Chessington World of Adventures Resort in Surrey has over 40 rides and attractions and over 1,000 incredible animals. The park is billed as Britain’s Wildest Adventure with a wide range of animals in the resort’s zoo and Sealife centre. There is plenty of on-site accommodation to choose from with two hotels and Explorer Glamping.
Britain’s Wildest Adventure
Chessington World of Adventures Resort consists of themed areas loosely styled on a range of world cultures. John Wardley had a huge influence on the theming and attractions at both Chessington World of Adventures and its sister parks Thorpe Park and Alton Towers.
Chessington World of Adventures Resort – Croc Drop
What is it?
Chessington World of Adventure Resort includes a Theme Park, Zoo & SEA LIFE centre. In addition to this, there is also High Ropes, on-site accommodation and more. The video below gives an insight into what’s on offer.
Roller Coasters
Located in the Mexicana section of the park is The rattlesnake roller coaster which is themed around an old Mexican tin mine. The roller coaster snakes its way through sharp turns, inclines and sudden dips.
Chessington World of Adventures Resort – Rattlesnake
Mandrill Mayhem
Mandrill Mayhem sweeps up riders in the long arms of a mandrill, as the horde whisks adventurers around the sites of Jumanji, dodging the hazards of the jungle. Spiralling to the summit of the 55ft tall Jaguar Shrine, riders can catch a glimpse of the Jaguar’s Eye Jewel before falling and braving the adventure again… backwards.
Mandrill Mayhem – Chessington World of Adventures
The Vampire
Located in the Wild Woods (formerly Transylvania) section of the theme park is The Vampire roller coaster. With a height restriction of only 1.1 metres, this roller coaster is perfect for all ages. The Vampire is an inverted roller coaster ride that flies over the village and treetops with your legs dangling below you. This section of the Theme Park also plays host to The Gruffalo River Ride Adventure.
Vampire – Chessington World of Adventures
Dragons Fury
Dragons Fury is a spinning roller coaster ride located in Land of the Dragons. Other attractions in this section of the park include Canopy Capers, Sea Dragons, Dragon’s Playhouse and Griffin’s Galleon.
Chessington World of Adventures Resort – Dragons Fury Horseshoe Turn
Zufari
ZUFARI – Ride into Africa! is a theme park adventure and Safari combined. On this adventure ride, you will come face to face with wonderful African animals such as White Rhino, Giraffe and Grevy’s Zebra. Embark on a thrilling off-road truck journey and watch out for unexpected dangers.
A Wild Adventure
Ride through the Ancient Egyptian labyrinth armed with a laser gun to shoot mummies and scarab beetles on the Tomb Blaster ride in the Forbidden Kingdom.
Adventure Point is home to Adventure Tree Carousel and Tiny Truckers.
Enjoy an adventurous cruise through the winding rivers, dips and gentle rapids of the Mystic East on the Tiger Rock log flume. Watch for the 4 majestic Amur tigers before the ride climaxes with a drop into the falls.
Land of the Tiger at Chessington World of Adventures
Wild Asia
In the Wild Asia section of the park there are a number of attractions with the highlight being Kobra, a spinning ride that travels backwards and forwards through the air. The ride reaches speeds of 43mph as it travels along the 90-metre track. Other attractions located in this section of the theme park are Monkey Swinger, Jungle Bus, Tuk Tuk Turmoil dodgems and Temple of Mayhem.
Chessington Zoo
Also located at Chessington World of Adventures Resort is Chessington Zoo which houses over 1000 animals including Lions, Tigers, and Giraffes.
Chessingon World of Adventures – Wanyama View
SEA LIFE
Sea Life at Chessington World of Adventures Resort is a scaled-down version of a Sea Life Centre featuring sharks, spotted rays, seahorses and starfish. The spectacular ocean walk-through tunnel gives you the opportunity to experience life under the sea without getting wet.
Whatever your tastes, there is something to suit every palette from simple pizza and pasta to oriental and Mexican dishes at Chessington World of Adventures Resort.
Collectable Pop Badges
One of the unique offers at Chessington World of Adventures is the opportunity for children to collect a wild range of free pop badges during their visit. Free badges are available in children’s meals from the restaurants throughout the Resort. If you visit on your birthday then head over to Guest Help & Information for an exclusive birthday badge. During special events, badges relating to the event are often given away.
Once you have collected a few badges, you can swap with staff members if you see a badge that you would prefer. Throughout the season new badges are released and some of the staff members have exclusive badges so keep your eyes peeled.
Chessington World of Adventures Resort Hotels
Go on a quest to find some treasure at the Azteca Hotel. At the Safari Hotel travel into the African Savannah or go on the wildest of adventures in the great outdoors at Explorer Glamping. Both hotels provide guests with access to the indoor swimming pool, savannah splash pool and gym.
Chessington World of Adventures Resort – Resort Hotels
Chessington World of Adventures Resort Tickets
Purchase your tickets in advance from the Official Website to save time queuing at the entrance to the park and also saving on the full-price admission. View our Chessington World of Adventures Resort Special Offers Page for the best discounts on your Tickets and Accommodation.
Make Big Savings on your Chessington Tickets when you purchase them from Love to Visit.
Offers are regularly available for Chessington World of Adventures Resort. Offers range from free tickets, 2-4-1 Entry, discount accommodation and many more. Click Here to view all Chessington World of Adventures Offers.
Travelling to Chessington World of Adventures Resort
Chessington World of Adventures Resort is on the A243, just two miles from the A3 and M25 (junction 9 or 10). The attraction is well signposted.
Travelling by Train
The nearest train station to Chessington World of Adventures Resort is Chessington South Station, which is approximately a 10 minutes walk. Chessington is within 35 minutes of central London and regular South West Train services run from Waterloo, Clapham Junction and Wimbledon.
Chessington South station is located within Zone 6 of the London Travel zones and accepts Oyster cards. Search for your train tickets using Raileasy.
Nearby Accommodation
There are lots of places to stay in Surrey and the surrounding areas. Chessington World of Adventures Resort offers on-site accommodation. If you only planning on visiting the park for one day and would like to explore some of the other attractions in the area then take a look at some of the wonderful self-catering cottages available from Snaptrip.
If you prefer to stay in a hotel, we recommend Hotels.com or Travelodge are always a good option for budget hotel accommodation.
Experience the world’s only Jumanji-themed rollercoaster at Chessington World of Adventures Resort. Mandrill Mayhem at Chessington World of Adventures Resort Mandrill Mayhem sweeps up riders in the long arms of a mandrill, as the horde whisks adventurers around the sites of Jumanji, dodging the hazards of the jungle. Spiralling to the summit of the 55ft tall Jaguar Shrine, riders Read more…
Vampire is located at Chessington World of Adventures Resort in the beautiful Surrey countryside, it is the only Arrow Dynamics suspended roller coaster left outside of North America. During the 2001 season, Vampire was closed whilst it was modified to use new trains manufactured by Vekoma. Vampire at Chessington World of Adventures Resort When the Vampire roller coaster was Read more…
Chessington World of Adventures Resort - Monkey Swinger
Chessington World of Adventures Resort - Kobra
Chessington World of Adventures Resort - The Gruffalo
Chessington World of Adventures Resort - On-Site Hotels
Chessington World of Adventures Resort - Dragons Fury
Chessington World of Adventures Resort - Giraffes
Chessington World of Adventures Resort - Halloween Theming
Chessington World of Adventures Resort - On-Site Hotels
Chessington World of Adventures Resort - Rhinos
Chessington World of Adventures Resort History
The Original Mansion
In 1348, the original mansion was built, a country house named Chessington Lodge. The lodge was used as a school for officers in archery, and a visit from Queen Elizabeth 1 resulted in an act being passed permitting the practice of archery in the grounds on Sundays. During the Civil War between 1642 and 1660, the original building became a Cavalier stronghold. The mansion was burnt to the ground by Cromwell’s forces. Following its restoration, it was renamed ‘Burnt Stub’. During the late 17th Century the site was used as a wayside alehouse.
The 20th century
At the beginning of the 20th century, the estate came into the hands of the Vere Barker family. Unfortunately, it was seriously damaged by fire for the 2nd time. It was reconditioned in 1919 at a cost of £50,000, and in 1931 the owner, Sir Francis Barker, offered it for sale. Entrepreneur and animal enthusiast Reginald Goddard was driving past the site when he saw the house and land for sale. He had been looking for a place to house his collection of exotic animals and immediately put in an offer. On 28th July 1931, Reginald opened Chessington Zoo to allow the public to view his private animal collection, which consisted of some truly exotic species.
A Place to be Entertained
Chessington Zoo soon became known for the many different types of entertainment on offer. The attractions included a circus, funfair and a miniature railway in addition to the Zoo. Adverts from the era tell of Joey the tightrope walking monkey, bears' tea parties, lions, elephants, tigers, leopards and hyenas. According to history, the Zoo had over 200,000 visitors during the first season.
World War Two
With World War Two impending, there was a temporary closure of Chessington Zoo in 1939. This was due to government restrictions preventing large crowds forming at entertainment venues during wartime. This resulted in a partnership between Reginald Goddard and Herbert Whitley, the owner of Primley Zoo in Paignton (now known as Paignton Zoo). A selection of animals was transferred to the Zoo in Paignton and the Devon Zoo and Circus were created. The exile lasted until 1946 when Reginald returned to Chessington with his stock. Sadly Reginald died on Christmas Day in 1946. Following his death, Chessington was registered as a Company.
The Tussauds Group
Investment was needed to update Chessington Zoo and in 1978 it was sold to the Pearson Group, who later bought Madame Tussauds forming The Tussauds Group. The site offered great potential as a Family Adventure Park and The Tussauds Group recognised this opportunity. In 1981, plans to transform the park into a Theme Park and Animal Adventure began. In July 1987, six years and £12m later, Chessington World of Adventures opened as a Theme Park. The original line up of rides included Dragon Falls, Safari Skyway, Toadie's Crazy Cars and The Runaway Train. In the following years, a number of new rides and attractions were opened.
Merlin Entertainments Group
In October 1998 it was announced that Pearson had sold The Tussauds Group to Charterhouse Development Capital for £352m, adding a number of new attractions to their growing portfolio, including the nearby Thorpe Park. The Tussauds Group was then owned by Dubai International and operated a varied portfolio of leisure attractions, including Madame Tussauds, Alton Towers, Thorpe Park, Warwick Castle and Chessington World of Adventures. In May 2007, the Tussauds Group merged with Merlin Entertainments Group to create Europe's leading visitor attraction group. Also in 2007 Holiday Inn Chessington opened. This hotel featured a contemporary design and a safari theme.
Major Developments
The Samurai ride first opened at Chessington World of Adventures in 1999. This ride has now been relocated to Thorpe Park. Major additions were made to the Theme Park in 2004 when Land of the Dragons opened. This new land included a children's adventure playground and Dragon’s Fury, a spinning roller coaster for all the family.
Chessington SEA LIFE Centre
In 2008, a SEA LIFE centre was introduced to Chessington, housing over 20 displays with marine life ranging from starfish to stingrays. The SEA LIFE centre is packed full of fun exhibitions, including interactive rock pools, daily talks and feeding sessions as well as a breathtaking walkthrough ocean tunnel. Chessington Zoo also introduced two new Sumatran tiger cubs in 2008. This was a welcome addition to a species that has fewer than 400 left in the world. Major investment in 2010 saw the opening of the Wild Asia section of the theme park complete with the KOBRA ride. Wanyama Village and Reserve were created to expand the Zoo area of the Park and integrate the hotel as a resort.
Azteca Hotel
In 2014, the Resort saw its biggest investment ever with nearly £15 million spent across the estate. A brand new ride experience for Scorpion Express was launched. The major development was the opening of the Azteca Hotel. This is a fully themed Resort hotel located on the park with 69 themed rooms, a new splash water play zone within the leisure club and a totally unique temple-themed restaurant.
Another addition was the AMAZU Treetop Adventure located just outside the hotel. Read our review of Chessington World of Adventures Resort including our stay in the Azteca Hotel.
Top 10 Rides at Chessington World of Adventures Resort
1 - Dragons Fury
Dragons Fury is based on a very angry dragon. It is a roller coaster ride through dizzying twists and turns, dips and dives. As you hurtle around the roller coaster track your car spins. No matter how many times you ride, it’s always a unique ride, depending on who sits where.
2 - Vampire
Vampire is a family-friendly rollercoaster with a height restriction of only 1.1 metres. The ride takes you soaring through the skies and flying over the treetops with your legs dangling below you.
3 - Rattlesnake
The rattlesnake roller coaster is themed around an old Mexican tin mine. Hold tight as you snake your way through the sharp turns, inclines and sudden dips.
4 - Kobra
Kobra Rises from the ruins of Wild Asia. It's a thrilling ride, spinning through the air, travelling backwards and forwards along 90 metres of track at an awesome 43mph. Adventurers beware, this is a ride with some serious bite.
5 - Tiger Rock
Embark on an exhilarating log flume ride, watching one of the world’s most majestic animals from the waterway, before exploring Land of the Tiger, featuring an innovative big cat enclosure with Europe’s first overhead trails. View a family of four endangered Amur tigers. Tiger Rock at Chessington offers a wet and wild thrill ride. Passengers experience a super-soaking splash as they plunge into the waters below.
Adventurers are on a mission to battle the Curse of the Mummy. Ride through the Ancient Egyptian labyrinth armed with a laser gun to shoot mummies and scarab beetles and rid the tomb of its evil curse. What will you score?
7 - The Scorpion Express
The Scorpion Express is a fun ride for all the family, suitable for brave young adventurers who can experience their first roller coaster thrill. The ride is themed around an unstable mine guarded by a giant Scorpion with surprises awaiting you at every turn including fire and water effects.
8 - The Gruffalo River Ride Adventure
Opened in 2017. Join Mouse on a magical riverboat journey through the deep dark wood. As you float down the lazy river, the world of The Gruffalo will magically unfold in front of your eyes, with exciting twists and turns along the way.
9 - Zufari
ZUFARI: Ride into Africa! opened in 2013. This is a safari truck expedition into a mysterious African Kingdom. Amongst other animals, ZUFARI brings Giraffe back to the park after an 18 year absence and introduces White Rhino for the first time.
10 - Monkey Swinger
Monkey Swinger is a monkey-themed swing ride with a twist. It's an enjoyable, fun ride and quite a relaxing experience as you go high into the air and then swoop back down over a random set of water fountains.
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1 Review on “Chessington World of Adventures Resort”
Much better than we had expected. Read our full review here https://www.attractionsnearme.co.uk/reviews/chessington-world-of-adventures-resort/