BY GABRIELLE
Julia Donaldson’s enchanting children’s book, Room on the Broom, has been brought to life at Chessington World of Adventure, with a new attraction themed on the much-loved book.
The Room on the Broom Animated Movie Experience involve guests starring in their own personalised journey through Donaldson’s bewitching world.
Room on the Broom fans climb aboard a broom in the theme park’s Animated Movie Experience studio. A voiceover and video instructions tell youngsters what do to, in what resembles a real-life movie set.
Wearing RFID wristbands, the children create a movie poster starring themselves, choosing the characters, background and props.
Parents are also invited to step onto the witch’s broom. The customised movies and are sent to guests instantly by SMS or email to enable them to share their experiences on social media.
Natalie Fox, Chessington World of Adventure’s commercial director, spoke about the innovative animated experience. Fox commented:
“We had looked at green screens, and we had looked at other operations. But we decided we really wanted to create a green screen movie. We wanted to do something unique to Chessington, particularly with our fantastic IP. We have the Gruffalo, and we’ve got Room on the Broom.
“We thought the idea of a movie rather than a standard photo would be really exciting. It’s also the first of its kind in a Merlin attraction.
“We worked with Andrew Porter from our Merlin Magic Making Team for the storyline. He was pretty key because he lives and breathes the story and understands the world of Room on the Broom so well. It really enhances the overall experience. And it launches you into the world that Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler have created,” Fox added.