Disney is the heavyweight champion of theme parks in the Western Hemisphere, but one theme park company hopes to detract non-American tourists from making a trip across the Atlantic Ocean or Paris to visit their pending creation instead. The illustrious Southwest London amusement park, Chessington World of Adventures, has disclosed expansion plans in an attempt to compete with the likes of Disney and Universal Studios. Its parent company, Merlin Entertainments, intends to connect a new state-of-the-art waterpark next to their Safari Hotel.

The new Safari-themed waterpark will have massive wave pools, infinity pools and a spa. There will also be rapid and kid-friendly water slides, an aqua play area, splash pads and a safari beach that will feature cabanas, a snack bar and a café.

However, the main setback for the popular UK theme park is they have not received enough capital from its investors. Visitor numbers have been steadily dropping at the park and this expansion would be critical to Chessington’s future, according the Kingston Council. They stated that the resort has not recovered after being impacted by the effects of the COVID pandemic lockdowns, which threw off their revenue. Merlin Entertainments needs to boost its attractions in scope to draw in new guests.

Chessington submitted a proposal that detailed the reason for the safari waterpark expansion. They claimed it would diversify the park by differentiating it from other competitors. It could become a multi-day holiday destination. This new land advancement would encourage visitors to spend more time at the resort. They continued to point out that Disney and Universal Studios are masters at this tactic by fully allowing guests to immerse themselves in these themed experiences.
The project’s vision is to offer an incomparable experience through an immersive waterpark experience where guests can encounter live creatures and animals throughout their stay. Chessington hopes this endeavor will make their resort the main rivals, not only to the American Disney and Universal parks, but Disneyland Paris and London’s Warner Brothers Harry Potter Studio Tour.
What do you think of this new expansion idea? Would you make the trip to the UK to attend instead of other vacation destinations?