Chessington Explorer Glamping — Attraction in London

As a glamping site it's very good, as a theme park it's good but as a glamping and theme park package it needs improving.

Going as a family we saw the glamping site next door to the theme park as a great place to rest the kids when they got tired before going back for some more action. However, despite there being a gate available, there is no normal direct access between the two areas. If you want to leave the park, you have to leave via the main gate, go round to the glamping entrance and back in. When you want to return you need to leave the glamping entrance and go back to queue at one of the main gates. There is a gate which could take you through to the park but it is kept locked as no one on the glamping site can perform bag checks...

It may not seem a big issue but when you are there with small kids who just need to go for a nap or some dry clothes it is.

Then there is the dining options. When you check it you are told that you can eat at the Explorer Outpost (via the normally closed gate) or at either of the resort hotels. This is true but its not as easy as it sounds.

We tried to eat at one of the hotels on our first night but with the rear gates to the park shut the only way to get there was out the main gate and round the external perimeter. If you finished eating after the park had shut then you couldnt short cut through the park but would have a very long walk around half the external perimeter of the whole park. So not impossible, but not preferred and not really that well integrated. (provide a shuttle bus maybe?...)

Instead we decided to just go back to the Explorer Outpost to eat which is about 50m from our tent. The park was closing by this time and we entered the Outpost area the security staff told us that we had to leave. Even though we were glamping and the food area about to open we had to walk the other way, back out the entrance, round to the glamping entrance and then back through the gate which is normally shut only to end up 20m from where we started. Websites and reviews had made out that the Explorer Outpost was a bit of a restaurant but all that was available were two food vans. One selling burgers and the other katsu curry with the only kids option available being a cheeseburger.

Thankfully Uber Eats delivered there and most of the other campers used them too.

The next day the Outpost was open for a continental breakfast and I have to say it was good. Also the tents were nice, beds comfy and toilets clean.

After breakfast everyone had to return to the glamping area to return to the park via the main gates again. Letting us stay inside the park or have some security to check our bags would have been far too easy.

The rides were good but as the morning went on my kids tired, we all got a bit wet and we decided to go back to our tent for a break before more rides in the afternoon. As we were very wet we phoned a number on the glamping gate and were allowed back through to the glamping area (pretty much on a one time basis) and told that we couldn't go back through the same gate to get back to the park.

We rested, had a snack, left the glamping site, walked round to the main entrance, queued again and went back for more rides. About mid afternoon my son was tired again and off we went out the main gate etc. and back to the tent. By that time we were pretty fed up with the hassle of it all and instead of going back to the park in the late afternoon we just packed up and left a night early.

It may not sound a big deal but having no access between the two sites really did make the whole experience a lot more difficult. There was no perk and we had the same access as if we stayed in any other local hotel. If the weather turned bad there was no quick way to the refuge of your tent. I'm not saying there needs to be a permanent security team there but by allowing the gate to be used (both ways) for selected short periods then our stay would have been much easier.

With the poor range of food at the Outpost and lack of direct access to the park I do not recommend...

After staying at one of the chessington hotels last year we thought we would try glamping there. After driving 60 odd miles we attempted to find the apparently sign posted North car park, couldn't find it so had to drive into the hotel to ask directions. When we found it we realised we should have bought a 4x4 vechile to get us up the rough road and across the pot holed field. Next job was to find where to book in, we could see a large gate that looked like a delivery entrance with a glamping sign above and only realised it was the entrance when a member of the public overheard us and confirmed it. We went in, no one on the desk just a cleaner working in the tents and he didn't know where anyone was. While me and our daughter wandered around looking for someone my wife was on the phone, after a few calls we were given a couple of numbers to call, one was for the phone we were stood next to in reception, we also noticed all the new customers details were left on the desk, names, addresses, phone numbers and email addresses so security was non existent, we were told to go back across the field/car park to the Go Ape reception who then us to go back across the field and to enter the theme park. When we finally got into our tent it wasn't too bad. I needed the toilet, which although not portaloos they were just the sort of mobile toilets and showers units you would see at a country show. The urinal trough was blocked and over flowing but was due to be fixed and it was. The soap dispensers were empty and the 10p size piece of soap was hard to get hold of. Time spent in the park was fine. Food for the glampers was served in a dingey marquee, the food choice was limited and at best warm, maybe its time for them to invest in decent heat lamps. Come the evening our daughter enjoyed playing search for the plastic badge with the staff and other children although the film show did not happen. At 3am I needed a pee, it's an age thing, it's at this time I find out my toilet of choice had no lighting but I muddled through. Breakfast was much the same quality but this time we had the joy of eating it in the marquee which was now cold and damp. Checking out, we knew we were entitled to free parking and needed a pass out but not knowing exactly how to get it we re entered the glamping site through the gate that adjoins it to the park, got to reception and was asked how we got in, when we said how the lady on reception admitted she'd forgotten to lock the gate and we shouldn't of came through that way. Finally it was time to leave, we got out of ploughed field and through the barrier only to face another extremely rough country lane, must get that 4x4, passed a sign telling us to ignore our sat nav, and ended up on the road to Oxshott. Ultimately it seems to us that glamping at chessington is an experiment to see if its viable, it all seems just thrown together, it really is at the opposite end of hospitality and quality we experienced at the on...

The perfect way to end the summer holidays. When we arrived at the park we were directed to gorilla parking as we let them know we were glamping. This was just a short walk across the road. ||After a day in the park we headed to reception at Explorer camping and were greeted by a super helpful and polite member of staff. We had already arranged the evening meal but after some questions we found it it was not an accessible walk from the hotel restaurants back to Explorer so we cancelled the reservation. Many people ordered takeaways which was an option and seemed to suit many families as it allowed all the kids to play on the green common area. |There was entertainment for the kids from 6-8 which was thoroughly enjoyed.|The tents were far better than the youtube video we had seen made out. We did upgrade as there was on tent not booked and it was really spacious. ||For reference the beds were absolutely amazingly comfortable. the quilt was as thick as you could imagine. There was a fair amount of rain in the night which didnt bother us. A superb night sleep was had by all, after 5 and 9 yr olds crashed to sleep around 8 after the entertainment (kids only)||The walkways are all fake grass so there is no muddy areas and tents not getting grass etc walked in. |There was a bar for beers and wine, although bringing your own was an option.||Overall the whole experience was far better than expected. much more exciting for the kids than a hotel room, loads of freedom. ||The place felt very safe and the toilets and showers were clean. ||Big thankyou to Dan (manager/supervisor) who made us very welcome, explained everything, had loads of time to answer all the kids questions and generally added to the whole experience. All of his staff were a credit to the team.||One thing to check is if you get early entry on both days of an overnight stay. We didnt on the first day but we didnt check so it may be an extra hour...