World's First Gruffalo Themed Dark Ride Coming to Chessington World of Adventures

© Chessington World of Adventures

An all-new family dark ride will open at the U.K.'s Chessington World of Adventures, themed to the famous children's book The Gruffalo, the park has announced.  The new for 2017 ride will be called The Gruffalo River Ride Adventure, and take visitors on a trip into the world of the book, which features a mouse who takes a dangerous trip through the woods, outsmarting creatures he encounters and comes across a Gruffalo (part grizzly bear and part buffalo).

Passengers will sit in individual cars that float down the river through the woods as the story is told around them via 3-D sets.  Chessington World of Adventures will be partnering with Magic Light Pictures, the studio behind the Gruffalo feature film, to open the ride.

© Chessington World of Adventures

This concept art, released by the park, gives an idea of how the finished ride will look.  Riders will encounter several characters from the story, including the mouse main character, fox, owl, snake - and of course the Gruffalo.  Along with the new ride will be themed food and beverage, retail, a character meet and greet and several new Gruffalo themed rooms at the park's adjacent hotel.

The Gruffalo River Ride Adventure will be replacing the park's Bubbleworks dark ride, which opened in 1990.