Tomb Blaster
| Tomb Blaster | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Chessington World of Adventures | |
| Area | Forbidden Kingdom |
| Status | Operating |
| Opening date | 2002 |
| Replaced |
5th Dimension Terror Tomb |
| General statistics | |
| Attraction type | Dark ride |
| Manufacturer | Mack Rides |
| Theme | Ancient Egypt |
| Capacity | 600 riders per hour |
| Vehicles | 5 |
| Rows | 12 |
| Riders per row | 2 in Front, 3 in Back |
| Duration | 8 minutes |
 Fastrack available | |
Tomb Blaster is a dark ride that opened in 2002 at Chessington World of Adventures Resort in London. Riders travel in trains through a series of crypts, shooting laser guns at targets for high scores.
History
Tomb Blaster is a dark ride in the Forbidden Kingdom area of Chessington World of Adventures Resort. It originally opened as The 5th Dimension, a dark ride based on a story of a TV repair robot[1] that operated from 1987 to 1993. It was manufactured by Mack Rides.[1]
The area was rethemed as the Forbidden Kingdom in 1994, and the ride became Terror Tomb, a horror ride in the dark.[2] Terror Tomb (aka "Forbidden Tomb") told the story of a tomb robber named Abdab and the dangers he encountered trying to steal a gem from the tomb. It opened in 1994 and closed in 2001.
In 2002 Tomb Blaster launched in the same location as the old terror tomb ride.[2] In the dark ride riders shoot laser guns at targets.[3]
2015/16 Refurbishment
In August 2015, Tomb Blaster closed for a nine-month refurbishment carried out by Merlin Magic Making, the design & creative division of Merlin Entertainments. Amidst health & safety concerns about a lack of maintenance over the years, all the sets were retreated for fire retardancy and a new fire exit installed in the station. Several sets were also retouched with fluorescent paint in an attempt to give an ultraviolet makeover. The 2002 laser gun system was removed and replaced with new equipment, after the original laser company had liquidated. All lighting and audio equipment in the ride was removed, to be replaced by LED ultraviolet units and different sound stores.
The ride re-opened during the annual pass preview weekend of 2016 to highly negative reviews.[4] General response from guests as well as fans of the ride criticized the "unprofessional" nature of the new ultra violet lighting and audio alterations, citing missing sound effects, many animations still broken, missing pieces of the sets and excessive light spillage that revealed the areas intended to be covered by darkness.[5]
Description
Anyone under 1.1 meters must be accompanied by an adult.[3]
Riders sit in "utility vehicles" and travel through a tomb, shooting mummies and monsters with laser guns, and competing for top scores.[1] Among the scenes are a crypt, a revolving tunnel, and snake pits.[1] Many of the original set pieces from Terror Tomb remain in the Tomb Blaster ride with the exclusion of the Abdab animatronics.
Incidents
- On 7 June 2012, a four-year-old girl entered a near month-long coma after falling 14ft from the ride's raised queue line. The wooden fence paneling was untreated, and had over the years rotten due to weathering. The girl lent on the fencing while she waited, before it gave way and she fell. Severe injuries occurred, including broken ribs, a cracked skull, and bleeding on the brain.
Gallery
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tomb Blaster. |
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See also
References
- 1 2 3 4 "Tomb Blaster". Coaster Force. Retrieved 2013-10-15.
- 1 2 "Chessington History". Theme Park Guide. Retrieved 2013-10-15.
- 1 2 "Forbidden Kingdom". Chessington World of Adventures. Retrieved 2013-10-15.
- ↑ http://www.chessingtonbuzz.co.uk/news/tomb-blaster-back-from-the-dead/
- ↑ maniahub.com
External links
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Coordinates: 51°20′57″N 0°19′10″W / 51.34917°N 0.31944°W