Last week, I had the pleasure on behalf of Door2Tour coach breaks, to visit the fabulous Winter Wonderland held in London’s Hyde Park. It was such a wonderful day out that I really wanted to share my experiences with you all and to say that if you have not had the chance to visit, you should as it certainly gets you into the spirit of Christmas. Find out what I thought here…
On a freezing cold Thursday morning, my sister and I headed up to London on what was a pre-Christmas gift from me to her. Arriving in London, we immediately headed towards the Discount Theatre booths of Leicester Square to see whether there were any bargains to be had in London’s Theatreland. Turns out that my sister really wanted to see Phantom Of The Opera, so with a quick flash of the plastic, two tickets were bought and paid for.
It was then time to do a little Christmas Shopping and where better to
do this then Oxford Street so hopping on the Tube, we made our way to the bustling streets all decked out in Christmas Decorations – although what the illuminated Jar of Marmite has to do with Christmas, I don’t know! No shopping trip would be complete without a visit to Harrods, so after a brisk walk we ended up in Knightsbridge. As soon as we entered this famous building, we were filled with festive spirit especially as we made a beeline for their Christmas Department – anyone for Christmas Crackers? It’ll knock you back approx. £500 if you do (have a feeling they maybe made of gold)!
Once the shopping was complete, our feet were tired so instead of walking, we hopped on the Tube again and we were completely drawn into the spirit of Christmas as we approached Hyde Park where the fabulously festive Winter Wonderland is located. Now let the fun begin….
London’s Winter Wonderland is open from 10am until 10pm everyday apart from Christmas Day (26 Nov 2012 to 06 Jan 2013). You’ll be pleased to hear that there are no entrance fees to pay but should you wish to go on any of the fairground rides, you will need to purchase tokens from the various booths dotted about the complex.
As soon as you enter Winter Wonderland, you are transported to the traditional Christmas Markets of Germany as Gluhwein, roasted chestnuts and Bratwurst sausages fill the air. Speakers are dotted about the place each playing Christmas-themed music to really make you feel all festive inside. There are so many eating places scattered about Winter Wonderland that it can sometimes be difficult to decide what to have. If you’ve never sampled a Bratwurst, here’s your chance to do so and I would thoroughly recommend it. Also, on a cold winters evening, mulled wine or hot cider does the trick in warming you up as does a trip to The Fire Pit – you’ll soon find out why as you explore Winter Wonderland.
There are so many wonderful attractions to keep everyone entertained. See if you can stay on your feet (or skates) at the Ice Age 4 Ice Rink, see fabulous sculptures made out of ice & snow at the Magical Ice Kingdom or
check out the fun on offer at Zippos Christmas Circus. There are two highlights of my trip to Winter Wonderland, one of them is hopping aboard the Giant Observation Wheel as it soars you 60m above London – fabulous views. The other highlight is taking a look around the 150 wooden chalets all selling unique gifts, handmade crafts, jewellery and Christmas decorations.
As you walk around Winter Wonderland, you will come across a wide variety of bars selling all manner of drinks, hot & cold. If you have time, head over to the Carousel Bar where whilst you sit back and enjoy your drink, the bar slowly moves around in a circle – just like a carousel! Certainly adds an entertaining feel to drinking that’s for sure.
Before you leave Winter Wonderland, make time to visit one of the many Waffle Stands as their Belgian Waffles are to die for – especially if you ask for melted milk chocolate to be poured onto them – yummy!
It wasn’t long before we had to leave Winter Wonderland and make our way over to Haymarket so we could take our seats for Phantom Of The Opera to begin. I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Winter Wonderland and would definitely recommend it to others. Be warned though, at weekends it can get extremely busy so would advise, if you can, to visit on a week day instead.
Have any of you already been to Winter Wonderland? What did you think?