Half term is just around the corner and you may be wondering what you can do to keep the kids entertained while they're off school.
Whether you're after somewhere the kids can run around outside or you're looking for an indoor attraction to keep them entertained, Cadbury World has something for everyone.
My boyfriend and I drove down from Staffordshire along with our friends' kids aged between 7-12 years old to see how Cadbury World fared for our family of five.
The last time Joe and I visited the Bourneville attraction was roughly 20 years ago so we were very keen to see if it lived up to our childhood memories and if the kids would enjoy it as much as we once had.
We visited on a Saturday so left plenty of time to drive down the M6 and through Birmingham so that we'd get a parking space.
Luckily, it wasn't half as busy as we feared and there were loads of spaces - although if you did happen to hit a busy period there's lots of overflow parking should you need it.
Cadbury World exhibition tour
Tickets in hand, we headed to the entrance where we were greeted ahead of the exhibition tour with a handful of chocolate. When I say handful, I mean every member of our group got three bars of Cadbury chocolate each and guess who was carrying the bag the whole way round - hint, it was me and now I need a new back please.
When you book you're given a slot for the self-guided tour, ours was 10:50am and we headed through the tour along with a relatively small number of other families in the same slot.
As you walk through there are plenty of things to keep the kids entertained including a quiz to fill in, video stations with buttons for them to press to their heart's content and shows in small theatres that tell the story of the former chocolate factory.
Our little fact-checkers had recently learned the history of chocolate at school so were eagerly confirming the different sections were in fact true as we walked around.
There are also plenty of opportunities to learn chocolate-making techniques such as tempering and piping.
We had a go at writing our names with chocolate at our own demonstration table and the girls were complimented on their particularly impressive calligraphy skills by the chocolatier guides.
We also got to watch some very skilled chocolate-makers showing us how it's really done as they made some of the delicious treats that you can buy in the shop later on.
Possibly the favourite part of the tour, for me certainly, was the Chocolate Making zone where you can try a pot of warm liquid Cadbury Dairy Milk.
This was even better than I'd remembered because now you also get to add two toppings to your liquid chocolate for free - I picked a double helping of marshmallows - but you could also choose from chocolate buttons, jelly babies and lots more depending on the day you go and the availability.
There's also the popular Cadabra ride where you sit in a 'Beanmobile' and go for a little ride through a chocolate wonderland filled with familiar chocolate egg characters.
The cars accommodate four people although our smallest child managed to squeeze in comfortably as well so we could all five sit together.
One of the Beanmobiles is also suitable for wheelchairs so no one has to miss out on the ride.
The seven-year-old particularly enjoyed the Cadabra ride so it was worth the small queue to get on it.
There are also opportunities to get official pictures of your visit with green screens where you can choose your background and pay for the prints later on.
We bought a basic print in a booklet for £12 (we went with our photo on the classic Dairy Milk background) and it came with a free digital copy that we could download at home for more copies.
African Adventure Play Area and the 4D Chocolate Adventure
Once you've completed the indoor tour there's a whole extra bit of the attraction which takes place outside, luckily for us it was a lovely sunny day!
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Out here you've got an enormous play area with everything a kid could dream of - sadly now as the accompanying adult, I had to make do with watching the kids have fun rather than getting a go of the slide myself.
The adventure play area is suitable for children aged 5-14 years old and for the little ones there's a separate zone for under 5's.
Once you've had enough of the play area there's also the 4D cinema experience complete with motion seats which was a hit with us.
Inside you join Freddo and his friends as they whisk you away on an adventure, diving into a bowl of liquid Cadbury Dairy Milk, riding the Crunchie Rollercoaster and taking to the skies in a Cadbury Creme Egg airship piloted by the Caramel Bunny.
Please be aware this experience isn't suitable for adults or children who're easily startled by sudden movement, motion effects, loud music, or periods of darkness. It's also not suitable for pregnant women or guests with heart or spinal conditions due to motion effects used in the pre-show and 4D cinema.
Cadbury World food
Now you know how it goes, big attractions usually come with hefty price tags when it comes to on-site food however the Cadbury Cafe was surprisingly affordable.
We chose our table in the cafe then took the table number with us to the counter to order our food and drink.
We opted to share two 12" pizzas between Joe and the kids and I gave the fish and chips a go. The pizzas got a big thumbs up from the group and my lunch hit the spot too.
We also had two sprites, a diet coke, a chocolate frappe and a mixed slush - those of you who've read previous reviews of mine will know I'm a sucker for a mixed slush!
For the five of us altogether it came out at less than £50 and the quality of the food was very good for the price. Just be aware that the cafe is card and contactless payments only - no cash!
If you wanted more of a 'food on the go' experience rather than a sit-in, there were also hot dogs and burgers outside to choose from.
Cadbury World shop
No visit to Cadbury World is complete without a stop by The World's Biggest Cadbury Shop which is basically heaven for chocolate lovers.
The kids had £5 spending money each and went running off in all directions to get as much chocolate goodness as they could within their budget.
Meanwhile being the traditional journalist I am, I headed off to pick up a pen to add to my overflowing collection of pens that live in the bottom of every handbag I own.
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Again, I was expecting over-the-top prices but there was plenty in the shop that wouldn't break the bank as well as a factory section which had more multibuys than you can shake a stick at.
Our verdict on our day out at Cadbury World
We had a brilliant day out at Cadbury World and cannot recommend it enough if you and your family are looking for something to do over the Half Term break.
There was something for all of us during our visit from play areas and interactive parts of the tour to free chocolate and chocolate piping in the demonstration area.
We can't wait to go to Cadbury World again and we certainly won't be waiting 20 years this time!
How to get tickets to Cadbury World
Tickets must be prebooked in advance to guarantee entry to Cadbury World.
- Adults - £21 each
- Children aged 4-15 - £15.50
- Kids under 4 - free
- Senior citizens and students - £18
- Family of 4 ticket (max 2 adults) - £63
- Family of 5 ticket (max 2 adults) - £76
- Essential carer - free
If you prebook online you'll save 5% off standard entrance prices.
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