Chessington World of Adventures Review

Overall Rating

On this visit

Expensive to get in, RAP does not work to the benefit of the user

This information will only benefit disabled visitors who take advantage of the current RAP system.

I visited Chessington with my family, which included my sister and brother who are both disabled. Every year we visit, because my sister and brother really enjoy the day.

This year however, was a completley different story.

Chessington has changed the way their disabled exit pass works and have bought in the Ride Access Pass scheme;
What an utter shambles!

The idea behind this is that you are in a 'virtual queue', which is a new thing to be introduced.

How it works is this : you are given a RAP card which you use on the most popular attractions and like before you enter the ride via the exit. The attendant then writes down the time in which you can enter the next 'big' ride.

Now, this meant that we were having to wait up to 2 hours between being able to ride the 'big' rides as the time written down was the time of the queue length of the ride we had just entered.

We were however, free to ride the 'kiddy' rides as many times as we liked or visit the zoo area. Only problem was, my sister who is almost 10 and brother who is 8 didn't want to ride the 'kiddy' rides or visit the zoo. They love the thrill of the fast rides. That's why they loved going to Chessington!

Unfortunately, an autistic person is incapable of waiting, so I'm sure anyone with autism in their group visiting Chessington must experience the same level of 'meltdown' that we experienced.

To walk up and down just to kill time is an impossible task with 2 children with special needs.

Chessington has changed their disabled policy and it's not for the best I feel.

I wrote to Chessington about our experience, only to get a letter back stating that the RAP usage without a 'virtual queue' would become unfair to guests.

Is it fair, that because of this RAP system my family got to ride only 2 rides during our visit ? And that is the honest truth!

We have been to Disneyworld twice with my sister and brother and it is very apparant to me that they are the place to go when you have special needs in your group.

I think it would be good if Chessington looked at how Disney runs their disabled scheme...

I know we are only a minority of people amongst the thousands that visit Chessington annually, but Chessington has lost a regular visiting family. And by us telling other disabled visitors our bad experiences, lets hope that for future disabled visitors Chessington makes a day out for disabled guests that bit easier and enjoyable.

Members' Comments onme being me's Review

• me being me on 3rd Oct 2008

  I have to add that browsing on the Chessington website 'regular' visitors can buy a ticket at an addtional cost called 'the express pass' which gets you UNLIMITED access on all the big rides.....is that fair?.....so, if they are selling the 'right' to have unlimited access, then WHY won't Chessington let their disabled visitors ( who have a very hard time as it is) also enjoy the same privelige? And they said they don't discriminate..........

• welshdragon121 on 11th May 2009

  I agree with this review because...we also have a child with a disablity who has now been refused the RAP pass at chessington. The disability is still there but their policy has changed, would like to know if the health and safety issues have changed! We are now being penalised for having a child with a disability and would have to pay extra every time we were going to visit on top of the entry price. Living with a disability is hard enough and nobody want to to have a disability so please let us have some fun without being penalised!