Chessington Zoo was transformed by The Tussauds Group in the
late 80’s from a failing wildlife park into the UK’s first true theme park.
When Alton Towers was still little more than a collection of amusement rides
plonked in a picturesque, yet unthemed, landscape, Chessington World of Adventures were building
Disney-like dark rides and highly themed immersive worlds.
It’s thee park I get nostalgic about and the
park I know best. I first visited in ‘94, and with a few exceptions in the
early 2000s, I’ve visited every season since. Not a whole lot has changed from
the Chessington of my childhood. Today the theming may be a little dirty, and the
trees have grown… But the core elements are pretty much the same. And yet, it’s
a very different place in terms of quality of experience from the 90’s park. The
park went through years of stagnation with little to no investment.
