For kids its amazing, but through an adults eyes it has aged, hasnt been looked after and has declined massively. - Well, it was a good day. I had fun, my kids had fun but Compared to other theme parks it isnt very good. Through my eyes i noticed all the floors that other theme parks today dont have. It was £97 for a family of 4, so not a cheap day out, plus dont forget the £10 charge to park!!! (JOKE BTW LIKE WHERE ELSE DO I PARK???) Seriously, this is a major joke we just all seem to accept. I get they arent the only ones but come on. I digress, We went on monday 2nd September, it was 45 Min queues for most rides at the least, with 90 Mins for vampire queue all day. This isnt a problem, theme parks have queues. The concern though is that you have 1 person working on a ride, where it takes 5 mins to offload and load people, and 2 minutes to ride. Staff move at 1 MPH, looking very unhappy, and with 1 person running a ride it makes a 10 Minute queue take 45 mins, not because loads of people are queued up. This slow and unenthusiastic approach to serving customers is very dissapointing, and its clear to see why i wasnt the only one in the queue with my stopwatch out, commenting on how there are 30 people in a queue, how on earth is it meant to take 45 minutes, but then it did actually take 45 mins. Tomb blaster advertised 30 mins when we entered, it took 80 mins, it had carriages on every train closed, the first 2 carriages were for fast track, and the remaining 4 carriages that were open were for the common folk. But only 1 member of staff was running the ride. 1 Behind the glass (Ride opperator) and 1 for the queue, safety checks etc. Again, this meant the through put of customers was terrible, not because the queue was abnormally long. With the queues, the only thing i can assume is that they want bad queue times, as more people pay for fast track. Most of the big rides were sold out of fast track tickets all day, so people are caving in. I would have if i could have, my daughter was desperate to ride vampire, and if £24 was what it took to not queue for at times 105 Mins, id of payed it. It just seems everyone else had that logic. We travelled all that way, paid all that money, i couldnt let her miss out. With young children, we normally take a packed lunch everywhere we go for cost efficiency. However, for once, i decided to not pack a lunch, and told the other half we are treating ourselves. I couldnt of made a bigger mistake. I just read a review from 2018 where the person complained about a £6 hot dog, TRY £13.50 for a tough Salami in a bun. Or £15.50 for a combo meal with chips with no salt and a drink. Shameful. Apparently it was beef, however it was one of the worst things i had ever eaten. To make matters worse, this food stall had no option for a kids meal. You'd of thought that having a place with loads of children around, they would have children menu choices at all restaurants , but this is not the case. This meant buying my 5 year old daughter who wanted something to eat a £15.50 combo meal too or a £13.50 hot dog, not a nice little 6 or 4 inch hot dog for £4/£6 like i expected. I ofcouse did this, spending £30 on 2 hot dogs, a small chips and a small coke. I understand that you pay over the odds for food, however i really feel like this is taking the michael a bit? We did check out another food stall, thinking that maybe this 1 place didnt have kids options. So we went to a food staff for fish and chips around the side, NOPE. £9.50 for fish bites and chips for a kids meal, and thats it. No sausage and chips, battered sausage and chips. Just fish bites. I found this very strange. Then, to top things off, the website advertises Microwaves around the park so you can heat baby food up. My son is unfortunately not well, with a possible autism diagnosis around the corner, and upon entering a restaurants close to closing time, we were ushered out as they were cleaning, and was told by a member of management that they dont have microwaves, and in the 2 years he has worked there he has never seen them around the park. This meant leaving with a hungry child too. We were told at the exit that the only place that has a microwave was at first aid, this was after complaining to a member of staff on the way out. We told them the website has 2 places where it says in selected restaurants and then names 5/6 different destionations, however we were told this isnt correct and that it would be fed back. Other than this, its just simple things. Rides falling apart, buttons on rides falling off, the park generally isnt very tidy. Small things. Im saddened to say that the reviews that i read before coming, the youtube video i watched that uttered the same stuff as me, and the feeling i had walking around, i wont be coming back until i have too, with Pepper Pig world/ Drayton Manor Lego land etc being much better alternatives. If you read this all, many thanks. Hope it makes your decision to visit easier. The best part of the park is the Zoo. its great.

Giraffe VIP Experience - Worst Animal Experience We Have Ever Done - Complaint submitted 29th June, Response time stated was 5 days... chased them after 12 days, was told another 5 days, chased 10 days later.... just keep fobbing me off! WORST ANIMAL EXPERIENCE WE HAVE EVER HAD.... AVOID AVOID AVOID I am writing to formally raise a complaint regarding the VIP Giraffe Feeding Experience at Chessington, which my family and I attended on Saturday 28th June. We purchased this experience for a family of four to celebrate our youngest son’s 9th birthday, and unfortunately, the event fell significantly short of expectations, leaving our son heartbroken and all of us frustrated and deeply disappointed. The structure of the experience was fundamentally flawed. The truck used for the safari had feeding trays filled with food only on one side, meaning the giraffes naturally gravitated toward that side for the majority of the session. Regrettably, our family was seated on the opposite side and spent most of the time staring at a tree, while those on the tray side enjoyed 90% of the experience. Despite mentioning our concerns to the guide, we were told, “they will come round this side soon” — but they did not. Additionally, the single, meagre bucket of food provided for all eight guests was totally insufficient. Given that the giraffes largely remained on the side with the feeding trays, most of the food went to the guests on that side. My wife and I gave our portion to our two children, meaning we didn’t have the opportunity to feed the animals ourselves (not that the giraffes came near us)— an incredibly frustrating reality for an experience we all anticipated and paid equally for. We attempted to raise our concerns with customer services at the park, only to be told that the VIP experiences are independently operated. We then called the number listed at the VIP tent, and the person we spoke to offered little help beyond stating the experiences are non-refundable and that “we can’t force the animals to eat.” This response not only missed the point entirely but showed no recognition of the poor setup and lack of equitable experience for all guests. There was a clear lack of accountability, care, and planning in how this experience was delivered, and no effort whatsoever was made to ensure all participants had an equal opportunity to enjoy it. For a premium “VIP” event, this is absolutely unacceptable. We expect you to completely reconsider your stance on refunds and look into offering a full reimbursement, or at the very least, offer another VIP experience as compensation. Equally importantly, we strongly urge you to review how these experiences are managed to ensure they are inclusive and fairly delivered for all guests in the future. We look forward to your prompt and thoughtful response.

Poor value, no customer care, and disappointing family day out - We had an awful trip here, incredible waste of money. We visited as a family of 3 (two adults and 4 year old) on a very hot July day. We spent almost £115 with parking. I raised our issues directly with the customer services team afterwards, but unfortunately, their response only added to the disappointment. 1. Room on the Broom ride was half-broken Several interactive sections weren’t working at all, and the attraction looked like it hadn’t been properly maintained in some time. When I raised this in my complaint, the response was essentially that guests should report broken elements to staff on the day. I found this quite astonishing...we were there as paying visitors, not quality control. The fact that a core attraction was left in that state with no acknowledgement is not acceptable. 2. Zoo area was underwhelming and inadequate spaces for their animals. We saw almost no animals. I completely understand animals seeking shelter in the heat and fully support their welfare. What I raised was that the park design makes it nearly impossible to see anything when animals are inside, making the "zoo" experience feel misleading, where other places such as Drusillas have designed their park much more thoughtfully. The response from Chessington didn’t engage with this point at all. Separately, I thought several of the enclosures were much too small for the animals in question and it all felt very run down. Zufari queue was a disaster We waited well over an hour in the heat with a small child, despite a posted queue time of 20 minutes. We later learned only one of four vehicles was running, yet no staff member came down the line to explain the delay or support families in the line. In my complaint, I highlighted the complete lack of communication and care from staff, but again, the response simply explained how ride times can vary. That completely missed the point: it wasn’t the delay, it was being left to stand with no explanation and poor customer service/lack of care. Gruffalo ride closed with no warning This was the ride our daughter had been most excited about and the main reason we chose Chessington over other parks. We arrived after our Zufari queue to find it closed but yet again there was no staff communication. We stood waiting for some time, until another guest told us it wouldn’t reopen that day. Customer service response made things worse I wrote to request a partial refund or at least a gesture of goodwill. The reply I received quoted terms and conditions, said tickets are non-refundable, and explained why they might offer fast track passes on the day (though they hadn’t offered anything to us, despite us being in the same situation as other families who were given them). No apology of substance, no ownership, and no effort to make it right. We’ve visited theme parks across the UK and abroad, and this was by far the worst managed. I rarely complain, but I’d strongly advise others to think twice before spending their money here. A bad day followed by 0 care from customer services, purely an effort to extract your cash.

SCAMMY - Booked hotel to get access to rides early the next day. Unfortunately most of the rides are still being tested during this hour and what you can go on is limited. E.g. Mandrill Mayhem - the one thrill ride opened at 945 instead of 9. Treetops was tested until 935. Park rangers, operator until 940. And the list goes on.

Unhappy Experience for My Daughter's 11th Birthday at Chessington World of Adventures - I recently took my family to Chessington World of Adventures to celebrate my daughter’s 11th birthday, and what was meant to be a joyful day turned into an incredibly disappointing experience. Despite spending £150 on tickets, we were only able to go on three rides—an utter waste of money. The closure of the Gruffalo ride after a long wait was infuriating, and the inaccurately posted queue times for Tomb Blaster were unacceptable. We were forced to endure a two-hour wait in cramped conditions for a ride advertised as a 40-minute wait. This experience left us feeling frustrated and cheated as the ride was not worth the wait. To compound our disappointment, the prices at the food stands were nothing short of outrageous. We were charged £17.50 for a basic noodle box, resulting in a staggering total of £52.50 for a family of four! Adding insult to injury, the refusal to accept cash meant my daughters, who had brought their pocket money to spend, were left feeling deflated and unable to enjoy the day. It felt like we were being taken advantage of at every turn. While I understand that issues can arise, I am appalled by the lack of any offer for reimbursement or compensation for the value we did not receive. My attempts to voice our concerns felt dismissed, making it clear that there was no intention of resolving our grievances. It’s astonishing to see that complaints like mine are ignored on platforms like TripAdvisor, while positive reviews receive immediate attention. This blatant disregard for guest feedback—especially critical voices—reinforces the belief that customer satisfaction is not a priority. I sincerely hope Chessington begins to take its guests’ experiences seriously and implements meaningful changes. Until then, I am left questioning whether I would ever consider returning to a park that has failed to provide even a fraction of the enjoyment we expected on such a special day.

Poor value for money - Absolutely rubbish day, spent all day trudging from badly managed queue to badly managed queue. Staff took ages to load and unload. 2 rides broke down after we had queued for over and hour for 1 and for 50 minutes for the other. Got on 4 rides all day. only place that had staff was the concession stands you pay extra for. Place was run down and poorly managed from the car park on entrance all the way through the day to the exit. I would not waste your money. Complained to head office and they literally could not care less what kind of experience they are providing

Absolutely terrible - don’t bother - Terrible!! Almost £400 for 8 of us and we were able to go on a grand total of 4 rides over an 8 hour day. Staff were only available on concession stands and the few staff you could see REFUSED to assist. Photo pass purchased for £25 didn't work and on receiving our complaint Chessington “customer service” washed their hands saying they do not operate the photo pass. Two of the biggest rides broke down and we were refused any compensation despite having queued for over an hour at each of them prior to the breakdown. Will never visit there again and I would save yourself the trouble, disappointment and expense and plan your day out elsewhere.

Dreadful dreadful Santa event, Customer Services is a joke - We paid to visit Santa in December 2023 for a specific timeslot with our 1 year. So a 1 year and two adults we spent over £100. Our slot was canceled at late noticed and pushed from 10am to 3pm which isn't good if you have a 1 year on a sleep cycle and you want to see the animals. We battled through and went, once arriving there were around 250+ families in the queue and no queue control even though we had booked a slot. It was zero degrees and a sign saying no prams in the queue. This was unsafe and unhealthy for any baby to be exposed for a long period of time at that temperature. We ended up leaving straightaway, and raised this with Customer Service on our return home. They were less than useful and told us that they had an issue with their booking system. (So they have taken more bookings and revenue than expected) but still didn't offer a refund. They said they could only look at this towards the end of Jan, in the end it took until the end of July to get a voucher code. This was also a joke, we had paid over a £100 for the tickets and they only gave us a discounted entry into the park for £15. As August would have been very busy, we waited until last weekend to find out the voucher code was only for 1 person, so literally they were only given us a £20 discount on standard tickets when we had bought a premium trip. The customer service on the phone had to raise this to their 'Management' and have absolutely no ability to make a call. Finally this is local adventure park with an AMERICAN customer service. Just shocking from end to end. If they treat their customers like this, imagine how they treat the AMINALS, just shocking. Advice, DON'T GO!!

Terrible experience - We went during he summer holidays, staff were very unhelpful in all aspects, on arrival we were not shown the entertainment, where to go to, what was on and when i asked we were just given a piece of paper, nothing was explained. Breakfast was booked by a staff member but when we got there in the morning we were told we were not booked in, even though i watched him book us on. My sons pillow got taken out of its case and when i asked where it was, staff said they couldnt find it and replaced it woth one full of yellow stains. I had to pay £10 for parking when it was advertised as free with an overnight stay. When i complained formally, we were just given a free visit 'because of ride access' not because of any concerns i raised and this was after i said we would not return in the email. They dont care they just want your money.

Please please don’t waste your money! - I would encourage anyone to listen to the general consensus of these reviews, I find it shocking that everyone shares such similar encounters and chessington still does not care to take note…which leads me start with how shocking the customer service is. They literally do not care. It exasperates to the frustration and is so so sad that families part with so much money to feel the way they do. We have been to chessington many times, and I have to say it disappoints in some way every time but not enough where I would take time to complain but our last visit was the last resort and I can honestly say we won’t be returning. When we arrived the vampire ride was shut down due to a fault which was frustrating being a main attraction we can all go on. The zufari was shut down all day, again limiting to our experience. One of the main factors when choosing this attraction as again it’s something we can all enjoy. We queued 1 hour to go on the ostrich ride in jamanji land to be turn away when we were next in line to go on because it broke down! There is never a compensation for the time lost waiting for these rides or support in being able to access the ride where we could avoid queuing for another hour, this is something I think most families feel needs to change as for the money you want to be able to access and make the most of an 8 hour day. You expect queues…but to queue an then be turn away after already waiting an hour in scorching heat is not ok. Chessington could defiantly support customers better but choose not too.l am that’s defiantly made worse since this new system where u can pay extra to queue jump! All about money! There is zero limit to the numbers they let into the park which is what makes the queuing system unsustainable, that mixed with the level of broken down rides an the prioritisation of fast track…you can be looking at 2 hours for some rides which u end up boycotting because your mindful of maximising time. We queued 90 minutes for vampire when it was eventually up and running..we solely did this as it’s a ride we can all do. In total we went on 4 rides!! Would have been 6 but 2 rides wasted at 2 hours total queuing an being turn away. Smaller rides that our 5 year old could do were broke down, play areas not open limiting to their day completely. The encounter we did have with the animals ie tigers/seals was so depressing! Their enclosure is tiny an dirty! The park in general looks run down an old. I remember going here when I was little an it felt like such a fun day out…my children left emotionally exhausted! And agreed it didn’t feel worth it! Which is sad when you save as a family for them to get what you got from the same day out! For the first time ever I felt compelled to complain and after waiting 7 days for a response it could not have been anymore careless! Chessington simply do not care it’s all about money an what’s sad is it costs a bomb to do these days out now an the level of faults an general feel of this park for the cost simply shouldn’t be a deal breaker!! I believe chessington will only pay attention when people actually begin to boycott! We walked to our car over hearing families having the same frustration as us and that did not sit right with me. Please do longleat or other parks that don’t hold such a magnitude to rides breaking down an where customer service actually value your custom and experience!