World’s first Jumanji-themed park launches at UK’s Chessington World of Adventures Resort

The world’s first Jumanji-themed country has opened its gates in the UK.

Set in the Chessington World of Adventures Resort, the £17 million ‘World of Jumanji’ attraction ‘delves deep into the adventurous, action-packed stories featured in the box-office hit Jumanji films’.

Billed as the theme park’s “wildest adventure yet for families,” the new land features the world’s only Jumanji roller coaster and two more rides – “Mamba Strike” and “Ostrich Stampede” – based on the movie franchise.

Visitors are encouraged to follow in the footsteps of the film series’ characters as they attempt to “locate the Jaguar’s Eye Jewel, lift the curse, and save Jumanji” during their time in the theme land.

To enter, visitors go through an entrance portal “shrouded in the foreboding and overgrown jungle of Jumanji.”

Initial photos of the attraction show how a focal point is the cat-shaped “Jaguar Shrine” structure, which “looms 16 meters high, keeping a watchful eye over all who enter as it waits for the curse to return.” lifting Jaguar’s Eye jewel’.

The shuttle coaster, Mandrill Mayhem, is made from 144 tons of steel rails — “the equivalent of 96 hippos,” the theme park notes.

With Chessington’s first inversion (when the track turns upside down), Mandrill sweeps Mayhem’ riders up into the long arms of a mandrill [monkey]and flips them upside down at 42 mph (68 kph) “as he dodges the perils of the jungle and spirals to the top of the Jaguar Shrine.”

While riding Mamba Strike, visitors “dodge the fangs” of the black mamba snake as they “fly into the air before diving back down.”

Ostrich Stampede, meanwhile, sees visitors “avoiding a herd of stampeding ostriches on a whirlwind ride through the dunes.”

In addition to the three new rides, there are other Jumanji-themed activities to explore, including a maze of paths reminiscent of the board game from the original 1995 Jumanji movie, starring Robin Williams and a young Kirsten Dunst.

If they’ve worked up an appetite, visitors can also pick up ‘themed refreshments’ at the Bazaar cafe, and if they want to extend their trip, they can stay overnight in one of the six new World of Jumanji themed rooms at the Chessington Safari Hotel.

A statement said that someone could have watched the 2017 movie Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle 1368 times in the time it took to build and build World of Jumanji – about 684 hours.

The themed land is said to be Chessington World of Adventures’ “largest investment in its history.”

The long and lucrative history of the Jumanji movie franchise dates back to 1981, with the release of the fantasy children’s picture book Jumanji, written and illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg.

It tells the story of a magical board game played in real life, with exotic animals, stampedes and monsoons that endanger the lives of the players.

The 1995 film adaptation was a hit with moviegoers, grossing £197 million ($262.8 million) at the box office.

More than two decades later, the first sequel, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, was released. This time the board game turns into a video game. A group of teenagers are drawn into the virtual world of Jumanji, with Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart and Karen Gillan playing their avatars as they battle a villain in hopes of saving Jumanji – and escaping the game.

Two years later, Jumanji: The Next Level hit theaters and followed the same group of teens who once again got trapped in the game – this time with Danny DeVito and Danny Glover joining the cast.

Last April, the world’s first Jumanji attraction opened its doors at Italy’s Gardaland Resort, located west of Verona on the shores of picturesque Lake Garda.

Commenting on the launch of the new UK attraction, Scott O’Neil, CEO of Merlin Entertainments, which operates Chessington, said: The Next Level, the amazing world of Jumanji, is ready to welcome all “who are looking for a way to leave their world behind”. Years in the making by the best teams in the industry and full of “firsts”, we can’t wait to share the adventures within World of Jumanji.

“And with Chessington’s first inversion, we know we’ve created an experience that will rock seasoned enthusiasts – and a new generation of rollercoaster fans.”

Jeffrey Godsick, EVP of Global Partnerships and Brand Management and Head of Location Based Entertainment at Sony Pictures Entertainment, added: “We are delighted to have partnered with top talent at Merlin Entertainments and Chessington World of Adventures Resort on a global scale for this achievement.

“The Jumanji franchise has generations of fans who can now enjoy the story in a whole new way. The opening of World of Jumanji will provide a unique thrilling experience for all adventurers for many years to come.”

Visit Chessington.com/Jumanji to reserve tickets.