Small and big kids thoroughly entranced at Hyde Park’s Winter Wonderland

KimT's London for Kids Blog

Having a daughter’s birthday in mid-December is always a bit of a challenge – finding an exciting and special place to go with five of her friends for the celebrations taxed my brain. We’ve done pantomime and theatre visits, ice skating in Kew Gardens (I wish they still did this), meals at all sorts of fun restaurants and even stay-at-home makeovers and chocolate fountains. This year I booked for them to go ice-skating and arranged for us to spend a little time before and after at the Winter Wonderland that I hadn’t attended before – mostly because my son had indicated that the one in Cardiff was a bit of a disappointment.

We took the tube to Green Park and walked along to Hyde Park Corner – this provided ample opportunity to take in the sights of all those grand hotels with their impressive Christmas light displays. The magnificent tree outside the Hard Rock Café is a sight to behold as well.

I really wasn’t expecting much at Winter Wonderland but how wrong was I! It was awesome and magical and impressive – we could easily have spent the whole day and evening there. You arrive at a huge lit arch and are faced with two lanes – Angel Market – around 40 tiny wooden chalets – each with a Christmas sculpture (some of them nativity scenes which was nice) on top – selling all manner of goods. There were woolly hats, jewellery, candles, coasters, Venetian masks, soap, traditional dried fruit garlands, wooden toys, puppets, animal gloves, decorations and leather bags and books. We stopped to look at a stall making these lovely necklaces from old watches and keys and things. How original is that? And whilst there were some more expensive items, the vast majority of stalls had things at pocket money prices – an ideal opportunity for kid-friendly Christmas shopping.

The other lane had numerous themed food outlets – we could smell waffles, hog roasts, burgers, fish and chips, coffee, mulled wine and all manner of other delicious treats. And everything is covered in cheerful Christmas lights and all the stall holders are full of seasonal cheer. There was even a windmill where you could buy mulled wine.

This in itself would have been worth a visit but then it opens out into an incredible fairground. There’s a Bavarian village, a huge ice rink (with an island in the middle and another stunning Christmas tree and a net of tiny blue lights above it), a circus – and standing proud over the whole thing - a massive ferris wheel with lights in the shape of a huge star.

But you really have to see it to believe it. I thought that I would explode with happiness – and my grown up son was equally amazed at how incredible it all was. There are lots and lots of rides – amazing huge fun houses ablaze with lights, a massive Haunted Manner with cars that are suspended from overhead rails, an enormous Pirate adventure, one of those tall towers where you descend at great speed and a spectacular lime green and purple Christmas Coaster. Yet there’s more – there are what seems like hundreds of rides and a great many of them are Christmas themed – you can ride in baubles on a Christmas tree, in a sleigh around a track, in giant penguins and even on model reindeers.

And all around are yet more food stalls – a number selling German fare – and even a bar or two (The Star Inn) to keep the adults amused. There were even a couple of live bands playing in tents. And the brightly lit stalls selling gingerbread hearts, caramel peanuts and rainbow coloured lollipops the size of dinner plates. A wonder indeed.

We spent over an hour walking around just taking in the Alpine festive sights – as well as enjoying an excellent hog roast and some mulled wine – everything was so lovely to look at – the lights everywhere, the Christmas atmosphere and the crowds. We had a go at a few of the numerous activities to win prizes – knocking over skittles, getting balls into churns and shooting. Some of the rides were amazing just to look at – we stood by the Snow Jet for ages admiring the lights and decorations.

I’m sure we missed a great number of rides and activities as there was simply too much to see in the three hours that we were there. There were a lot of people but all very good natured – although it might be tricky with a buggy when it’s really busy. But there were ample loos – and you get a neat little map if you don’t have a smartphone to use the one you can download on the web site.
But there were plenty of rides (and balloons and statues of reindeer, polar beers, penguins and all manner of other creatures around every corner) that were aimed at diddlies. There was even a Santa Land area – although I didn’t get to meet the big man myself.

It’s free to go to Winter Wonderland which I think is marvellous. The food was on about the same level as theme parks (£6.50 for a hog roast, £4 for mulled wine, £3.50 for a cappuccino with syrup) but the rides were expensive – the big rides were £4 for under 12s and £5 for adults. And it all operates on a token system. And there are numerous cash machines to tempt you to take out more cash if you need it. I gave my young teens a set amount of money each for both eats and rides and left them to make those tough decisions about what to do.

And wrap up warm – despite numerous urgings from me – one of our girls got rather cold. So I bought a fleece for her at one of the stalls selling outerwear. The kids’ items were priced from a reasonable £12 although the one I choose (thinking about future use) was £40. So take extra warm clothes if your little ones try to do the bravura thing when leaving the house.

It’s rare for me to be impressed by stuff these days. Too often I find things to be rather a disappointment. But Winter Wonderland was truly a wonder – I still can’t quite get over how lovely it was and how extensive. The girls had a thoroughly great time and didn’t even notice the light shower of rain half way through the evening. And my older son has already planned to return this week. This really is a must-do Christmas treat.

Posted Date
Dec 18, 2011 in KimT's London for Kids Blog by KimT