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Chessington World of Adventures planning indoor waterpark - public consultation on Wednesday 16th November

In terms of what they're removing it for, if they are removing it... from memory, Mexicana isn't that close to the edge of Chessington, is it? So could it be for a supplementary addition into the main park to complement the new waterpark?
 
In terms of what they're removing it for, if they are removing it... from memory, Mexicana isn't that close to the edge of Chessington, is it? So could it be for a supplementary addition into the main park to complement the new waterpark?
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It's on the edge of the park, but borders the zoo. Could see those backstage buildings between hotel and scorpion going as well to make room, with entrance to waterpark via hotel.

Either way, waterpark is a good investment for CWOA and will be popular. With this and Jumanji, CWOA is certainly on the up.
 
Could see those backstage buildings between hotel and scorpion going as well to make room, with entrance to waterpark via hotel.
iirc, the LTDP from 2016 included plans to move the staff base camp to where the Trail of the Kings is currently located, with that part of the zoo moving to a new site behind Tiger Rock. At the time, the plan was to use the area for entertainment such as soft play or a 4D theatre, but these plans could easily have evolved to become the waterpark we're hearing about now.

From my memory, the current staff facilities aren't bad but sure had their fair share of drafty rooms, sticky floors and too many stairs. The current location is also a little bit out of the way from most rides and facilities compared to TotK which is a tad more central.

EDIT: I just realised that the base camp is the building to the right of the hotel, rather than by Scorpion Express. You would've thought that after 3 years of going there daily I'd have noticed that! I *think* the highlighted building is where a lot of staff training takes place (in addition to other stuff), so if the plan is to move staff facilities I still think those buildings could be a key part of it.
 
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Doesn't look like there's much in the way of slides.
ChessingtonBuzz commented on social media that the consultation is mostly for the structure itself rather than for what it going inside it. We may well see some slides as part of the water park's offering.
 
Looks pretty good I think, loving the lazy river, it looks huge and goes outside near the wanyama reserve. So should get some great views of the giraffes and other zoo animals from the whole water park and lazy river. Pretty unique too having a water park with zoo animals roaming about so close by.

Will make CWoA a real family resort with the 2 hotels and water park.
 
We all know Merlin do love to buy in bulk. With how similar this lineup seems to some LEGOLAND Water Parks (especially Gardaland), I wonder if this is some blueprint for indoor LEGOLAND Water Parks. These could be attractive additions for their Germany, New York, Japan, and Korea estates.
 
ChessingtonBuzz commented on social media that the consultation is mostly for the structure itself rather than for what it going inside it. We may well see some slides as part of the water park's offering.
I hope there are more slides or a phase 2 in the future, looking at the plans on the inside there are two little slides and a play area with maybe some slides in, I was hoping for a 'watercoaster' but it does look like a nice addition.
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1. Wave pool
2. Slide pool
3. Aqua play area
4. Changing rooms & WCs
5. Guest entrance
6. Restaurant (F&B)
7. Spa area
8. Terrace

I'm also happy its on the far side of the park and not taking over the Scorpion express land, hopefully it may come back, if not I hope they can replace it with something sweet.

It also says it will take two years to build so a 2025 opening?
 
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Looks a bit lame. 2 slides not on the play structure and they are both just straight drops.
 
According to AttractionSource, there's also an 'Action River' going alongside the Lazy River. I wouldn't read too much into what's proposed for the indoor part though, according to people who were present at the in person consultation, the main purpose of this is to serve as a pitch for the water park building that gets locals and the council on the park's side. Nothing is really concrete, though I'd expect the building itself and the outdoor section to remain unchanged.
 
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FULL planning application for their proposed waterpark has now gone LIVE, and I think it looks pretty cool.
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Internally thankfully we have some slides but all in all a great addition to the park.
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Edit: Looking at the full plans See here there are some interesting things such as the slides, if I'm seeing it right one slide starts off as two (red) then both meet mid way through to become one (blue), I've never done a slide like this, if so it seems fun.

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The outdoor area looks pretty sweet to.
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Personally I think it looks great for Chessington. Shame there aren't more than 4 slides but overall it looks awesome.

It's a genius move really, as it would make Chessington a year-round destination, as well as increase the chances of people staying overnight in their hotels.
 
This looks wayyyyy better than what I originally assumed from the first set of plans released. Glad we’re getting another outdoor river rapids and 4 slides is pleasant surprise. Curious about the top slide on the plan, long straight section.
 
Edit: Looking at the full plans See here there are some interesting things such as the slides, if I'm seeing it right one slide starts off as two (red) then both meet mid way through to become one (blue), I've never done a slide like this, if so it seems fun.

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Parallel Pursuit!
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Note that the model can also be used for body flumes

(This is Whitewater West providing the slides, no?)
 
Interestingly, a full list of the attractions within the waterpark was provided within the planning application (more specifically within the Design and Access Statement Part 1). It is as follows:
POOLS:
  • A Wave Pool is provided to allow visitors to enjoy the sensation of swimming or playing in waves similar to those found in the ocean. The wave pool will be accompanied by shallow areas (a beach) near the edges for relaxation, while the deeper area can be used for swimming. It is a fun and enjoyable feature for guests of all ages.
  • The Bubble Pool (Spa Pool), with slightly warmer water, provides an opportunity for relaxation for all.
  • An Infinity Pool located outside will allow guests to experience views over the Wanyama while being submerged in warm water.
RIVERS:
  • The Outdoor Lazy River will be set in the safari-themed landscape of Wanyama, offering open views of its inhabitants. Lazy rivers typically use jets to create a water current that moves water around in a loop.
  • The Outdoor Rapid River provides a thrilling experience of moving down a river with gravity. Rapid rivers usually combine deeper sections of static water and shallow sloping sections of water moving with gravity. This attraction imitates the experience of moving down a white water river.
  • The Indoor Lazy River will take guests into a cave on an immersive journey past fish tanks and digital installations simulating underwater experiences.
WATER SLIDES:
  • Elephant Slides are themed kids’ body slides with a plunge pool landing (2 flumes). Imagined as elephant tusks, these slides aim to create a safe and fun “plunge” experience for younger visitors.
  • The Uphill Water Coaster is an attraction that can be enjoyed by 2 people at a time and caters to those in search of a more thrilling experience.
  • The Family Raft Slide can accommodate up to 3 people and offers a fun family water slide experience.
  • The Parallel Racing Body Slide embodies the spirit of competition and has been designed for head-to-head racing with a lower separating wall so that riders can see and hear each other - both on straightaways and turns, and in open and enclosed sections.
WATER PLAY:
  • The Themed Water Play is designed to engage children of all ages for hours. Play structures and interactive elements allow hundreds of guests to join in on the fun at one time, minimising wait times and absorbing capacity from the rest of the park. No long line-ups increase the entertainment value and overall guest satisfaction. Water play structures offer high family interactivity with clear sight lines for parents to supervise from the sidelines.
  • The Themed Splash Pad provides creative play opportunities for children’s development, as they are inspired by their limitless imaginations. Toys such as building blocks and jigsaw puzzles help stimulate children’s developing minds, assisting in their growth and shaping them into full-fledged adults. Based on the philosophies of unstructured, free play, our splash pad area will create spaces that are not limited by age or physical ability, but instead, allow guests to choose their own adventures.
By the looks of the WhiteWater West website and the synopsis of the individual slides described above, I’d take a stab at the newly added adult slides being a WhiteWater West Parallel Pursuit (the body slide version rather than the mat slide version), a WhiteWater West Family Raft Slide, and a WhiteWater West Master Blaster. The Elephant Slides sound as though they will be a duo of WhiteWater West Mini Body Slides.

For those interested, the throughput of the Parallel Pursuit is 360pph, the throughput of the Family Raft Slide can be between 540pph and 1,080pph dependent on whether 3, 4 or 6 rider rafts are chosen, and the throughput of the Master Blaster can range between 360pph and 1,080pph dependent on whether 2, 3, 4 or 6 rider rafts are chosen. The Mini Body Slide has an individual throughput of 240pph, so the duo that Chessington has gone for should have a combined throughput of 480pph.

It sounds as though Chessington has gone for the lowest throughput version of all the tube/raft slides, as the family raft slide will seat 3 and the water coaster will seat 2 according to the attraction list shown above, but I’m sure this won’t be an issue with the likely limited visitor figures, and these sound like solid choices nonetheless!
 
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The world of waterslides is extremely different one from dry rides/coasters when it comes to capacity figures. Slides at the best of times tend to overall have lower throughput, but this can be mitigated by having multiple slides on the same tower to spread demand. In addition, they usually don’t get the same individual demand that a coaster would (unless it’s a headlining attraction). Given a combination of the indoor waterpark presumably having a lower draw and capacity limit than the theme park, plus absurdly short waterslides (definitely a Chessington decision), then it’ll be fine.

Back in my attendant days if we managed to get 500pph down an average Joe double-tube slide, the lifeguards at the bottom might question whether we were breaking procedure (the answer is yes). But 500pph is also a lightning fast line when it comes to a waterslide…it wouldn’t feel that way if for a coaster! Even half that would be really good and keep guests happy. My point here is that there’s different standards between what’s feasible/acceptable/manageable for waterslide capacity and theme park ride capacity.
 
You also need to factor in that the plans detail the maximum capacity of the water park is 1250 guests due to regulations. So having 6 slides averaging 350 odd guests per hour will be absolutely fine.

Not all guests will want to ride the slides, so chances are these will cope fine. Alton Towers manages okay with 1 rider every 20/30 seconds on the Master Blaster.
 
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