Amusement Parks: Chessington World of Adventures

Chessington World of Adventures is an amusement park that was traditionally known solely as a zoo up until 1987. That year, the zoo was transformed into an amusement park with the addition of several rides and it has been expanding ever since.

The amusement park is situated about 12 miles southwest of Central London and is well served by public transport as well as being easily accessible by car as it is close to the A3 and junctions 9 and 10 of the M25.

It is one of several amusement parks in and around the capital with Thorpe Park and Legoland being two of the other famous amusement parks serving London. In fact, it shares the same ownership as its nearby ‘neighbour’ Thorpe Park and, therefore, they both cater for different markets. Whereas Thorpe Park has a greater selection of thrill rides aimed more at teenagers, Chessington World of Adventures is an amusement park which offers greater choice to families who might have children with a broad age range.

The carefully considered mixture of rides at the amusement park are broken down into 9 different theme areas that range from Mexicana, Mystic East, Pirates Cove, Land of the Dragons, Transylvania and Beanoland. They include large, modern roller coasters as well as rides and other attractions that are more geared up for catering to smaller children.

The zoo still plays an intrinsic role in the ongoing success of the amusement park and it’s divided into two parts. In one half, guests can enjoy a ‘safari like’ experience and witness tigers, lions, gorillas and leopards in their natural habitats which are as close to reality as you would see them in the wild. The other half of the amusement park’s zoo contains more traditional smaller enclosures featuring dozens of fascinating smaller animals. Younger children in particular are drawn to the amusement park’s petting zoo where they are able to get up close to some traditional farmyard animals. In 2008, the amusement park introduced another attraction in the zoo, the Sea Life exhibit, which is a 250, 000 litre aquarium which is home to over 20 marine displays.

The amusement park opens from mid-March up until late December each year with 7 days a week opening during the peak summer months. However, only the zoo part of the amusement park remains open during certain times of the year so it’s important to check the schedule before you travel.