A good mix of thrill and chill! (Chessington World of Adventures)

Member Name: magenta23

Product:	Chessington World of Adventures
Date:	26/04/09 (307 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Zoo, Sealife Centre and some great rides.

Disadvantages: Give the big animals new houses please!

I don't live too far away from Chesssington so used to visit Chessington World of Adventures a lot as a kid and a teenager. Thorpe park is also near by, Chessington's sister park and member of the Tussaud's group. When I was growing up Chessington was the cool one to go to which had all the scary rides and Thorpe Park was more for the little ones. Gradually over the last few years Tussaud's have been changing this around, introducing some truly terrifying rollercoasters such as Saw and Stealth to Thorpe Park and even moving some of Chessington's bigger rides like Samurai over there.
Chessington now has the 'family' focus and Thorpe Park for the thrillseekers. Chessington seems to have gone back to it's roots making a lot more of the zoo, which it was originally of course, but got smaller and smaller as the rides got bigger and bigger. I went along to make the most of the sun this week to see if the new look chilled out 'CWOA' works.

Firstly, the other thing that has changed for these theme parks is the admission prices. I remember thinking it was a lot of pocket money to get in when it was about £17 entry fee when I was a kid. £33 for an adult and £22 for children under 12 I think is steep. (Kids under 1m tall get in free however.) A lot of places have 2 for 1 promotions on for admission to these parks, so if you are thinking of visitng have a look around to see if you can get a deal. I got some 2 for 1 admission tickets from WHsmith when I did some shopping so we used those. With discount, £16.50 isn't too bad I guess considering, once you are in rides are free however many times you wish to go on them. I also noticed you can get reduced entry if you by tickets in advance online. Then you would pay £23 per adult or £16 per 'young adventurer'. Still better off with a 2 for 1 but failing that this is worth knowing!

The design of the park is how it always uaed to be, and is the same with most parks. You are given a map at the admission desk and the park is divided into themed 'lands.' Each of these lands contains rides, eating places and shops. They are as follows -

BEANOLAND
Obviously based on the famous comic, this part is set out really well. It just like walking into a comic with even the benches painted in red and black stripes! Watch your step here as there water pistols are fountains all over the place ready to get you wet! The rides are fairground rides. Some smaller rides for the little ones such as the Bash Street Bus and Billy's Whizzer, which is those spinning chairs you get at the fairground. The highlight of this land is Roger's Dodgems. We went on these 3 times, I don't think you can ever get tired of dodgems! Also here is a little cafe for mum's to have a break!

FORBIDDEN KINGDOM
Here is the mighty Rameses Revenge, Chessington's most scary ride which I'm pleased is still here. It spins you round and round really fast basically! Not one if you are of a nervous dispositition but good fun!

The other ride here is Tomb Blaster. I remember this ride from before when it was called Terror Tomb and was like Ghost Train telling a story of an explorer going through Egypt to find treasure. The basic ride is the same, but they've lost the voice over and instead made in interactive. You sit in a train are a given a laser gun. As you go round you shoot tiny little lights which are all iver the models are the train moves through. Points are awarded for each one you hit and you score is displayed in front
of your seat. I thought this was a great way of giving an old ride a new lease of life.

Also in the Foridden Kingdom is a Fried Chicken shop where you can eat while watching people being flung around on Rameses!

LAND OF THE DRAGONS
Lots here for the little ones. There's the Dragon's Tale Theatre which has show on to entertain the kids. Canopy Capers where they can walk though an enchanted forest and Dragons Playhouse which is a soft play centre.

The big ride in this part is Dragon's Fury, I think one of the best in the park. It's a classic rollercoater, but the twist is the cars you ride in spin and the spin is determined by the weight distibution in the car. A really fun ride, if a little short!

MARKET SQUARE
This is the central bit of the park where you'll find most of the eateries. shops and amusement arcade. Most places to eat are still fast and unhealthy though they are trying to make things more varied with one cafe focusing on salads and paninis. There's The Griffin Inn, which serves pub grub and the new Pasta Pizza where we ate.

Food is expensive at Chessington. We stopped of for donuts and coffee in the morning which set us back £8! This Pizza Pasta place they were really plugging and seemed like a good deal, £7.95 per person for unlimited pizza, pasta, salad and drinks. We had quite a late lunch, about 3pm and the pasta was very much past it's best. The pizza was still being topped up with fresh batches and though not overly exciting was warm and tasty and not too stodgy. The salad bar was good, fresh and appetising with some lovely dressings to choose from. I think we chose well for food.

Also located in the Market Square, is the entrance to Safari Skyway, a monorail which takes you all around the park from a birds eye view. A good way to get your bearings and see some of the animals that are hiding but you also see a lot of the behind the scenes stuff from her which isn't so pretty.

MEXICANA
By far the best ride here is the Rattlesnake. A tame but high rollercoaster that has jolty sharp corners and sudden dips. Good fun.

Also here is the Runaway Train a small rollercoaster for the little ones.

MYSTIC EAST
Featuring everyone's favourite theme park ride for a sunny day, the log flume. Chessington's is called Dragon Falls and has one small and one large drop. Gets you very wet, especaily if there's lots of you in the boat.

Not much else in this land, a very slow ferris wheel, that I didn't see anyone going on and a few fast food places.

PIRATES COVE
As the name suggests, a pirate themed land. Seastorm is a cute little ride for the smaller ones (and big kids like us), bascially just a little merry go round with boats but it makes you a bit dizzy! Also here is the Black Buccaneer, one of those terrible big boats which just swing back and forth and makes you tummy go funny! Fish and chips also here if you're hungry.

TOYTOWN
We didn't ponder here too long as we are a little big for the majority of these rides. An area for the little ones done up in pastel colours and really feels like you've just walked into a childrens' book. There's a pink elephant ride here and a carosel.
Can't really give you a review on the rides as we weren't allowed on because we were too big!

TRANSYLVANIA
My favourite part. Features two of Chessington's best and most popular rides, Professor Burp's Bubbleworks and the Vampire.

I remember the Bubble works from when I came here when I was very small and it's still as good. If any of you have visited Disneyworld and know the 'It's a small world' ride, Bubblework's is in a similar vain. You go round in a boat and see all sorts of funny and loveable characters in soap themed scenes! The fabulous finale to the ride is a water fountain bonanza with strobe lighting and lots of bubbles! You will get wet and you will want to do it all over again!

The Vampire is my absolute favourite. A rollercaoster through the woods and around the Transylvania land, supended so you fly all over the place with your legs dangling! (No flip flops!) Exilerating and really good fun!

Here also is the Vampire themed Burger King and gift shop.


THE ZOO & SEALIFE CENTRE
Of course as I mentioned in addition to the theme park side of things, Chessington also has improved it's Zoo, with the addition of it's new Sealife Centre. This was the part of the park I was most impressed with. We did most of the zoo first. The Sealife Centre is on the right as you first enter the park so I think most people make this their first stop.

SEALIFE CENTRE- From the outside and even from the Safari Skyway, this doesn't look that impressive, more like a shed painted white. It's deceptive, and inside is really impressive. Smaller than othe Sealife Centres I've visited but has all the favourites.

Small Tanks at the start house clown fish, crabs, seahorses and jellyfish. Further in is a favourite of all Sealife Centres, the ray tank where you can get really close to the fish.

I was suprised that this small centre house an imprssive lage tank at the end where you can walk through, seeing the sharks and bigger fish swimming around you. Great fun and all included in the entrance fee. It seemed a real hit with everyone there.

The rest of the Zoo is split into areas as follows -

CHILDRENS ZOO-A favourite even with the biggest of kids. Not huge, more just like a big run housing goats, 2 pigs, rabbits and guinea pigs. A sleepy barn owl is housed in a cage at the back. Not sure if he was too happy about being housed in one of the noisier areas of the park. I was upset when Thorpe Park closed it's farm a few years back, and this was a real highlight of the place for me. When visitng Chessington, hearing they were making it more family firendly, I was hoping the animals may have moved over here, but apparently not as the Children's zoo is tiny. Hopefully they'll address this part next year.

PENGUIN COVE -Fairly self explanitory really! Cute Humbolt Penguins! Presentations on the Penguins are done twice a day.

MONKEY AND BIRD GARDEN- A real highlight and a must do. I love my parrots anyway so always make a beeline for them. They were a little sleepy still as it was quite early when we visited. Two Scarlet Macaws were cuddled up in a corner but a cheeky Cockatoo came over for a chat! The best bit about this part is the Squirrel Monkey walkthough. If you've been to London Zoo and done theirs, this is better. The paths are much closer to the monkeys and they are so cheeky you really can get very close and they are so cute! We got some great pictures and you must do this bit if you visit for the ultimate cute factor!

CREATURE FEATURES- Features some real favourites and highly cute residents. Cabybara, Ferrets, Wallabys and two very cheeky Rhea (mind your handbag!) are slighlty upstaged as always by the Meerkats. Cute as ever we sat and watched them for ages!

CREEPY CAVES- Much as I like lizards and snakes etc I just couldn't go in here as I knew it housed Turantulas and I just couldn't do it. Sorry!

SEALION BAY- Unfortunatley the sealions were feeling a bit under the waether and so no presentation were being done the day we visited. Let's hope they feel better soon.

TRAIL OF THE KINGS- The show stopping animals all features here - Lion, Tigers, Lepopards, Fossa (they actaully exist I'd not heard of this animal before Madagascar!)..and my favourite the Gorillas.

The big Cats were all flaked out sun bathing the day we visited, but we got a good look at the big Silverback Gorilla who had just been fed. Although the viewing for the public was good, and you could see the animals from wherever you were, I did feel that compared to some other zoos I visited they didn't have very much room.

I think if Chessington is going to get more into the Zoo side again it needs to show it's not going to expand at the animals expense. I'd rather see fewer happy animals than lots of unhappy ones.


Overall I had a great day out at Chessington. As you may know from previous reviews I don't drive and it's very easy to get to by public transport. Cherssington South station is just down the road and there are regular buses from Kingston and Surbiton.

The price although I felt was very steep when I arrived, I think is fair. For one entry fee you get a theme park, zoo and Sealife Centre.

We visited on term time weekday and didn't have to queue for anything. We got round everything at least once. On busy days it can be a nightmare queing for hours on end so I cannot stress how much I advise going off peak if at all possible!

It should get five stars, but I'm going to deduct one for small areas the bigger animals had to explore.

Summary: A great day out for little ones, families and big kids like me!