Project Plummet Construction
Construction on Project Plummet began in early 2020. Following the swift approval of plans to transform the heart of the Forbidden Kingdom. The first major step was the dismantling of Rameses Revenge, which had stood as a central attraction since 1995. Its removal was carefully handled to ensure safety and to preserve the surrounding infrastructure. The site was cleared, and attention turned to reimagining the space with a striking new visual centrepiece.
The build phase began with extensive groundwork to prepare the site for Croc Drop. A vertical drop tower ride from SBF Visa Group. Foundations were poured, ride supports were installed, and the towering crocodile theming structure began to take shape. The centrepiece—a massive crocodile head and open jaws—was a crucial part of the ride’s identity. Its assembly involved detailed sculpting and finishing to achieve the desired weathered stone effect.
At the same time, the park relocated Flying Jumbos to the site of the old Chessington Carousel. Now positioned near Adventure Point. This move was essential to free up space for the new ride, and construction teams worked efficiently to reestablish the ride in its new location without significant downtime.
The global COVID-19 pandemic posed numerous challenges throughout 2020. Site closures, supply chain disruptions, and reduced workforce availability all affected the build timeline. However, through flexible scheduling and strict safety measures, the project managed to stay on track.
By early 2021, Croc Drop was undergoing final testing and ride programming. The team landscaped and themed the area, integrating the ride signage and storyline into the Forbidden Kingdom’s existing aesthetic. On 12th April 2021, the construction phase reached its conclusion as Croc Drop welcomed its first riders. Becoming a standout addition to Chessington’s evolving attraction lineup.
Project Plummet Construction
February 2020
15th February 2020
It’s a sad day at Chessington as we officially see signs that Rameses Revenge has been removed from the park. With sections of the ride neatly dismantled and set down on the floor in the Forbidden Kingdom. The two cranes used to dismantle the ride are still set up and on site.
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Project Plummet Construction
March 2020
15th March 2020
Rameses Revenge has officially left the resort. The ride has been fully packed away and sent off on lorries to an unknown location. Has it been sold? Is it to be scrapped? No one really knows.
A full construction wall has been placed up around the site ready for the park to reopen. The ride control systems which were formally housed in the op cabin have been removed, alongside the roof.
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19th March 2020
Not much has changed on site, but Chessington has opened for the season officially. It appears a few tree’s have been cut down and areas tidied up, but no other major changes are noted.
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Project Plummet Construction
June 2020
20th June 2020
Now that Chessington has reopened following its mandatory closure, we get a glimpse at the progress being made on site. Huge progress has been made with the site completely cleared out and levelled. A new site office building has been set up on the former site of Flying Jumbo’s and work is moving rapidly.
The former operating cabin has been completely removed and a concrete pillar of sorts has been installed in the ground. The former Rameses Revenge ‘pit’ seems to be less of a pit than it used to be with the ground seeming higher than it was previously.
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25th June 2020
More progress is being made on levelling the site. Areas have been cleared out and the access area at the back is more trimmed with a few tree’s cut back to aid access. Work is certainly progressing quickly on preparing the ground for foundations.
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Project Plummet Construction
July 2020
4th July 2020
Construction over the last week has progressed really well. Rebar foundation beds have been put into place, with wooden boards around the side before pouring of concrete commences. Also, in place is a hexagonal shaped section thought to be the position of the supporting bolts for the tower itself.
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27th July 2020
Lots of progress has been made since our last update, with work moving quickly. A concrete slab has been poured and wooden sidings have been installed for the walls to be poured of concrete too. Some parts of the wall have already been poured, with wet concrete seen in the photos below.
The former Flying Jumbo’s area has been levelled to allow for access to the Drop Towers site. With tree’s and fences removed also. Although we don’t believe the actual tower has been delivered yet, work on the groundworks are going at an incredibly fast pace and we cannot wait to see the tower rise.
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Project Plummet Construction
August 2020
2nd August 2020
Just a few days since our last update and it would appear huge progress has been made again! Foundation work now looks to be complete and work on levelling the site seems finished. The site appears higher up than we thought it would be based upon the plans, but this should help with wheelchair access for guests. The Egyptian pillar is still standing and the back of the site looks clear ready for the ride to go vertical! Exciting times ahead!
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4th August 2020
In an image sent to us by one of our friends, we can now reveal that Croc Drop is rising. Steel work for the rides external theming structure and shelter have gone up. This is huge progress over the last two days, with large amounts of steel framing in place already!
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10th August 2020
With another update provided by our friend, we now have even more steel vertical! The structure allows us to see where the tower for the ride will sit in the centre. Giving us an insight into how big this theming will be. The final size should be about another two thirds taller. Exciting times await!
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15th August 2020
We’re back on park again for another new update. Croc Drop’s surrounding theming structure seems to be going well. The framework for the rides platform and operating building is in and work has commenced on adding the roof. The surrounding area of the site is clear and level now, with no other real changes happening. The majority of the work is focussed on getting the theming structure in place.
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20th August 2020
Once again, it’s time for another update and once again, huge progress is being made. Blockwork walls around the structure have gone in, giving us a better idea of where things will sit. You can see that there are small rooms set off into the corners of the building. These are likely to hold the plant rooms for the tower, as well as the operating cabin.
As with our previous update, it still appears that work on the actual theming structure and ride building is happening first, with it likely that the tower of the ride will be craned in at a later date. Work is progressing fast and we cannot wait to return to see what else has changed.
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Project Plummet Construction
October 2020
1st October 2020
Here we go with another huge update on the site of Croc Drop! With new theming work taking place all over the site! We can finally see the themed exterior taking shape. The building is taking shape, with fantastic attention to detail and work progressing well on the theming work. The site surrounding still looks very bare and temporary, with more landscaping work expected to take place soon. Things are really going well and we cannot wait to return soon!
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17th October 2020
With each and every visit we make, we are surprised by how rapid things are moving along! The team at Koda Creative have started to install the themed crocodile head. Made out of polystyrene and painted, the sections have been joined together and we expect them to be coated in concrete and painted. Giving them a more permanent and striking look. The colours of the theming are darker than expected, but we cannot wait to see this rise more and more over the coming weeks!
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Project Plummet Construction
November 2020
1st November 2020
It’s time for one more update prior to the UK’s second lockdown. This update shows off lots more progress, with the Crocodile head taking shape more, new paintwork on the building going in and an awesome logo-esque motif over the entrance into the rides show building.
The rides theming is really taking shape, but the ride hardware is yet to make an appearance. Little is known about when the tower itself will arrive, but we look forward to following the progress of the ride more when the park reopens for it’s annual “Winters Tail” event.
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Project Plummet Construction
December 2020
5th December 2020
We’re back at the park for another update and this is a huge one! The crocodile theming has really taken shape over the last few weeks and has risen high into the sky. The theming has reached its full height on both sides and work is continuing on the thematic painting and styling. The teeth have been put into place and more work has taken place painting the main building around the edges.
Construction walls are down in a few places, the tree’s formally in front of the site have been removed and the surrounding area has been tidied up. Progress has been made all around the attraction, although the actual ride system is yet to arrive, we believe it will arrive in January and are led to believe that work on the attraction is a few weeks ahead of schedule!
We cannot wait to see how the ride looks when it’s installed. It is currently unknown what colour scheme the ride will have and we are excited to see more!
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19th December 2020
In what will likely be our final update of the year, we’ve decided to go out with a bang! Here we have our biggest update to date! Huge progress has been made on the site of the new for 2021 attraction, Croc Drop. Please be aware that all of the following photo’s were taken from publicly accessible locations at the park whilst following all of the park’s rules.
Croc Drop Ride Hardware Arrives
It has arrived! In one of the most exciting parts of our update, we can reveal that the ride hardware has arrived. Now confirmed to be constructed by SBF Visa from Italy, the ride system is thought to be a Drop’n’Twist tower ride. The structure is currently situated at the park, with the base of the tower, with the gondola attached already thought to have been moved into the resort ahead of being craned into position.
The remaining tower pieces, the seats as well as the majority of the rides mechanical plant equipment is also on site and is being stored prior to being moved into position in the park, when the ride system goes vertical.
Croc Drop Theming Work Continues
Over in the park, the main theming feature of the attraction, the Crocodile head itself looks to be nearing completion, with small sections of the head requiring paintwork. The construction walls are also down, giving us a great look at the highly detailed entrance, as well as the doors into the rides building. The paintwork on the walls is highly detailed and two crocodiles adorn each side of the entrance.
Work is progressing well on landscaping around the ride, with a themed fence starting to take shape also. The fence features vertical panels and even includes what we believe to be laser cut glyphs in the panels, a change from Chessington’s more typical wooden queue-line fences. Two TV’s have also been installed in the area which we believe a bulk of the ride’s queue will be installed. With the entrance to the ride due to be through the former Pharaoh’s Bazaar shop.
Things are all coming together at Chessington, with huge progress on Croc Drop. We’re excited to hopefully see the ride vertical in the New Year and are looking forward to providing more updates in the coming months. Until then, stay safe and have a wonderful Christmas and New Year’s.
