Good young family entertainment - at a price! (Chessington World of Adventures)

Member Name: crispybacon

Product:	Chessington World of Adventures
Date:	15/02/09 (80 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Lots of rides and entertainment for younger ones

Disadvantages: Price, onsite catering

Took the kids to Chessington last year as we had got some vouchers meaning we had got a family deal for effectively half price.

We turned up relatively early as we had been burned from experiences at other theme parks where we've had a massive wait before we even got in. This was not the case at Chessington and they seemed pretty organised at the gates with clear signs as to where you should go depending on your ticket option.

Being prepared we had already 'planned' our visit to Chessington and knew what we wanted to go to first on the map! We went mid week during the summer holidays so the queues weren't that bad (about 40 minutes for the busiest rides). The different 'zones' were well sign posted and you could easily find your way around. It also wasn't a massive park so you weren't exhausted going from one zone to the next.

Some of the rides were quite fun though it seemed to miss some of the real heart thumping adult rides you get at other theme parks though Chessington is more focused on families with younger children which is nice as there is way more for them to do.

Unfortunately the experience is let down on a couple of things. First some zones of this park are VERY tired (Beanoland for example). The food outlets are also COMPLETE RIPOFFS. You're restricted to a few fast food outlets with very little alternative seating areas to sit down if you were smart enough to bring your own food. We spent as much on food as we had on the tickets (and only did so as we had got a deal). As others have mentioned there are also 'street show' type entertainment who fleece you of your money and are in your face the entire time you are walking around, especially in the evenings.

In summary a nice theme park to take a young family as there are far more rides they can get on but it would NOT IMO be worth paying full price for EVER. If you can get a deal in the daily papers or Lastminute dot com then go for it and remember to take your own food if you don't want to be ripped off as a captured audience!

Summary: Good day out, but only if you have got a deal