Chessington’s PAW Patrol Land: A tired dad, a determined daughter, and a 10/10 escape from newborn duty

London Mums’ daddy reporter Rupert H, girl dad x2 (including brand-new Aurora, who sat this one out), sent us this fun review. 

At home: a beautiful but entirely sleep-averse newborn named Aurora, a mountain of muslins, and a partner who deserves a medal. So when the chance came to take my older daughter Gaia and her best friend to Chessington’s brand-new World of PAW Patrol, I grabbed it like the last biscuit at a toddler group. One dad, two small girls, zero nappies (for a few hours, anyway). What could possibly go wrong?

The answer, miraculously, is absolutely nothing. This day out was a 10/10 triumph, and I say that as someone who once queued 45 minutes for a ride that turned out to be a bench that spins. Slowly.

Adventure Bay has landed (and it’s brilliant)

From the moment we stepped into the UK’s only PAW Patrol-themed land, the girls went quiet. And by quiet I don’t mean calm – I mean that reverent, wide-eyed, “is this actually real life?” silence that every parent prays for. The designers have genuinely knocked it out of the park. Adventure Bay looks like it’s been plucked straight from the telly and plonked into Surrey. Vibrant, immersive, and just the right side of bonkers.

Four themed rides await, but the crown jewel is the UK’s first ‘Drifter’ rid, a gloriously gentle spinny thing that had Gaia and her friend giggling so hard I thought they might need a lie-down. No terrifying drops, no questionable restraint systems, just pure, family-friendly joy. I even went on it myself and only screamed once. (It was a manly scream, obviously.)

Meet the pups, dodge the dino drool

The live entertainment was pitched perfectly for the under-seven set. Character meet-and-greets with the pups had the girls vibrating with excitement, but the real surprise was the new dino characters. Yes, dinosaurs. Because if there’s one thing PAW Patrol was missing, it was a prehistoric subplot. The girls couldn’t get enough, and I took approximately 400 photos, 397 of which are almost identical. The parents all exchanged that knowing nod – the one that says “we’ll be printing these for the grandparents within the hour.”

Snacks, glorious snacks

All that hero-worshipping builds an appetite, and Chessington’s catering team clearly understands their audience. We stopped for some of the exclusive “PAWsome” sweet treats, which are exactly as brightly coloured and sugar-forward as you’d expect. Did I sneak a bite? I did. Did I enjoy it more than I’d care to admit? Absolutely. The themed snacks gave the kids the boost they needed to drag me onto more rides, and I powered through with a coffee the size of my head.

The gift shop (deep breath)

The PAW Patrol boutique. It’s a treasure trove of every piece of merchandise a small child could possibly dream up, and – crucially – it’s placed at the end of the land like a glittering, plushie-filled trap. We went in for “a quick look” and emerged some time later with a Chase backpack, a Skye keyring, and a mild sense of financial compromise. But watching Gaia clutch her new treasures as if she’d won the lottery? Worth every penny. (Aurora will inherit the backpack one day. That’s how I’m justifying it.)

The verdict from a dad who’s now officially a theme park convert

If you’re a London parent hunting for a summer day out that genuinely works: no endless queues, no bored children, no parental meltdowns, Chessington’s World of PAW Patrol is the answer. It’s slick, joyful, and forgiving even for those of us who forgot the wet wipes. The whole group gave it 10 out of 10, including me. And I’m notoriously stingy with my scores (I once gave a Sunday roast an 8 because the gravy was too runny).

I returned home exhausted, slightly sticky, and carrying a small plush Skye. Gaia was already planning our next visit. If that’s not a perfect day, I don’t know what is.