Tussauds Group is repositioning two of its theme parks to target different markets.

Chessington World of Adventures in Surrey is placing increased emphasis on pre-school children and creating a more family orientated environment, while Thorpe park is being positioned to target young adults with high-octane rides and the ‘fear-factor’.

New attractions for 2004 at Chessington include the Land of the Dragons – which is designed for children aged between two and eight – and the new Dragon’s Fury roller coaster.

The park has also moved its white-knuckle Samurai ride to Thorpe Park and the space will be used to provide attractions designed for young families.

Overall, more than 90 per cent of Chessington’s rides, attractions and shows are now suitable for under-12s.

The strategy to rebrand Chessington as a family oriented theme park is supported by a £1m marketing campaign with the motto: ‘Where families come first’.

Tussauds has also appointed digital agency, Liquorice, to redesign the websites for the two parks.

While Chessington’s new site will feature an animated character, Spike the dragon, to help online users through the pages, the Thorpe Park site now has a movie-style teaser welcoming web users. Details: www.thorpepark.co.uk or www.chessington.co.uk