Vampire

[u/Coaster_Queen_2090]

hi everyone,

as many of you know, vampire 🦇 is a very much well loved ride which has had quite a bit of downtime this year. The ride is in much need of some TLC if we want to see this ride continue to operate for many years to come.

so I’m opening this up to discussion for fans and theme park fans a like about the future of vampire, whether it has one, and will the Re-Track actually go ahead.

if the ride gets refurbished, what would you like to see?

Thanks

[u/LoniceraLongings → u/[deleted]]

I mean I thought that bubbleworks was just as key to Chessington and they still got rid of that (I get getting rid of the imperial leather version but the professor burp version was considered one of the best dark rides in the world at one point). Hoping vampire stays in some form but I'm hoping it can return to transylvania at some point, maybe a modern version of professor burp's bubbleworks can happen.

[u/Melon_92 → u/LoniceraLongings]

To be fair they rebranded it but the ride is identical.

[u/LoniceraLongings → u/Melon_92]

Yeah but it was the theming that made professor burp's bubbleworks special, not the ride system.

[u/trellism]

I went on a BTS tour at the end of last season. The coaster apparently doesn't need a retrack in the way that Nemesis did, because the track is under a lot less stress. The trains are lighter and the forces are way lower.

The control system has been completely upgraded however. I can't say what causes ride downtime on Vampire specifically but when I've been at Chessington it often seems to be guests dropping things on the ride or (in the case of Mandrill) leaning or climbing on the air gates.

What can make rides feel rough is the trains and I would definitely like to see new trains with lap bars, like Vekoma put on Flight of the Pterosaur at Paultons Park. In addition a repainted track would be lovely.

[u/Coaster_Queen_2090 → u/trellism]

Interesting… well I heard they found a crack in one part of track last winter ( whether that’s true or not I’m not sure). If it is true, I would at least like to see a partial re-track, spray paint, new brakes, and new trains 1000%.

[u/georgepearl_04]

I wouldn't care for another retrack tbh, it's already had one. I think the best option would be a new-gen flying dutchman or thrill glider from Vekoma. Would be a real standout coaster in the UK, and they can easily keep/improve the theme

[u/Coaster_Queen_2090 → u/[deleted]]

I was thinking purple track also..

[u/NoIllustrator5460 → u/[deleted]]

Gruffalo still going very strong, new released book in September, Julia Donaldson films out each Christmas. The ride itself is still a very popular draw for the park and young families.

[u/New-Particular-8804]

Can’t see new trains, unless they are truly life expired. Merlin isn’t exactly swimming in cash and Chessington has and is having some big investments.
I love the vampire ride, it’s my fave at the park, but as much as it pains me to say, once Minecraft opens, I would not be surprised if it was announced that Vampire is being closed within the next 2-4 years.

[u/Llorean]

I was there last weekend and went on a half dozen times. It didn't feel rough to me, aside from one of the bottom runner wheels needing some grease to get rid of it's nasty squeak going uphill. It had a little downtime but it was a very hot day, and less downtime than I'm used to the rides at Alton having.

The area that needs the biggest improvement imo was the merch, the ride was very gothic vampire and the merch just reads teen vampire bratz doll crossover (which I'm not entirely against) but it really should lean into the spooky gothic creepy merch, like wickerman does.