Hyde Park - winter wonderland

[wingingit123]

Good evening,

We have booked to go to London in December and are planning to go to Hyde Park Winter wonderland. My little boy will be almost 2, I'm hearing various things about it not being great for younger children! Would anyone else say the same? Also where's the best place to meet Santa?
Thank you

Took 3 year old DD last year and had a blast.
I wouldn't waste money on the big paid events. We did ice skating and the ice palace but both were lost on DD. Skating was too tricky, ice palace was too cold and a bit boring.

There was plenty to do beyond that. Just loads of fairground rides.

It's tacky as hell though, you've got to just go with it. If you are imagining a true 'winter wonderland' you'll be disappointed, it's a giant fair.

We went last year, my then 2 and 5 year olds loved it, we didn't do any of the fancy stuff just rides, German sausage for lunch and Santa who was very good! There was only 1 Santa and he was inside the children's fairground area!

Thank you Everyone, we are planning on doing other stuff when we are there but really fancied going here too! I don't think I'll book any actives as he probably won't get the most out of them

It's amazing once it gets dark and all lit up so if possible try and experience that too!

It's Ghastly! Just a fairy big fairground really with some awful wooden stalls selling tatt. Don't bother!

It's awful, it used to be quite good but has just got too busy in recent years. No real rides, only go if you were going to ice skate which I presume you're not.

But if you're going to do that then go to Somerset house if anything. Save your money and not bother with WW

I've been going to winter Wonderland since it first started (pre-children) & it's nice for a wander around & a gluhwein/beer etc.
Depends when you are going as to whether it is good with your ds. The year i went with dd1 in a pushchair on a Saturday pm/early evening it was horrendous - just way too busy to negotiate with a pram.
Weekday pm pre school holidays is fine. Had a lovely time with dd when she was just rising 4 - Old enough to bankrupt me in crappy games & enjoy the rides/lights/watching the ice skating.

Ah yes we went on a Friday and the local kids were at school (from Scotland and skived a couple of days) pushchair was no problem even in the evening, day time was very quiet and no queues really! Yes it's slightly overpriced tat but aren't all Xmas markets, it's part of the charm!

We brought DD when she was 18 months.

On the Thursday evening it was lovely for a wander - it is really just a fairground but wandering around with lots of mulled wine and roast chestnuts was great.

We went back the next night, a Friday and it was carnage. Got so over crowded it was shut down so the crowds poured into the underground and THAT gotr shut down. The number of people was dangerous.

So go for a wander but go mid week and be prepared for a fairground and staring at the nice lights

bumping as we are also going to London and I would like to know about this!