A visit to Cadbury World has been on my wish list for a while. I still have fond memories of visiting on a school trip in the 90s and now I have my own chocolate-mad child, it seemed the perfect time to revisit my childhood. And what better time to visit Cadbury World than at Easter?!
I may have read all the Cadbury World reviews before deciding to visit but it goes without saying that my 8-year-old needed no persuasion - 'a chocolate factory? yes please!'. So on a sunny morning in the Easter holidays, we jumped on the train and headed off to Bournville. Here's what my daughter and I thought of our trip to Cadbury World at Easter.
A sweet welcome to Cadbury World
The first thing you notice about Cadbury World is the sweet smell of melting chocolate. You could probably do without Google Maps and literally follow your nose. It's also a lovely place to be on a nice day, with lots of green space for the kids to run off some steam (particularly if they're on a sugar rush afterwards!). We also noticed that all the lampposts and station railings are painted in the signature purple and even the tulips were on brand, so the excitement builds before you actually get into the tour. But it's once you're inside Cadbury World that the fun begins...
Inside Cadbury World
The Cadbury World tour is a fascinating look at the world of chocolate, from the early Mayans through Tudor times and then to the Cadbury story. It's all delivered in a way that's easy and fun for kids to digest, including hands-on screen games they can play to learn more about the Aztec gods and how chocolate was made.
We loved the small scenes where characters from the past tell the story, and it was good to see that these also had BSL interpreters to make it more accessible.
We were able to watch workers tempering chocolate and making chocolate eggs which my daughter loved, and then we were treated to a little pot of melted chocolate with a choice of toppings... a real highlight for us chocoholics!
Another favourite was the 4D movie. We've done this before at the LEGOland Discovery Centre and this one was particularly fun, with a 3D rollercoaster simulation and moving chairs to add to the immersive feel.
Like so much at Cadbury World, this is an experience that both children and grown ups can enjoy and I was impressed with how it manages to have something for everyone throughout the tour. The more museum-like exhibition of the story of Bournville and the Cadbury brothers was fascinating, and I took a nostalgic trip down memory lane through the adverts and the many exhibits of past designs, toys and mugs. My daughter was less interested in this, but even she was happy to stand for a while and watch the animatronic gorilla on the drums...!
Her Cadbury World highlight would have to be the adventure playground that you can do either at the start or end of your tour. It's not huge which makes it easier as a parent but there was plenty for her to enjoy for at least an hour while I had a rest and tucked into a chocolate bar.
How long does the Cadbury World take?
If you're planning to visit Cadbury World, I'd allow a few hours. As my daughter said, "there's so much stuff to look at!" We spent 2.5 hours on the tour itself and then another hour in the adventure playground (though you might not want so long there if the weather isn't great). My daughter could have spent a lot longer in the playground and on the slide in particular - that was at the top of her list of "best bits" in her Cadbury World review. While she spent most of her time on the main playground area, there is a slightly smaller one which is ideal for younger children. There's also a small cafe outside if you need snacks - I'd brought a packed lunch for us but I heard people saying good things about the food.
Save money on Cadbury World by travelling by train
If you're looking for a Cadbury World discount, you've come to the right place. There are a number of ways to save on days out for kids and for this trip, we took advantage of National Rail's Days Out Guide which allows you to get discounted entry to over 400 attractions across Great Britain when you travel by train. This includes 2-for-1 at attractions like Battersea Park Zoo, the Tower of London and London Zoo, and 1/3 off at Alton Towers, Chessington World of Adventures, Thorpe Park, Cadbury World, and many more.
If you have a Family&Friends Railcard, you can save on your train travel as well, so when you factor that into the Cadbury World train discount, it all adds up to big savings on your family day out.
Not only can you save money, but we found that travelling by train saved a lot of stress. We could sit back and relax without worrying about traffic jams, and there's no denying the scenery is better from a train than on the motorway! Being able to spread out and set up her Amazon Fire Kids and snacks made the journey a lot easier and I even managed to read a whole magazine! Top tip; if you're coming to Bournville from Birmingham, turn left when you get off the train - the walk is shorter from that exit and only takes about 10 minutes.
Cadbury World at Easter
I was pleasantly surprised by how calm and relatively quiet it was at Cadbury World, given that we were travelling during the school Easter holidays. We could see all of the exhibitions and demonstrations easily, and the only place we had to queue was for the hands-on area where you can try tempering chocolate. However, while other schools in the UK were on holiday, it turns out the Birmingham schools hadn't broken up yet. The staff told me it gets busier during the Birmingham school holidays, so if you can time your visit to avoid their holidays, you'll find it's quieter.
During the Easter holidays, Cadbury World has a special show running at set times throughout the day. It's a brilliant, Pantomime style, laugh-a-minute show with plenty of audience participation (be prepared to dance, shout, and join in with the actions!). My daughter loved it and judging from the laughter and applause, so did the adults.
It goes without saying that you can stock up for Easter in the Cadbury World gift shop, with brilliant deals on Easter Eggs and chocolate bars, as well as non-chocolate pocket money items like pens and rubbers.
Do you get free chocolate at Cadbury World?
Obviously it wouldn't be a trip to a chocolate factory without sampling some chocolate, and while I won't spoil the surprise, let's just say you do get free chocolate when you visit Cadbury World. I noticed lots of people had bought either Cadbury tote bags or small purple bags in the gift shop to help them carry the free chocolate you'll get on the tour. While this probably makes it easier to carry the chocolate, I'd say you could get away with one bag between a family as a nice keepsake rather than one each (you'll get about 4 bars each). We just used our own bag so you don't have to buy them if you don't want to. Keep an eye out for the chocolate station that's about a third of the way through the tour - you can choose two toppings to go on a small pot of melted Cadbury's Dairy Milk... that was a particular highlight and refuelled us well for the rest of the trip!
How much is Cadbury World?
If you're planning to buy tickets for Cadbury World, it's best to do this in advance. You can get a ticket from £22 in advance compared to £28 on the day. Don't forget there are other ways to snap up a discount on Cadbury World prices, including having a Merlin Pass or travelling by train as we did which can save you a third off your ticket.
Cadbury World: fun for all the family
All in all, we both loved Cadbury World and would certainly go again. In some places it's looking a little tired, but that doesn't take away from the brilliant balance of fun, learning, hands-on activities and museum-style exhibits. This is one of the few days out we've done that I would recommend to all ages, so if you're looking for a day out for all generations, this could be it. From grandparents to toddlers and even teens, there really is something for everyone at Cadbury World.
About the author
Rebecca Lancaster is a Digital Writer for Mother&Baby, drawing on ten years of parenting her two children to help others navigating their own parenting journey. As a freelance writer, she spent ten years working with leading lifestyle brands, from travel companies to food and drink start-ups, and writing everything from hotel reviews to guides to the best British cheeses. She’s particularly interested in travel and introducing her children to the excitement of visiting new places, trying different foods (less successfully) and experiencing different cultures.