Here’s what to expect from an action-packed day out at one of the UK’s biggest family attractions

Getting the kids super excited for a trip to Chessington World of Adventures isn’t hard. Our family had started counting down weeks before we clambered into the car and headed out early to avoid the worst on the M25 traffic, writes Jenni Horn.

If you grew up in the south of England, it’s likely you’ve been there on a school trip or childhood visit with family.

I used to visit Chessington every year on a trip with a youth sports club - but I had never taken Max and Millie, in fact I hadn’t been back since my teens. Would it still be as good as I remember?

Finding the right car park was a bit confusing but once parked it was a smooth process to get our tickets scanned and make our way inside. We parked in the Lodge car park. Immediately as you arrive, you can do a quick pit stop at the toilets before starting your day.

Max was keen to find a rollercoaster of some sort but the first thing we walked past was the Room on the Broom - A Magical Journey, so we headed in. It is a walkthrough experience which brings the much-loved children’s story to life with challenges along the way. It’s aimed at younger children but Millie is still a fan of the book so enjoyed it - and, having read the story to them both many times, I loved it too.

There are other rides for younger children in this area too - Tiny Truckers and Elmer’s Flying Elephants.

But my two were eager to find something more adventurous, so we headed to the Forbidden Kingdom part of the park to go on the Croc Drop.

This tower ride offers amazing views over the park as it takes you 25 metres into the sky but that was where my enjoyment ended as you were then hurtled towards the ground at great speed making you feel like your breakfast was going to reappear. The kids however, loved it!

This Forbidden Kingdom also has the Tomb Blaster ride, where you travel through a series of dark crypts on a train and have to shoot at mummies with a laser gun. The special effects were great and it wasn’t hard to do, so we all enjoyed this ride.

While on this side of the park we also went on Zufari - this is a short safari-style trip into part of the zoo where you get to see rhinos, ostrich and zebras. We even came face to face (or face to neck in fact) with one of the giraffes right next to the truck which was amazing.

We skipped the water flumes for now and headed to the Land of the Dragons to ride on the spinning rollercoaster Dragon’s Fury. The kids thought it was great but there were so many twists and turns, I just ended up feeling a bit sick. They loved it so much they decided to go on again but I opted out of a second go and sent Dad on with them instead!

There were more thrills and fast rides in the World of Jumanji area, which has the Ostrich Stampede and the Mamba Strike.

But by far the kids’ favourite was the Mandrill Mayhem, which sends you hurtling forwards, backwards, and upside down. I definitely felt sick after that one!

After all that, I needed something a bit quieter so we went to the Wild Woods area to go on the Gruffalo ride. People of a certain age, like me, will remember this as the Bubbleworks. It is the same under-cover boat ride down a lazy river but the setting has been transformed to re-tell the famous Julia Donaldson story.

This was much more my style. It was dark, a little bit magical and you got wet - so the kids liked it too, even though it wasn’t a fast ride.

The great thing about Chessington is that there is something for all ages - from roller coasters for thrill seekers like my two, to gentle rides for pre-schoolers (or mums in their forties).

My break from fast rides didn’t last long - we went on the Vampire next. This has been at the park since I was a teenager and I’m sure back then it was the biggest and fastest ride. It’s a suspended roller coaster where your legs are left dangling - so make sure your shoes are on tight!

We took a picnic and rather than stopping for lunch, we just ate between rides or while waiting in the queues. But if you want to buy something to eat, there are lots to choose from around the park. My two loved the brightly coloured sweet shop in Adventure Point that had its own special door for kids.

We ended the day by heading to the Land of the Tiger for the log flume. We decided to wait until the end of the day in case we got very wet. However, Millie was disappointed she didn’t get wet enough so made us go on again!

My visit to Chessington has made me realise I’m no longer a fan of fast rollercoasters like I used to be as a teenager. But the kids had the best day (best day ever, according to Millie) so it was worth feeling a bit queasy.

I had a great day too - because Chessington had loads more to offer than just thrillseeking rides. If you don’t want to queue for the big rides there are plenty of smaller ones as well as shows, meet and greets, the zoo and the aquarium. I think if we came back again we’d need two days to do it all.

Chessington is running its annual Howl'o'ween event at weekends and during the October half-term which includes spooky activities, shows, characters, rides at dusk and the new Spooktacular Scare Zone. It also has the Enchanted Hollow trick or treat experience (for an extra charge) visitors are invited to explore the cosy burrows, winding tunnels and knock on each door to uncover hidden treasures, tricks and sweet surprises.

FACTFILE

Food and drink: Loads to choose from - from hotdogs and donuts, to sit down meals. We took our own food and there were plenty of places to sit around the park.

Toilets: These are located at the entrance and dotted around the park so we never had to walk far to find one.

Parking: Standard Parking costs £12 and is located five to 10 minutes walk away from the park. If you want to be closer to the entrance, then you can opt for Express Parking, which costs £20 and is at the Lodge Gate entrance.

Cost: Tickets cost £32 or £34 per person (depending on the day you go). You can pay extra for Reserve and Ride wristbands which help to skip the queues.

Location: Chessington is just two miles from Junction 9 of the M25 with brown signs along the way so it was easy to find. Use postcode KT9 2NE.

Jenni and family were invited guests of Chessington World of Adventures Resort. Click here for more details and to book tickets