Visiting Chessington on the Hottest Day Ever
Meet the Creator
Portsmouth
Our Arrival & First Impressions
We've been to Chessington many times before but on this visit it was as clean and welcoming as it has always been on our trips. Parking attendants were helpful pointing us to the nearest one, we always try and guess which animal car park we're going to be in. This time as it was an INSET day, we were in one of the closer car parks which meant we didn't have to park on the mud. This wouldn't have been a problem on this day though as it was so hot the mud would have been hard.
Activities Breakdown
For the last couple of years, our children have been on opposite ends of the ride scale. Our son was too small to go on the faster rides but our daughter loved a thrill.
This year our son was 120cm which meant there were a lot more thrill rides he could go on, which also meant he had his first proper try on a rollercoaster! He loved it.
As it was an INSET day, we were able to go on more of the thrill rides, but because it was term time, Paw Patrol had a lot of preschoolers in it and that was hectic. We tried a couple just to say we'd visited, but our 5 year old is coming to the end of his Paw Patrol excitement so we weren't too phased by that. It was more us and his older sister who thought it was really cool.
Something to consider when you go though, Paw Patrol is obviously a big draw for the smaller children, so don't expect it to be quiet in term time.
They had a meet and greet for Paw Patrol and Gruffalo, but our son was less keen on this now so we used that time for another ride.
Also, having Paulton's Park and Pepper Pig World close to us, it's not quite has big as Pepper Pig World. It's definitely a bonus that it's there, just like the Gruffalo and Room on a Broom attractions.
Our favourite was Mandrill Mayhem. We went in half term previously but I bought us a fast pass for that ride as it was the only thing we couldn't get on in under an hour at that point. On this INSET day, we did't queue for more than 30 min on most rides except the Paw Patrol ones that were 45 min plus.
A bit sad that they didn't have the shows during term time. We usually like to find a bench nearby and eat our picnic whilst watching them.
- 1
Mandrill Mayhem
Perfect for big and just tall enough thrill seekers - 2
Vampire Ride
My 5 year old's first rollercoaster and he loved it. Perfect introduction to thrillseeking and a classic for anyone that has been there in the last 20 years. - 3
Room on the Broom
A great one for getting out of the sun and chilling. The walk through attraction tells the Julia Donaldson story with some great magic inside.
Food & Drink
We took a picnic with us. There are lockers available, although quite a few were out of action on the day. However there were lots of options available from pizza and burgers to ice creams and doughnuts.
It was the first time we'd visited without a pushchair for storage and actually found taking our backpack picnic bag wasn't too ownerous.
Money-Saving Tip
Take your own picnic and picnic blanket. Picnic benches and tables can be hard to come by in the busy months, and aren't always in the shade. There are a fair few grassy spots in shade, particularly near the Room on a Broom and Aquarium so it's handy to just plonk a blanket down. We also found that helpful when our son was younger as it meant he had some crawling space rather than strapped into the buggy or highchair.
Pros & Cons Summary
What We Loved
Love the variety available for different age groups- Love the Julia Donaldson and Paw Patrol attractions
- Love there are some animal exhibits and aquarium as part of the package
Could Be Better
More picnic areas under cover
Overall Verdict & Ratings
It was pretty clean throughout minus the odd popcorn spillage that hadn't been cleaned up yet. Make sure you don't wear white on the rides though.
It wouldn't been 5 for rides and entertainment if the shows had been on during the day.
I've put 4 because there are lots of options available, however, we wanted to save money by bringing a picnic. If it was cheaper for a family of 4 or Merlin brought back the all you can eat buffet vouchers you could buy in advance it might be higher.
Again 4 as the queues were mainly under 30 minutes on a hot sunny day. But it was term time, and in May half term last year it would've been closer to a 1 or 2. If I was going just for Paw Patrol, it may have been closer to 2.
We had a great day, lots for us all to enjoy with good spots to chill and take a moment out of the sun if needed.
We managed to get a reduced ticket through our Sky TV package, so there are lots of options to get reduced entry. If it was full price and we had paid for food inside then it would have been lower. But once you've paid for entry, you can save the pennies where you need to. Just stay away from the gift shops.
The Final Verdict:
We've been to Chessington quite a few times and I'm sure we'll be back. It was a staple in our childhood so I'm glad we can share with our children.
"Lots of fun for all ages."Jodie Anthony
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