Lapland uk rant

[Laplandhelluk]

I’m so utterly disappointed with how they have dealt with the lockdown bookings.
Superstars (disabled children) have been let down. Their slogan of every child matters is complete rubbish. Most children with additional needs do not live long lives and they may never have the chance to have children of their own to carry on any traditions or experiences, they literally have a few years and this year lapland uk has taken this from them by making sure they don’t matter, all because they wanted to keep as much revenue as possible. All of this is made worse by reading that alot of people who booked superstar tickets don’t even have a child or adult with any additional needs. The whole thing just leaves a very bad taste and i know there’s a pandemic but i can’t help but be upset for my child

Can’t you just buy tickets for the new ones released and get a refund on superstar tickets then?

I understand why you’re disappointed OP but think you’re trying to make this into something it’s not

Honestly? We’ve been a few times and there’s no way we would go with the covid madness. The waiting area before you go in is tiny and is usually shoulder to shoulder crowded. You then go through a small tunnel into a tiny room and unless they reduced their capacity by 70%, you can’t social distance. They literally sell every ticket for every bum on every bench.

Decorating cookies? Making toys? It’s a big room but they pack the kids in and it’s standing room only for adults to crowd on the sides, trying to take photos. No way to social distance. Ice rink? Tiny and crowded!! The only easy way to social distance is walking around the “village” which is a a couple of shops and couple of eateries. Post office? Tiny. And pay up to “mail” a letter to Santa (who you’re about to see, so... why???). Reindeer? You can see them through a fence as you walk to see Santa. Only good thing would be getting to see Santa as they time that brilliantly to feel like you’re the only people waiting to see him. As you go out? Queue for more covid this way as you buy overpriced tat for your “free” toy (that you paid for in your ticket but you didn’t realise because they cleverly now hidden the cost, like charging you £5 for your mailed letter which use to be included in the price.)

Nekoness - fewer tickets have been sold and it’s all been rebuilt to increase the size and make it Covid compliant.

It seems the biggest issue here really is their communication. They will have had to reduce all their bookings anyway to make it a covid compliant experience, but they’re not dealing with it very well.

They would probably have been better off just shelving the whole event for this year and then hoping for things to be back to normal next year.

@CometCupidDonnerBlitzen, have you been? Have you seen photos? Where are you getting it’s “all been rebuilt” ?

Their website says “where necessary” which is as meaningful as “up to”

I don’t understand why people are still replying stating that i can book and pay extra, i have repeatedly said that lapland have frozen fhe site and selecting who they deem right to be allowed to book. This means i can not access my booking and i can not book another date and pay extra!
Lapland told us all to be patient and then they froze us out so we couldn’t book a slot this side of christmas.

I am now waiting for my refund, in a queue with many others and not guaranteed to get all my money back or a date in the near future that this money will return to me.

Lapland uk have failed on many points not just communication.

I have been looking at alternatives but to be honest it’s hard taking my child to new places, we know the layout at lapland which is why we always return for the routine and familiarity but i will never book this attraction again.

I mean their CS sent me a long description of the changes but feel free to make of it what you will, I’ve got better things to do than argue with you about it.

@Laplandhelluk

I don’t understand why people are still replying stating that i can book and pay extra, i have repeatedly said that lapland have frozen fhe site and selecting who they deem right to be allowed to book. This means i can not access my booking and i can not book another date and pay extra! Lapland told us all to be patient and then they froze us out so we couldn’t book a slot this side of christmas.

I am now waiting for my refund, in a queue with many others and not guaranteed to get all my money back or a date in the near future that this money will return to me.

Lapland uk have failed on many points not just communication.

I have been looking at alternatives but to be honest it’s hard taking my child to new places, we know the layout at lapland which is why we always return for the routine and familiarity but i will never book this attraction again.

Ive just looked at the site and bookings are frozen to Everyone, Not just You what makes you think they are 'selecting' who they deem right to book?

Also, What makes You think You will not get all your money back?

The bookings are not frosen to everyone, they are frozen for all superstar disabled bookings. Over the last 2 days they have allowed non superstar bookongs to ammend their booking to dates before or after christmas, due to this all dates before christmas have been taken. Superstar bookings still can not change or ammend their booking, they can only wait and then the 30th december will be allowed.

The refunds are very hit and miss going by the comments online. They have even asked some for bank details over facebook messenger. It is all very unprofessional

I have been looking at alternatives but to be honest it’s hard taking my child to new places, we know the layout at lapland which is why we always return for the routine and familiarity but i will never book this attraction again.

I doubt there would be ‘routine and familiarity’ this year - it will have to be really quite different in the current climate

I've just looked and the bookings ARE frozen to everyone. I think you need to be patient with them. They can't deal with everyone at once and need to recoup as much income as they can after this terrible year. Remember too that there is no guarantee that we will be out of lockdown on the 2nd. It could be that no children are able to go before Christmas.

I appreciate it's frustrating that they are not offering the reduced priced days now. They probably don't have time to fit them in. There is nothing stopping you buying regular tickets if more are released. If you can't afford that then I'm sorry. Lots of people wouldn't be able to afford even then reduced priced tickets so perhaps be a little grateful that you can. There is no reason to believe you won't get your money back and when you do I'm sure there are other Christmas activities that your DCs will enjoy even if they are home based.

Hope op I will see you the super star day thing today... 30th December is not ideal but it would still be fun...

I've found then to be good at communicating over this time.
I have accepted that even with these changes its a very slim chance any of us will make it. Once cases rise again and we are sucked into domino effect self isolation etc... There will be so many cancellations...

Can you keep checking?

It was always a massive gamble to be booking it anyway really in the middle of a pandemic. It will be a huge bonus if we do manage to go.

To book a superstar day, you do not need proof of disability. You can book without a diagnosis and without claiming dla.

I wouldn’t judge any parent with a child with any condition. It is a very lonely world when you have sen. Never invited to parties or playdates, people looking when you go out, can’t join a sports team because they don’t understand the competitve part, not progressing in school with their learning, watching their peers grow and they stay in the same spot. I’m not sure what people you are meeting in your job or what perks you think they are getting but I definitely do not see this in my daily life.
If a healthcare professional deams a child to have asd or any condition then i believe they have the correct qualifications to diagnose this.

Well according to lapland they are running it in a similar manor this year but considering they haven’t been very honest over the last few weeks I’m not so sure i believe their claims on this.

"" very true we may not be out of lock down... Does anyone know what rates are around lap land?

Op I agree there are no perks with a sen child.

Rather strange comment made by pp.
You do have a day set aside, it will be I'm sure a really lovley day.

However, because your so upset, why not email them and tell them all this.

I personally think they should have given disabled dc priority.
It's areal shame they couldn't before Xmas.

Perhaps ask them this... And give it someone welly.. Ie press etc.. Tweet people who go on about lapland UK like Holly willoby or David Beckham...

Re poster who said about all the queuing.. We were not near anyone except for those first benches.. After that we had plenty of room throughout... Never felt crowded (2017)

The bookings are not frozen to everyone.
They have advertised they are allowing people to book as they see fit. People are congratulating them and thanking them for allowig them acces to change their bookings.
If they wanted to make it inclusive they should have allowed the superstars this priority. I have explained this and people keep replying thinking they know better but it is misinformation they are replying and I’m not sure how many times people want me to reply with the fact that lapland will not let me have access to my booking to pay for a different date. They released 8am slots for the same pruce as the november bookings but they held the superstar bookings back and would not allow them to book! This is my frustration but a few seem to think from checking their outdated website they suddenly know better.
The reason I don’t believe they will give a full refund is because there are people in the same or similar situation and they are being denied a full refund.

@cometcupidandblitzen

What do you mean? Hidden 7.30 etc?
I would have much rather gone late than early, my original booking was in the dark... Twinkle lights etc..

I have emailed them but they won’t send anything but a generic reply back.

I’m not wanting publicity that’s why i put it on here, it was just a confidential vent to be honest i just needed to tell someone. I didn’t even i tend to reply but the first few replies seemed to say they needed more information and it’s just continued.

I didn’t want priority i just wanted the same chance as others

As pp said op maybe it's because some people in the superstar day need more time at each place?
And they can cater specially for sen all on one day.
Op why not simply try and get the to do something about it..

Tweet, contact celebs etc.. Write an email asking why they did this.. Threaten papers..

Well, like you said you have a dc who doesn't get the same chance of others..

Personally I'd go anyway...

One of the biggest Internet forums in the UK is not really the ideal place for a confidential vent 🤔

They’ve put two superstar days in to one

I think (and in fairness I can see why they've done it) they gave rebooking access to people who had weekend late-November bookings first. These slots are much more expensive than my opening weekend slot - they'll have to refund me less than they would other people, so commercially it makes sense.

The next one is that anyone who paid for the additional insurance doesn't get a refund, and you don't get a refund for your booking fee, extra invitations or p&p. For me that's about £36. A small amount in the scale of things but still annoying.

I've rebooked for the 18th december but would need a partial refund as DH is a teacher. He's also lost his shit at me for considering taking the DTs out of school, but that's another story.

The 7 / 7.30 bookings have been withdrawn because of government 10pm curfew guidelines as the tour is 4 hours. I assume they may pop up if the rules change.