April 11th marked a significant moment in UK theme park history as Chessington celebrated Vampire's 35th birthday with a truly memorable event. The festivities kicked off in style with exclusive evening access to the Vampire coaster, offering fans a rare VIP ride experience. What made the night even more magical was the presence of John Wardley, the legendary creator of Vampire, returning to Chessington for the first time in over 24 years, alongside one of the ride’s long-standing engineers, Martin, who's been with the ride for over two decades.
Guests were treated to a private ride on Vampire, with lucky fans even catching a ride alongside Wardley himself. After the ride, everyone gathered at the Vampire Burger Kitchen for a hearty meal and a chance to grab a can of the limited edition Vampire 35 Hells Beer brewed by Windsor & Eton Brewery—only 1,000 cans were produced. This beer was also available on draft at the resort hotels and Smokehouse Bar.
The attention to detail for this celebration was outstanding. A unique custom audio announcement wishing Vampire a happy birthday was played every half hour at the park entrances, setting a festive tone throughout the day. In the Vampire station, Marcel, the iconic animatronic figure, had a birthday makeover complete with a hat and themed cake featuring a special Vampire 35 cake topper. The area was decorated with Vampire 35 bunting, purple coffins, and a guest-signing birthday poster at the entrance.
Deliciously themed Vampire 35 custom donuts were available from Planet Donut, located near the ride, adding a sweet touch to the celebration.
Later in the evening, Martin gave a short speech, followed by a quiz with exceptionally rare prizes including a chain dog from one of the original trains, an optical sensor from the Arrow Dynamics days, and even a purple up stop Vekoma wheel—one of which had recently appeared in the online shop.
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