Bedgebury is holding a Christmas 'Lapland UK' Experience

[TheDuchessOfNorksBride]

... covering a part of the forest with fake snow, Christmas village, Raymond Briggs 'The Snowman' ride, Father Christmas visit, mulled wine to fortify parents, reindeer, husky dogs, trumpeters and all sorts. I'm soooo excited. Er, for my children, obviously...

It's quite expensive though (I just paid £167 for a family of 5). Here is the link. And here is the itinery.

And it's selling out quite quickly.

www.tripadvisor.co.uk has more reviews. I'm deliberately not linking it, but it has very similar reviews as on here. And on Netmums, and anywhere else I've looked.

Yes, I am becoming slightly obsessed!

well - I don't suppose he (the man who has organised it) has anything to lose now...he can't do another one and he has sold all the tickets and so has all the money.

I am gutted - it was/is so expensive and so inconvenient for us to go...oh well live and learn I guess!

I wonder wether it is worth tryign to sell my tickets...on ebay or something

I don't think you can sell them on to a third party - hence why we have to take id etc.

I am going to go and we ARE going to enjoy it. But I am going armed with the knowledge of these and other reviews. Like fiofio I am going to complain loudly after the event if it isn't reasonable.

I feel I have done my best to be reasonable, but despite emailing/phoning I am no more convinced (but that's because I've largely been ignored). The call centre is in Norwich, and although the staff are very nice and tell me they have only had positive feedback, they aren't in a position to do anything.

I have decided to make it a 'magical mystery' tour, so am dispensing with the invite as I don't think that will work. I'm going to get the kids up as normal, but instead of putting them in their uniform for school will bundle them into the car with Christmas tunes playing. I'll do a christmas treats picnic. Might even string up some tinsel in the car the night before

Also have to get around the fact that you are 'transported' there, but its only a short walk back to the car afterwards!

Dammit! Christmas starts on Tuesday

Oh, and I'm sure there will be another one next year - somewhere else maybe. After all, it is a GREAT idea. It just needs to be done better.

Sadly, next year will be better because they will have learnt what they can/can't get away with. In a few years time, it probably will be brilliant.

Message withdrawn

no.

but here.

have some money.

Message withdrawn

I don't know cod. I hope you are not enjoying any aspect of us not getting which we have been lead to expect/have paid for....?

dunno cod. because you care?

Message withdrawn

You are a sad little bunch of people, i have never heard so much fuss about a trip to santa.... okay so you paid about a hundred quid for it...same as any other day out for a family... what did you think you were going to get?..... at least wait until you have been before you start moaning about it,, your children sound horrid, if you are so sure they will "ruin it for everyone" if they dare make them wait to see santa..... you need to get a life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am seething. Booked a cottage for the weekend and was really looking forward to it as had a tough year waith a very sick MIL, no holiday and really wanted to end the year with a lovely weekend. It will be the last year that they both believe in Father Christmas as well . I still can't believe that they sold tickets without planning permission.

Message withdrawn

megamba, the poster worried about queueing has children with Special Needs. By all accounts Lapland UK is devoting a lot of free slots to children with disabilities, which is all well and good.
So think before you wade in and don't be so offensive .

Just seen megamba's post but luckily Marina has beaten me to replying about SN. And that aside I have paid £150 and I expect the experience to be similar to what is described on the website which quite clearly from peoples' experiences it isn't atm. I don't expect people to sell expensive tickets at a point that they have no firm confirmation that they can go ahead (they only got permission by one vote) and I don't expect to find websites littered with bad reviews, it's quite hard to find a good one atm.

We are going to make the most of it and just present it as a normal visit to Father Christmas and they might have ironed out some of the problems by the time we go. But I am still very cross about the whole thing.

So very very sorry about special needs children, and yes of course they should be given allocated time slots and not kept waiting...........didnt see any reference to this though, just sounded like a spoilt child kicking off........ again sorry!!!!!!

at megamba

at megamba

Oh bugger off Megamba. "So very very sorry" my backside. YOU should try queueing for an hour with my SN 7 year old. He kicks crap out of me in a 5 minute supermarket queue! But frankly even without the SN issue, you don't pay £150 to "see Santa" do you.. the website promised much much more and is therefore obliged to produce something akin to that description. This is why the Trades Description Act exists.

And we didn't get any free places or concessions despite having 3 reg. disabled people in one family. A very kind friend has paid for us to go as a present. I therefore don't want her to have wasted her money. I will go with an open a mind as possible.. and haven't even shared these negative reviews with my husband much less kids.. but you cannot expect people not to be affected by them. Treats like this is supposed to be do not happen to us everyday.

"Sad bunch of people" and "your children sound horrid"..! Get over yourself.

[breathes deeply]

(Did you see my email Fio?)

Well said Shiney.

Oh dear