Chester Zoo The Islands development - planning, development and build (2012-2015)

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Macaw16 said:
Surely they will be bringing in new species to replace the species already at the zoo, which are moving to Islands.

(Please correct me if I'm wrong).
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You are wrong! :D

there will be just more groups of babirusa, warty pig etc. The tigers are due to be replaced by Malayan bears and that is about it.
 
Macaw16 said:
Surely they will be bringing in new species to replace the species already at the zoo, which are moving to Islands.

(Please correct me if I'm wrong).
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ChesterZooFan is correct; most of the new species are already at the Zoo. One or two new species which could 'fill the holes' are also off-show at the moment. But in many cases, the emptied enclosures will need quite a bit of work to refurbish and upgrade them. For example, I would expect that when the Sumatran orangs are moved out of RotRA their enclosures will be refurbished before the Borneans move in, and then their old enclosures can be worked up in turn. There may be no real hurry with some of these steps and it may take quite a time until the music stops.

Alan
 
adrian1963 said:
Just a quick question when the Islands opens will it be included in an updated map of the zoo?
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i would imagine it would ... i do know the phone app will be updated for when it's open ... so i would of thought it would be the same for the paper map ... i know the members days start on the 10th july so they will have them ready for that
 
prawnie1975 said:
i would imagine it would ... i do know the phone app will be updated for when it's open ... so i would of thought it would be the same for the paper map ... i know the members days start on the 10th july so they will have them ready for that
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With a one way system do you really need map? :confused:
 
taun said:
With a one way system do you really need map? :confused:
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Yes!
The zoo wants to attract extra visitors, so they will need to find:
  • their way to entrance to Islands
  • the nearest toilets
  • the nearest refreshments
  • their way round the rest of the zoo, once they leave Islands
And anyway, once the visitors are off the boat, do you really believe that they will follow the one-way system?

Alan
 
What about when you want to double back to see something that you have missed (species wise that is) or do you think everyone will walk round and go through the entrance again?
 
adrian1963 said:
What about when you want to double back to see something that you have missed (species wise that is) or do you think everyone will walk round and go through the entrance again?
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the amount of times i already go, there's no doubt i will be doubling back if i wanted to catch something again for example a certain animal i may of missed the first time ... the rumour is it will take you at least a few hours to go around just the new bit so unless you go first thing in the morning you wouldn't have time to go all the way around again


i know the first time we go we certainly won't be rushing around
 
There is a circular route through Islands, but there are expected be cut-throughs as well for those who know them (they probably won't be signed though). Even if not, going back through to look at one exhibit probably won't take as long as all that - the official estimate is that Islands will take about 90 minutes to see (not including the boat ride - source: Frequently asked questions | Islands at Chester Zoo ), so just waling through should be much quicker.
 
gentle lemur said:

Yes!
The zoo wants to attract extra visitors, so they will need to find:
  • their way to entrance to Islands
  • the nearest toilets
  • the nearest refreshments
  • their way round the rest of the zoo, once they leave Islands
And anyway, once the visitors are off the boat, do you really believe that they will follow the one-way system?

Alan
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I was not suggesting no map for the entire zoo, that would be just crazy, but do you need a detailed map for something that is a guided walk?

I expect some here will not follow it ;) But like sheep, joe public usually follow the rules.
 
prawnie1975 said:
it would still have the animals listed on it just like the rest of the zoo so i wouldn't see why it was left off it ... plus where does it say it's one way ?
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All the blurp says it is a guided walk through different islands. To me that is one way, other wise why guide them in a certain way.

The whole point is to maximise through put as the boats can only handle a certain amount so you make people follow the path so that you don't get a back log at the boats.
 
taun said:
All the blurp says it is a guided walk through different islands. To me that is one way, other wise why guide them in a certain way.

The whole point is to maximise through put as the boats can only handle a certain amount so you make people follow the path so that you don't get a back log at the boats.
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While they certainly won't want a boating backlog, it's worth pointing out the boat isn't a required part of going into Islands - so I suspect a lot of people won't bother on busy days. Below is from the FAQ linked above (my emphasis):

How long is the experience?

Islands is a really large development for us and will extend the zoo’s footprint significantly. The area we’re developing is about the size of 7 football pitches! So you can see that it will really add a lot to your visit to the zoo. We expect it will take around 90 minutes to fully explore Islands, plus a little extra time if you take the boat trip too.
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i won't always be using the boat ride has i don't like water but we will be going on it on the 10th just because its a brand new experience , i also read you don't have to use it ... we are going today so will see how they are getting on with the buildings that you can see from inside the zoo
 
The idea looks to be to encourage a natural flow through the islands exhibit in order to tell the story the zoo intend but the boat ride is certainly not compulsory and the walkways are not one way only.
But during busy times the zoo might well put staff on the entrance into islands to try and keep the numbers in the exhibit manageable.
 
karoocheetah said:
The idea looks to be to encourage a natural flow through the islands exhibit in order to tell the story the zoo intend but the boat ride is certainly not compulsory and the walkways are not one way only.
But during busy times the zoo might well put staff on the entrance into islands to try and keep the numbers in the exhibit manageable.
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I thought the idea was you were having to book islands, and therefore Chester would be managing the flows that way?

I didn't think the booking was for just the members preview.
 
taun said:
I thought the idea was you were having to book islands, and therefore Chester would be managing the flows that way?

I didn't think the booking was for just the members preview.
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No - there will be the option to pre-book a limited number of 'Express' tickets for the boat ride to allow you to queue-jump if you wish, but the animal exhibits are just part of the zoo and you just walk in. The time-slots for access to Islands are just for the previews.
 
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