Cadbury World Disabled Access Review

On one half the image is a picture of Iona white female stood Infront of the Cadbury World factory. On the other side of the image there is a yellow background with text saying Cadbury World disabled access review as well as a cartoon of Iona on a rollercoaster in the bottom corner.
With a new trackless dark ride open and Cadbury world benign free with a Merlin annual pass. We just had to go to Cadbury world to end our easter holiday trips. So join us for as we explore all the disabled access and have a choctastic day at Cadbury world ! 

Table of Contents

Facilities and Services Available for Disabled Guests 

Here is a quick overview of the facilities and services available for disabled guests at Cadbury World, so that you can decide if this attraction is able to meet your access requirements. Please note: some of the services are listed below and a full explanation is available later on in the blog post. In order to quickly navigate through the post you can use the table of contents. 

  • Wheelchair hire: Cadbury World has a limited number of wheelchairs available to hire on a first come, first serve basis.  
  • Essential companion tickets: Essential companion tickets (formally known as Carer tickets) are available and can be pre booked online with all other ticket types. In order to obtain an essential companion ticket, supporting disability documents must be shown when you visit. An access card with +1 symbol is accepted. You can find all other supporting disability documents for a carer ticket in the accessibility section on Cadbury world website. Carer ticket accepted documentation link
  • Access wristbands: For guests that are unable to queue due to a disability Cadbury World offers an access wristband service. Proof is required. I detail all you need to know in the before your visit and arrivals section of this post.  
  • Changing place: Located at the entrance to Cadbury World just before the tour is a changing places toilet. Full information can be found on the changing places website. Cadbury World changing place link
  • Wheelchair accessible ride: Cadburys World new ride Cadbury Chocolate Quest has 1 wheelchair adapted vehicle. There are also 4 ride cars that have been modified to make it easier to transfer from a wheelchair into the ride vehicle. I have created a separate blog post with my review. Cadbury Chocolate Quest disabled access review link
  • Assistance dogs: Assistance dogs are allowed at Cadbury World except the production areas. An assistance dog sitting service is available at those parts of the tour. 
  • BSL interpretation screens: Whilst going around Cadbury world there are many videos. The majority of videos within the tour are signed by a BSL interpreter on the videos.  
  • Step free access: Cadbury World has step free access available across the full venue Including access to all attractions. For some areas a lift is required however, that part of the tor is currently closed/been moved. 
  • Social story: In order to help guests understand what to expect when visiting Cadbury World they have created a social story. Please note: The social story provided by Cadbury World isn’t fully up to date due to recent investment of new and changed attractions. Cadbury World social story link

Before your visit 

Before your visit to Cadbury World there are a few steps you must take in order to ensure you have the correct access available to you so you can enjoy your day.

Wheelchair slot 

To ensure safety and comfort of guests, Cadbury world allows 1 mobility scooter or wheelchair user to enter the attraction per 10 minute time slot. Therefore, wheelchair users can book a wheelchair reservation slot. Wheelchair reservation is not an entry ticket meaning that an entry ticket also needs to be purchased. Book wheelchair reservation

Merlin annual pass 

All Merlin pass holders need to pre book entry to Cadbury world. There is a limited number of passholder slots available which can sell out quickly. Merlin annual pass holder pre book

Essential companion ticket and access wristband 

Before your visit it’s important to make sure you have the correct supporting disability documentation in order to obtain an essential companion ticket or an access wristband on your visit. Cadbury World accepts the access card with +1 symbol for essential companion ticket. An access card with any of the following symbols is accepted for queue assist: standing and queueing symbol, level access symbol or long distance symbol. A full list of supporting disability documentation that Cadbury World accepts to use the following services is on their accessibility page. Cadbury’s world accessibility page link 

Arrivals

In this section of the blog we detail what will happen when you arrive at Cadbury world so you know what to expect and can get to exploring the Attraction as quickly as possible.

Blue badge parking

Cadbury World has a large on site car park that is free and has a large number of blue badge spots. However, when we visited (during Easter half term) a number of blue badge spots were blocked off with cones and bins. I believe this is due to the ongoing renovation at the attraction. However, something to bear in mind for blue badge holders. There were still quite a few blue badge spots available to guests but these were almost full on our visit so it was worth adding in time to park if you require a blue badge parking space if going in peak time. 

Image shows a view of the blue badge parking from the entrance of Cadbury World
Image shows blue badge spaces blocked off with cones and bins

Collecting & using Access wristband 

Once entering Cadbury World on the left there is a ticket desk where you collect your queue assist wristband. This was a super simple process and we did not have to wait. I just showed the staff member my access card with the standing and queuing Symbol on and she gave me a yellow access wristband. The access wristband can then be used by going down the access wristband queue at the tour entrance, ride, and 4D cinema. There was no signposted access at the other attractions however, the staff were very helpful and all understood the yellow access wristband. 

Image of yellow access wristband outside Cadbury World entrance

Tour times 

The time on your ticket is for the tour around Cadbury World. There is also an outdoor area round the side with a 4D cinema, adventure play area , Bournville experience and the have a go zone. Cadburys World advise that if you are visiting on a weekday in term time and your tour booking is after 13:30 then arrive 45 minutes before your time in order to do the outdoor area. If you are visiting during school holidays or weekends and your tickets are booked for 14:30 or later then arrive 60 minutes before your time slot to make sure you can do all the attractions. Our time slot was for 13:50 and I was only really bothered about doing the 4D cinema and the have a go zone so we decided to do this after our tour time.   

When entering the tour your tickets are checked and you’ve given some free chocolate. When we visited we were given two bars per person of chocolate however, it appears that since we visited it has gone down to 1 bar of chocolate per person on entry. 

Image of Iona stood outside Cadbury world entrance

Our day at Cadbury World

Now we’re in the attraction and have sorted all of our access out it’s time to enjoy Cadbury World and get exploring. In this section you will find a write up of our day at Cadbury World including all the accessibility information Of course. So come and enjoy the day with us!

Aztec Jungle 

The tour starts in the Aztec Jungle where you walk through the tropical rainforest of the Mayan Indians. In this section you learn about the history of cocoa beans. There were a number of interactive screens with games through the Aztec Jungle walkthrough. This area has low lighting making it quite dark as well as rainforest audio. I found this area to be quite overwhelming sensory wise so we just walked through quickly. The good thing about Cadbury world is with the tour being self guided you don’t really need to worry about keeping with a group. The Aztec Jungle had level access although the area is quite dark so something to bear in mind when going through. 

Image of the door leading into the Aztec Jungle. The door is purple and propped open. There is an Aztec Jungle sign above the door.
Image shows one of the sets in the Aztec Jungle showing where cocoa beans are found. There is an interactive board in the bottom left corner.

Bull Street 

Once exploring the Aztec Jungle you go through into bull street. Whilst in the Victorian Recreation of bull street you will learn how the Cadbury business started. This area is also where you wait to enter the Cadbury World video it can be up to a 7 minute wait. There was a bench to sit on if you had to wait however, when we reached bull street we only waited a couple minutes before entering the Cadbury story.

Image of sign shaped like a street name sign that says you may need to wait up to 7 minutes.
Image of bench where you can sit and wait for the show. There is a structure of a Victorian boy next to the bench.

The Cadbury Story 

The Cadbury story is a short video telling the story of how the Cadbury world Business started. You sit on a bench to watch the video. There were two wheelchair spaces on the right hand side the exit to the room was also on the right. I was feeling a little unsure about the video so upon entering the room I asked where the exit was and made the staff aware that we may need to leave but I was fine. However, if you do need to skip the video then just ask the staff member when you enter the room and they will direct you out.

Image of the entrance to Cadbury story. The doors are green and closed until the show starts. There is a sign saying Cadbury story
Image of Cadbury story screen where the show is played. On the screen you can see a scene of an old town as well as a BSL interpreter in the corner.

Making chocolate story 

Once the Cadbury story is finished you are led into the next room where you watch a video all about how Chocolate is made. It is a special effects cinema presentation meaning that the seats shake, there are air blowers. You sit on a bench to watch the video the purple seats shake side to side during the video. If you don’t want the shaking seat then there is a row of yellow benches at the back that do not move. There were 2 wheelchair spaces on the right side of the room.

Image of making chocolate story show. On the screen you can see a 5 second countdown till the film starts. In the corner of the screen there is a BSL interpreter.
Image of a yellow and purple bench
Image of purple bench with wheelchair spaces next to them labelled with the wheelchair symbol.

Manufacturing 

Once the video is finished you exit into the manufacturing zone where you can find out how some of Cadbury products are made. Such as: easter eggs, Roses and Buttons. You watch videos about how the products are made on screens where you can pick the videos. All of the videos had a BSL interpreter on the screen. This area was clear of people quite quickly and I was feeling a little overstimulated, so we held back in this area for a little longer so the walkways to the next zone weren’t busy.

Image of the video player in the manufacturing area. The lighting makes the photo look purple and blue.
Image of video selection in manufacturing area. On the screen you can see the options for watching how the following are made: easter egg, roses and cream egg.

Chocolate making

In the Chocolate making section you get given a little pot of melted chocolate and two toppings of your choice. There was a few seats available. However, it was a little noisy in this area as there is also demonstration going on where you can you watch chocolate being made. The Chocolate making is right next to the entrance to the ride Cadbury Chocolate Quest.

Image of the entrance to the chocolate making area. The entrance sign looks like melted chocolate coming down the wall
Image of melted chocolate pot. You can see chocolate buttons in a white cup with a paper spoon.
Image of the topping available for the melted chocolate. Shows chocolate buttons, crushed oreo, jelly baby, marshmallows and melted chocolate.
Image of the melted chocolate station. In the image you can see lots of mini pots of melted chocolate and staff dispensing the toppings onto the chocolate.

Cadbury Chocolate quest 

It was finally time to experience Cadbury Chocolate Quest the new trackless dark ride. which, if I’m honest, is the only reason we visited, that and the free chocolate of course! The idea of the ride is that you go around and collect all the ingredients needed to make the iconic Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate bar. You can see my full ride review along with all the disabled access information in my ride review. Cadbury Chocolate Quest disabled access review link

4D Chocolate Adventure 

Once our tour was over we headed straight to the 4D cinema that was very well signposted from the main entrance. The access wristband entrance for the 4D cinema was clearly signposted and after showing our tickets for Cadbury world we were let straight in. Upon entering the 4D chocolate adventure you are taken into a lift pre show the floor shakes and there were some flashing lights. Once exiting the lift we went into another pre show room where we waited for around 5 minutes and watched a short video before going into the 4D cinema. It seems that people with access wristband were taken in the lift first this is really good for those of us that need step free access or a wheelchair space. Upon entering the 4D cinema we were given a pair of 3D glasses to wear. The seats in the 4D Cinema move during the film. However, there were static seats available as well as two wheelchair spaces. In the film you go on an adventure with the Cadbury characters including Freddo and the Caramel bunny. Oh, and did I mention you go on a rollercoaster? The 4D chocolate adventure lasted about 10 minutes. After the screening you have to give the 3D glasses back.

The 4D cinema exits into a green screen photo area where you can have your photo taken on a green screen which is then put onto different Cadbury World theme backgrounds. The green screen photo is optional and you can just walk past. But when viewing our photos we ended up buying one. it was £10 for one photo print out and access to a digital photo with annual pass discount. There were other photo packages available but only get Merlin discount as it was a single print.

Image of access wristband entrance for the 4D cinema
Selfie of Ioan and Dad sat in the 4D cinema with 3D glasses on.
Sign outside the 4D chocolate adventure that says ‘the 4D cinema and pre show contains: vigorous motion effects, loud music, periods of darkness, please see a staff member for assistance or guidance prior to entering the queue.
Image of yellow bucket where you put your 3D glasses
Image of the entrance sign for Cadbury 4D cinema
Image of the cinema screen
Image of the exit corridor for the cinema with pictures in frames of the Cadbury characters on the wall.

The Bournville Experience 

The recently renovated Bournville experience is full of Cadbury memorabile. The Bournville experience also goes through the history of Bournville Village. The Bournville experience has a ramp to get in and is fully step free throughout. In terms of sensory I found it good it wasn’t very busy and there was no music playing.

Image of a modal of Bournville village
Image says welcome to the history of Bournville
Display cabinets of old Cadbury products and memorabilia.
Image showing Cadbury world memorabilia
Image showing Cadbury world memorabilia

Have a go zone 

The Bournville experience leads through into the have a go zone. In this zone you can practising writing in chocolate as well as having a go at tempering chocolate. There was a lower down workspace on each of the activities. When we went there was no queue for the have a go zone however, their was plenty of staff in the area to show the yellow wristband to.

Image shows stations with bottles of melted chocolate
Image of access coasters and rollercoaster all drawn in melted chocolate
Image of melted chocolate and tools to temper the Chocolate.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, I think Cadbury World is worth a visit especially if your looking for a wheelchair friendly trip out. With the full tour not currently open it might be worth waiting for whatever expansion they have planed. However, with entry included with a merlin annual pass it was definitely worth the visit. All the staff were very friendly and were really good in accommodating my needs during our visit. I would say that Cadbury World is a half day trip. We were there about three hours. Once the full tour is back open we will definitely be back to check it out.

Well, thank you for joining me at Cadbury World it was great to check out the new ride! Please feel free to contact me with any feedback. see you on my next theme park adventure. Bye for now.

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Disclaimer​

The information provided on this blog about theme park accessibility is based on my experiences and the details available from the attractions’ official websites at the time of my visit. Please note that facilities and services for disabled guests may change, and the information may not always be up-to-date. I strongly recommend checking the accessibility section on the respective attractions’ websites for the most current information. The comments and opinions expressed in this blog are solely my own and are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or representative of any other organisation.