We had heard lots of people talk about Cadbury World but it was an attraction that we had never visited. With Merlin Entertainments having taken over the operation of the Birmingham based attraction and the launch of the new Cadbury Chocolate Quest Ride we decided now was the ideal time to go and experience what was on offer before our children get too old.
Bank Holiday Weekend Getaway
As this is only a half-day attraction and we were travelling a long way to experience it, we tied our trip in with a visit to Gulliver’s Kingdom and Warwick Castle (have a read of our Warwick Castle Review). We managed to find some great value accommodation using Hotels.com, including an on-site stay at Gulliver’s Kingdom in their ‘Explorers Retreat’ themed accommodation for under £100 for 5 of us.
Cadbury World
We had prebooked our tickets for just after 12.00pm on the Sunday Afternoon, so following a nice home-cooked breakfast we headed to the attraction for an afternoon out. We were fortunate that a large percentage of the attraction is indoors as typically for a Bank Holiday weekend there were frequent heavy rain showers. You can discover a large variety of indoor attractions that are suitable for wet weather on the Attractions Near Me Website.
The attraction features a large free on-site carpark and it was only a short walk from our parking space to the entrance. The entrance is very much like the entrance to the cinema, featuring a large open space with lots of people milling around waiting for their allocated time. Whilst waiting there was the option to capture photos with some of the Cadbury’s characters, a café serving a good selection of food and drink and the World’s Biggest Cadbury Shop.
World’s Biggest Cadbury Shop
We decided to have a browse in the shop whilst we waited for our time to be called. If you are in the vicinity of Cadbury World, you can pay a visit to the Cadbury shop without requiring a ticket to the attraction.
The products in the shop are discounted and there is also a section of the store where you can buy misshapen chocolates.
Aztec Jungle
The attraction starts in the Aztec Jungle walkthrough where you discover the origins of the cocoa bean. There are a number of interactive screens dotted throughout the walkthrough to help keep children entertained.
Journey to Europe
Using modern projection technology, the mini-theatre presentations in Journey to Europe explain how Hernán Cortéz brought the cocoa bean over to Europe and how chocolate quickly became the drink of choice in high society.
This leads on to a recreation of Victorian Bull Street where there is an opportunity to capture your photo with Quaker entrepreneur John Cadbury and learn where the Cadbury business began.
Making Chocolate Story
Taking place in a fun interactive theatre, The Making Chocolate Story shows you how the ingredients are combined to create the unique Cadbury taste. This is followed by The Cadbury Story which tells you the inspiring story of the early struggles to establish the business and introduces John Cadbury’s sons Richard and George. It also explains how the factory came to be in its current location outside of the city.
The Chocolate Factory
Step inside the chocolate factory and see the people at work making some of the amazing creations that are available to buy in the Cadbury Shop. when we visited it was only a couple of weeks until Father’s Day, so we were honoured to see them creating full-sized Cadbury Chocolate footballs which were available to buy in the shop for £25.
We then watched as one of the talented Cadbury World chocolatiers demonstrated the traditional chocolate-making techniques of tempering, moulding and shelling. This part of the tour was rounded off with a delicious taser pot made up of some yummy chocolate treats mixed in with warm liquid Cadbury Dairy milk.
Cadbury Chocolate Quest 3D Shooting Ride
Now it was time for one of the highlights of our visit, the new Cadbury Chocolate Quest Ride!
Whilst enjoying our chocolate taster pots we waited in a short queue for the ride, where the objective is to collect all of the ingredients needed to make a Cadbury Dairy Milk Bar.
This trackless 3D interactive shooting ride was great fun for all the family and to top it off you are each rewarded with a free bar of chocolate at the end of the ride.
Additional Activities and Attractions
When you exit the ride, you are returned to the Cadbury Shop where our visit had started, but this is not the end of what Cadbury World has to offer!
We had already got a sneak preview of the additional activities and attractions during the factory tour where we could see the African Adventure Children’s Play Area and additional attractions outside the window.
We made the short walk around the outside of the building to the additional attractions.
The Bournville Experience
Upon arrival, the attendant checked our tickets and directed us to The Bournville Experience. Here we learnt about the history of Bournville Village and got to see some nostalgic memories of the Cadbury Brand.
The kids were astonished by the different sizes of the modern-day Roses tin compared with what we had when we were young. It was also great to see some of the nostalgic things that we had when we were younger such as the 1p chocolate dispenser machine.
Have a Go Zone
Following our nostalgic look back on years gone by, it was back to the modern day in the ‘Have a Go Zone‘. Here the children were each handed a dispenser to pipe their own chocolatey designs on a table top.
They really enjoyed this fun interactive element with their creativity coming to the fore.
4D Chocolate Adventure
It was now time for the kids to burn off some steam in the African Adventure Play Area. They crossed the rope bridges and slid down the slides whilst we queued for the 4D Chocolate Adventure Movie.
We thoroughly enjoyed the 4D movie, with the kids only wish being that the Crunchie Roller coaster was a real ride at Alton Towers.
Cadbury World Summary
One of my youngest son’s favourite movies is Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, so he was really looking forward to visiting a real-life version.
Thankfully Cadbury World lived up to his expectations, he loved watching the chocolatiers at work and learning how chocolate is made. The free chocolate bars were a bonus with his only disappointment being that it didn’t get to meet any Umpa Lumpas.
As a family we all enjoyed our day our visit, the kids favourites were the ‘Have a Go Zone’ and 4D Chocolate Adventure Movie. We all enjoyed the Cadbury Chocolate Quest Ride and myself and my partner enjoyed seeing the nostalgic Cadbury memorabilia from our younger days.
Buy a multi-attraction Ticket and combine your visit to Cadbury World with some of the regions other attractions to save on the regular admission prices. Check the Cadbury World Official Website for multiple ticket options.
A Fantastic Family Day Out
Cadbury World is a great half-day out for all the family and something that you should experience at least once in your lifetime. It makes learning fun with its interactive exhibits and educational presentations.
With a large part of the attraction being indoors, it is the perfect choice for a rainy day. As well as the excellent interactive displays and presentations, Cadbury World features lot’s of other attractions and activities to keep every member of the family entertained. You can learn all about the history of chocolate, take a ride on the Cadbury Chocolate Quest Ride, burn off some energy in the African Adventure Play Area and enjoy some delicious Cadbury Chocolate.
We thoroughly enjoyed our first ever visit and will definitely be visiting again in the future.
We visited Cadbury World on Sunday 26th May 2024.
Cadbury World Multi-Attraction Tickets
Why visit just one amazing attraction when you can visit multi amazing attractions and save a massive 46%! With over 90 days to visit your chosen attractions, you get 3 months of family fun for less.
Choose from the following Attractions:
⭐ Warwick Castle
⭐ National SEA LIFE Centre Birmingham
⭐ LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Birmingham
⭐ Cadbury World
Attractions in the West Midlands
There are lot’s of great attractions in Birmingham and the surrounding area including SEA LIFE, LEGOLAND Discovery Centre, West Midland Safari Park, Drayton Manor and many more.
On the Bank Holiday Monday, we visited Warwick Castle (for more details on this attraction have a read of our Warwick Castle Review).
More Reviews
If you enjoyed reading this review then you may also be interested in these reviews of other UK theme parks and attractions.
Admission Prices and Offers
Cadbury World is part of the Merlin Entertainments group of attractions, meaning that vouchers are regularly available offering 2 for 1 entry. Merlin Annual pass holders get free entry to Cadbury World in addition to a number of other Merlin attractions. We recommend that you buy tickets directly from the Cadbury World Official Website.
Travelling to Warwick Castle
Situated in Bournville, Birmingham, Cadbury world is easy to access from all of the motorways that serve Birmingham. The attraction offers free car parking but please be aware that your journey to Cadbury World may be affected by the Birmingham Clean Air Zone. Further details can be found on the Cadbury World Official Website. There are a number of ways you can get to the attraction. There is also lots of accommodation available nearby.
Travelling by Train
Cadbury World is a fifteen minute walk from Bournville Station, follow the Cadbury World fingerposts and wall-signs to direct you through the Cadbury grounds. Bournville station is served by the Cross-City Line (southern section), from Birmingham New Street station. West Midlands Railway and London Northwestern Railway connect Cadbury World to major cities including Birmingham, London and Coventry. Search for your train tickets using Raileasy.
Accommodation
If you only planning on visiting the attraction for one day and would like to explore some of the other attractions in the area then take a look at the self-catering cottages near Cadbury World available from Snaptrip.
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Author: Dan
I am passionate about Theme Parks and Attractions. I love riding roller coasters and thrill rides. With two young boys I understand how expensive family days out can be and this was one of the main driving forces behind Attractions Near me. My aim is to help you and your friends enjoy some great days out without costing the earth. Thanks for reading and have a great time - Regards Dan
