If I have read the original plans properly, there should be one bridge here. Why didn't they build one wider bridge instead of two side by side? Islands, Chester, 27th August 2015
If I have read the original plans properly, there should be one bridge here. Why didn't they build one wider bridge instead of two side by side? Islands, Chester, 27th August 2015
Agreed the visitor flow is not clear here. They have placed a temporary barrier between the 2 paths in front of these bridges to encourge visitors to only use the dragon bridge to access Bali, but it seems confusing. Most visitors appear to turn left passed the toilets to the boat ride, which isn't the 'correct' way of proceeding (according to the plans). The preferred route is to turn right after Papua to Bali, through Sumatra and Monsoon Forest and then onto Sumba and the boat ride. Of course you can't stop visitors going their own way but the preferred route is better as it eliminates any back tracking. Maybe things will change once the whole of Islands opens.
Most visitors appear to turn left passed the toilets to the boat ride, which isn't the 'correct' way of proceeding (according to the plans). The preferred route is to turn right after Papua to Bali, through Sumatra and Monsoon Forest and then onto Sumba and the boat ride.
The design of retail spaces is usually guided by the fact that most people go left when entering a retail space, ( at least in Australia )I wonder if this principle is also found in zoo's globally?
The design of retail spaces is usually guided by the fact that most people go left when entering a retail space, ( at least in Australia )I wonder if this principle is also found in zoo's globally?
This is quite right, most visitors or customers turn left automatically.... Before Islands and Tsavo opened the right hand (west) side of Chester Zoo only received approx 25% of visitors!! Approx 75% only ever visited the left (East) side of the zoo. This could be to do with the mix of species but it is still an interesting statistic!
Another 'left vs right' issue with Islands is the entrance. I'm sure Gentle Lemur may be able to put a pic up.... But the exit of Islands is on the left and the entrance hidden away on the right. The zoo are currently employing staff to direct customers to the correct entrance. I think they need an 'exit only' sign (surely cheaper than paying someone !)
This is quite right, most visitors or customers turn left automatically.... Before Islands and Tsavo opened the right hand (west) side of Chester Zoo only received approx 25% of visitors!! Approx 75% only ever visited the left (East) side of the zoo. This could be to do with the mix of species but it is still an interesting statistic!
That is a remarkable statistic that only 25% of visitors cross to the west side of the zoo. Is that fact something that the zoo has put in an annual report or announced in a press release? I see that Chester still has one of the worst zoo maps in all of Europe and the Islands project has not even been added to it yet and we are now into September. If you download the current zoo map it is still the old one with lots of childishly drawn animals and little arrows everywhere.
That is a remarkable statistic that only 25% of visitors cross to the west side of the zoo. Is that fact something that the zoo has put in an annual report or announced in a press release? I see that Chester still has one of the worst zoo maps in all of Europe and the Islands project has not even been added to it yet and we are now into September. If you download the current zoo map it is still the old one with lots of childishly drawn animals and little arrows everywhere.
I'm not sure if it has been published or announced but I'm sure it is true (it may even be less than 25%!). Several years ago the zoo conducted lots of research about visitor flow and movement through the zoo. It was the realisation that minimal visitors ever went beyond the monkeys and rhinos into to West zoo that drove the development of the Tsavo themed area and painted dogs. Part of the issue was that before Tsavo there was no big exhibit draw and no infrastructure in West zoo - no refreshments kiosks or seating etc. I'm not sure whether any measurement has been carried out since but anecdotally I would say that visitor flow did even out. Now that Islands has been developed this is a non issue any more.
I agree with CZF's point about reaching the Entrance - there is more work to be done. There are some new signs, but arrows on the path or some other extra pointers would help. It is important that visitors go the right way round, because the Explorer's guides for children are given out at the Entrance and 'checked' at the Exit.
From the Entrance the path is clear until you reach the centre at the double bridge: then you can turn left for Bali, straight for Monsoon Forest or right for the boat trip. There seems to be some milling around at this point. Perhaps when the path is complete, visitors will be directed to stay left and go anticlockwise around the bottom loop.
I can only think the current entrance through the middle of the sitatunga and oryx paddocks was developed to fit in with the future master plan of the zoo. Otherwise I dont understand why the entrance would be in such a strange and random location.
I understand the long term master plan will be designed to create one wide central path that loops around the middle of the entire zoo. Off this path would then be all of the individual themed zones. So, visitors would be able to decide which zone they visited and in which order, and once within each zone there would be a 'one way' system as already exists in Islands and Tsavo.
I can see if a central pathway looped past the Islands entrance and the exit joined the same path further along that this would make sense.
Let's see what the master plan delivers when it is released in the coming year or so...
