Last week, Chessington World of Adventures Resort submitted the full planning application for Project Refresh & Renew. The project will see both the Wild Asia and Explorer Glamping areas of the Resort removed and replaced with a new immersive land featuring a new rollercoaster, indoor immersive experience, retail, and food & beverage offerings.
The Proposal
Wild Asia, one of the theme park’s oldest areas, currently features ageing structures and attractions. As one of the areas of the park located closest to the park’s Explorer entrance, the land requires a ‘refresh’ to improve the guest arrival experience, adding a ‘wow factor’. In addition, the neighbouring Explorer Glamping currently operates on temporary planning permission due to expire in September 2025. Also cited as a reason for the investment is to ensure that Chessington can continue to compete with other leisure and visitor attractions in the South East – the fact that Universal Destinations & Experiences have purchased approximately 476 acres of land south of Bedford, with plans to explore a potential new theme park and resort, is specifically referenced as part of this.
The Resort are therefore bringing forward Project Refresh & Renew, a development which is set to feature a selection of attractions designed to cater for families with children aged 6-12, with a range of experiences from rides that the family can enjoy together, to interactive, independent play and areas for decompression. The proposal, with its indoor attractions, retail and food & beverage facilities, will make a significant contribution to Merlin’s desire to encourage visits across the year, building into the ‘shoulder’ months and increasing guest numbers in the more traditionally ‘off-peak’ periods.
The main entrance portal into the new land is proposed to remain in the same location as the existing Wild Asia entrance, adjacent to the park’s Explorer entrance. This location offers the land easy connection to the park’s main concourse, and, it is noted, ensures that the area will be able to operate independently, even when the rest of the resort is closed. Views of the land will initially be restricted by the area’s main retail unit, located on the left hand side of the pathway that leads into the area from the land’s main entry portal. The positioning of this building allows for a grand ‘reveal’ of the land’s central sculpture, and layers of thematic landmarks, as guests pass into the entrance plaza. The relocated Kobra will form a secondary entrance portal into the land, with guests passing under the attraction’s central hump when approaching from Land of the Tiger.
The land will largely be designed around two central outdoor spaces, the entrance plaza and a courtyard, each framed by one of the land’s new attractions. The entrance plaza will be dominated by a sculptural landmark, which itself will be surrounded by the outdoor portion of the rollercoaster. Located between the immersive flat ride and the digital dining experience and further complimented by the nearby play area, the courtyard will form a busy vibrant area of the land. Whilst the entrance plaza is designed to impress guests on their arrival into the land, and facilitate movement within, the courtyard is designed to be an area in which to linger. This is enhanced by the area’s food and drink offerings and areas in which to relax and observe.
The centrepiece of the proposals, and headline attraction of the area, is a new rollercoaster, described as an immersive dark ride experience. It is noted that 75% of the attraction will be located indoors within a large new building which, as well as housing the new rollercoaster, will also incorporate the retail and food & beverage facilities. The main coaster building will have a gross internal area (GIA) of 4923m2, with its main volume 15m in height, and then the retail and food & beverage areas will have GIAs of 757m2 and 600m2 respectively. A small section of the rollercoaster’s track will extend outside of the building, taking guests around the central ‘sculptural landmark’ theming feature before diving back inside.
The main façade of this building will be on its northern side, being that which faces into the redeveloped area. All building façades visible from within the park will be themed, primarily with 3D sculptural elements, although some of the highest points and those set slightly back will instead have 2D themed patterns applied directly to the building. Exact details of this theming have been redacted from the plans due to the “distinct identity of the themed elements” and “commercial sensitivities related to the intellectual property of the theme”, and so will instead be agreed at a later stage via a planning condition.
The building has been deliberately stretched along the southern boundary to maximise horizon control and limit views from within the public areas in the new land to the surrounding tree line, so as to create a truly immersive land experience – Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan is mentioned as a reference point in this respect. The metal-faced backside of the building, not visible from guest accessible areas, will feature a ‘Go Away Green’ finish in the form of a green grey matt colour tone – this will aid with the development’s visual impact from outside of the Resort by helping the building blend into the surroundings.
Indeed, the Landscape and Visual Appraisal (LVA) concludes that the proposal as a whole would integrate well within the Resort. The area’s buildings and structures would be entirely screened by tree coverage in summer with very limited filtered glimpses of part of the top of the development through trees in winter – these glimpses are expected to diminish over time as the trees grow.
Indoor & Outdoor Rollercoaster
The guest entrance to the rollercoaster will be located on its north-facing elevation, opposite the central theming feature that invites guests inside. Alongside the main queue line, the plans detail a queue for Fastrack as well as another for Ride Access Pass (RAP) users – all three queues utilise the same entrance into the building. The main and Fastrack queues will proceed through a series of immersive themed spaces, with the queue said to be an integral part of the ride experience. Fantasy Springs and Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Crystal Skull at Tokyo DisneySea are identified as references, suggesting that Merlin has high ambitions for the level of immersion and interactivity that the queue experience will offer. Although the main queue line is shown to feature a cattle-pen layout on the ground level, both the main and Fastrack queues will pass beneath elevated sections of the rollercoaster’s track, offering glimpses of the ride to build anticipation – these areas will be covered by single-storey tunnels.
Both of these queues will then exit the ride building at the northwest corner, with guests ascending a staircase to reach an upper floor queue that will run across the building’s main façade. The RAP queue line will offer direct access to a lift and external staircase leading up to the level of the elevated queue. All three queue lines will therefore cross over where the track emerges from the building, with guests then directed back inside upon reaching the northeast corner. Here the three queue lines will merge, with a bag drop available on the left hand side, before guests then head onwards to the station platform in order to begin their ride experience.
Plans show the station as having three rows of airgates, suggesting that the ride vehicle will have the equivalent number of rows. This is referred to as being the “left side of the track”, therefore indicating that the ride vehicle will leave the station in the southerly direction and then immediately turn right. This is supported by the operator’s cabin being located such that it would therefore provide visibility into what would be the first section of the ride experience.
Outside of the station area, the planning documents do not precisely detail the internal layout of the rollercoaster’s ride area. Therefore, while a large part of the building’s ground and upper floors are shown to be open plan, it is noted that internal partitioning will be used to subdivide the ride sequences in order to support theming, control views and manage light spill.
Nonetheless, the documents do make direct reference to Intamin as the designer/manufacturer of the rollercoaster, which is consistent with the appearance of the exterior track shown within the plans, and offer some clues about the ride experience. It is noted that the main ride building has been shaped to accommodate the spatial and operational requirements of the predetermined ride design, with two smaller, taller volumes introduced to house specific internal elements of the experience and minimise the overall volume of the building. The tallest of these elements is specifically referenced as “the spike”, with an 18.6m tall rectangular area set back from the edge of the main façade at the building’s northwestern corner to accommodate this. The emphasis on the rollercoaster being an immersive ride experience, combined with the design of the loading platform and inclusion of a spike element therefore draws similarities with Uncharted: The Enigma of Penitence at PortAventura World, an Intamin Multi Dimension Coaster.
Returning to the potential ride experience, notably an image within the Construction & Environmental Management Plan seems to provide a look at the rollercoaster’s internal layout. It therefore appears as though the train will dispatch into an initial dark ride section, before then moving through a switch track. Here it appears the ride vehicle could be launched through an opening on the upper level into the spike element, before falling back and returning to the area from which it launched. Adjacent to this area is the second taller volume, shown to be just under 16m tall, which is presumably where the ride vehicle would head next. Given that this space is square in design, and would seemingly need to transport the ride vehicle to ground level, it seems plausible that this area could house a motion table, with Intamin’s website noting that slope drop exits are possible from this element. With a vacant straight area leading from this part of the building to where the rollercoaster track is shown to exit into the outdoor section of the ride, this would presumably accommodate another launch. After the train traverses the outdoor track and re-enters the building, it then seems as though it will go through an airtime hill over the queue line and the track leading to/from the spike and then bank left before travelling back over the track leading to/from the spike. There would then be a final right-ward turn up into the brake run on the upper level after which the train will turn right back to return to the station.
Upon completion of the ride, most guests will disembark on the opposite side from which they boarded, descend a staircase, cross beneath the track through a ground-floor corridor and ascend another staircase in order to reach the bag pick-up point. However, disabled guests will be able to exit from the same side as they boarded and use a door to access the bag pick-up point. After collecting their belongings, guests will pass through an on-ride photo collection point before being directed into the strategically located retail space.
The documents suggest that the retail area will span two levels. Themed merchandise related to the rollercoaster will be available on the upper level, and then an open feature staircase and lift will provide guests with access to the ground level, where additional items connected to the land’s story can be found. It is noted that the products on offer will include “customisable memorabilia”, which may reflect why this element of the land is referred to as “interactive retail” in places.
Other notable facilities within the main building include a fully enclosed ride car workshop and maintenance area in the southeast corner, which extends across both the ground and upper levels. This will have an external roller shutter door to allow the full ride vehicle to be craned out of the building if required. The ground floor will also accommodate two ‘plant’ rooms, broadly located beneath the station area – we assume these will be used for the ride control systems, as well as any systems related to the lighting, sound and other special effects that are integrated into the ride experience. Finally, there will be WC facilities on the ground level, including Changing Place facilities, which will be accessible via an entrance at the leftmost point of the building’s main façade.
As part of the sustainability initiatives integrated into the development, the Resort intend to use the back half of the main building’s roof to host an array of photovoltaic panels to provide zero carbon emissions energy. Other initiatives include air source heat pumps and high performance glazing. Nonetheless, to achieve net zero will require a cash-in-lieu payment to be made to the local council’s carbon offset fund to address the shortfall.
Immersive Flat Ride
The secondary attraction in the land will be an immersive indoor experience, featuring a flat ride. Designed to be enjoyed by younger guests when accompanied by an adult, this is set to be a heavily themed experience beginning with glimpses of the ride from outdoors, continuing with a themed outdoor queue and culminating in the immersive ride.
The documents do note that this secondary attraction was initially envisioned as a “digital maze”, requiring a heavily serviced building, but was later reimagined as a covered flat ride. This preserved the desired immersion level whilst reducing the need for mechanical services and high-performance building envelopes.
Occupying a total area of 985m2, with the ride, enclosure and associated theming accounting for 368m2 of this space, the attraction will stand 7.8m tall, with one side featuring taller theming at a height of 10.2m.
Entry to the experience is via a pre-experience space, offering a lobby and spectator area. Though just the entrance and exit are displayed on plans, additional themed openings may offer guests a view inside the experience, offering the twin benefits of allowing anxious guests to preview the experience, whilst allowing non-riders to supervise their companions on the attraction. Appropriately, the area will feature designated spaces for benches, bins and pram storage. It’s noteworthy that this area features a full view of all entrances and exits to the attraction, granting a sense of passive security to waiting family members.
Guests opting into the experience will, as with the other attractions within the land, enter one of three queues: Ride Access Pass (RAP), Fastrack and the main queue. The latter will weave between themed features, whilst RAP and Fastrack lines will line the perimeter of the space, heading directly to the pre-load area.
Though the ride system is currently unknown, the planning application states that ‘an iconic hardware’ will be used for the core ride experience. Nonetheless, the ride that is pictured on the plans has similarities with a teacups-style experience. The plans appear to show a raised platform area in one corner of the internal ride area which could perhaps accommodate a key theming feature.
Following their immersive experience, guests will exit back to the pre-experience space and can rejoin any waiting companions.
Kobra Relocation & Retheme
In order to provide space for the construction of the new rollercoaster, Kobra will be relocated within the site. The move will see the attraction shift further west, onto an area currently occupied by Explorer Glamping.
The Zamperla Mega Disk’O will receive a full re-theme, losing the serpentine statues that have adorned the ride since its construction in 2010. Instead the eastern high point of the ride – the end closest to the area’s main entrance portal – will become a landmark within the area, separating the entrance plaza and courtyard spaces. Amongst the new theming running alongside the attraction will be three games kiosks facing into the courtyard area.
The positioning of the ride will allow for the formation of a secondary portal connecting the new area to Land of the Tiger under the high point in the centre of the track. This portal also maintains access for service and emergency vehicles via the existing service road adjacent to Explorer Glamping.
Whilst this central high point currently functions as the ride’s entrance, this will move to the eastern end of the relocated attraction, located within the relaxation area between the attraction and the outdoor track of the new rollercoaster. This new location will ensure that the ride entrance is visible from the entrance of the land. With the attraction exiting in the same location, this space will provide a further opportunity for non-riding family members to comfortably wait for companions.
Separate queue lines will be provided for standard entry, Fastrack and Ride Access Pass (RAP) users, with a platform lift to provide access for guests with disabilities. The route of the main queue line is shown to take guests around a number of 3D theming zones.
Other Attractions & Features
Directly aligned with the centre of the relocated Kobra is the land’s play area. This fully themed play experience will feature three-dimensional interactive features to inspire play, creativity and physical activity for the whole family. Additionally, a Sensory Room will be available, located adjacent to the main food & beverage space and play area.
The new land will offer a fully interactive experience, utilising cutting edge technology to offer personalised, interactive experiences, allowing guests to become active participants in the land’s story. Guests will be able to shape their own adventure through interactive elements throughout the land. It is currently unknown how this will be achieved, but this may suggest the integration of purchasable interactive items such as the Power Up bands and wizarding wands found at the Universal Studios theme parks.
Food & Beverage
Two food and beverage options will be available within the land. The key offering will be a 200 seat self-service ‘digital dining experience’. Of these seats, 150 will be located within an indoor dining space, with a further 50 provided in an outdoor seating terrace directly overlooking the play area. The location of this outdoor dining space is designed to bring life to the courtyard, as well as offer a space for parents to enjoy passive surveillance of the play area. As well as a self-service dining option, the restaurant’s kitchen will be configured to offer a ‘grab and go’ facility available to all guests in the area, without needing to enter the restaurant. The restaurant will also house its own WC facilities.
The secondary food and beverage offer will be a kiosk within a landscaped dwell space located between the relocated Kobra, and the outdoor portion of the new rollercoaster. Seating will be provided under the existing trees, offering a relaxing space for guests to enjoy a refreshment, or wait for companions. This will be one of multiple breakout spaces within the land with an additional smaller area available directly to the right of the main entrance portal.
For guests wishing to bring their own lunch, picnic tables will be available in the courtyard area, near the play area.
Area Theme, Landscaping & Design
Although the area’s theme is yet to be confirmed, it is clear from the planning documents that it is intended to be a distinct intellectual property, which would be identifiable should full design details be revealed. With Merlin’s recent announcement of a global strategic partnership with Mojang Studios to bring Minecraft to life through immersive and interactive entertainment attractions in fixed locations around the globe, it therefore appears that the popular game is a strong contender for the area’s theme.
The announcement included confirmation of an initial investment of over £85 million ($110 million) in the first two attractions, which will launch in the US and the UK between 2026 and 2027. It would therefore be viable for Project Refresh & Renew at Chessington to be the initial UK location, with the plans indicating that a 2027 opening is being targeted.
Amongst the details released was also confirmation that the initial attractions are set to feature first-of-its-kind concepts for Minecraft-themed retail, food & beverage, and exciting experiences including a Minecraft-themed ride. With the plans for Project Refresh & Renew placing emphasis on the innovative and immersive nature of the equivalent elements of the development, this would seemingly be consistent with Merlin’s intentions for the Minecraft brand. However, arguably the most compelling indication of the area’s theme, was the release of a concept image of an entrance portal to a theme park land which appears to exactly align with the Project Refresh & Renew plans.
A close look at the same image within the Construction & Environmental Management Plan referenced above, detailing the rollercoaster’s internal layout, also indicates that the central theming feature which the rollercoaster’s outdoor track will travel around is intended to be a ‘floating mountain’, one of game’s biomes. Additionally, the relocated Kobra appears to be annotated as ‘Iron Golem’, one of the games mobs.
The proposals include a comprehensive landscape scheme which will provide semi-mature trees of species which are both native and more climate resilient. This will therefore see a 2:1 tree replacement ratio, with the 90 trees lost (stated to be of low quality and value) replaced with 90 new specimen trees and the existing woodland area enhanced through the planting of native forest scale species. Simple and climate resilient planting, newly created areas of species-rich grassland, a rain garden, street furniture and the integration of SuDS to the site perimeter are proposed.
It is noted that the Resort are considering utilisation of resin bound gravel for the flooring throughout the area, alongside more traditional products such as block and flag paving. The colours shown for this are Astro Peake (grey), Butterscotch, Mint Green and Aqua Blue.
It is intended for the area to be well lit to facilitate a safe environment and encourage guests to use and stay in these spaces in the evenings. All lighting will be energy efficient (i.e. LED) using solar powered units/controls where possible. The style of the lighting will reflect the area’s theme and is therefore expected to require bespoke solutions.
The documents state that the land will be constructed in a modular, flexible fashion to ensure adaptability, allowing both attractions and facilities to be added without disrupting the overall experience. Similarly, the overall infrastructure layout of the land has been strategically planned to allow for future expansion in line with Chessington’s goals.
Economic Benefits
Project Refresh & Renew represents a £20 million construction investment into the resort. With World of Jumanji marking the resort’s largest ever investment, and costing a reported £17 million, this would see Refresh & Renew overtake that investment to become the largest in the resort’s history.
Once in operation, the project will create 30 new roles, corresponding to 17 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) jobs, directly on site and generate a net additional Gross Value Added (GVA) of £1.7 million per annum. Additionally, £560,000 net additional visitor expenditure would be catalysed in the wider London and South East region per year.
A further 81 direct FTE jobs would be supported during each year of the project’s construction, in addition to a further 126 FTE indirect jobs across the supply chain and wider effects.
Impact on Wild Asia
Project Refresh & Renew will initially see the dismantling of all structures currently within Wild Asia. This includes the removal of Jungle Bus, Monkey Swinger, Tuk Tuk Turmoil, Temple of Mayhem and Kobra. Of these attractions, only Kobra is set to remain in the area, being stripped of theming and moved to an alternative location within the reimagined land as detailed above. Jungle Bus will also remain at the park, receiving a re-theme and relocation as part of Project Play, the proposed redevelopment of Mexicana for which a separate planning application is expected to be submitted by the end of 2024. Tuk Tuk Turmoil and Monkey Swinger are both to be dismantled and stored within the park until a decision regarding their future is made. All temporary structures within Wild Asia, such as marquees, tents and mobile kiosks, will also be relocated or stored.
As part of the development site, Lorikeet Lagoon will also be relocated within the park, finding a new home at Wanyama Reserve. As a non-portable structure, this will require the construction of a new exhibit.
Wild Asia and Explorer Glamping was not the only area of the resort considered for redevelopment. Two alternative sites were also considered: a full redevelopment of the zoo or using the combined area of Wild Asia and Land of the Tiger (whilst retaining Explorer Glamping). These locations were rejected on grounds of buildability, commercial viability and operational disruption, due to the need to relocate animals, which would have logistical and cost implications, and access for construction being more challenging than at the selected site. Whilst these locations were not chosen for the initial project, it is noted that the positioning of attractions within the land “ensures future expansion into the Land of the Tiger”.
The Planning Process
The first details for Project Refresh & Renew were unveiled by Chessington as part of a public consultation held in September. The documents note that 75 people attended the in-person public exhibition, and that 148 surveys were completed, of which 84% of responses supported the redevelopment of Wild Asia into a new themed land. Prior to this, beginning in June, consultations were also held with the local council and other relevant planning authorities – at this earlier stage, it appears an alternative name of Project Roundtable was used. It is noted that following the consultation phase, the area’s final layout has been refined in order to optimise and reduce the footprints and volumes of both the retail and F&B offerings, with landscaping replacing buildings in order to open up the area.
Shortly following completion of the public consultation, an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) request for a Screening Opinion was submitted to the local council at the start of October. Although this still shows online as pending consideration, the documents within the full application note that the council confirmed via email at the end of October that the proposal is not considered to be EIA development, thereby enabling the full application to be submitted as prepared.
The planning portal currently indicates that the target date for a decision on the Project Refresh & Renew application is mid-to-late February 2025. This would then enable construction works to begin as planned in March/April 2025, leading to completion in December 2026 following a 20 month period of construction. Full project completion is then indicated to be in March 2027, which would align with the start of the 2027 season at Chessington.
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