It is a bit tatty though, certainly needs a spruce up, but things may start looking better - they even have the organist working now - rejoice!

Harvey North

Although some people might think this ride is total crap, I think it is totally GREAT. I went on the Vampire at the end of the day and the ride operators put the speed up and it was going really fast and just one more thought the front is the BEST!

James Bates

You can't "put the speed" up on a roller coaster as it is powered by gravity. The ride is, incidentally, worse than ever. Repair that organist, now!

Sally Church

I hit my leg really badly on a tree or something which bruised it. The ride operator refused to believe me, even though I could hardly walk! An absolutely appalling ride.

Michael Heart

I haven't experienced any of the problems above, but I think I preferred the ride before. The area looks really manky.

Simon Davis

I think Coaster Kingdom's report on the Vampire was too harsh. The problems you say that you encountered have never happened to me. Every time I've ridden at the front I have never been pushed into the lift at 30mph!!

You should also give Chessington time to sort out the landscaping as I'm sure they will in time. Personally I think its not better than the original but its still a good ride.

Barry French

The clunk happened to me too. I really cannot enjoy a ride if it does this. I have ridden in front about eight times, and it has happened twice. I really don't like the ride any more.

Mark Funel

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I loved the old ride of this, I am going back in Sep. and I really want to see the new enhancements!

Mark Witeside

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The Vampire is possibly the best family coaster around. The new Vampire seems faster than previous and the new cars give a more intense ride than the old "bat" cars. The rides only downfall is the sorry state of the site which looks like a bypass is about to be constructed through it. I feel though that Vekoma is to blame for this as they increased their charges to Chessington, meaning the park hadn't the budget to fund landscaping. (Fact, as my dad works for ride maintenance at the park). I'm sure Chessington will improve the site in time. As for Vekoma they've paid the price as they've kissed their racing coaster order goodbye!!! P.S Marcus your other ratings for the ride all average about 3, yet you rate it overall as 1. Are you mad, this ride is way better than that which is why I give it...

Matt Finesh

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I really enjoyed this ride but it feels exactly the same as the original. It is not really worth the wait in my opinion because I had to wait 1hr 20mins and on the sign out the front it said 45mins!

No Name Given

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What has happened to this once great ride? Theming is terrible, the new cars OK but nothing special and the station has no dramatic atmosphere anymore. In the year that it was closed they could have at least painted the track. I'm afraid the Vampire is no longer the flagship ride it used to be.

Carl May

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A good update from the4 original, but it still lacks the thrills of a good coaster. It could do with slightly more theming in the queue area.

Andrew Jack

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Nooooooo....This ride used to be the most amazing family coaster! Before the re-theme, I went on it in about 97/98 and it was amazing. I was only 6 or 7 at the time and it was brill, the highlight I seem to remember being the fast tunnel, which was pitch black, at 45mph, and the cars were able to sweep through the grass. Parents were very happy to go on it and would come off happy, and us kids felt like we had conquered a major coaster.

And now...??

This ride simply sucks-BIG TIME! They have ruined it (they being Vekoma, not Chessington). I mean, what is up with the purple coloured seats. I never knew vampires are resembled by purple-red would have been more relevant, but purple...I mean couldn't they have at least added bat wings on the sides or something (look at the sides of the Duelling Dragons trains). Come On.

As for the highlight (tunnel) it is now about a 3 metre section under corrugated iron, which is not really any darker than normal and means that the old plain walls (no paint, naturally) are seen. No longer a thrill, just a quick turn.

As for sweeping through the long grass? Nope, the "new" trains mean that peoples legs would be battered so instead a big trench has been dug...and left...as just mud...come on. However, my complaint with that is with Vekoma again as looking at a previous review it looks like it was their fault for raising the prises, meaning that Chessington could not afford to landscape properly.

The ride has got so bad and the openness makes you realise how slowly you're going, instead of making it seem faster.

As for the station, the theming is poor as the organist is broken, the old coffins have been removed, and the train is lit up too much, not only causing us to see the braking machinery, but the bright white lights light up the whole station, ruining the effect. Again, I suspect Vekoma had something to do with this "new, great" idea.

All that I can say is that I hope sometime in the near future, Chessington, with the extra money that they are getting from Dragon's Fury, will close Vampire for another season, but this time put back some new coffins, sort out the whole station, and hire a new company to sort out the trains even if it is only a B&M style side. There is much potential for this ride and I remain positive that Chessington will do something.

But as it is at the moment, for children, disappointing; for adults, appalling.

Ollie Cook

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The vampire is just ok. Nothing special. I'd give it two stars, but the ride has broken down every time I've been and the queue is far too long (on my last visit the queue was an hour and a half, but then the ride broke down and when they reopened it later in the day, it only ran at half capacity, so the queue length doubled, to three hours! 15 mins max. is nearer the mark!) I feel I'm being a bit harsh but, I'll have to give it 1 star with queues like that.

Michael Joyce

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