Is winter wonderland worth it

[clpsmum]

Has anyone been to winter wonderland in Hyde park? I live in Scotland and it's going to cost me approximately £600 in flights and hotels but my youngest really wants to go. Has anyone been and if so is it worth it?

If you're like me and live close or are already having a holiday in London then yes, but to specifically come over just for that, absolutely not. You'll spend another £600 in there too! It's extortionate.

Edinburgh Christmas market is so much nicer. We have been once about 10 years ago and wouldn’t go back.

£600?? Absolutely not!
You could probably go to Brussels or Vienna for not much more and see a proper Christmas market!

Only if you’re coming over to London anyway. Don’t make a special trip for an overpriced fair!

Nooo! Definitely not worth paying that much or travelling that far! I’d sooner go to Germany for the proper Christmas markets for that.
DH and I went to the very first Winter Wonderland (pre DC) and managed to spend around £50 on just drinks, snacks and sweets to take home! It’s so expensive.

Not really. Definitely not for £600 and the travel involved.

Have a look at cheap flights to Germany or another European city that does lovely Xmas markets. Flying from Edinburgh you should get a weekend there with nice accommodation. I've done that with my son and it was really memorable.

@LondonMummer or indeed and @clpsmum - not sure how it stacks up against the £600 train journey - but this is so much better - as I said before I would go to Ediinburugh www.europeanbestdestinations.com/christmas-markets/brussels/ - the Hyde Park thing is disappointing especially for £600 train ticket

If you’re in London it’s ok
not worth doing the trip especially for that
as everyone has said, it’s just a big overpriced Christmas market - nothing special about it
we were visiting friends once, around that time of year, went first thing and I remember it being ok, but very expensive

Worst thing I've ever visited! Insane crowd levels and overpriced. Avoid!

I think its fun but I live down the road and (pre chid) would meet a group of friends and have a fun night in the beer tent/dancing with santa etc.
Would absolutely not travel all that way for it! Perhaps combine with some other festive things in London if you wanted to make a long weekend of it.

Goodness no - it's a funfair! We used to go when we lived locally because there wasn't much in the way of fairs for little ones but now I live outside London I would just go locally, certainly not travelling the hour and a half into London for that! There's probably something similar much closer to you.

No, it's bloody awful although if you end up going, go midweek in the day time, then leave when it's dark and everyone is fed up!
If you're in Scotland why not take a trip to the Cairngorms Reindeer Centre? Looks actually magical Christmas-y!

Nope! Its really nothing special at all!

Oh not to travel to from Scotland!

London is fab at Christmas but I think wonderland is just over priced

It's shit. Really unpleasant and overpriced.

Fly to Germany. Go to Phantasialand or EuropaPark instead. Far far far more enjoyable.

Thank you everyone and so glad I asked! You've saved me a lot of money. Definitely will not be going. Thank you all

We went last year as we were in London anyway. There was no magical-Xmas-atmosphere, it was a very noisy, oversized funfair. Rides were very expensive and the staff were very rude. We caught COVID from the queue to get in (it was absolutely rammed). Once we got in it started torrential raining. Would never in a million years go out of my way for it.

I live fairly locally and it makes a fun evening out if you pick a day when it's not too busy and accept that you're going to be horribly ripped off.

Absolutely no way I would make a special trip to go.

Absolutely not. I wouldn't visit if I lived down the road. Scotland? Mental.

I think most people have said it but sounds like the Edinburgh Christmas Market would be better and much less hassle.

It's not that good really but there's so much else on in London around Christmas. You can easily do a quick visit to WW to keep the child happy and go on to other stuff. The Albert Hall Christmas concerts are wonderful! Kew lights also brilliant.

I’m so glad you asked, I was just looking into going, I just can’t get past how expensive it all is. I’m not going to bother now.

It’s not worth a visit all the way from Scotland but it’s quite fun.
last time I went we went early in the morning and it was totally empty, it was great.