World of Jumanji at Chessington

Chessington World of Adventures Resort has opened its latest attraction, World of Jumanji, featuring a rollercoaster and two new rides in a brand-new themed area.

Bringing Sony Pictures’ box office hit film franchise to life, it is Chessington’s single largest investment in its history. We had to check it out…

We arrived on a Friday evening for an overnight stay before our adventure at the new world. Although I’ve been to Chessington many times over the years with my kids, I’ve never stayed there, given I live close by. But it felt like a real treat – one minute we’re heading along the A3 in rush hour – the next we’re in the African savannah! Our room overlooked the resort’s nature reserve and it was a thrill to suddenly spy zebra wandering past! We stayed in an animal-themed room, ours delightfully centred on giraffe with cute pictures of the creatures, and other fabulous features giving it a safari vibe. There are maps on the walls, a canopy over the main bed and giraffe patterned accessories. There are also other themed bedrooms on offer at the resort, including Gruffalo and Room on the Broom – and now Jumanji rooms, too.

There are two restaurants on site – Zafari in the Safari hotel – an a la carte option overlooking the nature reserve, and carvery-style Temple inside the Azteca hotel. We tried the latter – how could we resist the promise of thunder and lightning effects (gently done) and an army of leaf-cutter ants and piranhas to watch? (the ants are quite a sight as they make their way along the transparent plastic tunnels). The food on offer at the buffet was very good, with a great choice for veggies and omnivores alike (we particularly enjoyed a beef brisket, smoked in-house).

We slept well in the room – the kids loved the bunk beds tucked in the alcove – and we awoke to see giraffe making their way across the nature reserve.

So, on to the big launch…

What can you expect at World of Jumanji?

The world is cleverly themed and well set out with pathways inspired by the boardgame in the 1996 film. The premise of your adventure is that you follow in the footsteps of the film series’ intrepid characters to locate the Jaguar’s Eye Jewel, lift the curse and save Jumanji. The big draw is Mandrill Mayhem, a winged, launch, shuttle rollercoaster, with Chessington’s first inversion. Riders are flipped upside down at 42 miles per hour while dodging the hazards of the jungle and spiralling to the summit of the 55ft tall Jaguar Shrine. You then plunge down and do it all again –  backwards! It is suitable for riders from just 1.2m tall so a great beginner coaster for the family. It was perfect for me – exciting but not terrifying! And my ‘extreme coaster’-loving kids were also impressed. Handily there is a free virtual queue system for the ride to reduce physical queuing time. It also looks impressive with a towering jaguar glaring out over the land.

The other two rides are Mamba Strike (a Magic Carpet style ride) and the twisting turning Ostrich Stampede. Around the pathways are some wooden beams and obstacles to keep younger kids amused. There’s also a food kiosk featuring the likes of giant turkey legs!

The new world is a great new addition to Chessington – which has always been one of my favourite places to go with the family, combining rides for all ages with the fabulous zoo, perfect for some downtime. A must this summer…

More info Chessington.com/Jumanji