Bear Grylls Adventure Official Launch Party
My Amazing Day at the
Bear Grylls Adventure VIP Launch Party
Today I had the amazing opportunity of attending the Bear Grylls Official VIP Launch Party. It was an amazing day and I met some truly inspirational people, pushed myself to take on new and exciting challenges, and ate some very strange food! Read on to find out how the day went and learn more about this amazing attraction.
Disclaimer – I was invited free of charge on the assumption that I would write an honest review and account of the day.
What is it?
It’s an indoor and outdoor adventure centre operated by Merlin (think theme parks, Warwick Castle, the Dungeons attractions etc.). The website describes it as:
“The Home of Earth’s greatest adventure challenges. Test your limits as you take on some of the world’s most incredible mental and physical challenges inspired by Bear’s love of adventure. We’ll get you geared up and ready to climb, dive, fly, zip, leap, scramble and explore. Escape the ordinary and push yourself to achieve the remarkable at The Bear Grylls Adventure.”
I arrived early and grabbed a coffee whilst waiting to be allowed into the centre. Following a brief worrying moment where the security couldn’t find my name on the guest list (it was eventually found under ‘Press’ – phew!) I made my way to the front of the crowd. Waiting for the day to begin was an amazing experience in itself, as I found myself in the press-pen chatting to national press photographers, journalists and national TV reporters.
After an introductory speech from Merlin we were treated to a performance from the Royal Marines band. When they stopped playing a thundering helicopter could be heard and smoke started to pour out from the back of the Chinook high above our heads. Bear stepped forward flanked by two Royal Marine Commandos, and then they jumped out the back and descended down a rope and though the swirling smoke.
The deep sea diving zone looked even better than I remembered from my first visit, and with the three divers standing underwater it really put those giant jaws into perspective!
Whilst walking around I sampled a few of the canapés that were on offer – opting initially for a mango and mealworm smoothy! (see my reaction to this concoction in the video below – you can clearly see the moment where those intense flavours kicked in!).
Changes / Improvements
There were a few changes since my first visit and including new additions.
Bear Tags
We were each given a Bear Tag – this device was worn on your wrist and was used to open and close lockers, alert you to your next session, track your progress on the assault course and tag you in photographs.
Hang Gliding Experience
One new attraction which was great fun was a VR hang glider simulation where you navigate an aerial course in a virtual world. The seat that you sat on moved with the action in your vision which really added to the overall experience.
Secondly there was a big change to one room. During my first visit there was a section where we collectively were trying to keep calm in a potentially stressful situation and we were tasked with keeping our combined heart rate below a certain threshold. This concept for an experience sounds great on paper but it just felt a little flat when it played out during my first visit. However, this time they’d removed the heart rate sensors and changed the premise slightly. It worked really well and gave a big laugh out loud jump scare – which by chance had me as the focal point. It certainly got my heart racing but was great fun – a really effective way of bonding the group together – very clever.
Check out the video below for footage of my first sky dive! It was great fun and I heartily recommend it!
Dad's Verdict
As summed up in my previous blog and vlog, this is a great day out for the family or with your friends. It is suited to older children, but caters for all abilities - so don't worry that you aren't fit enough to have a great day out - the guides will help tailor the activities to your individual circumstances.
The staff were friendly and helpful and the activity guides were encouraging and made each event fun and accessible for my entire group.
It was a real privilege to be invited to the VIP launch party and I met some truly amazing people including Dwayne Fields (a polar explorer) and one of my favourite actors Warwick Davis.
I'm already planing another visit for the spring where I'll be taking some of my friends along for a great day out - I'll let know how it goes and if I smash my current PB on the assault course!
For video highlights of the Launch Party click on the video above!
How to get there
I am not affiliated with the Bear Grylls Adventure and do not receive any compensation for use of the 10% Deal above.
