Chessington World of Adventures Resort
Chessington World of Adventures Resort
Chessington World of Adventures Resort
3
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Join us at Chessington World of Adventures Resort for a family adventure! Spin on KOBRA in the heart of Wild Asia, soar on Vampire in the Wild Woods, see giraffe, rhinos and flamingos on ZUFARI: Ride into Africa!, and try not to get soaked on Scorpion Express and Rameses Revenge! Meet the lions and gorillas in the Trail of the Kings, and get lost beneath the waves in the SEA LIFE centre, before letting your little monkeys play in the AMAZU Treetop Adventure.
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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$45.38
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See what travelers are saying
- Andy AngelRayleigh, United Kingdom7 contributionsNot a bad family oriented tripNot a bad day out especially if you have kids but don’t expect anything to blow you away, my friends and I went primarily for the coasters but went on a fair share of family rides too. Vampire, once the main attraction of the park, is in desperate need of a re-track along with some fresh purple paint for the track. At the moment, the cruising swing coaster feels less like i’m a bat soaring swiftly through the woods and more like i’m being dragged through 10 tonnes of gravel, the ride experience is unapologetically bumpy and clunky as the ride cannot perform a single turn without jerking you around. Rattlesnake is not any better, although the gimmick is its quick bath and forth whips that are supposed to be reflective of a rattlesnake’s tail shaking, it instead feels more like i’m inside of a washing machine. The bunny hop bumps are good fun but overshadowed by an overly uncomfortable ride. Dragons fury, another major attraction, was a very different experience for me as a larger adult. The spinning of the cart does not account for those of a taller or heavier build and it span so fast that I could not focus on or enjoy the ride remotely. The ride needs some kind of spin cap because I came off feeling sick and couldn’t get my head right for a full day. By far the best coaster and the newest attraction at Chessington is the winged coaster ‘Mandrill Mayhem’ located in Jumanji world. The launches, speed, pacing and overall enjoyability of this ride far exceeds anything else at the park and had I not gone on it, this review would be a full star lower. The excellent ride experience is slightly undermined by a ridiculously unintuitive QR code online prebook system instead of a regular queue, which creates more problems than it solves. The smaller, family oriented rides mirror much of what you would find at other parks, a good log flume in the form of tiger rock, a decent laser tag esque adventure in tomb blaster and a pretty great spinning ride in kobra. The monkey swing also got a big thumbs up from my friends. As for food and drink, I advise taking a packed lunch of some kind as prices are quite extortionate but nothing unexpected. The theming of the park on the whole can be jarring with its rather random and erratic ‘zones’ that are right next to each other, but it is more than made up for by some genuinely very good ride / queue theming, animatronics and animal enclosures. 6/10Dear Aangel97, We appreciate your time in sharing such a comprehensive review of your experience at Chessington World of Adventures Resort. It's great to hear that you enjoyed our newest attraction, Mandrill Mayhem, as well as some of our family-oriented rides like Tiger Rock and Kobra. Your praise for our ride and queue theming, as well as our animal enclosures, is also heartening. We take all feedback very seriously and your detailed comments on some of our classic coasters are invaluable to us. We understand that Vampire and Rattlesnake have room for improvement in terms of the ride experience, and your suggestion about re-tracking and a fresh coat of paint for Vampire has been noted. We strive for excellence and will consider your observations in our ongoing evaluations and upgrades. We apologize for the issues you encountered with Dragon's Fury. It's disappointing to hear that the ride didn't cater well to different body types. Rest assured, your feedback about implementing a 'spin cap' will be considered for future improvements to ensure a more comfortable experience for all. Regarding your comments about the QR code system for Mandrill Mayhem and the food prices, we're sorry for any inconvenience you faced. Our intention is to make the visit as seamless as possible, and we do competitive benchmarking to align our pricing with other theme parks. Your observations will help us in assessing how we can further refine these aspects of our park. We sincerely hope that you will consider returning in the future, as we're continually working to enhance the park's offerings and overall guest experience. Best Wishes, Annaleese Senior Resort Excellence Manager Chessington World of Adventures ResortWritten October 10, 2023This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited October 2023Traveled with friendsWritten October 7, 2023
- Lesley MPortsmouth, United Kingdom94 contributionsHalf hearted attempt at a Halloween spectacular.We have always loved Chessington and always visit(although haven't been for a few years) around Halloween, not because we like Halloween,we don't, but the park stays open longer(used to be 8pm,now 7pm). Definitely different...Guess cutbacks. There used to be actors interacting with the crowds and great music...yesterday there was just an irritating tune on loop. No real atmosphere. Rides kept continually breaking. We queued for an hour for Dragon Fury,and then it broke ..we were given a fast past for when it re-opened. We went to water ride...broken,Vampire -broken. Constantly looking at the app to see if and when the rides re-opened. The thing I noticed mostly,so many eating/drinking areas closed. Some vans that were opened were closing up at 4 30pm,over two hours before the park shut. As I say we hate Halloween but it was actually hard to recognise that it was Halloween, half hearted attempt Chessington.Dear lesleymL4785HZ, We're truly sorry to hear that your recent visit to Chessington World of Adventures did not meet the high standards you've come to expect from previous experiences. We appreciate your loyalty to our park, especially during the Halloween season. We understand that long queues and ride downtimes can be frustrating. We strive for over 90% ride availability, but sometimes mechanical issues or other factors beyond our control can lead to ride closures. Rest assured, we are always working diligently to resolve any issues as quickly as possible to ensure your safety and enjoyment. We are also sorry to hear about your disappointment regarding the Halloween atmosphere. Your observations about the changes in music, actor interactions, and the availability of food and beverage options are something we take to heart. We are continually aiming to improve the overall park experience and will take your comments into consideration as we plan future events. We’d greatly appreciate it if you could share more details about your visit by emailing us at feedback@chessington.co.uk. Your feedback is invaluable to us as we aim to offer the best experience possible for our guests. Thank you for bringing these issues to our attention, and we apologize for not meeting your expectations this time around. Best Wishes, Annaleese Senior Resort Excellence Manager Chessington World of Adventures ResortWritten October 16, 2023This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited October 2023Traveled with familyWritten October 15, 2023
- CocoBeanLondon, United Kingdom79 contributionsWon’t rush to go back‘staff’ member working in the dragons soft play on 16/10 - I didn’t actually realise he worked there, I first thought he was a guest teenager as he was slumped over a chair, on his phone, with a hoodie so you couldn’t see his face. Tried to take my non walking toddler to this soft play and found the toddler section had traffic cone in it? After much confusion of me looking at this wondering why there was a cone in there, the staff member makes an appearance and says that section is closed as there’s a leak. Why not add a sign..a traffic cone serves no purpose. So I walk across the room to the bigger section, my toddler had already started climbing up in excitement. Staff member comes back and says he’s too small (bare in mind at this point he’s half way up the equipment himself), and could we get off. So I ask where he can go then, and he pointed at a foam mat on the floor with absolutely no climbing accessories/toys/enrichment. I did then say the lack of customer service was poor..no reply. I appreciate the toddler section was leaking, but no alternative SIMILAR area was then offered. All in all, would not recommend for toddlers who are too small for the majority of the rides. If anyone faces the same situation, there is some grass by Sea Life which can be crawled across…..Dear CocoBeanBaby, Thank you for sharing your experience with us, and I'm really sorry to hear that it was not a positive one, especially in the Dragon's soft play area. We aim to provide an enjoyable and safe experience for all of our guests, and it's evident we missed the mark during your visit. Regarding the staff member you encountered, this is definitely not the level of service we strive to provide. I apologize for the confusion and lack of clear communication about the closed toddler section and alternative play areas. I would appreciate the opportunity to discuss this matter further so we can address it appropriately and prevent similar experiences in the future. Could you please email us at feedback@chessington.co.uk with more details? Once again, I apologize for the inconvenience and disappointment you experienced during your visit. Your feedback is invaluable for making improvements in our services. Best WIshes, Annaleese Senior Resort Excellence Manager Chessington World of Adventures ResortWritten October 19, 2023This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited October 2023Traveled with familyWritten October 16, 2023
- Mark S5 contributionsGood day.Great day out. Friday 20th October. Not many queues as weather forecast not good. But a dry day. 2 new rides were great. Glad didn't spend on " fast track". Only thing was the price of coffee and doughnuts. I know we are a captive bunch but it was a bit extreme. Overall a good day.Dear Mark, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback on your recent visit to our theme park on Friday 20th October. We're glad to hear you had a great day out and enjoyed the two new rides without the need for a fast track. We appreciate your comments regarding the price of coffee and doughnuts. We understand the importance of providing value for our guests, and we do competitive benchmarking and are aligned with other theme parks in our pricing. We appreciate the feedback, and we will continue to monitor and improve our product offering to manage the Value For Money perception. We're delighted that overall, you had a good day with us, and we hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back in the future. Thank you for choosing our theme park for your day out! Best Wishes, Annaleese Senior Resort Excellence Manager Chessington World of Adventures ResortWritten November 3, 2023This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited October 2023Traveled with familyWritten October 20, 2023
- Garyb-reviewerSwanage, United Kingdom2 contributionsGreat rides, LONG queuing.The rides were amazing!! The hotel we stayed in was really nice and the trick or treaters were really well thought of. Though once we literally got 4 rollercoasters done in 1 day. However, it was definitely worth the wait as the theming of all the rides was brilliant!! I would recommend going there with an 8 out of 10, thanks for reading. 📖Dear Gary, Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the rides and found our theming to be up to the mark. Our team puts a lot of effort into ensuring that each ride provides a unique and immersive experience for our guests. It's wonderful to know that our hotel met your expectations and that you appreciated the thought put into our trick or treat activities. We understand that wait times can be a challenge, especially during peak times, but we're glad to hear that you found it worth the wait. Your feedback is valuable, and we're always looking for ways to improve the guest experience. Thank you for the recommendation and giving us an 8 out of 10! We hope to welcome you back to Chessington for more thrilling adventures in the future. Best Wishes, Annaleese Senior Resort Excellence Manager Chessington World of Adventures ResortWritten November 3, 2023This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited October 2023Traveled with familyWritten October 25, 2023
- Passport136445621103 contributionsGood family fun but plan or at least download the appGreat visit but you do need to do your research and plan your visit, if you just turned up and ambled up to the big rides you wouldn't get much done in your day. We stayed overnight at the safari hotel. The hotel was lovely, clean, everything we needed and a nice view of some of the animals over breakfast. It also meant we got in to the park an hour earlier than day visitors. This was our best time to do the rides we really wanted, some of which we ran around for a second go and walked on! Top tips, really check your child height before you go and see which rides they can and can't do. If you don't want to pay extra to skip queues then run to your top two or three rides at park opening. For mandril mayhem you can virtual queue so you get a time window but can be on another ride whilst waiting for your slot. Download the app before you go so you can see current wait times. In the afternoon when the queues are getting long use the app for the rides with the shortest times or check out some animals or a show (times also on the app). Nothing is too far away so you mostly can hop back and forth across the park to make the best of wait times. If you only want to do bigger rides then probably look into paying to skip the queues, especially if you are only there for the day. Some parts of the park look a little bit dated, and expect lots of opportunities to pay for extras (amusements, win the cuddly toys, drive boats on a lake etc, the kind of thing that you could put lots of coins in if persuaded by your small people! We told ours we didn't have any coins on us !!) We were pleasantly surprised by the Julia Donaldson rides, even our 8 year old really enjoyed them. Food was as expected fast food and not cheap, we took a picnic lunch and plenty of snacks. Breakfast in the hotel set us up well, cooked breakfast, pastries, toast, cereal, fruit, coffee/hot chocolate machine etc. It's a really good day or two out if you plan and don't expect it to be Disney slick.Dear Passport13644562110, Thank you so much for your detailed and thoughtful review of your visit to Chessington. It's wonderful to hear that you had a great experience, and we genuinely appreciate your insights and the tips you've provided for future guests. We're delighted to know that your overnight stay at the safari hotel added to the enjoyment of your visit, and it's always heartening to hear feedback about our accommodations, especially the unique experience of overlooking the animals during breakfast. Your advice about checking ride heights, making use of the virtual queue system, and downloading our app for real-time updates is spot on. We've made these systems available so our guests can maximize their time and enjoyment in the park, and it's great to know you were able to benefit from them. We acknowledge that some areas of the park might feel a bit dated, and we're always working on updates and improvements to ensure every corner of Chessington offers the best experience possible. Your feedback regarding additional paid activities and the dining options is also appreciated. We continuously strive to balance guest experience with the variety of activities available, always aiming to provide value. It's fantastic to hear that the Julia Donaldson rides were a hit with your family. These rides are designed to be enjoyable for guests of all ages, and we're pleased that even your 8-year-old had a great time on them. Thank you again for your comprehensive feedback. We're always aiming to improve and offer the best experience possible, and insights like yours are invaluable in that effort. We hope to welcome you back to Chessington soon for another memorable adventure! Best Wishes, Annaleese Senior Resort Excellence Manager Chessington World of Adventures ResortWritten November 3, 2023This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited October 2023Traveled with familyWritten October 27, 2023
- Nicola10 contributionsGreat theme park but go on weekendsI went for my birthday for halloween and had an amazing time here. It is such a great theme park and the zoo is great. The safari hotel was so lovely and it made me so happy having a room overlooking the animals. The weather was a bit of a downfall though especially on sunday it rained all day and got soaked. It was really wet and cold and the rides kept breaking down because of the weather. Me and my friend got stuck on the log flume and had to be rescued as the ride had broken down. We was there on monday too and the queue times were ridiculous waits, i waited 2 hours for the vampire. I did queue up for single rider for mandrill mayhem and i queued for 40 mins which was very bad and not what i expected. I however would love to come here again as I really did enjoy it but it a shame about the weather.Dear Fitnessqueen22, Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. First and foremost, a very happy belated birthday to you! 🎉 We're thrilled to hear that you had an amazing time celebrating at Chessington and enjoyed both our theme park and the zoo. It's especially wonderful to know that your room overlooking the animals at the Safari hotel added to the magic of your visit. We genuinely apologize for the inconveniences you faced due to the weather and the resultant impact on our ride operations. Safety is our topmost priority, and sometimes inclement weather can influence the functioning of our attractions. We're genuinely sorry for the distress caused by the log flume incident, and we appreciate your understanding and patience during such situations. We hear your feedback about the queue times and we're continuously working on improving our operations for a smoother guest experience. It's feedback like yours that helps us make those improvements. Despite the challenges, we're so glad you'd love to return. We'll be looking forward to making your next visit even more memorable! Do check our website for any updates and deals for your next trip. See you soon! Best Wishes, Annaleese Senior Resort Excellence Manager Chessington World of Adventures ResortWritten November 3, 2023This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited October 2023Traveled with friendsWritten October 31, 2023
- Simon R28 contributionsGreed over funFirstly I will say it’s brilliant that this theme park caters to younger attendants when most others are tailored towards young adults and above. That said given it’s a theme park for younger children I find it absolutely disgraceful that queue times in peak season (which let’s face it is the time we all take our children as that’s the holidays) can be upwards of an hour and up to 2! Considering children as young as 5 can enjoy most rides in the park how can you expect children of this age to suffer these wait times? I have read some rather corporate cookie cutter explanations like ‘these are exceptions’ ‘rides aren’t always broken’ and ‘balancing the experience for those with or without fast passes’. From a business model this is a complete fallacy as if the queues were balanced it would negate the fast pass system altogether. Rather than expect parents to pay around £100 on top of the original ticket price just to have the day their original tickets should have supplied surely raising the ticket price and decreasing the capacity so all the attendants can enjoy themselves and not just the ones with the most money would be the goal? Rides are ALWAYS down which can be understood for older ones like vampire but when it’s the new mandrill mayhem isn’t that a failing on the parks side? I’m curious as to how many rides the owners think is a fair day out and if the answer isn’t at least 15 (only half of the rides onsite) then some serious overhauling is needed. Also without fast passes I don’t see 15 being achievable. As for the ridiculous restaurant prices who can justify them. For 4 burger, chips and drink the price is a laughable £60! This could be acceptable if the quality were higher but it’s no better than Burger King. It’s a shame as with the unique experience of the park and zoo this could be the perfect family trip. Instead it’s the perfect example of corporate greed.Dear Simon, Thank you for taking the time to share your detailed feedback about your recent visit to Chessington World of Adventures. We value your input and appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns. Firstly, we are delighted to hear that you appreciate our efforts to cater to younger guests and offer a family-friendly experience. We understand your frustration with long queue times during peak seasons, and we would like to provide some insights into this issue. Guest preferences can vary widely, and it's not uncommon for certain rides to be particularly popular, leading to longer queue times. While we strive to provide an enjoyable experience for all guests, weekends and school holidays are typically busy times at theme parks, including Chessington. Queue times of 60 minutes or more are not unusual during peak seasons, but we continuously work to manage and minimize wait times. We do offer various attractions beyond rides, such as the SEALIFE Centre, shows, and zoo encounters, to provide guests with alternative entertainment options that do not require waiting in long queues and offer these in a higher frequency during peak times. Regarding ride closures, we understand your concerns. Ride availability can be impacted by various factors, including maintenance, safety checks, and unexpected technical issues. Our top priority is the safety of our guests and staff, and sometimes ride closures are necessary to ensure this safety. We strive to reopen rides as soon as possible and appreciate your understanding in this regard. We take your feedback about capacity into consideration, and our teams work diligently to monitor and manage queue lines to provide a balanced experience for all guests. We also cap the number of slots available for Reserve and Ride users to minimize waiting times for everyone. As for restaurant prices, we appreciate your feedback and will pass it along to our catering team for review. We aim to offer a range of dining options to accommodate various preferences and budgets, and we continuously evaluate our pricing to provide the best value to our guests and can confirm this is in line with other theme parks across the UK. We understand your desire for an optimal family trip, and we are committed to providing the best possible experience to our guests. We appreciate your feedback, and it helps us improve and refine our offerings. Thank you again for sharing your thoughts, and we hope you will consider visiting us again in the future to see the improvements we make based on your valuable feedback. Best Wishes, Annaleese Senior Resort Excellence Manager Chessington World of Adventures ResortWritten November 14, 2023This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited November 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten November 4, 2023
- Beverley W3 contributions8 out of 10 but would return!Chessington is an amazing place. The park itself and the rides are brilliant. A good share of rides for all ages. We had a fantastic time there and wouldn’t hesitate to go again. We have a few complaints though…. 1.We requested my sons birthday to be added to the birthday board when we booked online, asked at reception as we could see it wasn’t on the board, and was told this could be sorted but it wasn’t. 2.The evening meal at the Temple restaurant wasn’t the best. Awkward queuing system for the carvery. However, breakfast was superb in there, a totally different experience. Staff more attentive, pots cleared away quickly and a far better organised feel. 3.When we stripped the beds before we left, it was disappointing to see cheap plastic mattresses on the children’s beds and the mattress protector on the double bed was badly ripped and stained. The room was good but needs a ‘tidy up’. Few stains on the carpets, paint needs touching up, mould in the silicone in the bathroom. However, we would still 100% return.Dear Beverly, hank you for sharing your thoughts on your recent visit to Chessington World of Adventures. We're thrilled to hear that you found the park and rides to be amazing and had a fantastic time overall. Your positive feedback is greatly appreciated. We would like to extend our sincere apologies for the issues you encountered during your stay. Your feedback is invaluable as it helps us identify areas for improvement. We're sorry that the request to add your son's birthday to the birthday board was not fulfilled as expected. We understand how important such details are for creating special memories, and we'll strive to ensure better communication in the future. Regarding your dining experiences, we appreciate your feedback on both the Temple restaurant's evening meal and breakfast. We're pleased to hear that breakfast met your expectations, but we'll certainly look into the queuing system and other aspects of the evening meal to improve the overall dining experience. Your comments about the condition of the room are duly noted. We take cleanliness and maintenance seriously, and we apologize for any discrepancies you encountered. Our team will work diligently to address these issues and ensure a more pleasant stay for our guests. Despite these challenges, we are delighted to hear that you would still 100% return to Chessington. We value your support and hope to have the opportunity to provide you with an even better experience on your next visit. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any further concerns or suggestions. Best Wishes, Annaleese Senior Resort Excellence Manager Chessington World of Adventures ResortWritten November 14, 2023This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited November 2023Traveled with familyWritten November 5, 2023
- gaeleeLondon, United Kingdom9 contributionsRestaurant,lift and roomsWe stay for one night because of the break fast and swimming pool and I payed for 1 hour more because i think we running of time..they book us the swimming pool by 8:30am to 9:30 and the breakfast by 9:45 its too short about the time and my kiddos not even Enjoying the pool because of the short time we have. We live the pool by 9:00 am because we have to change for our clothes and here We go breakfast by 9:45 and there is no food left only sausage and the bake beans. By 10:25 the Chef top up the buffet and only bacon and hash brown , there is no egg at all imagine We waiting for so long to what food they top up and thats all by 10 :35 sausage and hash brown all the pastry finish at all by 9:45 since we came I asked the till lady where is the food. The restaurant staff look all tired full of mess all the tables, the restaurant staff i think they waiting for the 10:30 taking time to pick up all the food and the Restaurant team staff in the morning if you work about hospitality you need to communicate to the guest, greetings is Important and Talking to the guest is Important don ‘t ignore them at all. It’s better to order food in the bar it’s quick than in the restaurant in the night it’s crowded and busy. Room a bit old smelly toilet and carpet is dirty the elevator only one working and before we left from the 3rd floor the ground floor is not working so we use the stairs bringing all this bags. I hope all this problem solve so quickly.Dear Passport21129275575, Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. I'm sorry to hear that your recent stay at our resort did not meet your expectations, especially regarding the breakfast and swimming pool timings. I would like to clarify that our breakfast service is advertised to stop serving food at 10:30 AM, and the restaurant closes at 11:00 AM. However, I understand your concern about the availability of food items during your visit and the timing constraints you faced between the swimming pool and breakfast. We always aim to ensure that our guests have ample time to enjoy all the amenities we offer, and I apologize if this was not your experience. Regarding the breakfast buffet, we strive to keep all items stocked throughout the service period, and it's disappointing to hear that there was a shortage when you arrived. I will address this issue with our kitchen and restaurant teams to prevent such occurrences in the future. Your comments about the restaurant staff and the overall cleanliness and maintenance of the resort are also concerning. Providing a welcoming, clean, and efficient service is a priority for us, and it seems we have areas to improve. Rest assured, we will take your feedback seriously and work on enhancing our guest experience. The issues with the elevator and room conditions you mentioned are also noted. We are continuously working on maintaining and updating our facilities, and your feedback is instrumental in guiding these improvements. We truly value your feedback and hope to resolve these issues promptly. If you have any further comments or wish to discuss your experience in more detail, please do not hesitate to contact us. Thank you again for bringing these matters to our attention. We hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back for a more enjoyable and seamless experience in the future. Best Wishes, Annaleese Senior Resort Excellence Manager Chessington World of Adventures ResortWritten November 28, 2023This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited November 2023Traveled with familyWritten November 19, 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Neil Miller
Farnborough, UK2 contributions
Oct 2020 • Family
Had arranged to take my grand daughter to Chessington this weekend and gone on line to pre- book a slot for this Sunday. Unfortunately despite being a premium pass holder there were no available slots for this weekend or any other this weekend in October. Naturally disappointed but these things happen, however my daughter wanted to come with us and needed to pay for an admission ticket. To my anger there were available slots not only for this weekend but every weekend in October. This left me fuming so I have gone to phone the helpline this morning and twice got an automated message saying “Due to unprecedented volumes we are unable to take your call” Not to be deterred I managed to get through 2hrs later and promptly put on hold for 58 minutes!! Eventually getting to speak to an advisor I was told that all pass holder spaces were booked and only availability left for people paying for the day. How on earth can you sell premium passes for anytime, any day access and then say they are booked out for every weekend this month with only availability for people paying on the day!!
Chessington/Merlin this is a disgrace and after having had premium tickets for the last 12 years you will not see a penny out of me for a renewal again.
Shame on you greedy money grabbers with no principals😡😡😡
Chessington/Merlin this is a disgrace and after having had premium tickets for the last 12 years you will not see a penny out of me for a renewal again.
Shame on you greedy money grabbers with no principals😡😡😡
Written October 9, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear neilmiller46
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a TripAdvisor review following your recent visit to Chessington World of Adventures Resort. Please be assured that we have referred your feedback onto the relevant departments to review. We would like to discuss your feedback further, please contact us via feedback@chessington.co.uk and our Guest Services Team would be happy to help.
Kind Regards,
The Chessington World of Adventures Resort Team
Written October 17, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Charlie D
1 contribution
Aug 2020
Absolutely appalling!!!!
We spent £615 to stay in The Gruffalo Suite on 24th August, we only booked it a week earlier when our France was cancelled. When I booked I tried to book dinner times but it said this was unavailable and that I should call, I called every day, I emailed, and then when I got to check in at the hotel I explained my situation to the staff and they told me to go up to my room and call down to the restaurant! I was then on hold for 20 minutes, at this point I went back to reception and asked how on earth can I book a meal! At this point I was told there was no availability for dinner and I should have booked brekfast and there was no availability!!!!! Me, my husband and my three year old spent the day around Chessington after having no breakfast despite booking bed and breakfast.
I have to shout out to Sam the Reception Manager who was literally useless, he told me the hotel manager would give me a call, and I am still waiting for it!
How can you charge someone £615 for one night bed and breakfast and then not even give them breakfast.
The customer service we received throughout our whole trip was absolutely awful and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone!
We spent £615 to stay in The Gruffalo Suite on 24th August, we only booked it a week earlier when our France was cancelled. When I booked I tried to book dinner times but it said this was unavailable and that I should call, I called every day, I emailed, and then when I got to check in at the hotel I explained my situation to the staff and they told me to go up to my room and call down to the restaurant! I was then on hold for 20 minutes, at this point I went back to reception and asked how on earth can I book a meal! At this point I was told there was no availability for dinner and I should have booked brekfast and there was no availability!!!!! Me, my husband and my three year old spent the day around Chessington after having no breakfast despite booking bed and breakfast.
I have to shout out to Sam the Reception Manager who was literally useless, he told me the hotel manager would give me a call, and I am still waiting for it!
How can you charge someone £615 for one night bed and breakfast and then not even give them breakfast.
The customer service we received throughout our whole trip was absolutely awful and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone!
Written August 25, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear charliedF1553MC
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a TripAdvisor review following your recent visit to Chessington World of Adventures Resort. Please be assured that we have referred your feedback onto the relevant departments to review. We would like to discuss your feedback further, please contact us via feedback@chessington.co.uk and our Guest Services Team would be happy to help.
Kind Regards,
The Chessington World of Adventures Resort Team
Written August 27, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Joshua D
Aylesford, UK6 contributions
Aug 2020 • Family
This really is a fantastic park for families, with kids of all ages! Overall it has a fantastic ride offering, with some little kiddy rides and some older more intimating coasters which are perfect to start getting the little ones used to bigger rides!
We’ve visited a few times since the reopening after the lockdown at the start of this year, and we were really impressed overall! Queues weren’t outrageous, some reached an hour but you’d expect that given the social distancing and cleaning measures in place, but most weren’t too bad at all. Cleaning measures at the start were frequent and visible, unknown now whether it is still ongoing or not as haven’t been in a month or so, if the other parks are anything to go by they may be less frequent or gone completely!
Plenty of eating opens for families, snacks & drinks available. Also for those with young babies, potentially suffering with teething - should you forget any medicine you are able to get CALPOL for infants from the little guest services building around the corner from rattlesnake. Believe it was £4 for a box of sachets which is very similar to supermarket price and a god send should you forget or need medicine!
The zoo & sealife areas are cute to walk around with little ones too, and the animals are usually found to be in viewing distance rather than hidden away somewhere! And the tiger enclosure and log flume are a fantastic addition to the park!
Great for all ages, little ones and overall probably the best family day out you can get down south!
We’ve visited a few times since the reopening after the lockdown at the start of this year, and we were really impressed overall! Queues weren’t outrageous, some reached an hour but you’d expect that given the social distancing and cleaning measures in place, but most weren’t too bad at all. Cleaning measures at the start were frequent and visible, unknown now whether it is still ongoing or not as haven’t been in a month or so, if the other parks are anything to go by they may be less frequent or gone completely!
Plenty of eating opens for families, snacks & drinks available. Also for those with young babies, potentially suffering with teething - should you forget any medicine you are able to get CALPOL for infants from the little guest services building around the corner from rattlesnake. Believe it was £4 for a box of sachets which is very similar to supermarket price and a god send should you forget or need medicine!
The zoo & sealife areas are cute to walk around with little ones too, and the animals are usually found to be in viewing distance rather than hidden away somewhere! And the tiger enclosure and log flume are a fantastic addition to the park!
Great for all ages, little ones and overall probably the best family day out you can get down south!
Written August 22, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear JoshuaDraper96
Thank you so much for giving us a 5 Star review of your visit to us.
I am glad to hear that you loved your visit here at the Resort.
We hope to see you and your family again soon.
Best wishes
The Chessington World of Adventures Resort Team
Written August 27, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
DsC
Reading, UK23 contributions
Jan 2020 • Family
We went for a birthday treat for our Tiger loving son. It clearly says on all the advertising and tickets that you can see Tigers. After pre booking for 6 of us and driving an hour we arrived to discover you can't see the Tigers during the winter zoo days as they are in another part of the park.
After the initial disappointment we had an ok day in the zoo. Compared to a few years ago it is looking tired and shabby. The giraffes and zebras were a field away from the viewing platform so nobody could see them very well. The gorillas, sealions and penguins were definitely the highlight of the day.
After the initial disappointment we had an ok day in the zoo. Compared to a few years ago it is looking tired and shabby. The giraffes and zebras were a field away from the viewing platform so nobody could see them very well. The gorillas, sealions and penguins were definitely the highlight of the day.
Written January 24, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Debbie C
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a TripAdvisor review following your recent visit to Chessington World of Adventures Resort. We are sorry to hear your visit was effected by the views of the animals. You were not able to see the Tigers due to maintenance around the resort for our main season. Our other animals are free t oroam in and out of their houses so there is nothing we can do to ensure that they are outside at all times. We are sorry for any disappointment caused.
Please be assured that we have referred your feedback onto the relevant departments to review.
Kind Regards,
The Chessington World of Adventures Resort Team
Written February 23, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
P1996BTjax
Haverhill, UK481 contributions
Aug 2020
We stay for one or two nights every year at a merlin attraction and due to Covid this year we had to cancel our stay. This is in most part due to the appalling reviews we keep seeing and hearing from people to do with the unacceptably large number of people you are allowing in, the lack of facilities and rides open and the apparent lack of staff and care in ensuring peoples safety and social distancing (also due to a member of the group shielding with a serious health condition) If only you were as quick to respond to people attempting to contact you as you are at taking our money. Appalling customer service. We were told to call one number at 13p a minute to get another reference number. Then given another number to call at 13p a minute only to be told we didn’t need that number in the first place! You sent us a link to the terms and conditions that say that breaks cancelled with more than 7 day’s notice pay a £25 admin fee - fair enough. But you have charged us 25% of the break instead, apparently because you are allowed to change the terms and conditions? Centre parcs are currently operating at 30% capacity, you responded to someone on twitter saying chessington was at ‘approximately 60% capacity’ although all I am hearing is that there are as many people there now as this time last year and no car park spaces and with half the food places open etc. There are so many companies getting it right at this difficult time. Unfortunately you are not one of them.
Written August 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sam and Erin
Cheshire, UK154 contributions
Feb 2020 • Couples
We visited here for the first time on what was a miserable day. We visited for the zoo. Most of the enclosures are okay, but the cat and gorilla enclosures should be bigger. A lot of the animals were inside due to the bad weather, meaning we didn’t see many of them which was a shame. We were not told about the Tiger area being inaccessible, which was extremely disappointing. There were not many places to take shelter from the bad weather, so the Sea Life Centre got extremely busy, making it difficult to enjoy. The entrance price is cheaper at this time of year due to most of the theme park being closed. We will definitely be returning when the weather is better.
Written February 17, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Serin349
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a TripAdvisor review following your recent visit to Chessington World of Adventures Resort. We are sorry to hear your visit was effected by the weather and the views of the animals. We are sorry for any disappointment caused.
Please be assured that we have referred your feedback onto the relevant departments to review.
Kind Regards,
The Chessington World of Adventures Resort Team
Written March 3, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Anthony
4 contributions
Jul 2020 • Family
I am surprised at some of the good feedback, maybe these are paid for!! Not good. Booked room wasnt available, so got downgraded. Waited an hour and half for the room to be ready. Awful canteen style slop for £47 for 2 adults,1 child and a baby. No water available in park on hottest day of the year (you could of course queue for 40 mins in unshaded areas for a £4.75 slush thing). Overnight other guests, were keeping people awake ALL night. Hotel refused to deal with this. After a sleepless night, got to gates early to make the most of the bonus hour for hotel guests, with wrists bands on, and fast track tickets in hand and the was not allowed in, had to return to hotel to resolve and have a written confirmation of booking to access (this took 50 mins). During which time non hotel guests walked up to the ticket booth, bought on day tickets and walked straight in, before the advertised opening time. Social distancing clearly marked but not enforced by the teenagers running the park. Rides were cleaned every hour, hand santitiser is in place. However this is not worth the money we paid and it is just all about greed and them taking every penny. They dont care that you wont go back. I cant see how reviews can state that queue times due to less people are shorter- 75-90 mins was what we witnessed. 45 mins for the smaller rides. Even some rides were closed to fasttrack tickets.
Written August 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear AnthonysY2190NB,
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a TripAdvisor review following your recent visit to Chessington World of Adventures Resort.
Please be assured that we have referred your feedback onto the relevant departments to review. We would like to discuss your feedback further, please contact us via feedback@chessington.co.uk and our Guest Services Team would be happy to help.
Kind Regards,
The Chessington World of Adventures Resort Team
Written August 4, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Nichola V
Cardiff, UK32 contributions
Aug 2020 • Family
They’re letting far too many people in for the reduced capacity due to spacing / cleaning etc.
Signage isn’t great and quite confusing, so for example it tells you to stay in your car for a temperature check but no one does and they check at the gate.
I saw another review say that there was no hand sanitiser, we saw lots, everywhere we went.
Several rides broke down whilst we were queuing.
If you’re hoping it will be quieter than usual or less queuing, it’s really not. At least 70 minutes wait for the big rides and usually 30-50 mins for more child centric rides. We managed 4 rides on day one and 5 rides on day two with walking around to see animals in between too.
Food and drink is expensive (expected) so pack lots of snacks to hand out in queues to pass the time.
Signage about minimum heights isn’t as clear as it could be and it’s sometimes one adult to one child (we were two adults to three children) which meant we missed out on some of the rides the littlest was big enough to go on.
Saving grace for the break was our hotel room (one of the monkey rooms) the girls loved looking out to see the monkeys and we got them out of bed in their pyjamas when it was quiet to go down and look at them. That’s the happy memory I’ll take from this trip which was otherwise not great.
Signage isn’t great and quite confusing, so for example it tells you to stay in your car for a temperature check but no one does and they check at the gate.
I saw another review say that there was no hand sanitiser, we saw lots, everywhere we went.
Several rides broke down whilst we were queuing.
If you’re hoping it will be quieter than usual or less queuing, it’s really not. At least 70 minutes wait for the big rides and usually 30-50 mins for more child centric rides. We managed 4 rides on day one and 5 rides on day two with walking around to see animals in between too.
Food and drink is expensive (expected) so pack lots of snacks to hand out in queues to pass the time.
Signage about minimum heights isn’t as clear as it could be and it’s sometimes one adult to one child (we were two adults to three children) which meant we missed out on some of the rides the littlest was big enough to go on.
Saving grace for the break was our hotel room (one of the monkey rooms) the girls loved looking out to see the monkeys and we got them out of bed in their pyjamas when it was quiet to go down and look at them. That’s the happy memory I’ll take from this trip which was otherwise not great.
Written August 8, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear NicholaV_13
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a TripAdvisor review following your recent visit to Chessington World of Adventures Resort. Please be assured that we have referred your feedback onto the relevant departments to review. We would like to discuss your feedback further, please contact us via feedback@chessington.co.uk and our Guest Services Team would be happy to help.
Kind Regards,
The Chessington World of Adventures Resort Team
Written August 9, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Melanie S
1 contribution
Jun 2021
Last weekend I took my daughter and her friend to Chessington to do the Junior Zoo Keeper experience for her 10th birthday.
What an amazing day. We had our very own guide / zoo keeper Daisy who was absolutely fantastic, she was incredibly knowledgeable on all the animals and the park in itself.
What I liked was the girls didn't know what their timetable was, so each animal they visited was a surprise, as the schedule changes day by day.
They had experiences with the Pigs, Rabbit, Goats, Donkey, Mongoose, Meerkats, Skunks, Racoons, Monkeys, Otters and more...
I just want to say a massive thank you to Daisy, her expertise and overall manner with the girls really made us feel like VIPs.
After all of this we then managed to spend a brilliant afternoon in the park (which was within the price of the zoo keeper tickets)
I would highly recommend this.
What an amazing day. We had our very own guide / zoo keeper Daisy who was absolutely fantastic, she was incredibly knowledgeable on all the animals and the park in itself.
What I liked was the girls didn't know what their timetable was, so each animal they visited was a surprise, as the schedule changes day by day.
They had experiences with the Pigs, Rabbit, Goats, Donkey, Mongoose, Meerkats, Skunks, Racoons, Monkeys, Otters and more...
I just want to say a massive thank you to Daisy, her expertise and overall manner with the girls really made us feel like VIPs.
After all of this we then managed to spend a brilliant afternoon in the park (which was within the price of the zoo keeper tickets)
I would highly recommend this.
Written July 2, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Melanie ,
Thank you so much for giving us a 5 Star review of your visit to us.
We hope to see you and your family again soon.
Best wishes
George
The Chessington World of Adventures Resort Team
Written July 4, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Martin H
Tisbury, UK6 contributions
Aug 2020 • Family
Visited with the family on Thursday 20 August and agree with all the reviews. Horrendous experience in a park that has seen better days. Don't even know where to start...
The queues were crazy long, half of them closed and the entire place felt unloved with all of the areas needing a proper clean and refurbish.
We got there before 10 00am, inside around 11.30am and got on our first ride at 3.00pm as we just couldn't believe we would have to queue for 80-120 minutes for each ride. The resort says it's at 60% but with rides closed and with the length of queues it's overcrowded.
Ironically we decided to queue for 30 minutes to pay for fast track tickets which was the only way to try and avoid the lengthy queues and wasting the entire day.
Paying £4 to park on top of the £120 we paid to get in just added further insult and completed a terrible day. An utter waste of money and I heard so many others yesterday saying the same.
Merlin - you seriously need to invest in this place. Everything feels tired, nothing feels particularly cared for and even the zoo area is an embarrassment (the few animals we saw looked stressed).
Last word. You can ignore this review but just check the app today (21st) to get an idea of queue times today. Cobra is 120 minutes and various rides closed.
The queues were crazy long, half of them closed and the entire place felt unloved with all of the areas needing a proper clean and refurbish.
We got there before 10 00am, inside around 11.30am and got on our first ride at 3.00pm as we just couldn't believe we would have to queue for 80-120 minutes for each ride. The resort says it's at 60% but with rides closed and with the length of queues it's overcrowded.
Ironically we decided to queue for 30 minutes to pay for fast track tickets which was the only way to try and avoid the lengthy queues and wasting the entire day.
Paying £4 to park on top of the £120 we paid to get in just added further insult and completed a terrible day. An utter waste of money and I heard so many others yesterday saying the same.
Merlin - you seriously need to invest in this place. Everything feels tired, nothing feels particularly cared for and even the zoo area is an embarrassment (the few animals we saw looked stressed).
Last word. You can ignore this review but just check the app today (21st) to get an idea of queue times today. Cobra is 120 minutes and various rides closed.
Written August 21, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear X7177TNmartinh
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a TripAdvisor review following your recent visit to Chessington World of Adventures Resort. Please be assured that we have referred your feedback onto the relevant departments to review. We would like to discuss your feedback further, please contact us via feedback@chessington.co.uk and our Guest Services Team would be happy to help.
Kind Regards,
The Chessington World of Adventures Resort Team
Written August 27, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
If we are staying over and have park tickets for 2 days. Can we eat at the hotel restaurant for the second day before leaving for home when park closes at 6pm?
Written July 20, 2024
I’m sure You can , just book in advance as we checked out and still had a drink in bar around 5 pm the next day
Written July 22, 2024
Are there any usb stocket in the room also any tea and coffee facilities in the room please
Written May 15, 2024
Yes there are both USB sockets and tea and coffee facilities in the room. We stayed in a standard room.
Written July 21, 2024
We are due to stay in the hotel soon, but the restaurant prices are putting us off as 4 of us would be costly. Has anyone driven off site and then returned later on in the evening? Is this even allowed. Can't seem to find the answer on their website.
Written April 27, 2024
Yes that’s fine. Although there is a pub within walking distance called the Monkey Puzzle if you don’t want to drive.
Written April 27, 2024
The alton hotel had an Xbox in the bedroom which would be handing for the evenings.
Written November 17, 2023
We're thinking of taking our little one to Chessington's Winter's Tail on 22nd December. Is it essential to pre-book for the days just before Christmas? Do you have to book a time slot to see Santa or is it a case of just turning up and queuing? Thank you!
Written October 4, 2023
Is the Sea Life Centre open on weekdays during Halloween half-term week?
Written October 2, 2023
Pretty sure it's open all the time. We went during the week last half term and it was open.
Written October 3, 2023
Where do I park for disabled parking ? Is it in the hotel parking bit ?
Written August 23, 2023
There’s always disabled spaces by the front in the car parks.
Hotel has disabled parking and not far from the front of entrance.
Normal car park at front also.
Written August 24, 2023
CWOAR Hotel Reservations Team
Chessington, United Kingdom
No child or children under the age of 12 will be admitted to the Attraction unless they are accompanied by an adult aged 18 years or over and such child or children whilst on site must remain under the control or supervision of an adult at all times.
Full terms and conditions can be found on our website.
Written August 26, 2023
We have booked an overnight stay with the kids. What are the available options to do after the them park is closed at 5 pm?
Written July 25, 2023
There is a Rangers Club on usually from around 6pm that involves games, dancing and sometimes a quiz.
The Waynama area is accessible for hotel guests once the park has closed which you can walk into via the Zufari bar. There’s a playground, the meerkats and the viewing platform to see the zebras, ostrich, cattle, antelope etc if they are out. Giraffe feeding is usually an extra cost.
Definitely make sure you book the pool to avoid disappointment
Written July 26, 2023
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