Chessington World of Adventures Reopening: Our Experience
Chessington World of Adventures opened for the 2020 season on the 4th July. We were able to visit in its first week and experience their new safety precautions. Here is what you can expect if you plan to visit in the coming months.
Entering the park
Once we had parked our car, we lined up in a socially distanced queue behind a small number of people. The line moved fast and at the front we were required to have our temperatures checked. The staff used a temperature gun, which was very efficient and only took moments to give a reading. Bags were then checked and we were on our way to the turnstiles.
Guests with a temperature of 37.8 °C or above will not be allowed entry into the park. However, they can exchange their tickets for a later day this year or next.
All tickets must be purchased before you visit due to the very limited number being sold. As capacity is so restricted, even annual pass holders must book a day slot if they want to visit. This costs £1 to do. Staff will then scan the ticket, which must be printed or on your phone. Pass holders must show their booking along with their annual pass, which will be scanned to allow entry into the park.
As we entered the park, a member of staff was handing out maps. This is the first park we have visited post lockdown that had maps readily available. Handing them to visitors is a great method to minimise contact and is something we’d love to see from more parks. Especially as people who try to keep a map from each visit.
Queue Times and Organisation
Although capacity is limited, lines can still reach long wait times. This is because, whilst there are less people in the park, there are also less people allowed on most carriages than normal.
For example Scorpion Express, Tomb Blaster, Zoofari are loading every other row. Other attractions are only seating one party per vehicle.
KOBRA was not open the day we visited, but we assume they will leave multiple seats between parties to ensure social distancing is maintained.
Rides are also stopped approximately every thirty minutes for a deep cleaning. This only takes five minutes but does of course add some wait time to the lines.
We can’t guarantee that this will be true if you visit, but it is significant to note that most ride lines only took about half of the time posted on the board and the app. It is likely that Chessington are overstating wait times to avoid guest disappointment if the cleaning procedures take longer than expected. This occurred when we were in line for The Gruffalo, adding about fifteen minutes and making the wait time exactly what was posted.
The Safety Measures
As already mentioned, attractions are deep cleaned very regularly. Staff use a disinfectant spray which comes out of a hose, the same efficient method we saw used at Legoland.
Social Distancing was enforced throughout, with 2m markers on the floor outside animal enclosures and in lines. This worked well for the most part, although unfortunately some guests were not following these rules. Staff were quick to make an announcement over the speakers and ensure that this issue was rectified immediately.
Hand sanitizer dispensers were located all around the park, particularly at the entrance and exit to rides. All staff were wearing face masks and many were also wearing visors.
Face masks are mandatory for guests over six when riding Vampire, KOBRA, Scorpion Express and Tuk Tuk Turmoil.
Is Chessington World Of Adventures worth a visit under the current circumstances?
A few attractions are not currently operating due to the government’s safety restrictions. Room on the Broom – A Magical Journey is not open at the moment and the soft-play attractions Dragon’s Playhouse and Temple of Mayhem, alongside outdoor playgrounds Canopy Capers and AMAZU Treetop Adventure are also closed.
Sections of the zoo are also unavailable. This includes the Rhino Lookout, the boardwalk in
Wanyama Village & Reserve, AMAZU and the monkey walk through. This is because social distancing would not be possible within these areas. There are also no animal talks or feeds at the moment.
Overall, when compared to the other parks we have visited, very little is closed at Chessington World of Adventures. We had a wonderful time and would definitely recommend that anyone considering a visit goes. Lines were about average and typically less than their posted times suggested. Staff were friendly and enforced the rules even when guests forgot about them. We enjoyed our visit and most importantly felt very safe.