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When does Chessington World of Adventures Resort open in 2024? Tickets, prices and location
Theme parks can be expensive so here's how you can save a few pennies
HALF-TERM is around the corner, and there's no better place to face your fears than the Chessington World of Adventures Resort.
Home to over 1,000 animals and the world's only Jumanji rollercoaster, the resort is a hit among families for a reason.
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What to expect from Chessington World of Adventures Resort
Chessington World of Adventures Resort boasts over 40 rides, a zoo, a SEA LIFE centre and even an onsite hotel.
Thrill-seekers can expect to get lost in exciting worlds and intricate set pieces.
Some standouts include the terrifying croc drop - an enormous crocodile mouth that passengers drop into and the Mandrill Mayhem - a stomach-churning inversion rollercoaster.
Chessington World of Adventures Resort’s best rides
Barrel Bail Out
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At Barrel Bail Out, the objective is to douse as many bystanders as possible with water—and naturally, to get drenched in return.
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For a thrilling three minutes, The Sun's Travel Editor Caroline McGuire raced around in a barrel, firing arm-powered water guns at adjacent barrels and, even more delightfully, at a line of families eagerly waiting for their turn.
If the benchmark for a splash-filled ride is the log flume, this ride matches the fun effortlessly.
Barrel Bail Out and Trawler Trouble are the latest additions to the park's new Shipwreck Coast area.
These rides join the existing nautical attractions: Seastorm, featuring spinning miniature galleons, and the Blue Barnacle pirate ship ride.
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Trawler Trouble
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Trawler Trouble offers a bit more adrenaline than its counterpart but remains suitable for kids of nearly all ages. In this ride, passengers find themselves on a fishing boat caught in turbulent waters.
As it navigates up and down a pipe-shaped track, the boat spins in place. Think of it as a large, family-friendly version of the waltzers found at funfairs, but without the distracting music.
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Shipwreck Coast draws its theme from coastal harbour towns, incorporating nautical features like lighthouses, boats, sails, fishing nets, and anchors.
Chessington World of Jumanji
Mandrill Mayhem, wrapped round the mighty Jaguar, is the world’s ONLY Jumanji rollercoaster, in the planet’s FIRST Jumanji-themed land.
It is Chessington's latest rollercoaster and its first since 2004, drawing inspiration from the swoops and flips of the wild mandrill monkey.
This innovative ride features a giant mandrill replica that sweeps up riders, propelling them forward and back, and flipping them in a first for Chessington.
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It then spirals up to the peak of the 55-foot-tall Jaguar Shrine.
This attraction is the highlight of the new area inspired by the Jumanji movie series, complete with other exciting rides like Ostrich Stampede and Mamba Strike.
The Sun's Consumer Reporter, Lynsey Hope, along with her children, got an early glimpse of the excitement.
In March 2023 The Sun Online visited The World of Jumanji and spoke to Mandrill Mayhem's designer, who had this to say about the petrifying new ride:
"Unlike your classic rollercoasters, which are the typical sit down, put the lap bar on and go up a lift hill, this one's really unique because it's a multi launch rollercoaster.
"That means you don't just chug up a hill, you are accelerated like in a Formula One racing car along a track. And you do that launch four times. And you don't just do it forwards. You do it backwards. So it's super exciting."
Wishing chair
The wishing chair has been on the resort since pre-theme park years.
The Zoo opened in 1931 so it’s part of the old estate when it was just the zoo.
Hannah Baker, who works as the park's Creative Manager, revealed the history of the park and some of the little things guests never realise are there.
It’s in the middle of the park but we don’t think many people even realise it’s there, so they are missing out on lots of wishes!
Hannah Baker, Chessington World of Adventures Creative Manager
"It has writing carved into the stone, something along the lines of ‘take a seat and make a wish’.
"It’s in the middle of the park but we don’t think many people even realise it’s there, so they are missing out on lots of wishes!" she said.
You can spot the Chessington compass in the centre of the park which points to all of the lands.
Hannah continued: "Underneath the compass is a purpose-built structure that was specifically designed to hold our amazing 40ft Christmas tree.
"The centre part opens up to house the tree trunk and each compass point transforms into an anchor point, if you look closely you can see the brass plates that cover them."
Chessington rides height and age restrictions
Each ride at Chessington World of Adventures has its own height restriction ranging from 0.9m to 1.4m minimum.
Adventurers under 0.9m can enjoy multiple attractions accompanied by an adult over the age of 16.
Some rides need smaller Adventurers to be accompanied by an adult.
Mandrill Mayhem: Minimum 1.2m to ride. Anyone over 1.95m tall will be unable to ride.
Ostrich Stampede: Minimum 1.2m to ride. Adventurers between 1.2 and 1.3m must be accompanied by an adult aged 16+.
Mamba Strike: Minimum 1.2m to ride. Adventurers between 1.2 and 1.3m must be accompanied by an adult aged 16+.
Croc Drop: Minimum 1.3m to ride. Adventurers between 1.2 and 1.3m must be accompanied by an adult aged 16+.
Blue Barnacle: Minimum 1.1m to ride. Adventurers between 1.1m and 1.3m tall must be accompanied by an adult aged 16+.
Seastorm: Minimum 0.9m to ride. Adventurers between 0.9m and 1.1m tall must be accompanied by an adult aged 16+.
Barrel Bail Out: Minimum 0.9m to ride. Adventurers between 0.9m and 1.2m tall must be accompanied by an adult aged 16+ in the same tub.
Trawler Trouble: Minimum 0.9m to ride. Adventurers between 0.9m and 1.1m tall must be accompanied by an adult aged 16+.
Vampire: Minimum 1.1m to ride. Adventurers between 1.1m and 1.3m tall must be accompanied by an adult aged 16+.
Dragon's Fury: Minimum 1.1m to ride. Adventurers between 1.1m and 1.3m tall must be accompanied by an adult aged 16+. Maximum height restriction of 1.95m tall.
Kobra: Minimum height of 1.2m tall to ride.
Tiger Rock: Minimum 1.2m to ride. Adventurers between 1.2m and 1.3m tall must be accompanied by an adult aged 16+.
Rattlesnake: Minimum height of 1.4m tall to ride. Maximum height restriction of 1.96m.
The Gruffalo River Ride Adventure: Adventurers under the height of 1.1m must be accompanied by an adult aged 16+.
Zufari: Minimum height of 1.0m tall to ride. Adventurers between 1.0m and 1.3m must be accompanied by an adult aged 16+.
Average Chessington World of Adventures Resort’s queue times
According to , the Dragon's Fury ride has the longest average waiting times at 44 minutes.
The Vampire ride comes in straight after at 42 minutes.
KOBRA, Rattlesnake, River Rafts, ZUFARI: Ride into Africa! , and Croc Drop all come in around the 30 minute mark.
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While the Mandrill Mayhem and Ostrich Stampede rides in the new Jumanji section have an average waiting time of 25 minutes.
You have to wait around five minutes for the AMAZU: Treetop Adventure and the Temple of Mayhem.
Chessington World of Adventures Resort’s events
The resort also hosts a variety of shows and entertainment, including the seasonal events Zootastic, EGGSplorers, Summer Festival, Howl'o'ween, and Winter’s Tail.
Believed to be a world first, hotel guests can even stay in Oreo and Capri Sun-themed bedrooms.
The Summer Festival will take place between July 20 and September 1, while Howl’o’ween is on a number of weekends in October to the beginning of November.
These include the weekends of October 5, 12, and 19, continuing until November 3.
Winter’s Tail is then from November 23 to December 31.
Chessington World of Adventures Resort’s parking explained
Standard parking rates at Chessington begin at £7 for guests of the Theme Park and Zoo.
It's worth booking online in advance to save time on the day.
The car park is easily accessible off Leatherhead Road and is conveniently situated within a 5-10 minute walk from the Explorer gate entrance.
Guests staying at the onsite hotel enjoy complimentary parking.
What is the address for Chessington World of Adventures Resort and how do I get there?
Conveniently located just southwest of , the theme park's address is as follows:
Chessington World of Adventures Resort
Leatherhead Road
Chessington
Surrey
KT9 2NE
This means holidaymakers only need to take a 35-minute train to Chessington South Station from Waterloo, Clapham and Wimbledon.
A regular bus service also runs between Kingston and Chessington (71) and Epsom to Chessington (467).
Drivers need not fear either as the theme park is well-signposted.
Falling on the A243, Chessington World of Adventures Resort is only a few miles from the M25 and A3.
How much does Chessington World of Adventures Resort cost and how do I buy a ticket?
Chessington World of Adventures Resort tickets can start at:
- 1 Day ticket - from £29 online, £66 on the day
- 1 Day adult and pre-schooler ticket - £29
- Overnight stay with park entry - from £50 pp
The annual pass may be a better option for those wanting to visit more than once.
It allows unlimited off-peak entry and discounts on food, retail, drinks and hotels.
Prices are as follows:
- Chessington annual pass for adults & pre-schoolers - £59
- Chessington annual silver pass - £99
- Chessington gold pass - £139
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Fans of the theme park can hire the venue themselves for only £20pp.
How to save money at Chessington World of Adventures Resort
It's no secret that a day at a theme park can be quite costly.
However, you can make several small changes to save money on the day, such as packing your lunch and finding discounts on transportation.
Look for package deals or discount codes, especially useful if you're bringing a large group.
The best way to get a discount on tickets is to book ahead.
If you buy tickets at the gate, they cost £66 per person, but booking online reduces the price to £29 – a 56 per cent savings.
Booking Chessington tickets online can save you up to £37 per person.
This 56 per cent discount covers over 40 rides, zoo access, and performances.
Online tickets also come with a rainy day guarantee, offering a free return ticket if the weather turns bad.
Booking the Wake Up on the Wild package through Chessington includes park entry, a stay in a themed hotel room, breakfast, and more, starting at just £50 per person.
Mid-week stays offer the best value, and you can save even more by choosing a bunk-bed room.
Consider the Chessington Annual Pass for repeated entry throughout the year and access to special events.
The basic pass costs £59, making your second visit £25 and subsequent visits free.
This pass also includes unlimited off-peak day tickets, 10 per cent off in retail shops, and 20 per cent off food and beverages.
Upgrades include the Silver Pass for £99, which offers off-peak entry, discounts on short breaks, and a renewal fee of £59, or the Gold Pass for £139, with fewer exclusion dates, extra benefits, and a £99 renewal fee.
You can get discounted tickets for Chessington, Thorpe Park, and Alton Towers by converting Clubcard points into Tesco Reward Partners vouchers, doubling the value of your vouchers.
For instance, every 50p in vouchers becomes £1 for tickets.
Students can get Chessington tickets for just £21 through Student Beans.
If you're currently in higher education and have a Student Beans account, you'll receive a third off park and zoo access.
The Merlin Annual Pass grants access to some of the UK's biggest attractions, including Alton Towers and Thorpe Park.
Starting at £99, the Discovery Pass offers over 200 days of entry to various attractions.
Upgrading to the Silver, Gold, or Platinum passes provides 300, 340, and 364 days of access, respectively, along with perks like free parking and discounts on fast track vouchers.
Using , you can unlock our Sun Superdays deal which will get you two free tickets to any Merlin attraction such as Chessington World of Adventures Resort.
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