The Gruffalo River Ride Adventure — Attraction in London

On the 18th of March 2017, Chessington World Of Adventures unveiled their latest renovation. Changing the classic Bubbleworks into a newly updated Gruffalo themed ride, being the first of it’s kind in the UK. What follows is an honest review of The Gruffalo River Ride.

The Gruffalo River Ride wasn’t as highly anticipated as other new attractions; such as Derren Browns Ghost Train at Thorpe Park. This was mainly down to the long lasting love that theme park enthusiasts had for the classic Bubbleworks ride, which had been around for over two decades. After taking one of the first rides, we can safely say that Chessington have put alot of effort into it.

In all honesty, this ride does not contain the latest technology or something never before seen but it does however contain alot of special effects that when combined make this ride a one of a kind experience. For starters, most of the sections of the ride have a unique smell; created by smell pods which are hidden around the room. These smell pods really improve the experience as, along with the special effects, they help to immerse you in The Gruffalo story.

Right from the beginning of the ride, the second section, you suddenly feel like you are in the meadows with Mouse. There is a fresh smell of flowers and bright colourful lights start to make you feel like you’re actually outside. With the added sounds of the water lapping around your boat, the whole experience is very relaxing.

As we went round, 5 times in total throughout the whole day, we tried to work out what the smells of each section were. Tell us if you think we were right!

Section No.2 – Fresh Flowers and slight smell of grass.

Section No.3 – Earthy smell of roots and mud.

Section No.4-5 – Slight smell of grass with daisys.

Section No.6-7 – Strong smell of grass as you are low down with Mouse.

Section No.8 – Smell of burnt wood, quite a musty smell.

Section No.9 (Main Fountain Room) – Not really a distinct smell that we could tell.

As you can see alot of thought has clearly been put into the ride and making it as immersive and entertaining for a family as possible.

Chessington knew that the fountains were one of the highlights of Bubbleworks and decided to keep all but the large fountain in the middle running. Instead of the large fountain now, there is a large tree with Owl on it to help continue the story of the Gruffalo. With narration and sound effects throughout the ride, it is a very good experience.

Overall we were very impressed with The Gruffalo River Ride and would highly recommend it to any stubborn Bubbleworks enthusiast. The only improvement we could offer to Chessington is to include the smell of crumble in the final section before disembarking, we feel like it would such a good way to...

A beautifully themed indoor boat ride that brings Julia Donaldson’s beloved story to life. You follow the mouse through the deep dark wood, floating past animatronic scenes featuring the fox, owl, snake, and of course, the Gruffalo himself. The storytelling is strong, with atmospheric lighting, sound effects, and clever use of projections that make each scene feel immersive. The queue area is well designed with interactive elements to keep kids entertained, and the ride itself is gentle—perfect for younger children but still charming for adults. The final splashdown is mild but adds a fun surprise, and the Gruffalo Crumble projection at the end is a sweet touch. Wait times can get long (often 45–60 minutes during peak hours), so it’s best to ride early or use Reserve & Ride if available. The ride is a retheme of the old Bubbleworks, and while some fans miss the original, the Gruffalo version is a worthy successor. Overall, it’s a must-do for families visiting Chessington—especially if your kids love the book. It’s not a thrill ride, but it’s packed with...

We had a terrible experience at this park. There was a really long line (over an hour wait) for Gruffalo ride, I left my husband and took kids to bathroom. When we came back the staff told us to stand in back of line and only my husband could go. The other parents had no problem as everyone was in same situation. We decided to go on ride anyway so they stopped the ride halfway and had security waiting for us. I asked security what rule was broken and asked him to show me and he couldn't show any written rules anywhere. There was no such rule but the staff were just having a power trip. Went to the office to complain and emailed them and didn't hear anything back. Terrible experience...