Review Of Chessington World Of Adventures (+ Tips & Advice)
Seeking an up to date review of Chessington World of Adventures? Wondering what age group is Chessington best for? Or perhaps on the hunt for some savvy money-saving tips for your trip? Is the Reserve and Ride at Chessington worth it?
We made a recent trip to Chessington World of Adventures Resort and based on our experience, we aim to address these queries and more to enhance your trip-planning experience.
Here’s our unfiltered account of our day at Chessington. All perspectives are solely our own – covering the highs, the lows, and everything in between!
In this post we’ll aim to answer the most common questions above about visiting Chessington as well as – ‘is Chessington worth visiting?’ and ‘how bad are queues at Chessington?’.
Please note, this article includes affiliate links, which may earn us a small commission if you make a purchase, without any additional cost to you.
Review of Chessington World of Adventures
Our children love theme parks so we treated them to a day out at Chessington during the summer holidays.
We had a great day but we realised from this trip that there were things we could have done better with better planning and knowledge.
Here’s our Chessington guide, complete with insights on deals, planning, and ensuring an unforgettable experience.
Don’t miss the “Top Tips for Visiting Chessington” section towards the end!
And here’s a photo of one of our rollercoaster rides, just to prove I went the extra mile and tested the rides for this Chessington review :)
Location & Accessibility of Chessington World of Adventures
Situated in Surrey, the exact address for the resort is Chessington, Surrey, KT9 2NE.
Chessington is conveniently reachable by both train and car and is an easy day out from London with kids.
If you are on holiday and staying nearby, here are some popular nearby attractions:
Thorpe Park
Legoland
Richmond Park
Hobbledown Adventure Farm Park and Zoo
Hampton Court Palace
RHS Wisely
If you are staying in London, take a look at our recommendations on things to do in London with kids.
Getting to Chessington: Your Options
By Car: Only two miles from the M25 (either junction 9 or 10). Remember the postal code KT9 2NE for GPS. Parking is ample and varied, with prices fluctuating between weekdays and weekends. Pay for your parking in advance here.
By Train: South Western Railway offers regular services from main hubs, with the journey from Waterloo taking roughly 35 minutes. Chessington South station accepts Oyster cards and is a brisk 10-minute walk to the park.
By Bus: Several routes lead to Chessington, including the 465, 71, and 467 buses.
Aim to arrive as the gates open, and be prepared for a security bag check.
Ticketing and Deals at Chessington
Various ticketing options are available through Chessington’s official website, including advance booking deals and overnight packages. On-the-day purchases are an option but can be pricier.
For frequent visitors, Chessington offers annual passes. Those keen on broader access might consider the Merlin Annual Pass, covering multiple attractions like Thorpe Park, Legoland Windsor, Alton Towers, and Warwick Castle.
Occasionally, deals from brands like Kelloggs and National Rail provide alternatives to regular pricing. Be aware, however, that these so-called ‘deals’ often work out the same price as booking in advance direct with Chessington.
Chessington also runs offers through the year. There is currently a mid-week (Tues to Thurs) promotion until the end of the year with 40% off. Book tickets here.
You can take a look at using your Tesco Clubcard points if you have enough. £0.50 in vouchers gets you £1.00 to spend towards Chessington tickets.
Planning Your Chessington Adventure
The Chessington App: A must-have for real-time updates, ride information, reservations, and more. Ensure your phone is charged; you wouldn’t want to miss any app-based perks or photo opportunities. You’ll also need to use your phone for Reserve & Ride if you have purchased it.
Ride Highlights: Chessington offers 40+ attractions catering to various age groups. Height often determines ride accessibility, with 1.2m being a common threshold. The more sedate zoo and SEA Life sections offer a refreshing change from the thrill rides. Don’t miss Tiger Rock in Wild Asia. The ride and surrounding scenery is so pretty!
Chessington Map: Familiarize yourself with the layout, locate your preferred attractions, and devise a flexible strategy.
Chessington for younger kids
People have asked us what is a good age to visit Chessington.
The great thing about Chessington is that it is suitable for all ages. There are rides for babies, toddlers, tween thrillseekers, teens and adults.
The majority of the rides at Chessington are aimed at children 1.2m and above, but there are still lots of rides for young children at Chessington.
If you yourself don’t enjoy the bigger rollercoasters, there are also lots of lovely calmer rides, including my favourite – Tiger Rock.
Buggy rentals are available, which can be a boon to save your little ones’ energy as you will do a lot of walking in a day.
Is Reserve & Ride at Chessington worth it?
Reserve & Ride at Chessington is a paid service that can drastically reduce wait times, especially during peak hours.
While it’s an added expense, it can significantly enhance the overall experience, particularly during busier times.
You use it by ‘booking’ your place in a virtual queue. Say, for example, the queue time is 60 minutes. You can go off and do other stuff in that time and come back when it’s your turn.
We saw queue times of over 95 minutes for some rides (Dragon’s Fury – looking at you!).
This would have, quite frankly, been a disaster for our kids. Bear in mind it was also 28 degrees when we visited.
Note: Mandrill Mayhem in World of Jumanji had the longest wait times of all of the rides as it is one of the newest and best rides at Chessington.
We honestly think that you just need to bite the bullet and pay for Reserve and Ride if you can, especially during the school holidays.
There are different levels of Reserve and Ride at Chessington. The cheapest starts at around £20 per person.
- Reserve & Ride Regular – just saves your spot in a virtual queue. Come back when your turn is ready
- Reserve & Ride Express – reduces your wait time by 50%.
- Reserve & Ride Ultimate – fastest access to rides with minimal wait time.
One thing to note about Reserve & Ride is that there is usually a separate queue. Sometimes it is not obvious where the entrance for the Reserve & Ride queue is. Make sure you are in the correct queue, otherwise you will end up waiting the full wait time!
Read more about Reserve & Ride here.
Choosing the Right Time to visit Chessington
Chessington World of Adventures is an incredibly popular theme park and can get very busy.
Our advice for visiting Chessington would be to arrive as soon as the gates open (or earlier to get in the queue).
The rides are far less busy first thing in the morning.
Try to visit on weekdays outside of school holidays if you can.
There are special events through the year. If you’re looking for festive days out, take a look at Chessington at Christmas (Winter’s Tail).
They even have family Christmas breaks.
Looking to visit Father Christmas this year? There is a Santa’s Grotto at Chessington.
If you are close to London, take a look at all of the places you can see Santa in London this year.
They also have some Halloween fun for half term (Howl’o’ween). If you’re looking for other ideas for October half term, take a look at these fun special train rides for Halloween.
Chessington Accommodation Options
On-site accommodations include hotels with themed rooms and a glamping experience. Why not take a short break at Chessington and get early access to the park in the morning.
For those preferring to stay outside, several partner hotels are available within a 15-mile radius.
Food and Beverage at Chessington
The resort offers a whole host of dining options. While some restaurants may underwhelm, the street food stalls stand out for quality.
By the way, these stalls aren’t on the Chessington Map so keep an eye out for them earlier in the day so you know when to come back to at meal times.
See here for a list of all of the restaurants and cafés at Chessington.
For hydration, especially during hotter days, consider purchasing Chessington’s refillable cup, which offers value and convenience.
We paid £15.00 and shared the cup between the 4 of us and re-filled it many times.
You can also get water refills from the refill stations. Towards the end of the day we did find that the filling stations were out of ice.
If that happens, it is best to head to a food outlet and ask for some, or try their machines.
If you’re visiting on a hot day, you’ll be pleased to know that there are lots of ice cream vendors around the park.
Essential Tips for Chessington
Chessington App: Download and store your tickets digitally.
Arrival: Aim to arrive just before opening time.
Dress Smart: Opt for comfy shoes and bright clothes for kids for easier spotting.
Phone: Keep it charged.
Reserve & Ride: Book Reserve & Ride in advance and ensure you’re in the correct queue!
Spare change: Have some change with you in case you want to do the ‘extra’ fairground type stalls to win toys
We hope our review of Chessington World of Adventures helpful. Feel free to reach out with any queries or feedback.
Enjoy your visit!
