Lapland UK 2008

[LIZS]

Lapland UK seems to be happening again this year albeit I think at a different location (Bewl Water, Kent). Booking opens 8th September. Mixed reviews last year.

We went last year, very dissapointed.
Not worth the money.
Not how they made it out to be.

Will not be going again this year, lets hope they learnt from their mistakes.

I registered last week. My friend did it last year and really liked it.

DH is already moaning about all the money we havn't got to spend on 'expensive bloody days out'

Tas1 - what didn't you like about it?

OMG - when I registered last week there was no price info, just looked and it is V expensive.

Maybe DH is right!!!!

It is at least £55 per person , including kids over 18 months(under 18 months £10 but no lunch !)

I read lots of reviews last year, more bad than good and wouldnt go, especially at that price ! Think you are better off going somewhere like to see Santa on a steam train/theme park, you could make a weekend of it for less than that !

I would love to go on Christmas Eve, but don't think it's gonna happen

It would blow my whole xmas budget.

To start had to chase and chase and chase tickets, eventualy came day before our trip.

Then when we arrived the blow up dome that was meant to be the 'Flight' was horrid and the kid dressed as an elf holding the fake snow machine in his hand spraying the kids in snow made it lok realy fake. Try explaining that to a 4 yr old.

Then we were meant to help make toys but all it was, was doing a 5 piece jigsaw.

Then we should have made gingerbread but all we did was decorate gingerbread men.

We then had 1 1/2 hour wait in the freezing cold till our time slot for father xmas.
The husky dogs were asleep, the reindeer were so far away you could hardly see them and all the story tents were full.

We had a hot chocolate and a hot dog to keep warm but this came to nearly £30 for 5 of us.

Father Xmas was very good though, he was the best bit, but the photos are expensive.

When you leave, you just walk out of the gift shop and you are at the entrance again, my 4 yr old wanted to know why we had to fly to father xmas but just walked back to the car?

We all came away very cold, dissapointed, let down and broke!

Wow - see what you mean now. That not great is it.

Oh well, we won't be going anyway. Have decided to have a bit of a budget xmas this year, as I went a bit OTT last year

Agree with everything tas1 said, except that the day we went it was freezing and as we drove down into Kent there was a heavy frost which lasted all day and gave a magical feel to the forest Our FC was fabulous, my sister visited the one next door (there were several) and was not impressed at all.
Nice idea, fairly well executed but, for the money, I would say extremely poor value, especially for the adults who don't even get to do the activities.

My favourite FC alternatives:
The Bluebell Railway
Bockets Farm, nr Leatherhead
and pretty much any other FC who charges less than Lapland UK!

There was a thread on this last year, with really mixed reviews. I went, and am considering whether to go again. Overall, it was fairly charming, our Santa was great. I'd like to think they have learnt from last year.

Windy weather meant that some days were cancelled, and they took forever to refund the money.

We went with two extra adults, not worth the money for them. But as parents, our children were delighted and it was lovely to see them enjoying it.

ooh, I don't know. Seems a bit overrated to call it 'good', but with small children who are whisked away into the magic of it all it was quite sweet. Yes, quite sweet is the best way I can describe it.

The 'flight' was a shocker. If they learnt anything from last year, I really hope it is to ditch the inflatable tent with the Snowman projected on. Absolute pants.

The invites weren't personalised.

It didn't live upto its promises on the website, and I did complain, but their customer service was shocking.

Hi Chippyminton

We had to cancell our holiday

We were due to leave on the Monday but DH was suddenly made redundant on the Friday. Company in Administration so no redundancy money.
We spent our two weeks holiday following DH around London while interviewing.

He has found a new job and starts on the 26th so have told DC's we will go away later on in the year.

How awful for you and your DH - good to hear he has got a new job lined up.
If it's any consolation, the weather was ok but inconsistent, and the euro exchange rate is terrible!

The new location, Bewl Water, is only a mile or so up the road from Bedgebury, where it was held last year.

I really hope they've improved on last years weak areas; the front of house staff need to be more slick, toy shop needs to be bigger, it needs more things to do, a much shorter walk to get there, advertising needs to be more accurate etc.

The Snowman 'ride' either needs to be a proper funfair ride or should be axed. It was absolutely atrocious and I'm thankful that last years thread forewarned everyone what to expect. Having said that, we did enjoy it. We were at Bedgebury yesterday for the forest walk & adventure playground and the DCs kept going on and on about Lapland. (Btw it's gone up again to £7.50 per car).

We're not going this year, I think it'd spoil the overall effect. If it's still going in a few years and the reviews are OK then I might go again as my younger two will be old enough to take part.

I have realy missed not going to the Vendee, we go nearly every year.

I've just checked my emails and I have a Priority Advanced Booking mail from Lapland UK - so they have ditched the Snowman but added ice skating and lunch. Otherwise it seems much the same (including the website).

I didn't look at this years prices, last year it cost about £200 for 2 adults and 3 DCs aged 5, 4 & 3 in the middle of December.

LOL I've just recieved my priority booking Email too!

Prices start from £55 up to £85 pp !!!!

wow they have really bumped up prices this year suppose it includes lunch now !
We went last year and paid about £35 each at beginning of December now it's £75

Thank god they listened about the ridiculous 'snowman flight' the ice skating looks good as would luckh as can imagine that would pad out the day.

We wouldn't really do it again after last year. It was a very long journey for us. The hit and miss days r/e weather made it very stressful prior to the day.

The santa was fab as was the gingerbread house and toy shop because dc's loved them! But the rest was pretty average!

Duchess it is now £75/£85 per person pretty much through Dec

Those who went can I ask what gifts you all got from Father Christmas? the website makes a big deal about the 'beautiful gifts to treasure'. - not why but I just can't see them actually giving decent pressies for some reason.

We got a lovely book of 'the night before christmas' and also a wooden jigsaw puzzle which they had supposedly helped to make in the toy shop.
Santa is absolutely fab and i have the most treasured photo of my dc's sat open mouthed in fron of him in his little cottage!

The 'gifts' were rather nice:
a large format hardback copy of the Night Before Christmas per family
a very good quality large plush reindeer for the pre-schoolers
a good quality handmade-looking wooden animal jigsaw for the school-age DC.
All in a suitably rustic hessian drawstring bag.

Yes, the gifts were good. DD got the book and the reigndeer.
But they were supposed to 'special' gifts from santa, yet when you left through the gift shop, there they were on the shelves for you to buy!

Yes i noticed that - the stuffed toys were about £20 IIRC