Long-Term Development Plans
Long-Term Development Plans. In September of 2016, Chessington World of Adventures Resort submitted its vision of the park’s future. The plan includes several visuals. Providing us with a rough outline of what we could expect to see over the next few years. Below, we summarise what we could be seeing:
- Safari Themed Resort Lodges
- Medium-Sized Family Roller Coaster
- A Second Roller Coaster / Water Ride Attraction
- Major Enhancements to Explorer Car Park
- Possible Relocation of The Zoo
- Enhancements to Back of House Facilities
- Resort Entertainment Centre
- Possible Camp Ground
Whilst these long-term development plans are a rough guide, many of them look set to see the removal of older attractions. Marked for development are Peeking Heights, Toadie’s Crazy Cars and the Carousel. It is possible these could be up for removal. Or possibly rethemed as part of plans for new development.
Safari Lodges
Seen as one of the biggest parts of the development plan, Chessington is keen to install a new form of accommodation. The Safari Lodge project would see the installation of up to forty-five highly themed lodges. Made up of 11 ‘Premium Lodges’ and up to ’34 Standard Lodges’. Plans also show a large, themed restaurant and bar, known as the ‘Watering Hole’.
The plans detail that a lot of heavy landscaping, thematic planting and animal interactions are seen as the key draw for guests. Offering up a unique form of accommodation at Chessington, with only Alton Towers offering a similar format with its Enchanted Village. The plans also outline the possibility of having a giraffe feeding platform for hotel guests.
Nestled in the backs of the Zufari landscape, the lodges would appear to have direct access to the Safari Hotel terrace, and their own reception down a small woodland path.
Rollercoaster(s)
Two potential concepts for the rollercoasters are currently on display. The first is a straightforward jungle-themed family launch coaster experience. The second shows a possible Sea Monster style theme, similar to that of ‘Krake!’ at Merlin-owned Heide Park. This second roller coaster ride could potentially be a water coaster-type attraction.
The picnic field is a key site for rollercoaster development. Plans also indicate that ‘Toadie’s Crazy Cars’ and other areas of Africa could host a second large attraction. However, at the time of publishing, this has changed, with The Rainforest development now taking up this area.
Car Parking
A large portion of the long-term development plans centre on enhancements to the South Car Park. Despite the area being on strict green-belt land. The park is looking into maybe gravelling, or even installing a geogrid style system in the area. This would allow for safer driving and improve the operation of the car parks.
Secondly, in order to ease traffic leading up to the park on the A243 [Leatherhead Road], the plans consider repurposing the Explorer Car Park exit on Fairoak Lane into a second entrance. Diverting traffic from the A3 away from Leatherhead Road, easing congestion around the newly installed traffic light junction. The resort has conducted a full survey into the usage of its car parks as part of this plan.
Relocation of Zoo
Despite only recently remodelling the Trail of the Kings. The long-term development plan states the resort is looking to relocate this area of the Zoo. Moving it outside of the current park boundaries. This move would form part of a plan to revitalise the resort’s infrastructure by moving the Staff HQ [named ‘Base Camp’] to the former Trail of the Kings site, improving access around that area, and more importantly, freeing up room in the existing Base Camp.
Relocating the Zoo is also an option. With new enclosures part of the plans. Planned to take up a new plot of land behind Land of the Tiger. On some newly purchased land. This would also be adjacent to the possible overflow car park.
The Planning Stages
The resort has outlined several phases through which this plan will go through before the ground is broken. Each phase takes place over the coming months and years. Currently, the resort is in a consultation phase, which will utilise feedback from local residents to shape the final proposals. Individual applications for each development will begin submission at the start of November 2016. Therefore, none of these developments is expected to open until at least 2017.
The plan outlined here is currently only in its draft stages and is yet to be finalised. Do not take all that is written to be set in stone.
