Our family of four – myself, my husband and our two teenage daughters – recently enjoyed a fun-filled short break at Chessington World of Adventures, and even though our children are older now, the park still delivered everything we needed for a memorable family escape.
The hotel itself is designed with families in mind, and the safari theming is exceptional, it’s the closest you’ll get to Animal Kingdom lodge without going to Florida!
We’ve visited before and stayed onsite at Chessington’s fantastic themed rooms – including the Madagascar rooms to the incredible Gruffalo ones – and the theming in these is absolutely incredible, there are few hotel rooms like it in the country!
These rooms offer extra space and clever layouts where kids have their own sleeping area, which makes a big difference for families. However, these rooms do come at a premium, and this time we opted for a standard room in the Safari hotel.
While our standard room was more of a typical hotel room, although it did have some safari touches, it was comfortable and clean and served its purpose well for an overnight stay. The real highlight was the view: waking up to see zebras, ostriches and Ankole cattle wandering across the Wanyama Reserve just outside our window was a lovely reminder that this not your typical hotel, and why prices here do command a premium.
There were some nice little touches too – like the Freddo left on the pillow for the kids – which I thought was a lovely little welcome. Check-in was quick and easy thanks to online check-in, and a helpful staff member was on hand for any queries.
We arrived in the late afternoon and spent our first evening exploring the hotel and grounds. One of the best perks of staying at the resort is access to the Wanyama Village between 6pm and 8pm, where hotel guests can stroll along the elevated walkways and pathways and enjoy up-close views of some of the animals on the reserve. It’s peaceful, scenic, and a lovely way to unwind after a busy travel day navigating both the M4 and M25!
For families with younger children, the hotel lobby offers a kids’ TV area and space to run around, although we didn’t see a mini disco taking place – something our girls used to love when they were younger.
There is also a swimming pool here and a separate splash pool with water cannons and jets which is great fun for families, again highly recommend pre-booking this in advance. Access to the pool is free for premium and animal themed rooms but if we had booked a standard room at the hotel, there would be an additional charge of £5 per person, so that’s something to consider when choosing your room here.
Dinner was at the Zufari Bar & Grill – a popular spot, and I definitely recommend booking ahead online as it was very busy. We ordered pizzas and fries, and while prices are what you’d expect from a theme park hotel, the convenience of not needing to leave the resort after a long drive made it worth it. The food was warm and tasty, though service did feel slightly stretched due to the crowds.
After a good night’s sleep, helped by the fact that the rooms have air conditioning, which is always a bonus when it’s a heatwave in the UK, we headed down for breakfast which is also included in your stay.
The hotel breakfast buffet offered a good choice to start our day at the theme park. From pancakes and fresh fruit to full English breakfasts and continental pastries, there was something for everyone here, best of all were the tables on the outdoor terrace overlooking the reserve. It’s not often that you can enjoy your breakfast whilst watching zebras.
One of the biggest advantages of staying on-site is the early entry into the park between 9am and 10am – a full hour before it opens to the public, this makes a huge difference especially at busy times. Not all rides are open during this time, but it saved a lot of waiting in longer lines later in the day.
We visited Chessington back in 2023 (you can read our review here) not long after the World of Jumanji had opened and couldn’t wait to revisit this, its one of our favourite parts of any UK theme park. The early access allowed us to ride Mandrill Mayhem – the headline coaster three times, as well as Ostrich Stampede.
The theming in the World of Jumanji area is incredible – it genuinely feels like you’ve stepped onto the set of the Jumanji film. The immersive detail is fantastic, from jungle plants to the towering 55ft tall Jaguar Shrine where the world’s first “Jumanji” rollercoaster wraps around it. The land itself features a clever mix of old Jumanji references such as its maze of pathways and boardgame pieces based on the boardgame from the original movie to other Jumanji-themed activities and photo opportunities from the latest films.
Before the early entry hour was up, we also managed to ride the much-loved Gruffalo River Ride Adventure, which had less than a 5 minute wait.
Throughout the rest of the day, we made our way around the park, ticking off all the coasters, much to the delight of the girls. Rattlesnake, Vampire, and Dragon’s Fury are all Chessington classics and still firm favourites for our daughters. We cooled down on Tiger Rock, which came with a surprise bonus – we were lucky to see one of Chessington’s Amur tigers prowling overhead on one of Europe’s first big cat overhead trails. It was a real ‘wow’ moment.
Other highlights included Seastorm, the thrilling Croc Drop, and Tomb Blaster, where the whole family got competitive trying to beat each other’s laser blaster scores. Even Room on the Broom – A Magical Journey was a nostalgic treat, and with no queue, it was well worth walking through which brings another Julia Donaldson classic to life.
In keeping with the safari theme of our stay, we also travelled on the Zufari, a great little safari experience where you can get up close to see many of the animals at Chessington. On our journey we got to see Giraffes, Zebras and Rhino’s up close. We last visited in 2023 and the cave at the end has undergone a spectacular retheme and added another layer of magic to the closest you will get in a theme park in the UK to what is found at Animal Kingdom at Disney.
Along with Zufari, no visit to Chessington is complete without time in the Chessington Zoo and SEALIFE centre. It’s easy to forget just how much this park offers beyond rides. The zoo is home to lions, sea lions, penguins and more – with the gorillas being a personal favourite of my husband. SEALIFE is also a great indoor attraction, particularly on hotter days or if you need a break from queueing. The highlight for us being its walkthrough tunnel that goes underneath one of the tanks, creating an immersive underwater experience with sharks circling above you.
While exploring the park, it’s impossible to miss the large construction hoardings – Chessington is undergoing a major transformation, and families with young children will want to keep an eye on what’s coming. In 2026, the UK’s first-ever Paw Patrol land will open here. The new immersive land will have four themed rides – including a brand-new rollercoaster for kids.
Even now, there are ways to get in on the Paw Patrol fun. I was lucky enough to meet one of the characters at a meet-and-greet inside the park – a lovely experience for little ones. And launching at the end of October this year are brand new Paw Patrol-themed hotel rooms in the Safari hotel, which are bound to be hugely popular with fans of the show.
That’s not all – the Wild Asia area of the park is being completely redeveloped and will reopen in 2027 as a brand-new Minecraft-themed land. This will be the first of its kind in the UK and promises to be a huge hit with kids and tweens who love the video game.
Overall
Chessington World of Adventures has long been known as a great park for younger families – and it is – but our visit reminded me how much there is for teenagers too. From fun coasters to animal encounters and immersive themed lands like Jumanji, there’s plenty to fill a full day (or two). Staying on-site at the Chessington Safari hotel made everything so much easier and gave us valuable extra time in the park.
Whether it’s your first visit or a return trip like ours, Chessington continues to evolve – and with big new attractions on the horizon and I have no doubt we’ll be back again soon.
Ready to Book?
Rooms at the Chessington Safari hotel start from £52 per person and includes park tickets, but prices climb significantly during weekends and school holidays. You can book direct via Chessington Short Breaks
*Disclosure: This was a press visit organised by Chessington but all opinions are entirely my own.