strategy to engage and work with leading IP and brands across its global estate. It is also a pivotal step in the studio’s larger global strategy to grow and expand location-based entertainment. The studio is looking at how it can further utilize its strong global film and TV brands to create opportunities for audiences around the world to immerse themselves deeper into the studio’s stories. Tim Harrison-Jones, Divisional Director at Chessington World of Adventures Resort, said: “What could be more exciting than bringing the global hit Jumanji film franchise to life within the single largest development Chessington has ever seen. We know what it takes to create the ultimate adventure for our guests, spread over 128acres the Resort already delivers surprises around everyone corner with over 40 wild rides and attractions, zoo with over 1,000 majestic animals and two themed hotels, plus glamping! Jeffrey Godsick, EVP of Global Partnerships and Brand Management and Head of Location Based Entertainment at Sony Pictures Entertainment said: “After being entertained by the films for so many years, fans now have the chance to experience Jumanji in a whole new dimension and we are thrilled to be going on this exciting adventure with the creative team at Chessington as Jumanji further expands with its very own themed land.”

I've always been super lucky with queues on my last few visits, but I don't think it's been a one day park since they added Black Mamba. Sure, you can rush it if you just want to tick off the credits, but I don't think you'd be doing the park justice. Like you say, the area around FLY is amazing (same with Taron and Black Mamba) so you definitely give yourself the time to enjoy them.

Icon at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. I think it's a really fun ride, a nice antidote to the other coasters at the park but nothing super spectacular. If it were 10mph faster I think I'd have a lot higher opinion of it because the turns towards the end are a bit lifeless. Great coaster though.

So excited for this and Parc Asterix's new Intamin. I feel like we're in another golden age of coasters at the moment with so many manufacturers at the absolute top of their game.

Thanks for this huge trip report, very helpful as I plan on going at some point. Good to see there's at least some eateries in River Land left, it's hard to plan things post-covid as you never know whether things have returned to normal yet.

Space Mountain and Tomorrowland Being Rebuilt in 2027 at Tokyo Disneyland Space Mountain at Tokyo Disneyland to close in 2024 and reopen in 2027 to be 'more thrilling and have better effects' with the surrounding area having a huge upgrade too. This looks amazing, really great to see Tokyo Disneyland being bold and ambitious. I always feel the the Tomorrowlands end up being a discombobulated mess, so to go nuclear and basically rebuild everything is a great way to avoid this problem. Source: TDRExplorer Image: Disney, via TDRExplorer

Good job it wasn't an adult, otherwise the height limit could have been raised to 6ft Hopefully the park have a longer-term solution seeing that the lower height limit was a big selling point for the coaster. I assume the B&M Surf Coaster will come along and fill this void though so I guess it's not a huge issue for anyone but Seaworld.

I've only ever done Phantasialand as a one day park and I regret it every time. I always manage to do most things but normally don't get to reride much (if anything) and/or have to miss something like Maus au Chocolat.

If true it is absolutely incredible that Slingshot would make aftermarket adjustments to a specifically designed safety feature, but I guess it answers one of my main questions which was how can a brand new ride can operate with restraints in an unsafe position. Here's the current accident investigation report which goes into pretty granular detail: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/7oss0c7w8d2i3h1/AAAeOaAs6_wBQgp_jZO34ilha?dl=0&preview=Quest+Engineering+and+Failure+Analysis+Field+Investigation+Report.pdf

Wow, so many updates going on around the park! My theory about the blue hoodie is that someone dropped it without noticing, and someone else hung it on the fence so it doesn't get trampled on. I often see this with gloves and kids' toys that are found, often people will pick them up and perch on a wall out of the way.

I loved Disney Village when it first opened, but it dated fast. This looks quite bland and generic, but as a result will probably age a lot better so it makes sense.

Oh wow, Gröna Lund! Amazing!

I read yesterday that Hansa Park have retrofitted their drop tower (which is almost identical to Icon Park's, including the tilting seats) with seatbelts now.