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Cadbury World - Merlin Take Over

Just came back from cadbury world today, haven't been on probably around a decade. I'm still genuinely surprised how much I loved the entire experience. The first part with Cadburys origin is really well themed and I love the use of the peppers ghost effect! The moving benches gave me a good laugh though, that's for sure 😆

Cadabra is probably now one of my favourite UK Dark rides now. I love the heavy usage of moving props and lighting, it had a lovely and funny atmosphere as well. All in all, a really charming and really good dark ride.

The amount of free chocolate you get FOR FREE is just fantastic. Sickening, but fantastic nevertheless.

The biggest surprise of the day though for me was the 4D experience, and I'm not a fan of 4Ds that much, but theirs is probably the best I've been on.

And hey, got 10 CurlyWurlys for £1.90, talk about a bargain.

Would I visit the place again soon? Definitely not, it's not a place you'd want to visit annually, but maybe every few years.
 
Trooper Looper said:
Just came back from cadbury world today, haven't been on probably around a decade. I'm still genuinely surprised how much I loved the entire experience. The first part with Cadburys origin is really well themed and I love the use of the peppers ghost effect! The moving benches gave me a good laugh though, that's for sure 😆

Cadabra is probably now one of my favourite UK Dark rides now. I love the heavy usage of moving props and lighting, it had a lovely and funny atmosphere as well. All in all, a really charming and really good dark ride.

The amount of free chocolate you get FOR FREE is just fantastic. Sickening, but fantastic nevertheless.

The biggest surprise of the day though for me was the 4D experience, and I'm not a fan of 4Ds that much, but theirs is probably the best I've been on.

And hey, got 10 CurlyWurlys for £1.90, talk about a bargain.

Would I visit the place again soon? Definitely not, it's not a place you'd want to visit annually, but maybe every few years.
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Sounds quite interesting! Personally I would pay £1.90 to not have to take home 10 CurlyWurlys though. 🤮
 
zeock said:
Sounds quite interesting! Personally I would pay £1.90 to not have to take home 10 CurlyWurlys though. 🤮
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Ha! Guess I'm just really easy to be satisfied. I'm a bit nervous about Merlin now owning the attraction, since we've seen what they're capable of, such as removing limiting certain experiences, raising prices, cost cutting, etc. At worst, they'll remove most of the current standing theming with bland purple walls with screens, and the worst offender, NO free chocolate!!

If you've not been, I highly recommend trying to go this year as Merlin very well could radically change the entire place in 5 years.
 
I went for the first time last year. I enjoyed it but if I was to say I was bowled over I’d be lying. Being a train enthusiast, we went by train from London all the way to Bournville. The station is nicely themed. I watch a YouTube channel called JenOnTheMove, she said Cadbury is overrated…never a truer word said.

I enjoyed the visit and was shocked at how such a big attraction has a small shop. Plus the rear of the building was covered in scaffolding, hiding the big letters that spell out the name, just my luck. Bournville itself is nice with the cricket green.

I won’t be rushing back - it’s just an overrated chocolate factory in the midlands.
 
Cadburys not been the same since it was taken over by Kraft.

Used to get giant King Sized Dairy milks from the petrol station shop when I was a kid on the way to Birmingham to see family. Then we'd go to cadburys world while in the area and come back with carrier bags full of chocolate.

Best deal was 1kg of chocolate for £5!

Do they still have the small train that runs around the ceiling of the shop?
 
Trooper Looper said:
Ha! Guess I'm just really easy to be satisfied. I'm a bit nervous about Merlin now owning the attraction, since we've seen what they're capable of, such as removing limiting certain experiences, raising prices, cost cutting, etc. At worst, they'll remove most of the current standing theming with bland purple walls with screens, and the worst offender, NO free chocolate!!

If you've not been, I highly recommend trying to go this year as Merlin very well could radically change the entire place in 5 years.
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I haven't been. Perhaps I should, to see it before Merlin makes any major changes, but it is unlikely that I would be able to make it there this year.
 
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I went to Cadbury World last year and I thought it was rubbish sorry.
A building site with a confused mix of old and new themes like 3 different places in one.
I think it needed sorting out so I look forward to seeing what happens.
 
ChristmasPud said:
I went to Cadbury World last year and I thought it was rubbish sorry.
A building site with a confused mix of old and new themes like 3 different places in one.
I think it needed sorting out so I look forward to seeing what happens.
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Do you mean the three seperate places? There is the main Cadbury World exhibition, with the history of chocolate, history of Cadbury, the how its made cinema room and then story of the brand etc. But also there is the actual museum type bit (Bourneville Collection) and the seperate 4D cinema thing. I didn't find it that confusing other than the fact the 4D cinema was added out next to the play area.

I don't expect Merlin to change the actual exhibition, they are more likely there to manage not create.
 
According to Theme Park Worldwide’s recent vlog from Cadbury World, rumours are now swirling that Merlin are building a new dark ride there:

Construction materials, shipping containers and such are visible in the car park beside the outdoor section, construction is currently taking place within the “advertising area” (and other parts of the experience are shut off too), and after coming off Cadabra, Shawn talks about rumours of a new dark ride. He also says that it may possibly be trackless.

The jury is out on whether the new ride will coexist with Cadabra or whether Cadabra will be removed as a result of the new ride being built. Shawn initially seemed to think that the two would coexist, but later said that some staff members informed him that Cadabra is being removed due to the new ride being built.

This is an interesting development, if true. I do consider Shawn a trustworthy source; he’s been right a number of times in the past, he talks with a fair amount of certainty about “the new ride”, and I don’t think that him having inside sources within Merlin is out of the question by any means.

If true, could this possibly signal Merlin’s future intentions with the attraction?
 
Matt N said:
According to Theme Park Worldwide’s recent vlog from Cadbury World, rumours are now swirling that Merlin are building a new dark ride there:

Construction materials, shipping containers and such are visible in the car park beside the outdoor section, construction is currently taking place within the “advertising area” (and other parts of the experience are shut off too), and after coming off Cadabra, Shawn talks about rumours of a new dark ride. He also says that it may possibly be trackless.

The jury is out on whether the new ride will coexist with Cadabra or whether Cadabra will be removed as a result of the new ride being built. Shawn initially seemed to think that the two would coexist, but later said that some staff members informed him that Cadabra is being removed due to the new ride being built.

This is an interesting development, if true. I do consider Shawn a trustworthy source; he’s been right a number of times in the past, he talks with a fair amount of certainty about “the new ride”, and I don’t think that him having inside sources within Merlin is out of the question by any means.

If true, could this possibly signal Merlin’s future intentions with the attraction?
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Interesting rumours. Though I'd hate to see Cadabra Removed!
 
I visited Cadbury world yesterday after not visiting for a few years. However nothing has really changed since my last visit.

Currently the advertising section is pretty much gone, as well as one of the large interactive sections. Also the shop is really small at the moment.

The attraction definitely needs some work, as it really is a random mix of the history section (which is a bit old and dull), to the “factory” bit, which seems more long corridors than anything else, the ride and then the random ourdoor playground and 4D.

Personally I think the 4D and outdoor area needs linking to the indoor bit more. You currently wonder round round the building to get to it. I would rather it became part of the tour than feeling like it’s on its own.

The 4D is fine, but you just walk through loads of (what I guess used to be) pre show rooms, as well as a random exit room and then out a fire exit. It all just feels it’s a large building with just a 4D cinema in it and nothing else.

Hopefully Merlin will invest and bring it back to feeling a little more modern and remove its confused identity.
 
djtruefitt said:
The 4D is fine, but you just walk through loads of (what I guess used to be) pre show rooms, as well as a random exit room and then out a fire exit. It all just feels it’s a large building with just a 4D cinema in it and nothing else.
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Its been a very long time (maybe 15 years) since I last visited, but there used to be a pre-show to the right of the 4D show, then the show itself and then you exited into a room where you got a small cup of melted chocolate with a sweet or topping of your choice mixed in, before exiting through a gift shop. I think the melted chocolate thing has moved inside to the demonstation area? and from your description I assume the shop exit to the 4D show has closed (although that was an issue as everyone covered all the merchandise in chocolate!).
 
jon81uk said:
Its been a very long time (maybe 15 years) since I last visited, but there used to be a pre-show to the right of the 4D show, then the show itself and then you exited into a room where you got a small cup of melted chocolate with a sweet or topping of your choice mixed in, before exiting through a gift shop. I think the melted chocolate thing has moved inside to the demonstation area? and from your description I assume the shop exit to the 4D show has closed (although that was an issue as everyone covered all the merchandise in chocolate!).
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There looks to be a fake lift pre show and then an actual pre show which we just walked straight though to the cinema. The exit then has some theming and screens to touch and stuff, then what looks like a shop, but we got sent out though an exit.

And yes the melted chocolate bit is inside now near the end of the tour.
 
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