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.

how long did it take you to get your money back?

Hi

Not many Lapland UK weekend tickets left I'm afraid so you will have to be quick.

I was up at Bewl Water today walking the dog and it's a huge project taking shape, the site is almost three times the size of Bedgebury's last year. it is going to be quite amazing I am sure.

Dot

Do you think that we are fick or summat Dot?

I was there on Friday, and it was just brilliant. Everything looks so real, snow falling from the sky, a magical tunnel transports you into a magical world, lots of ooohs and aaaahs. Lots of indoor activities, where the elves really interact with the kids. Lots of Husky hugs and kisses, big real reindeer, gingerbread decorating with Mrs Christmas, story telling and songs. Ice skating, the ice elves help out anyone who need help, giving the kids training and helping the kids ( and adults) who are a bit scared to skate lol.So much fun the kids don't want to leave!!!
There was a clip on BBC news.
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7716888.stm
My friend is taking her boys next week, after seeing my pics, she cant wait.
Nicky

Shakeey - only ever posted twice about how great Laplank UK is

Ok well i went today and it was great, from what i hear a great deal better than last year. We were almost an hour late getting there as the A21 was shut due to 2 accidents but staff were really helpful and we still got to do everything we should have done, no rush, just efficiently done.

The site was truely magical, my 7yo DD has gone to bed on very happy girl.

If you check on tripadvisor there are a number of good reviews for this years Lapland they do seem to have learnt lessons from last year.

Oh and i dont post alot but i have posted on other forums before, i am not anyone else just here to big up lapland

Shakeey, welcome to Mumsnet, nice for Dot to have a friend this year!

I went last year on the 21st December and thought it was terrible. I am from Australia and we were on a three month trip to the UK. I thought it would be a fantastic way to give us some xmas spirit as we were away from family and friends.

Felt the same as others about the blow up dome and "toy making". The worst bit was Father Christmas. His black hair was poking out from under his white hair and as soon as he realised we were Australian he started chatting to dh about emigrating to OZ. Very for the dc!!

We paid approx $500 AUD for the privilege too.

Hopefully this year it is much better for those who go along.

went to lapland New forest yesterday (Sat 29/11) TOTAL RIPOFF!!!! DO NOT GO!. Paid £90, the queue to get in was 3/4 hour, the queue for Santa was 2 hours +. My kids would't wait that long so had to leave without seing him. There was one plastic polar bear, a few huskies on leads, and 2 very tired reindeer behind a fence. Very disappointed, have contacted Watchdog and The One Show and hope they pick up on the story and show people what it is really like. Very disappointing for kids.

Well I went to Lapland UK yesterday with DD1, DD2, DH,M&D and we all had a fantastic time.

After mum booked the tickets I looked on here for reviews for last year and nearly cancelled the tickets - I'm so pleased we didn't.

We got there around 10.30, parking was easy, we went into the big tepee and were met by some elves who were enthusiastic and entertaining.

We were then taken in our group to the gatekeeper to let us in - all very pantomine which DD1 (and mum!) loved. We went through the enchanted forest as as we turned a corner, it suddenly got colder and whiter as we approached 'Lapland' it was snowing.

The children helped 'make' horses heads for rocking horses - basically putting bits together, but you don't expect them to actually be making toys for real! Head elf did seem to be a little embarassed, but all good fun.

We then went on to meet Mother Christmas and decorate gingerbrad men and listen to a story - she was very good.

Then it was onto lunch - pretty basic food, but good, warm and filling. Followed by the main event - meeting FC. This was wonderful, DD1 was completely amazed by it all and completelybelieved - he was a great anta - one of the best I've seen. DD2 was terrified but she is still only 2 and as long as she was on my lap she was OK! The gift was lovely - a well made toy husky dog and night before christmas book - these were not for sale in the shop.

We also saw the reindeer, unfortunately they were having a snooze, however no one minded. There were huskies that were walked around on leads, storytelling in the tepees, a post office, the obligitory shop, which stocked a good range of cheaper and more expensive gifts - some stuff that I hadn't seen elsewhere.

Our last bit was the ice skating, plenty of elves around to help the children and adults - there was no time scale for thsi - you could stay on as long as you liked and there was no specified time to leave 'Lapland' We didn't feel presurized into buying anything - photos with FC or gifts.

When we left DD1 said it was magical and it was. Yes it's expensive, but none of felt it was a rip off, you could see where the money had been spent. We spoke to several elves and they said that the management had acknowledged the comments of last year and changed things around.

We wouldn't go next year as I feel that it would take away the specialness of it, however I would recommend it (and have done) to others. But having been, it I could go back and was offered the choice of going or not I would definitely go - hope that last bit makes sense!

And no I don't work for Lapland UK!

tishtash1 Lapland newforest are not linked to Lapland UK -there is a seperate thread about lapland newforest and i have also seen alot of posts on other sites about them - they sound a real bunch of rip of merchants and i am horrified that they think its OK to destroy childrens dreams by their rip off behaviour. Knowing how completly enthralled my DD was with our experience at Lapland UK it breaks my heart to think how dissapointed people would be.

Hmm, Lapland UK may or may not be a good day out, but the price is simply unjustifiable.

£85 for a weekday visit????

For the equivalent of three visits I've just booked, during Christmas holidays, a week in Egypt.

It's just plain wrong.

I spent less than that on a Tussauds pass and we had a whole year of visiting Chessington, Thorpe Park, Alton Towers, Madame Tussauds (which is rubbish) and the London Eye.

The food sounds like school dinners

^What food will be there?

You will have a choice of one of the following main courses, and one of the desserts. These are subject to availability and included in your ticket price. We have catered for vegetarians, vegans and coeliacs, and the ingredients of each dish are detailed below.

Main Courses:

Baked breakfast
Turkey, Leek & Ham pie
Cottage pie
Smoked Haddock, Salmon & Hake Pie
Sausages with Mash and Onion Gravy
Sausages and Mash without Gravy
Grilled Vegetable Bake
Macaroni cheese

Desserts:
Chocolate Pot
Mixed berries set in Strawberry Jelly
Apple Crumble and Custard

Drinks:
Jugs of local tap water & cordials to be set on the tables. You will also be able to purchase excellent coffee, tea, herbal teas, soft drinks, and other home made snacks on site if you wish.^

Local tap water?

What other kind is there????

And really, if they are trying to make out that it's an £85-quality experience, they could at least spend more than 50p on ingredients.

But I guess they can't provide the level of service because this is still a mass-crowd attraction, but at personal service prices.

Photographs are not permitted in Father Christmas's house but professional photographs of your family will be available to purchase

WTF?????

That is obscene.

At £15 I can understand them charging extra, but at £85, this thing should be all-inclusive. Is the only thing justifying the £60 price hike the inclusive school dinner?

Oh no, there is more, they've added an ice rink, well that must be worth all of £5.

They've even managed to con The Guardian that it's some kind of eco-trip with crap like this:

^Lapland UK's vision is to provide a high quality Lapland inspired Christmas experience for the discerning family here in the UK as an alternative to flying to Lapland, thus enabling children to have an enchanting Christmas day trip without generating those nasty flight carbon footprints.

What are the carbon stats? Are they significant? Family of four
Lapland and back in a day carbon footprint is 2 tonnes
Lapland UK daytrip by car carbon footprint is 0.01 tonnes ^

Ah yes, it's just the same of course. I'd better cancel my trip to Egypt, I've already seen the pyramids in Las Vegas.

The pricing is an absolute joke, but then the owner is an ex-city trader, and he obviously knows about supply and demand, so he's whacked the price up to the maximum possible level, not one that reflects fair value.

£400 for a family of four, which is what this will cost with the photos and tat, would buy you a full week's holiday abroad, if you shop around.

mamamea - have you been? No, well then how can you comment. I went, paid £75 per ticket and yes all along I've said that it is expensive, however it was worth it.

There were no queues, it was not overcrowded, the food was hot, filling and a lot better than I expected it to be. The day was well planned out with lots of activities, FC was one f the best I've seen, was great with the adults as well as the kids. All of the staff were friendly, helpful and great fun. My DD1 loved her day there and it will be something she'll never forget.

It may not be your thing and you may choose not to go there - that's fine but don't slag something off if you've not even been -how can you know whether or not its any good.

Mamamea, you obviously work for Lapland New Forest, you have no idea what it costs to put a huge production on or even contemplate what it is like is bring a taste of Lapland to the UK.

it's a 3 million pound proudction, it much better than 2007 and in a different location, no dome and the Father Christams expereince is, with out doubt the best ever ...who did you see you! If you want to go to Egupt go, if you want to go to Tussauds's, Chessington, Thorpe Park, Alton Towers, London Eye go....it not Lapland UK.

The food is first class and there really was no limits if you were still hungrey. it was all homemade and local, you know nothing. Go home!!

There is never a crowd at lapland UK .... ...the site holds 5,000 but there is never anymore than 1200 people a day....you just make it up as you go along ...go home.

How can an ickrink coast £5, are you mad, are you thick....go home...

And you think they've conned The Guardian about being green, it is green, did you get on a plane and fly to Lapland, did you ....no....so you are green too you thick pommy basher.

Go to Egypt and vegas, be no green, go home,.....Go back to Ausie land ...we dont need your comments here and anyway it is to cold for you.

Er, Dotfox, do Lapland UK provide free drugs to their shills?

I just wonder because although I'm not surprised at your 'Lapland UK is so wonderful and brilliant' screed, I'm completely bewildered at your racist slurs. Have you been smoking something less than legal?

What on earth makes you think I'm Australian?

Really, your increasingly abusive and offensive posts do nothing to endear Lapland UK to the world.

Quite funny though

PS. my local icerink here in Guildford, Surrey, which is a big, high-quality professional one home to an ice hockey team, costs £4.70 or £5.20 for adults, and £3.90 or £4.70 fo children. I'm sure it's not the cheapest around.

BTW, I seriously doubt Lapland UK reduces the number of trips to Lapland, because after you've seen the cost, you'll realise you could get return flights to the REAL Lapland for the same price.

It just raises the profile of the real Lapland. Fake snow and a man in a reindeer sui are just going to make the real thing a more appealing proposition.

Umm rather odd that the only posts dotfox has posted on are lapland ones I think your post is very ruse Dotfox there is no need to talk to people like that if mamamea thinks lapland Uk us crap thats up to her isnt it?!!!

'dotfox' used to be known as 'DOT777' www.mumsnet.com/Talk/1395/379111, but she's also posted as 'DOTFOX2'.

She used to sign her posts with her name (Dorothy Plain-Box or some such), under her previous id, but has stopped. Do you think this is a cunning ruse to avoid detection?

If so, then choosing a name that doesn't include 'dot', 'dorothy', 'fox', or 'LaplandUKIsTheBestAndAnyoneWhoThinksOtherwiseMustBeACommunistOrAnAustralian' might be advisable.

Just a thought....

lol mama I have reported her post no matter if she works for them or not or if your Australian or not there is no room for racists here!

Dotfox swears blind she doesn't work for them...must just have a head for statistics and figues then I guess?

nah, don't report her, she's funny, and besides having her disagree with me just makes Lapland UK look more rubbish.

DotFox

Amusing thread
My DH would call them 'robdogs'
It's too much to spend on 1 day out.
Would rather buy annual pass somewhere
But Dotfox v funny