Chessington World of Adventures was forced to close on Monday, August 10, after a burst water main disrupted operations at the height of the school summer holidays. The South West London theme park announced the closure on its website, citing a water outage in the local area that affected its ability to operate safely.
Ticket Policy Sparks Frustration
Visitors holding tickets for the day were told they could rebook for a future date under the park's Return Promise, but no refunds would be offered. The park's website stated: "Due to a water outage in the local area affecting our operations, Chessington is closed today. All tickets booked for today will be automatically revalidated under our Return Promise and can be used on a future date. We apologise for the inconvenience and thank you for your understanding."
However, the policy has drawn criticism from affected families. One visitor, who gave her name only as Sarah, told MyLondon that she and her children had travelled from Kent for a planned day out. She described the situation as "unfair," noting that the rebooking options were limited to specific dates, leaving families with little flexibility. "We were told we could only pick from a few dates in September, which doesn't work for us because the kids are back at school," she said.
Thames Water Response
Thames Water confirmed that a burst main was affecting water services in Chessington, Hook, Malden Rushett, and parts of Surrey. In a statement, the company said: "We're sorry if your tap water isn't running at the moment. We're aware of a burst that's affecting customers in the KT9 area. Our specialist team is on site and have located a burst water main on Leatherhead Road. We are working to carry out the repair on the damaged pipe to get water flowing through your taps as soon as possible."
The repair work was ongoing throughout the day, with no immediate timeline provided for when services would be fully restored. The outage also impacted local businesses and residents, with some reporting low water pressure or no water at all.
Impact on Visitors
Images posted on social media showed long queues outside the ticket office as visitors sought information about alternative arrangements. Many families had booked in advance for the popular attraction, which features rides, a zoo, and a sea life centre. The closure comes during one of the busiest periods of the year, with schools on summer break across the UK.
Chessington's management has not yet announced whether the park will reopen on Tuesday, August 11, but said they would continue to monitor the situation. The park's website advised guests to check for updates before travelling.
This incident highlights the vulnerability of major attractions to infrastructure failures, particularly during peak seasons when visitor numbers are high. For affected families, the lack of refunds has added to the disappointment, with some calling for a more flexible policy in such circumstances.
