We know how difficult it can be to keep your little ones entertained at the weekend or when they're not at school, just as we know that family days out often come with a hefty price tag. So, to ease the burden on your mind and your bank account, we’ve got guides on how to get a bargain on all the best experience days, including theme parks.

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We have the low-down on how to save money on the UK's top theme parks, including how to get cheap Thorpe Park tickets and how to get cheap Alton Towers tickets. But, if you’re looking for a fun day out with small children, there’s no place better than Chessington World of Adventures.

Sitting just an hour outside of London, in between Epsom and Weybridge, Chessington is a full-on family experience complete with over 40 rollercoasters and water rides, a zoo with more than 1,000 animals, and some first-rate shows for all to enjoy.

Some of the resort's most iconic rides include the Vampire, Dragon’s Fury, and Rattlesnake, as well as log flumes like Tiger Rock and the Gruffalo River Ride Adventure, plus last year's addition the World of Jumanji, which includes six specially-themed rooms at the Safari hotel, plus a number of re-branded rides such as Mandrill Mayhem and Ostrich Stampede.

Let's take a look at how you can get a bargain on Chessington World of Adventures tickets.

Did you know you can save on tickets to Chessington World of Adventures and other Merlin attractions thanks to the Merlin Black Friday deals?

There's plenty of fun activities to do in the UK, such as murder mystery experiences, best UK driving experiences and best flight experiences.

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How to get cheap Chessington tickets

It’s no secret that theme park days are an expensive affair. Even before you step through the gates, you’re shelling out for entry, plus the possibility of fast-track tickets and overnight stays. Then when you get in, there’s lunch costs, shows and souvenir prices to battle with. We also advise having a separate stuffed animal budget.

However, there are plenty of little changes you can make to save money on the day, from packing lunch to finding discounts on transport. You can also search for package deals or discount codes that will make the load lighter, especially if you’re bringing a big group.

But the best, fail-safe way to get a discount on tickets is to book ahead. If you turn up on the day, you’re paying £66 per person, but if you book online it’s only £29 – that’s a 56% discount. We’ll explain more about this later on, but if there’s one message to take away from this, it’s always book ahead!

Our friends at MadeForMums have put together some great family-friendly days out guides — check out best UK waterparks, best UK zoos, best theatre shows for kids, and everything you need to know about the National Trust family membership.

Best Chessington deals at a glance:

Best Chessington discounts and offers for 2024

Save 56% on Chessington tickets

Chessington jumanji ride as a family smile with their arms aloft
Chessington. Chessington

As we said before, booking Chessington tickets online rather than at the door can save you up to £37 per person. That’s 56% off on over 40 rides, plus access to the zoo and performances.

The online tickets also give you a rainy day guarantee, so if the British weather decides to act like it usually does at this time of year, you’ll receive a free return ticket.

Buy a Chessington Day ticket for £66 £29 (save £37 or 56%) at Chessington World of Adventures

Looking for even more savings? Take a look at how to get cheap LEGOLAND tickets.

Overnight stay at Chessington for a family of four from £50 per person

If you book an overnight stay at Chessington, you can get two days' park entry with the second day free! Plus, a stay in one of the themed hotel rooms, breakfast and more from just £50 a person.

The best value breaks are in the middle of the week and you can save more if you select one of their bunk-bed rooms.

Buy an overnight stay at Chessington from £50 per person at Chessington World of Adventures

Get the Chessington Annual Pass for £59

You can now buy the Chessington Annual Pass which gives you repeated entry throughout the year and access to special events. The basic pass costs just £59 which means you'd be spending £25 on your second visit and nothing on any visits after that.

The basic pass allows you unlimited off-peak day tickets as well as 10% off in retail shops and 20% off food & beverage. You can also get the Silver Pass for £99 which gives you off-peak entry and discounts on short breaks, plus it's just £59 to renew, or the Gold Pass for £139 which has fewer exclusion dates, extra benefits and costs £99 to renew.

Buy the Chessington Annual Pass from £59 at Chessington World of Adventures

Get 20% off 2025 short breaks

Book between 22nd March and 23rd May 2025 and you'll get 20% off your short break at Britain's biggest wildlife theme park. This package includes entry to the theme park, zoo and SEA LIFE aquarium, as well as an overnight stay in one of the themed hotels.

But you better hurry, as this offer is set to end on 2nd December! After all, this would make an excellent Christmas present.

Get 20% off 2025 short breaks at Chessington World of Adventures

Get 40% off Chessington tickets with flexible booking

With this deal you can get entry to Chessington from £36 per person. Now, we know that’s a little more than on Chessington’s own site, but the reason we picked it is because daysout.com has flexible booking. This means if your plans change, you won't lose out on money or your booking, as the website allows you to change your dates up to 24 hours in advance. So, for just £2 more you’re living a stress-free life!

Buy Chessington tickets with flexible booking at Days Out

Discounted Chessington tickets with Tesco Clubcard

We will never stop singing the praises of the Tesco Clubcard and the perks you can get. With Chessington, Thorpe Park, and Alton Towers, you can get discounted tickets by converting your Clubcard points into Tesco Reward Partners vouchers. Then, you get twice the vouchers’ face value to use on tickets, for example, turn every 50p in vouchers into £1.

Get student Chessington tickets for £21

Students can get Chessington tickets for just £21 through Student Beans. As long as you’re currently in higher education and have a Student Beans account, you’ll be able to get a third off access to the park and zoo. Ah, we miss those perks!

Buy student Chessington tickets for £21 from Student Beans

Get over 200 days' entry with the Merlin Annual Pass

chessington world of adventures virgin experience days and merlin deal
Chessington World of Adventures via Virgin Experience Days Virgin Experience Days

The Merlin Annual Pass gives you access to some of the UK's biggest attractions, including Alton Towers and Thorpe Park. With prices starting at £99 you can get the Discovery Pass, which gives you over 200 days entry to any of the attractions available. Or, you can upgrade to the Silver, Gold, or Platinum passes, which give you 300, 340 and 364 days respectively, and extra perks like free parking and a discount on fast track vouchers.

To find out more, check out our guide to what is the Merlin Pass?

Get up to £40 off on the Merlin Annual Pass for students

The Merlin Annual Pass is your way into the UK’s top attractions, with Alton Towers, SEA LIFE centres and the London Eye on the list as well as Chessington. There are different levels of the pass available, from the discovery pass all the way to the platinum pass which gives you extra fancy perks like £5 off fast track vouchers.

With Student Beans you can save £20 off a discovery pass which would normally set you back £99. You can save the same amount off a silver pass and get it for £149, down from £169. You can also get £30 off a gold pass, which brings the price down to £200, or if you want to get all the benefits of a platinum pass you can save £40 which brings the price down to £259 annually.

If you're looking for exciting things to do in the capital city, take a look at the best London experience gifts, top London walking tours, and best West End shows.

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How to get to Chessington World of Adventures

Chessington is two miles off the A3 and M25 (junctions nine or 10). If you want to book parking, it’s £7 per car in off peak times and £9 on weekends and school holidays. You can also park at Kingston or Epsom and get the 71 or 467 buses respectively.

If you’re getting the train, you can jump on the South Western Rail to Chessington South Station. This line starts from either Waterloo, Clapham Junction or Wimbledon and, as it’s in zone 6, you won’t need to book tickets in advance; you can simply use a bank card or Oyster Card.

If you’re not from London, however, and need to book tickets to get into the capital, be sure to keep an eye on potential deals through Trainline – did you know you can save one third of the train ticket price with a Railcard?

Save 1/3 of the ticket price with a Railcard at Trainline

For more family days out, check out the best animal experiences, the best VR experiences and the best immersive experiences.

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Head to our Going Out section for the latest releases, including our mammoth guide on what to do in London this weekend.

Authors

Olivia Garrett
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