A trip to Cadbury World

Cadbury World is undoubtedly one of the Midlands biggest tourist attractions, and one which each year seems to go from strength to strength. Truly an attraction that has something to interest all ages, this season there has been the added interest of the Cadbury World 4d chocolate adventure which was launched in June, as well as the welcome visit of  Zippy and George from Rainbow. Last Sunday, my family went along to enjoy a chocolate filled day at Cadbury World, and, as I sit here enjoying a Dairy Milk, I thought I would share our thoughts with you.

Entry to Cadbury world is by time slot tickets, this means that queues are kept to a minimum, which is great if, like me, you have a child with zero patience. Booking ahead is essential, Sunday was completely sold out – there were no tickets available on the day, so I would definitely book in advance to avoid disappointment. At the entrance you are given two chocolate bars for each ticket, and then the journey through Cadbury World starts, with a brief history of cocoa beans and the journey they took from the New World to Europe. This is interesting from an adults viewpoint, but Joe did race through it. For older children this can be more interactive due to the scratchcard quiz which they can complete as they move around the displays.

Next we traveled from the London of White’s, where people once gathered to drink chocolate and discuss politics,  to Birmingham of the 19th Century, and more specifically, Bull Street, the home of the first Cadbury chocolate shop. This is a waiting area for the ‘movie section’ of the tour, and is great for a quick photo opportunity. You then move into different rooms to view the history films. The films themselves are interesting with the first containing a hologram of George Cadbury introducing his  story. This then leads to a second film, the story of how chocolate is created. Joe loved this one as it had elements of 4d in it – the chairs shake as we are shown how the beans are sorted, the room gets hot, and then cold to show the chocolate making processes.

From this point on, the tour around the actual factory and attractions is independent. You are given the opportunity to view some of the factory machinery (no photographs in this part), to taste little pots of gorgeous liquid chocolate and to find out about moulding, decoration and packaging. The areas were rather busy, but more bars of chocolate are given out on route, and you can take photographs as Freddo Frog, which is never something to be passed up! I loved the new chocolate making zone, where I added marshmallows and jelly babies to my warm chocolate. (Absolutely yum in case you are wondering…)

One of the main attractions for children at Cadbury World is the Cadabra. This is a lovely, gentle ride through a chocolate village inhabited by beans. Joe loved this, there was so much to see and he was a huge fan of the bean mobile! There are queues for this, but they are fast-moving, so if you have small children, I would definitely say join the queue.

Your ticket to Cadbury World allows you to take in one of the very special shows. This Summer, Rainbow legends Zippy and George were starring in a very special holiday show. I have to say that this was very entertaining, once I got used to a presenter that wasn’t Geoffrey. Joe adored it, he got so excited in fact, he stormed the stage, The show lasts about 25 minutes and the room was full. Everyone seemed to have enjoyed it.

The final activity we took part in was the newly launched 4d cinema attraction the ‘Chocolate Adventure’. The first thing I have to say is be warned – on a day when the attraction is sold out, the queues are horrendous, with a waiting time well over 40 minutes. That said, the chocolate experience is fab. Forget 3d, this is the experience that dips you into a vat of chocolate and gives you the feeling of riding on a rollercoaster, without ever leaving your seat.  There are also interactive games where you can create your very own virtual bar of 3d chocolate. It is a brilliant addition to the whole experience, but boy those queues are long.

With that, there was just time for a play on the African Adventure play area, and a photo opportunity with the Caramel Bunny and Freddo. We had all thoroughly enjoyed our day and would definitely recommend Cadbury World as a great, all-weather attraction.

If you would like to visit Cadbury World this Summer, online booking is the best way to ensure the best priced tickets. Click here to visit the website.

*I received a complimentary family pass in return for an honest review, all views and opinions are my own. There is no truth in the rumour I was bribed with chocolate…

Sharing is caring!