Chessington World of Adventures facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Chessington World of Adventures Resort

Previously known as Chessington Zoo, Chessington World of Adventures & Zoo
Location	Leatherhead Road, Chessington KT9 2NE, Greater London, England
Coordinates	51°20′55″N 0°19′00″W / 51.34861°N 0.31667°W / 51.34861; -0.31667
Status	Operating
Opened	1931 (1931) (Zoo) 7 July 1987 (1987-07-07) (Theme park)
Owner	Merlin Entertainments
General manager	Ramesh Ganeson (Divisional Director)
Slogan	Britain's Wildest Adventure!
Operating season	Theme Park: March–November Zoo: Year-Round Safari Hotel Year-Round Aztec Hotel Year-Round Explorer Glamping April - October Sealife Centre Year-Round Go Ape Year-Round
Attendance	2022: 1,500,000 (3%)
Area	128 acres (0.52 km2; 52 ha)
Attractions
Total	34
Roller coasters	5
Water rides	3
Website	www.chessington.com

Chessington World of Adventures Resort is a huge place in Chessington, Greater London, England. It's about 12 miles (19 km) southwest of Central London. This amazing resort has a theme park, a zoo, and hotels.

It first opened as Chessington Zoo in 1931. Later, in 1987, The Tussauds Group added the theme park. This made it one of the first places in the UK to combine animals and rides! Now, Merlin Entertainments owns Chessington. They have added two hotels, swimming pools, and even a camping area.

The Chessington Zoo is home to over 1,000 animals. You can see western lowland gorillas, sea lions, and Sumatran tigers. The zoo has different areas like Trail of the Kings and Sea Lion Bay. There's also a Sea Life Centre to explore.

Chessington World of Adventures is one of the most popular parks in the UK. In 2020, even with fewer visitors due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was still the fourth most-visited park in the country.

The theme park has different areas, each with a cool theme from around the world. For example, 'Adventure Point' looks like an old English market. 'Mexicana' feels like the Wild West. 'Land of the Tiger' is inspired by the Far East. Some of the most exciting rides include Vampire, Dragon's Fury, KOBRA, and Mandrill Mayhem.

History of Chessington World of Adventures

Burnt Stub Mansion is the original manor house of the estate.

The main building at Chessington, called Burnt Stub, was first built way back in 1348. It was a manor house. During the English Civil War, it was a royalist stronghold. It was later rebuilt as an inn, and then again in a fancy Victorian style.

Starting the Zoo

The story of Chessington began with its zoo, which opened in 1931. A man named Reginald Stuart Goddard started it to show off his own animal collection. It grew to be the biggest private zoo in England! After he passed away, the Pearson Publishing Company took over. Then, in 1978, The Tussauds Group started managing it.

Opening the Theme Park

By 1984, fewer people were visiting the zoo. So, Tussauds asked John Wardley to help make the park exciting again. He decided to add a theme park next to the zoo. And that's how Chessington World of Adventures was created!

On July 7, 1987, the theme park officially opened. Prince Edward even came for the ceremony! The park was built with a budget of about £12 million. This was to see if theme parks would become popular in the UK.

When it first opened, the park had rides like the roller coaster Runaway Mine Train and the log flume Dragon River. Other popular rides included the Safari Skyway monorail and The 5th Dimension dark ride. The park also had five themed areas: Calamity Canyon, Mystic East, Market Square, Toy Town, and Circus World. Instead of paying for each ride, visitors paid one price to enter.

In 1990, the Transylvania area opened with two big new rides: The Vampire and Prof. Burp's Bubble Works. These rides made the park much more popular!

Later, in 1995, Rameses Revenge arrived. This was the park's first ride that turned you upside down! It was in the Forbidden Kingdom area, which had opened the year before with the Terror Tomb dark ride.

Growing into a Resort

In 2007, Merlin Entertainments took over The Tussauds Group. Merlin also owns other famous attractions like Alton Towers and Thorpe Park. They decided to make Chessington a full resort.

In June 2007, the Safari Hotel opened next to the zoo. In 2008, the Chessington Sea Life Centre was added. The Wanyama reserve opened in 2010, giving Safari Hotel guests views of animals. The Wild Asia area was also added with its KOBRA ride.

In 2013, Chessington introduced Zufari: Ride Into Africa. Visitors could tour an animal area in a safari truck. In 2014, the park invested a lot of money. They built a new hotel wing, called the "Azteca Hotel." The Runaway Train roller coaster was updated and renamed Scorpion Express.

In 2017, The Gruffalo River Ride Adventure opened, replacing the old Bubbleworks ride. Also, the original Carousel was replaced with a new one called "The Chessington Adventure Tree." In 2018, the Mystic East area became "Land of the Tiger." It got new tiger homes and the Dragon Falls ride was updated to Tiger Rock.

In 2023, a big new area called 'World of Jumanji' opened. It has a new roller coaster, Mandrill Mayhem, and other exciting rides.

Awards and Recognition

In 2023, Chessington World of Adventures won several awards at the UK Theme Park Awards. It won gold for:

• Theme Park of the Year
• Best New Attraction
• Best Theme Park with Animals
• Best Marketing Campaign

Exciting Rides and Attractions

Chessington has many different rides for all ages!

Roller Coasters

Name	Picture	Type	Opened	Area	Manufacturer	Fun Facts
Dragon's Fury		Steel spinning coaster	2004	Land Of The Dragons	Maurer Söhne	This family spinning coaster is 1,771 feet (540m) long!
Mandrill Mayhem		Shuttle launch wing coaster	2023	World of Jumanji	Bolliger & Mabillard	A super fast coaster that launches you forward and backward! It's themed to the Jumanji movies.
Rattlesnake		Steel wild mouse	1998	Mexicana	Maurer Söhne	A wild mouse coaster that reaches speeds of 28 mph (45 km/h).
Scorpion Express		Steel sit down coaster	1987	Mexicana	Mack Rides	This family coaster was once called Runaway Train. It's themed like an old gold mine with a giant scorpion!
Vampire		Suspended floorless coaster	1990	Wild Woods	Arrow Dynamics / Vekoma	This ride hangs from above and reaches speeds of 45 mph (73 km/h).

Other Fun Rides

Name	Picture	Type	Opened	Area	Manufacturer	Fun Facts
KOBRA		Disk'O Coaster	2010	Wild Asia	Zamperla	Riders sit on a spinning disk that slides back and forth on a track.
Mamba Strike		Miami	2023	World of Jumanji	SBF Visa Group	A spinning ride that lifts you up and down.
Monkey Swinger		Wave swinger	2000	Wild Asia	Zierer	A fun swing ride with a monkey theme and water effects.
Ostrich Stampede	N/A	Frog jump	2023	World of Jumanji	SBF Visa Group	A bouncing ride that feels like an ostrich jumping!
Seastorm		Sea Storm	1995	Shipwreck Coast	Mack Rides	This boat ride spins and moves up and down, like a sea storm.
Blue Barnacle		Swinging ship	2021	Shipwreck Coast	Metallbau Emmeln	A big pirate ship that swings high into the air!
Croc Drop		Drop tower	2021	Forbidden Kingdom	SBF Visa Group	A thrilling drop tower ride themed to the Egyptian crocodile god Sobek.

Dark Rides

Name	Picture	Type	Opened	Area	Manufacturer	Fun Facts
The Gruffalo River Ride Adventure		Dark ride	1990	Wild Woods	Merlin Magic Making / Leisuretec	This gentle boat ride takes you through the woods to meet characters from The Gruffalo books.
Tomb Blaster		Dark ride	1987	Forbidden Kingdom	Tussauds Studios / Mack Rides	Grab a laser gun and shoot targets to defeat an ancient curse in this interactive ride!

Water Rides

Name	Picture	Type	Opened	Area	Manufacturer	Fun Facts
Tiger Rock		Flume ride	1987	Land Of The Tiger	Mack Rides	A log flume with two drops, including one through a tiger's mouth!
River Rafts		Flume ride	2020	The Rainforest	ABC Engineering	A smaller log flume perfect for younger kids.
Barrel Bail Out		Watermania ride	2022	Shipwreck Coast	Zamperla	Get ready to get wet on this spinning water ride!

Other Great Rides

Name	Picture	Type	Opened	Area	Manufacturer	Fun Facts
Room on the Broom — A Magical Journey		House of mirrors	2003	Chessington Zoo	Merlin Magic Making	Walk through this mansion based on a popular children's book.
Tuk Tuk Turmoil		Bumper cars	2000	Wild Asia	Preston & Barbieri	Bumper cars shaped like cool Asian taxi-bikes called tuk-tuks.
Zufari: Ride into Africa!		Guided safari	2013	Wanyama	Merlin Magic Making	Hop on a safari truck and explore an African reserve with real animals!

Rides for Younger Adventurers

Name	Picture	Type	Opened	Area	Manufacturer	Fun Facts
Canopy Capers		Tree house	2004	Land Of The Dragons	Tussauds Studios	A fun treehouse climbing area connected to Dragon's Fury.
Dragon's Playhouse		Playhouse	2004	Land Of The Dragons	Tussauds Studios	A soft play area for kids to explore.
Griffin's Galleon		Kontiki	2004	Land Of The Dragons	Zierer	A small spinning pirate ship just for children.
Sea Dragons		Boat Ride	2004	Land Of The Dragons	Mack Rides	A gentle boat ride for little ones.
The Chessington Adventure Tree		Carousel	2017	Adventure Point	Bertazzon	A beautifully themed carousel.
Elmer's Flying Jumbos		Mini Jet Red Baron	1987	Adventure Point	Preston & Barbieri	Fly high in elephant-themed cabs on this spinning ride.
Tiny Truckers		Convoy ride	1994	Adventure Point	Zamperla	Drive your own small truck around a track.
Temple of Mayhem		Playhouse	2002	Wild Asia	Merlin Entertainments Studios	A multi-level play area where you can fire foam balls.
Treetop Hoppers		Mini drop tower	2001	The Rainforest	Zamperla	A mini drop tower for younger kids.
Jungle Bus		Crazy bus ride	2022	Wild Asia	Zamperla	A fun bus ride that moves in a crazy way!
Jungle Rangers		Convoy ride	2020	The Rainforest	Garmendale	Drive your own vehicle on this adventure.
Amazu Treetop Adventure		Tree house	2014	Amazu	Merlin Entertainments Studios	A climbing frame with animals nearby.
Trawler Trouble		Rockin' Tug	2022	Shipwreck Coast	Zamperla	A rocking boat ride that feels like you're on a tugboat.

Themed Lands to Explore

The theme park has 11 different themed lands. Each one has its own unique cultural setting.

Adventure Point

Compass in the centre of Adventure Point, with each area in the resort labelled

This is the main area of the park, like a central hub. It looks like an old English market town. You'll find shops, restaurants, and guest services here. Rides include Tiny Truckers and Elmer's Flying Jumbos. In the middle of Adventure Point, there's a big compass on the ground. It points to all the different areas of the resort. This area used to be called 'Market Square'.

Mexicana

Mexicana shop fronts

This area is themed like a Mexican town and a Far West town from the Old West. It was once called 'Calamity Canyon'. Here you'll find Rattlesnake, a steel roller coaster. Scorpion Express is another roller coaster, themed like a mine train. It used to be called the Runaway Train.

Shipwreck Coast

This area is next to Adventure Point and looks like a nautical harbour town. Rides include the Blue Barnacle, a swinging pirate ship, and Seastorm, a spinning boat ride that feels like a sea storm. This area was updated in 2022 and used to be called Pirates' Cove. It also gained two new rides: Barrel Bail Out and Trawler Trouble.

Land of the Tiger

This area has an oriental theme. It's built around the Tiger Rock log flume ride. In 2017, Chessington updated this area to include new homes for tigers, with walkways that go over visitors' heads! The park's Ferris wheel, Peeking Heights, was removed to make space for the tigers. The area reopened in 2018. The Tiger Rock ride has two drops, one through a rock tunnel and another through a tiger's mouth. This area used to be called "Mystic East."

Wild Woods

Transylvania shops featuring Bubbleworks

This area was created in 1990 and looks like a Central European town. It opened with two big rides: The Vampire and Prof. Burp's BubbleWorks. Vampire is a thrilling roller coaster that hangs from above. Prof. Burp's BubbleWorks was a water ride that took you through a fizzy pop factory. In 2017, Bubbleworks was replaced by The Gruffalo River Ride Adventure. The area was also renamed "Wild Woods" to fit the Gruffalo story.

Forbidden Kingdom

Tomb Blaster

This area is themed like Ancient Egypt. It opened in 1994 with the Terror Tomb dark ride. Now, it has two rides: Tomb Blaster and Croc Drop.

Tomb Blaster is an interactive ride where you shoot laser guns at targets. It's a redesigned version of the old 'Terror Tomb' ride. The area has buildings that look like an Arabic market town and an Ancient Egyptian tomb.

The newest ride here is Croc Drop, a family drop tower. It opened in 2021 and replaced Rameses Revenge. The ride is themed around Sobek, the Egyptian crocodile god. Its slogan is, ‘Brave the drop, release the curse!’

Land of the Dragons

This is the main children's area of the park. It opened in 2004 and is themed around dragons. It has rides and attractions mostly for very young children. There are two play areas: Dragon's Playhouse, a soft play area, and Canopy Capers, an outdoor treehouse with rope bridges. Griffin's Galleon is a rocking boat ride, and Sea Dragons is a spinning boat ride.

The big ride in this area is Dragon's Fury, an exciting spinning roller coaster that goes all around the land.

Wild Asia

Monkey Swinger in motion

Wild Asia opened in 2010. It's themed like an Indian jungle with temple ruins. This area used to be 'Beanoland', based on The Beano comic books. You can feed lorikeets at Lorikeet Lagoon here.

The area has rides like KOBRA, a flat ride that opened in 2010. Monkey Swinger is a swing ride with water. Tuk Tuk Turmoil has bumper cars shaped like Asian rickshaw tuk tuks. Temple of Mayhem is an indoor play area where you can fire foam balls.

The Rainforest

The Rainforest is a smaller area designed for families. It uses buildings from the old "Toytown" area, now decorated as African huts. This area used to be called "Africa." In 2020, it was updated to The Rainforest. It has a new mini log flume called River Rafts.

Wanyama Village & Reserve

Wanyama Village & Reserve is Chessington's African area. It's a big animal reserve. The main attraction is ZUFARI - Ride into Africa!, a safari truck tour through an African landscape. This area is also home to the Safari Hotel. You can see animals like giraffes, ostriches, and zebras. The area's name changed from ZUFARI to Wanyama Village & Reserve in 2020.

World of Jumanji

World of Jumanji

This is Chessington's newest themed area, which opened in May 2023. It's based on the Jumanji movies. It features a big new roller coaster called Mandrill Mayhem, and two other rides: Mamba Strike and Ostrich Stampede. The area has amazing decorations, games, and places to eat.

Operating Season

The theme park usually opens from late March to early November. Chessington also opens for special events around Christmas and in February for half-term holidays. During these times, some rides are open.

Fun Events Throughout the Year

Chessington hosts many exciting events throughout the year!

Zootastic Weekends and Half Term

These events happen on selected weekends from January to March and during the February half-term. Only the Chessington Zoo is open during these times, with no rides available.

Eggsplorers

This event is for younger children and runs around Easter. In 2024, it features the Enchanted Hollow.

Roar & Explore

On one evening in June, Chessington Zoo stays open late for this special conservation event. You can learn about the charity work of the Chessington Conservation Fund. Zufari: Ride into Africa! also opens late, and all the money goes to the fund.

Summer Festival

This event runs from July to September. It combines music and food for a fun summer experience.

Winter's Tail

Winter's Tail is a Christmas event from late November to early January. The resort is decorated for Christmas, and you can meet Santa Claus in his grotto. Some parts of the theme park are open, including World of Jumanji and Shipwreck Coast. There's also a big pantomime show.

Howl'o'ween

Howl'o'ween is Chessington's biggest event, happening during the last two weeks of the theme park season. The park is decorated for Halloween with spiders, gravestones, and skeletons. Actors dressed as witches, vampires, and zombies roam around. There are also scare attractions like the Vile Villagers scare maze. Rides stay open late, and there are special shows.

     – Previous Howl'o'ween attraction.      – Current Howl'o'ween attraction.

Meet the Animals at the Zoo

In 1931, Reginald Goddard opened Chessington Zoo. After he died, The Tussauds Group took over. Some animals were moved to other zoos when the theme park was built. For example, polar bears left in 1990, and hippos and elephants in 1993.

The zoo is usually open when the theme park is, but it also stays open in winter. Your ticket to the park includes zoo entrance.

As of 2015, the zoo has over 1,000 animals. Many of them are endangered. The zoo has different areas and walkthroughs. There's a Children's Zoo where you can feed farm animals.

A view of the sea lions in Sealion Bay

Sealion Bay has sea lion presentations several times a day. Near the zoo entrance, you can see otters and reindeer.

Lion enclosure in Trail of the Kings

The Trails of the Kings is a walkthrough area with homes for western lowland gorillas, Asiatic lions, and Sumatran tigers. In 2010, a bigger building for the gorillas was finished.

The Wanyama Village & Reserve opened in 2010. It's an African-themed area behind the Safari Hotel. You can see animals like Grévy's zebra, sitatunga antelope, and ostrich. This area is part of the ZUFARI animal reserve.

Amazu with Azteca Hotel behind

The AMAZU Treetop Adventure opened in 2014. It has adventure walkways and play areas with an Aztec theme. You can see spider monkeys, saki monkeys, and capybara here. You can view the animals from the ground or from raised walkways.

Penguin Bay opened in 2015. It's a new area for the zoo's Humboldt penguins. It has a beach theme and glass walls so you can see the penguins better.

Chessington Sea Life Centre

In 2008, Chessington Zoo opened the Chessington Sea Life Centre. It has many exhibits, including a Ray Pool and a Touch Pool. The Sea Life Centre has four areas: Our Shoreline, The Reef, Amazonia, and Azteca.

"Our Shoreline" has sea creatures found near the British coast, like rays and seahorses. "The Reef" has clownfish and jellyfish. Amazonia, which opened in 2009, has red-bellied piranhas.

Northern wolf fish in Azteca

Azteca opened in 2011 and has a 10-meter Ocean Tunnel. You can see bonnethead sharks, lion fish, and epaulette sharks swimming around you.

Where to Stay at Chessington

Chessington World of Adventures has two hotels and a Glamping experience on site.

Safari Hotel

Safari Hotel with Wanyama Reserve in foreground

The Safari Hotel is a four-star hotel designed to look like a Safari Lodge. It opened in 2007. The hotel has African decorations, like giraffe sculptures in the lobby. You can also see animals from the Wanyama Village & Reserve from the hotel.

Azteca Hotel

Front of the Azteca Hotel as seen from Safari Skyway

The Azteca Hotel is newer, opening in 2014. It's also a four-star hotel, themed like an ancient aztec temple. Each floor has a different temple theme.

The hotel's Temple Restaurant has cool special effects, like water fountains and lights. You can even see a trail of leaf cutter ants passing by the tables!

Explorer Glamping

Opened in 2016, Chessington's Explorer Glamping site has 31 standard tents and four deluxe tents. It's located in the southwest part of the park. There's also a restaurant called 'Explorer's Outpost' for guests staying there.

Park Safety and Rules

Chessington World of Adventures takes safety very seriously. After an incident in 2012, the park's owner, Merlin Entertainments, worked hard to improve safety. They spent a lot of money on repairs and improvements to make sure everyone is safe.

Because most of the park is on green belt lands, there are rules about how tall buildings can be and how much noise can be made. This means some rides, like Blue Barnacle and Croc Drop, had to be built partly underground. The Vampire ride cannot operate past 11 pm because of noise rules.

Images for kids

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  Adventure Point

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  Mexicana

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  Land of the Tiger

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  Shipwreck Coast

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  Wild Woods

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  Forbidden Kingdom

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  Land of the Dragons

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  Wild Asia

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  Wanyama Village & Reserve

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  World of Jumanji

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  Lorikeet Lagoon in Wild Asia

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  Frazzle the Dragon

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  Entrance to Dragon's Fury in Land of the Dragons

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  The Burnt Stub Mansion

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  Ostriches in their Wanyama Village enclosure

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  Chessington gorilla eating

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  Sumatran tiger 2010

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  Sea lion enclosure

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  River otter enclosure

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  Kunekune at petting zoo

See also

• List of theme parks in the United Kingdom
• List of amusement parks