The World of Jumanji has arrived at Chessington World of Adventures! The largest single investment in Chessington’s history has seen the addition of three new rides in a gorgeously themed area, and I was honoured to be invited down by the park to attend the media launch event!
In a year of – nonetheless very exciting – attraction rethemes World of Jumanji offers a whole new theme park land on what was previously an occasionally used field opposite Land of the Dragons. This location means that on arrival at the park’s main entrance, you can’t help but notice the small addition of a 55ft tall jaguar shrine, encased in a swirl of glorious green B&M track. With the track encircling the entire perimeter of the land, there’s a strong chance you’ll see a vibrant Mandrill-laden train zoom by, too. That was certainly my experience on arrival at the park, and to say I was excited would be an understatement!
Walking through the land’s dramatic carved entry portal – and under the regulation net below the coaster’s inversion – the view was overwhelming. Directly in front of me lay the hedges forming the Jumanji maze, and behind that, a steady stream of smoke gently poured from the mouth of the jaguar shrine. The way the land has been laid out and the way it slopes gently downhill from the entrance leads to the whole of Jumanji forming a beautiful vista from the entrance. You can see everything from here, and it all competes for your attention. I could just about see the bazaar. What would be waiting for me down that street? What would I find in the maze? What was on the other side of that upturned truck? I couldn’t wait to dive in and answer all of these questions! Not only this, but even having taken just a few steps into the land, I was already being floored by the attention to detail. Waiting for guests immediately inside the land is the Jumanji Field Guide Outpost.
Here, you’ll find the first instance of the map of World of Jumanji, which can be found in various locations throughout the land and is beautiful. (If you’re listening Merlin Merch, I’d love this as a postcard!) There are also various theming elements relating to both the movies and the animals in the land, all of which is finished to a high standard – a recurring theme in this land! For the event, this was also home to a group of excellent musicians that added so much atmosphere to the area, but I believe in regular operations will be the place to collect your activity trail map!
With so much to see, and being a very indecisive person, I simply couldn’t decide where to head first, so, naturally, we first walked down to the land’s clear headliner: Mamba Strike. I think it’s fair to say that of everything Jumanji had to offer, Mamba Strike was definitely the addition that excited me the least. An SBF Visa Top Dancer, I was fully expecting this to be very much a one-and-done kids ride. But it actually had a decent amount of whip! It’s no fairground miami, but it’s still a surprisingly good time. This was also the first interaction I had with the land’s ride signage, and my friends, it is top notch. With the exception of the obligatory ride information boards, there is not a vinyl sign to be seen. Everything here is designed to feel organic, to blend in with the lands, and boy do they pull it off. We were rushing to hop on the ride as it was boarding, but even then, I couldn’t help but take a beat, stand back, and appreciate the signage. Because this is the sort of thing that elevates a theme park land for me and elevate it, it certainly does! We were off to a strong start!
From here, it was, of course, time for the true main-drill event: Mandrill Mayhem! Weighing the same as 96 hippos – I know that question was on the tip of your tongue – a new coaster has arrived at Chessington for the first time since 2004, and it’s a B&M launched shuttle wing coaster. All or nothing, eh? I’ll admit, this is another ride I wasn’t actually too excited for. I adore B&M wing coasters but had accepted that this simply wasn’t a ride aimed at me. Given the park it calls home, this was undoubtedly seeking to be a ‘my first inversion’ type coaster. A perfectly valid and logical investment for Chessington, but not the sort of ride that has me waking up at 5 am, overcome with excitement. So it brings me great joy to say that Mandrill Mayhem is a ride that not only did I enjoy, but that I’ll now not consider a visit to Chessington complete without. I had a great time! This is a coaster that offers a completely unique experience, with a total of four launches throughout the ride experience, a deliciously slow inversion that had this hangtime-lover giggling with delight and the – most unexpected thrill of all – a bizarrely twisted spike that leaves you dangling on your side for a few seconds. This moment is potentially the highlight of the ride for me, purely from how unexpected it was. I never stopped to think about what the angle of that track would do for the ride experience, but it offers something totally unique and strangely delightful, not to mention stunning views over the land! With two sides and seven rows – the last of which being rear-facing – there are simply so many different ways to ride this, each of which offers a unique experience. During the launch event, I was lucky enough to ride seven times, but by some witchcraft, unless requesting front or back rows, always ended up in row four. So, for people who care about these things, my rides were:
- front row, left, inside seat
- front row, left, outside seat
- row 4, right, inside seat
- row 4, right, inside seat
- row 4, right, outside seat
- back row, right, inside seat
- back row, right, outside seat
My favourite of all of these was the front row inner seat, which offered the most tilt at the top of the spike, combined with the usual additional sense of speed through the launches, without the bounce of the outer seat. Because that’s a thing. I don’t know how, I don’t know why, but at the front of the train, the outer seats are bouncy. I’m not sure how many seats are affected by this – row four was glossy smooth – but at the front, it was quite a lot. It’s certainly not rough – this is B&M after all – but there is an undeniable bounce. I didn’t suffer from this, no headache, no nausea, but I definitely preferred the inner seat where this wasn’t the case. As for the rear-facing back row? It’s excellent. With the initial launch firing you backwards up a curved spike, on the back row, you ascend so far up this spike that it almost becomes an inversion. Then, on reaching the jaguar, the helix feels so much more forceful. Of course, on the way back, you also get all the fun of the front row! What’s not to love? Then there’s the station. Because, wow. Wow. I adore this station!
There is just so much going on, from laundry slung across the ceiling to hand-painted signage everywhere you look, and all of it is pulled together with some stunning lighting. With purple and green lighting, fairy lights that flicker, suggestive of our far flung locale, this is a station that oozes atmosphere. There are even launch effects – and you know I love a good launch effect – with audio and smoke as you fly out of the station!
Mandrill Mayhem is an excellent addition to Chessington, bringing the perfect next-step coaster for younger guests and something completely new and unique for us older visitors! As many have noted, the current batching process is far from ideal, but when I returned to the park for the public opening day, the staff had already gotten the process nailed down, and it all felt relatively efficient. Let’s hope this holds up on busier days!
(Note: During the media preview event, the ride was available via a traditional standby queue, but this is not the case now the attraction is open to the public, with Mandrill Mayhem operating a virtual queue system. I returned to the park for the official opening day and made use of this system, and found it far more user-friendly than expected, and was even able to book more than the advertised one ride per day! For full info, see the park’s FAQ!)
The coaster exits into a gift shop that doubles as the land’s dedicated retail location. The shop is divided into two sections, with an outdoor area (protected by a canopy) and an indoor shop housing the till, and additional items. If you’ve headed straight to the coaster on entering the land, this will be your first interaction with ‘the bazaar’, this corner of the land near Mamba Strike, which has some of the best theming not just in the area, but in the park as a whole. The interior of the shop is adorned with all sorts of themed lanterns, bags, and parasols to help create a real marketplace feel, and it works! It’s a really lovely space.
As you’d expect, there’s a whole host of merch to choose from within the shop, including some really nice pieces! I loved the leather-look journals (£15), and tiny magnetic plush mandrills (£6) especially, and if my cupboards weren’t overflowing, the mugs (£15) would be a definite purchase! I’m a big fan of more subtle theme park merch, so the matte black mugs with a simple World of Jumanji logo are right up my street. You can, of course, also pick up a game of Jumanji here. In fact, there are three different options! With the mass market board game, an electronic travel version, and a £130 deluxe wooden set – for you hardcore Jumanji fans, I know you’re out there – all available for purchase! I kept things simple, marking my first journey into this beautiful world with a pin which was reasonably priced at £5 and available in a basket next to the till.
On leaving the store, you enter the bazaar proper, featuring a selection of carnival and arcade games, but themed in a way that genuinely makes them a welcome part of the landscape. Not something I thought I’d find myself saying! I even decided to get into the spirit of things and give Mosquito Strike a go, paying £5 for two games in which I would have to knock down three mosquitos with three balls to win a – themed, of course – prize.
I failed miserably, as you’d expect, but it was fun all the same and the host was so friendly! Having my heart set on one of the giant jaguar plushes, I decided to try my luck at the enormous crane machine opposite which also offered them as prizes. At £1 per 1 play, the stakes were high, but I know my way around a crane machine!
Sadly, not well enough to secure the goods. One day I’ll win a jaguar. One day. I cannot emphasise enough how beautiful the theming is in this corner of the land. Disney’s Animal Kingdom is the most beautiful theme park I’ve ever had the joy of visiting, and in this area, I really felt as though I could be there. Textiles, murals, authentic signage, themed seating… the bazaar has it all!
By now we were all feeling a bit peckish, so it was about time to head on over to the opposite end of the land, near Ostrich Stampede, to visit the new quick-service food location, The Jumanji Food Supplies Co. First of all, I love the theming of this food stand. Housed in an upturned truck, with tyres bursting through the fencing, complete with sound effects, this is a really effective piece of theming that blends the restaurant into the land seamlessly!
The menu is located on a screen to the left of the window, which flips between the full menu and advertisements for individual items and of course the first thing brought to our attention was a certain meat-based item.
The turkey leg. I can’t believe Chessington has turkey legs! I’ll always associate these beasts with Orlando, and it’s such a novelty to see them appear here in the UK. Of course, if you’ve been around here before, you’ll know I’m vegetarian, so this wasn’t much use to me. Thankfully, the stand also offers hot dogs, both vegan and pork. This does, however, bring us to my one major problem with this land, the price of this food. A turkey leg is £14, which is extravagant, but perhaps at least vaguely understandable given the unique nature and sheer size of the thing. But the hot dogs are only a smidge cheaper at £13.50. That’s not a meal. That’s just a stand-alone hot dog. I was lucky enough to be gifted a voucher for a free food item as part of the media event, so I only had to purchase my own drink which was the usual price of just under £3 for a bottle, so to be honest I did not notice the pricing until afterwards. Even then, my opinion on the vegan hot dog wasn’t great. I enjoyed the sauerkraut and crispy onions, and the hot dog was very large, but the sauces were just regular squeezy bottles, and the bun was actually very dry and made for very slow eating. I ate it, it was acceptable. But for the price, I’d want something more than acceptable, and also something more adventurous. Some toppings that really make it unique. Because right now you can pick up a vegan rollover with two hefty toppings, a side of tortilla chips and a drink over in Adventure Point, just a 5 minute walk away, for £3.60 less than an individual hot dog costs in World of Jumanji. And that’s a bit crazy.
Also available at the stand are themed snacks!!!!! As you can probably guess, these take the shape of cupcakes, featuring either an elephant or gummy snake. I opted for the elephant as this is a shortbread biscuit rather than definitely-not-veggie gummy sweet, but I really liked the look of these! The elephant biscuits are very cute, and the snakes are wrapped nicely around the cake. There are both chocolate and vanilla cakes, and the different colour frostings are also different flavours! Again, the price is high at £4.50 per cake, and they were definitely a little sweet for me – I’ve never been a frosting person – but I’m always grateful for a themed snack or two!
It’s fair to say that Sensible Life Decisions aren’t exactly a talent of mine, so where else would I head immediately after a large lunch than straight on to Ostrich Stampede? The final ride within World of Jumanji, this SBF Visa Super Jumper is right up my street. I love bouncing. I just bloody love bouncy rides. S&S towers, frog hoppers, you name it. So, to have a new permanent bouncing ride in Chessington was music to my ears. But, I was a little apprehensive to test the cycle. Would it be a very mild experience, aimed at the younger guest? Nearly. But, not quite.
Like everything else in Jumanji, Ostrich Stampede has some excellent signage at the entrance and within the queue line – I’m guessing ‘it’s a stampede’ is a line from the movie?
The ride itself is, of course, also themed, with the ostrich vehicles being the topic of lots of discussion during the ride’s construction. Because they are pretty intense, but for fans of the most recent Jumanji movie ‘Jumanji: The Next Level’, they will also be very familiar, for this is an impressively accurate depiction of how the bird is presented within the film!
So, swept into the feathers of a rather intimidating ostrich, it’s time to bounce our way over the dunes! The ride cycle begins with a circular motion, spinning at quite a decent speed and delivering some unexpected lateral forces before the bouncing begins. This first bounce segment is undoubtedly the best part of the ride, with some full-size, genuinely thrilling bounces offered before winding down into a milder bounce and eventually coming to a stop. Whilst, for thrill seekers, the cycle is certainly short, there’s enough fun to be had to make it well worth the ride. For the intended audience, however, this is most likely perfect, with a little thrill and a whole lot of fun.
In the World of Jumanji, the fun doesn’t stop with the attractions! Across the land, there are also a variety of challenges for guests to complete, with some being a lot easier than others!
A strength in math? Easy.
Clambering through the jungle? Not so easy. Honestly, I could not stay on these logs to save my life.
Whilst not available on my visit, I believe there will usually be a trail guide available to lead guests through all these additional activities.
World of Jumanji is up there with my favourite lands in any UK theme park, and definitely my favourite in a Merlin park. This is a land that ticks almost every box, and most of all, feels authentic. I’ve mentioned it a few times now, but I cannot emphasise enough how fantastic the signage is – not a vinyl board to be seen! Perhaps my favourite theming detail of all however, is this petrol station. The beaten down Coca-Cola sign gives me big Galaxy’s Edge vibes, and really makes this land feel real. Not to mention the easter eggs to be found on the pumps themselves!
Beyond signage, there’s also the incredible music – which was loud on our visit – pouring out in every corner of the land, and some seriously impressive flooring! Ostrich foot prints on the way in to Ostrich Stampede? Tyre marks near the upturned food truck? I bloody love it!
With so much on the way across the UK Merlin parks over the coming years, if World of Jumanji is an indication of the quality we can expect from these additions, we are in for a very special few years indeed.
Thank you once again to Chessington World of Adventures for inviting me down to the media preview. I can’t wait to return!
Speak again soon,
Claire
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coasterclaire.co.uk 