• ℹ️ Heads up...

    This is a popular topic that is fast moving Guest - before posting, please ensure that you check out the first post in the topic for a quick reminder of guidelines, and importantly a summary of the known facts and information so far. Thanks.

Christmas 2021: Christmas Markets

If it were a gesture to pass holders, would it not be replicated across all the festive events?

It feels to me that it’s more a reaction to attendance and offering cheaper AP entry is a way of bumping attendance whilst not offering a wider discount, which might then more visibly devalue the product and also perturb non-AP ticket holders who would have paid a higher price.
 
On Sunday, there were 2 stall holders openly discussing their woes amongst each other. One was saying he was "dreading Thursday, it could be another £200 day". I didn't look too much into it because of the weather but I suppose they do need attendance for the market to be viable.
 
I visited the market yesterday and apart from the absolutely awful weather, I had a good time. Didn't have the Festive Day Out ticket so only got to do the market and Lightopia. The highlight was definitely Lightopia. Link below to pics and a few videos I took of it. Some of the sculptures were amazing and so detailed.

What struck me was the route - the entrance was at the Wickerman/Welcome Inn area, then up through Katanga Canyon, past Runaway Mine Train & Pizza & Pasta, past Duel, up to Forbidden Valley, round the Nemesis gun (where the stage was for Mardi Gras) round past the food kiosks (which were open) down the back of them to join the path that takes you to the Skyride toilets, under the skyride up to Prospect tower, round the path to bring you to the musical graves at Haunted Hollow, through that, turn left onto the lakeside path then round into the top section of the gardens. Through the gardens to come out on the path where the entrance to Whispering Souls Garden Lights was, up onto the main path, down the side of the lake to the path directly before Battle Galleons and out into a big viewing area in front of the lake to see the awesome finale projections on a water curtain.

I've never known Haunted Hollow look and sound so "non-spooky", was quite odd, but fun! The effects in the tunnels in Haunted Hollow were great and I think Towers could learn a few things from this and maybe look at improving/increasing lighting effects in these areas for Scarefest/late openings. In fact, where smaller sculptures are placed along the Gloomy Wood - Forbidden Valley path and in the area by the Nemesis gun it shows that these grassy banks could easily have theming placed in them rather than relying on just nature.

And the "fun" music playing as you walk into Forbidden Valley instead of the Nemesis music was strange! But obviously it fitted with this event (you can hear it in one of the videos in the link)

The highlight for me was the water curtain projections on the lake and the lasers shining onto the trees in the valley next to the path behind the Forbidden Valley food kiosks; very simple effect but because of all the small branches of the trees, it created a twinkling sparkling effect (video in the link).

Overall I enjoyed the event. Definitely room for improvement - needs more undercover seating and the market needs to be a bit bigger as the area it (and the food area) was in felt a little claustrophobic at times. But considering this is their first event like this, it's been great and hats off to the park for trying it. If it comes back next year, then I would expect it to be bigger and better just like Oktoberfest was this year.

Here's the link to (lots) of pictures of Lightopia and amongst a few others, a video of the lasers and water curtain finale, if you want to see them. As per any nightime event like this, no video or pictures does it justice. Or show how bl***y cold and wet it was!!

https://1drv.ms/u/s!AoLCsYD1o5L-lSeEbSp2dYoJ_y3E?e=Jdat4W
 
Echo what @Steve74 said above - were visited yesterday and had planned to be in the Christmas market for a while in the afternoon and have food but the weather was absolutely awful with freezing cold strong winds and heavy rain.

In the end we spent about 35 minutes walking around the market. It was impossible to get any undercover seating and people were literally fighting each other when a seat became available. I think the weather also had an effect on the man and woman in the churros van who were actually shouting and having a go at each other in full view and ear of the kids waiting in the queue with one saying she had enough of dealing with everyone today. How Christmassy.

Everyone, us indeed decided to ignore the time on our tickets and went in an hour earlier to lightopia. Staff were fine with this given the weather but it did mean the route was extremely busy in places.

The lights were amazing, so vivid and colourful, and the route was very extensive. However the weather I’m afraid totally spoiled it for us, and despite wearing thick coats and layers, we found ourselves numb from the cold and wet half way around and just wanting to get to the finish so we could get back in the warm car.

Was such a shame as we driven for 4.5 hours to get there the day before and stayed overnight. I’d love to see it again and do it on a better evening if I lived closer and would recommend the lightopia to everyone. The Christmas market was ok, had a nice atmosphere around the stalls and i hope it returns next year but perhaps with more undercover seating for the winter weather!
 
GaryH said:
Echo what @Steve74 said above - were visited yesterday and had planned to be in the Christmas market for a while in the afternoon and have food but the weather was absolutely awful with freezing cold strong winds and heavy rain.

In the end we spent about 35 minutes walking around the market. It was impossible to get any undercover seating and people were literally fighting each other when a seat became available. I think the weather also had an effect on the man and woman in the churros van who were actually shouting and having a go at each other in full view and ear of the kids waiting in the queue with one saying she had enough of dealing with everyone today. How Christmassy.

Everyone, us indeed decided to ignore the time on our tickets and went in an hour earlier to lightopia. Staff were fine with this given the weather but it did mean the route was extremely busy in places.

The lights were amazing, so vivid and colourful, and the route was very extensive. However the weather I’m afraid totally spoiled it for us, and despite wearing thick coats and layers, we found ourselves numb from the cold and wet half way around and just wanting to get to the finish so we could get back in the warm car.

Was such a shame as we driven for 4.5 hours to get there the day before and stayed overnight. I’d love to see it again and do it on a better evening if I lived closer and would recommend the lightopia to everyone. The Christmas market was ok, had a nice atmosphere around the stalls and i hope it returns next year but perhaps with more undercover seating for the winter weather!
Click to expand...
Yeah the weather really did spoil it, we even headed back to the car at 4 for an hour to warm up before Lightopia. And to add insult to injury, when we got back home, it hadn't even been raining and wasn't particularly windy!

Never saw any arguing or bad service from anyone, all the temporary food outlet staff - like all of them over the season - were very polite and friendly. I wonder if they had to attend any Towers customer service training beforehand? :p

Oh and forgot to mention - probably for weekends only and most certainly for the last week before Christmas - they seem to be parking you in the main car park and you have to walk. Would've been a nice "Towers" touch to have had a couple of monorail trains running all decorated up and playing Christmas music, and maybe a complimentary drink/mince pie or something at the station. Maybe next year...
 
GaryH said:
@Steve74 we arrived at 4 and parked right next to the entrance in the express parking. Was loads of spaces so I assume many had gone home due to the weather. Went in to lightopia about 4:45
Click to expand...
Yeah we got there about 12 and parked in there. It was nearly full, as was the coach park (with cars). By the time we left at about 7.30, there were about 10 cars in there including our 2!

Just remembered I did hear some whinging - heard some people complaining about how they weren't allowed past the market area into CBeebies and beyond because they hadn't bought a ticket.
 
JAperson said:
@Steve74 What did your mother think? I was considering a trip with my parents and grandma so just wondered how the slightly older generations liked the event.
Click to expand...
She really enjoyed it, more the market than anything but I think that's because by 4pm after being there for about 4hrs, with the wind, rain and cold she was ready for home! But as we booked Lightopia, we warmed up in the car for an hour and headed back in. When I asked her what she thought of Lightopia she said "it was ok, but it would've been much better if it wasn't raining. I can handle the cold, but not the rain!"

I mean at times, that rain was horizontal!
 
Question...

On days that only feature market/lightopia, are the Garden lights on?

I'm so confused with it all.



Sent from my SM-G991B using Tapatalk
 
Steve74 said:
I don't know, but you can't do the Garden Lights Twinkling Stars without a Festive Day Out ticket
Click to expand...
I’ve noticed the Lightopia route ends within the boundaries of the rides area. So you’re already past the checkpoint … given the layers of coats and gloves obscuring wristbands, the apathy of staff in general, and the fact that twinkling lights probably doesn’t have a staffed entrance, I imagine if you were hellbent on doing so you could head along to the lights walk after finishing your lightopia time slot
 
tayspru said:
I’ve noticed the Lightopia route ends within the boundaries of the rides area. So you’re already past the checkpoint … given the layers of coats and gloves obscuring wristbands, the apathy of staff in general, and the fact that twinkling lights probably doesn’t have a staffed entrance, I imagine if you were hellbent on doing so you could head along to the lights walk after finishing your lightopia time slot
Click to expand...
That's not strictly true - the Lightopia gardens bit finishes just before the white bridge over the garden entrance, which you could class as being "inside" the ride area but you have to double-back and head towards Battle Galleons and all the way along there are fences and stopping you from leaving the path. Of course you could jump the waist height ones on the path where you double-back and if there are no more wristband checks anywhere in the ride area then you've got away with it! When you leave the viewing area of the finale, you walk along the path on the lawns side of the Battle Galleons lake and you join the main path opposite the Mutiny Bay sign on the "market" side of the ride/Lightopia first entrance.
 
I intend to visit the resort on a date when no rides are open.



Sent from my SM-G991B using Tapatalk
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top