Is it open?

My brother and his children are considering it as part of a European vacation.

Is it better to stay on property? Is Bleak House a good hotel? How are the rides?

I'd miss it by miles if it was me.

It is suffering low attendance, reduced hours and has not been very successful. I haven't been there, but there were a couple of threads right about the time it opened and the whole idea seems like an under-though-out, and under funded, faux Disney-esque 'experience'.

Out of curiosity, I checked TA and the reviews are very schizo. Either 5 star "WONDERFUL!" or 1 star "STAY AWAY!" w/ almost nothing in between.

Not my cup of tea, and it's a long way to go just for that.

If you're in Chatham anyway, there is also the naval dockyard, which sounds much more worth while:
http://diamondgeezer.blogspot.com/20...27552471072303

If you want to find out about Dickens, better to read the novels themselves or see some TV adaptations.

Chatham Naval Dockyard is great, kids really enjoy it, as do the adults.
I can't comment on the Dickens thing but it doesn't sound like my kind of thing at all.

A friend and I took a look from the outside when it first opened and decided that it looked expensive for what it was, so didn't go in and I've not heard anything that makes me want to go back and I live quite close by.

Here's a review I just read about visiting Dickens World.

"It was the best of times. It was the worst of times." Well, that was no help!

Not that this will help the OP, but I'm waiting for Kafka World. Or the Ivy Compton Burnett Experience.

"Or the Ivy Compton Burnett Experience."

Whereas I am holding out for the Christmas Carol Burnett Experience.

You could always go to Charles Dickens birthplace in Portsmouth:


http://www.charlesdickensbirthplace.co.uk/

Regards.

I wouldn't go out of your way to see it, no, but if you were already in Kent it might be ok. Bleak House is not 'on site' - it's not even in the same town. I've heard it's nice but it's also very expensive: B&B is around £150 per night per person.

There's a lot of interesting places in Kent, including more Dickens stuff, if they want to spend a few days here.