Hamley's or Harrods for a 9 year old to spend his Christmas Money?

[hulahoopsilove]

Ds has been to London before but never taken him to Hamley's or to the Harrods Toys Dept. Which do you think would be more exciting for him to spend his money planning on coming between Christmas and the NY

Completely agree about the science museum!

Also Hamleys used to have the grottiest, most disappointing cafe in London. I always thought it was SUCH a missed opportunity.

omg what to do!!!

We are are having 1 night overnight stay as a family time treat. although he will have what he wants for Christmas anyway its just a treat for him to go to somewhere different to spend his money rather than trapsing to Toysrus, Asda etc.!!!

Actually yesterday I was all for Hamleys now its changed Harrods at least he can buy "other things" and we can browse the food hall :)

What a shame that Hamleys has gone that down hill and lost its magic by the sounds of it

Even the 'new' Glasgow hamleys has toys coated with grit and dust! I was looking at a chuggington set that was discontinued, and it looked like someone had found it in their loft, filthy and ripped. DS had been coveting this set in his bloody brochure so I asked how much it was (rrp £45) and pointed out the bloody state of it (nicely) when the staff member finally reappeared she said with a smile £78! Kindly declined and left!

Thankfully DS is over his chuggington stage now, but I've just remembered another Hamleys story. They tend to hire drama school kids who get a bit over excited and one time was playing catch with his colleague and smacked DS in the face with a ball!

Not my favourite place.

My mum used to work in Hamleys in the early sixties and she used to take us in the seventies to this beautiful toy shop with gorgeous dolls and trains in. It was a real treat.

Since the late eighties it has been a glorified Woolworths toy dept. It is so disappointing.

This is so disappointing to read - I was really looking forward to taking my DC to Hamleys when they were old enough. I remember going as a child at Christmas and thinking it was amazing, I loved how it was heaving with people, toys and demonstrators. Such a shame it sounds like it's lost it's magic!

I think part of it might be the demonstrators actually.

They are all hyper and weird.

Nice, interested demonstrators, actually taking notice of the children, and not trying to maniacally throw bubble-blowers into every passing parents arms would be better.

It does seem a bit like the 90s on speed in there.

The doormen in Harrods are like something out of a Paddington Bear book though, very cool

Science Museum is an easy walk from Harrods so you could easily do both (you won't have time to brace the queue into the Nat Hist as well though).

Harrods is worth seeing , if only for the woman singing on the escalator . Agree with everyone else Hamleys is grim and overpriced . We are doing Harrods and Libertys in early December .

I'm so sad reading this. We used to go to galleys every year at Christmas, a tradition I wanted to continue with DD.
Used to be so magical, but sounds not any more.

In Hamleys' defence it's not quite as awful as we're making it sound. There is normally some good stuff to see and most children would be thrilled to visit it. It's only the adults who are stressed out by the crowds and the prices.

Hamleysis really really disappointing.

Expensive toys.

But it's so disappointing LadyIs. It used to be great and now it's not.

They should visit FAO Schwarz and take some notes. It was great in there and I was 32 (and pre-children)

Oh it's definitely disappointing for adults, and really doesn't have the wow factor of Harrods. But children will still enjoy it.

But the adults they are with will want to run screaming from the building, so the whole trip will be less good. Harrods is definitely better.

Hamleys however he'd get more for his money elsewhere!

There's a Smyth's Toy Superstore just off the north circular

Harrods is much nicer than Hamleys . One year I took 3DC to Hamleys on December. Never Again.

Harrods is so much more civilised, and believe he I'm not a Harrods fan.

Harrods every time. Also surprisingly it's not as over-priced as you would think. There are some outrageously expensive toys in there, but if you want to buy a bog standard lego set for instance it's no more expensive than anywhere else in my experience.

Hamleys is a bit shit - Harrods is lovely if a bit overpriced - it also has the advantage of the toy dept being next to the tech dept for a bit of a mooch at the ££££££TVs etc :D

My two were 10 and 11 when we took them to London and did Hamleys and Harrods toy dept and Harrods was definitely the winner - we were all a bit underwhelmed with Hamleys, not just the adults.

We went back to London recently (boys now 14 and 13) they liked Harrods Tech dept and the food hall :D (we gave Hamleys a miss this time as they said they were too old).

Hamleys might be more exciting for a younger child - I found Harrods a bit dark which might not be so appealing to a younger child but I just felt that it was much more of an experience than Hamleys which to me did just feel like ToysRUs - not sure quite what I was expecting tbh.

I think everyone should visit both at some time in their life but would spend money elsewhere.
I too think the museum shops offer something to play and keep, they are amazing.