It is an annual tradition for us to visit Chessington during their Halloween event. I think it’s the 4th season we have attended up to now and watching it grow over the years has been wholesome to say the least and the transformations that occurred each season is always stunning. So, let’s have a chin wag about the event.
Getting In & The Rides:
Of course, during our visit, it was the October school holidays which meant it was going to be busier than it would the week previous. Even though it was undeniably busy it did not effect our day all that much at all we got into the park quicker than we did back in September during the off-peak visit we had done. The rides were as busy as you expected but the staff ensured the utmost throughputs to help decrease queue times by a fraction. We managed to ride all we had expected to ride. All the rides we managed to do were riding at their best as well.
Spooky Decor:
Chessington always goes all out when it comes down to decorating the park for Halloween. You have the traditional large letters out the front near the Hotel entrance and various spooky bits and bobs dotted around the park. I thought there was a lot further decorations this season in comparison to previous years and so numerous photo opportunities too. I adored the numerous different spooky audios too.
The Forgotten Forest:
I loved this little walk through last season and this year wasn’t all that much varied. It is the excellent opportunity for the whole family to have a spooky fun walk through and see some of the fab theming too. There are different spots that have a small circle to show where to stand for your photos. It’s always been cute setting for a Halloween attraction to be based in and the theming is always exceptionally well done too.
Vile Villagers:
This is the first time I have ever seen a scare zone at Chessington they may have done them before we started to visit. But this was done exceptionally well and felt a lot more like a scare maze rather than zone in all honesty. The actors played their roles flawlessly and made the undertone story is straightforward to understand. There was some elegant set pieces as well. The finale of this maze was quite intense. We never really got any jump scares which you can’t anticipate given it’s suitable for 6+ years old. It was a glorious filler attraction for the entire family to admire and those who are too young and not quite adventurous enough for creepy caves but also those who just cherish anything spooky themed. It’s something I hope to see return again in the future. This scare zone closes at dusk which is the only thing I’d love to see modified for next season as it would be fab during dark but I can comprehend as to why it may close particularly if it’s for the safety of the guests and actors though.
Entertainment:
As always there were assorted shows throughout the day majority of which had their final show at around half 4 – 5pm. The shows fluctuated across the park and all of which had various themes to something unusual all of which were spooky of course. Part of the entertainment was virtually every area having a roaming team and all of which were fab with their interactions. Some of them did sneak up on us and give us a good fright bare in mind aha. It’s always great to have shows to watch throughout the day especially when the rides are quite busy.
Creepy Caves Resurgence:
Oh boy this maze never falls flat to get me on edge before even entering just hearing those sirens roar from the queue line makes my heart skip a beat. The layout was moderately comparable to last year but I found it a lot unnerving this year in comparison to last. I can’t compliment the actors enough for the scares they gave us and they just worked their space so beautifully. As always the set pieces were marvellous too. I really hope it returns again next season as I can’t get enough. This is an additional fee for all guests and passholders do obtain discount.
Overall:
As always Chessington put on a brilliant event and it was delightful to see it broaden even further this year. I’m hoping we will see an introduction into a second scare maze next season like it was in pre-covid times. But the shows, actors, roaming team and overall atmosphere of this event was hit spot on once again. If you are someone who adores scare mazes or a family with children who perhaps aren’t brave enough for that sort of thing just yet it is the perfect event for everyone regardless of your preferences.
Have you checked out Chessington’s Halloween yet? If so, what’s your highlight? This event runs until the 31st of October and Merlin Annual Passholders can also bring a friend for just £15 on selected dates.
Thank you so much for reading…