Sofia and the Chocolate Factory

If you're familiar with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory... either from the movie or Roald Dahl's book, then you can imagine what Cadbury World is like and why we went there even if it's located in Birmingham - a good three hour journey from London.

My chocoholic sister sort of guilted me into taking Sofia, her chocoholic god-daughter. She first innocently asked if we were going and when I told her, no, I checked, the train ride was too long and too expensive, blahblahblahblahblahblah... she actually did the research and sent me the train we used when we went (this was around 10 years ago!!!) that cost only £5 one way and she showed me that it was only just a little over 2 hours each way from Marylebone Station to Birmingham Moor Street Station with a transfer of stations required and another shorter train ride. (The journey planner website I used calculated from our apartment to Cadbury World so it really did take 3 hours!) But since she went through all that effort and I found a 2for1 offer... we were off to Cadbury World on the Mayday bank holiday.

You have the tube all to yourself when you take it at 8:30am on a bank holiday.

It was Pirate Day at Cadbury World so we brought Mrs. Pirate Bear.

I hate getting stressed before a flight or before catching the train so we were VERY early.
Wifi on board. Yay!

Fif mailing more postcards while we were waiting for the train.

That one was for Taima.

When you visit the Cadbury Website, they tell you to call for a reservation.
I'm glad I'm OC that way. They ran out of tickets.

These were the parents who were not OC.

Fif and Chuckle Bean.

They gave us a lot for 12.20 when I told them we were taking the 9:30 train and we arrived just in time.

Fif with a giant Dairy Milk.

Yay. They give you free chocolates even before you enter.

The tour starts with the history of Chocolate.

In the old times when the cocoa beans was used as currency.

Digital dioramas.

That's us in the mirror.

Fif in front of a faux store window.

We were fast enough to reserve a bench while waiting for the Cadbury founder to tell us how he started the business.

If only London and Birmingham were this close.

All the hungry kids were eating their free chocolates.

Me, Fif and her gammy.

While waiting in line for Abracadabra.

On the Abracadabra train ride.

The world of chocolate beans.

Me on the train.

Wishing well.

Yay!!! Falling Chocolates! Hahaha...

Chocolate Beans Skiing.

Fif and Mrs. Pirate Bear had their picture taken with the Lady Pirate.

More free chocolate!!! This time in melted form.

This chocoholic was in heaven.

Say Cheese Chocolate!!!

They also let you write your name with chocolate.

I've always liked shoes more than chocolate.

Here, you can have both!

Do you think you can put hot tea in this pot?

Crown Jewels.

This was the passage way to the Marketing Area.

Fif watching the chocolate dog.

While the chocolate dog was watching TV.

Pose for a chocolate statue of yourself.

Ooops. Fif was a bit too short.

Who can spy Sofia here?

That's her.

That's me!

One of the interactive play areas is where kids stomp on the chocolates.

As fast as Dash.

Ooops, collission.

The bunny in the gift shop.

We found the sale store!

We remembered we had to go around to the back to catch the show at Essenses.

It's about how they came up with the recipe for Dairy Milk.

The fun part is when you are led to believe that you get to make you own chocolate concoction.

Jelly Babies.
It's a choice between Jelly Babies, Wine Gums, Marshmallows, Rice Crispies and something else.

Then they add the melted chocolate.

It may look yummm... and it actually is, but when you get to this part of the visit, you'll be almost at the point of slipping into a chocolate induced coma.

Fif and her fake smile.

If it were a normal day, we would be heading back just around now, but because it was a bank holiday, we were just in time to catch the last Pirate Show.

All the kids were mesmerized by the pirate.

I think he looks like my friend Ricardo. Hahaha.

Fif volunteering to help with a trick. 

It was a show by a Pirate bad guy who's assistant was a magician.

Bye bye Cadbury World.

Of course we bought something from the shop!
We had to buy enough to get the free Olympic mug!

The little chocoholic.

Bournville was named after Bourn Brook which was beside the plant they built.

This looks just like the cottages in the dioramas.

We had to wait forever for the replacement bus that got caught in worst traffic jams ever.
Note to self: NEVER take the bus IF the train works.

Fif playing while we were waiting for the bus.

Still playing...

In color accent green shot with the Canon S95.

I was really stressed now because we were clearly going to miss the train I bought cheap tickets in advance for!

Fif with her pack of Jelly Babies that morphed into a box.
We did miss the train... but honestly, they don't check your reservation.

The cadbury website was a downloadable kid's pack with activities for the trip there, during the visit, and for the trip back. They obviously know it's a long ride.

Fif doing her activity book that we also got from the shop.

and this story ends with Sofia living happily ever after with her mom in Paris. Hahaha. Just Saying.