'I got a sneak preview of Chessington's new Jumanji land and its rollercoaster'
When I got to drop into Chessington World of Adventures for a look behind the scenes at its new World of Jumanji, the man who dreamed it up was on hand to witness his creation in action for the first time.
John Burton beamed as the roller coaster hurtled along the tracks in a spiral around the towering head of a snarling jaguar, soaring gracefully up into the clouds as was intended over the past three years of designing, modelling and engineering.
As a theme park fan, getting to see behind the scenes of Chessington was an incredibly exciting opportunity.
While there's a lot of jungle planting, painting and hut crafting to do before the Jumanji zone is ready for launch in just over two month's time, feeling the woosh of the coaster on its test run gave a sense of how exciting a ride it will be.
Even more thrilling was the chance to press the big green 'go' button that launches Mandrill Mayhem out of the station.
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Riders will be whizzed along the tracks at 42mph (Chessington World of Adventures)The best part of the ride in my books is the way it shoots riders forwards to the top of the first spiral and then back the way it came, meaning you get two different sensations and spots each time you hop on the coaster.
The 1,148feet long coaster will hit speeds of 42mph, just fractionally slower than the park's famous Vampire Ride.
As much as the engineers promised the train wouldn't be able to shoot off into the air when the rails come to a sudden stop, being at the front of the ride and looking out into the open sky beyond is going to be very exciting.
Since May 2020 engineers and roller-coaster architects have been pouring their hearts into building the new ride, which has seats facing both ways along the track and was constructed with 144 tonnes of steel.
Riders who are brave enough will be able to see the iconic Jumanji game board from this vantage point 55 feet above the floor.
After a long pandemic that forced the park to completely shut up shop, and then huge, chaotic queues to get in once it reopened, the launch of the World of Jumanji will be a big return to thrill-seeking form for Chessington.
Like the films, the zone - which features imposing mandrill statues that had to be re-designed to be a little less terrifying after audience tests - looks set to wow and scare riders in equal measure.
The coaster rushes to the top of the jaguar's head (Chessington World of Adventures)Mandrill Mayhem is one of three new rides inspired by the hit movie franchise set to start terrifying the public when the new land opens on May 15.
John told the Mirror that there is a 0% chance that the trolley will shoot off the end of the track, thanks to electro-magnets and two back-up safety bumpers.
Once safely not-hurled into thin air, Mandrill Mayhem whizzes riders back down through the station and around the perimeter of the park.
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Like the other two rides in the Jumanji zone - Ostrich Stampede and Mamba Strike - the new coaster is for everyone 1.2m or taller, which means it's a great introductory ride for younger children.
Chessington is also unveiling a new ostrich themed ride (Chessington World of Adventures)For many, the track's 360 twist a few short feet over the entrance to the park will be the first time they get flung upside down.
When I visited the park this week, work testing Mandrill Mayhem was well underway.
To make 100% sure it's completely safe a team of rollercoaster technicians will run it up and down the rails with crash-test dummies filled up with different amounts of water for at least 200 hours before any humans are allowed to ride.
A thick forest of trees and tropical plants will also fill the zone come May, when the other two rides will be ready to swirl and spin young and old.
The attraction is a huge deal for Chessington, which hasn't unveiled a completely new ride since 2004's Dragon's Fury.
Officials at Merlin Entertainments - which run the park along with the likes of Legoland and Alton Towers - have spent the past three years thrashing out the zone's details with Sony Studios.
It is the first new rollercoaster at Chessington in 19 years (Chessington World of Adventures)Together they've hidden plenty of secret Easter eggs around the World of Jumanji, including a glowing gem only the most eagle-eyed will be able to spot, and created bespoke music inspired by the films for each ride.
Rhys Darby, who plays guide Nigel Billingsay in the new movies, narrates guests as they walk around the zone, buy food from the theme kiosks and take the chance to pose for a photo in the jaws of a terrifying hippo.
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