• 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.

Hyde Park Winter Wonderland: General Discussion

HPWW is one of the best events on the calendar. Although expensive, the perfect mix of shopping, riding, eating and drinking is perfect.

My annual trip is next weekend and I can't wait

Sent from my SM-G991B using Tapatalk
 
Absolutely agree with @Craig, if you go to Winter Wonderland exclusively for rides, I think you'll have a good time (particularly if they are new to you), but the event isn't designed to be Hull or Nottingham, it's a much more rounded event than standard fairs.
 
Benjsh said:
Hangover was fab. Very intense and great views. Definitely a solid drop tower and maybe one of the best I have done tbf.

As for HP Studios......we really liked it and are fans of the books and movies but I don't think we'd rush back either. Definitely feels like once you've seen it there's not much point going back tbh unless you're an avid fan whose life evolves around it.
Click to expand...
Glad you loved it!

Just to clarify, I was talking about Hyde Park Winter Wonderland when I said about my bottom controversial take, not Warner Bros Studio Tour; I never intended to mention Warner Bros Studio Tour anywhere in my post. Sorry if that wasn’t clear!

Personally, I absolutely loved Warner Bros Studio Tour on my first and only visit, and given I last went in 2017, I would be very keen to go back, as I found it incredibly interesting! (I like the HP books and films a lot, but wouldn’t say I’m a die hard Harry Potter fan)

I thought HPWW was great at what it did when I went in January 2020, and I did have a lovely time there, but I’ll admit that for the type of thing I personally like, I’m not in any huge rush to return.
 
HPWW is just an 'all round' good sell. i mean if you like drinking - check. If you like great food - check. If you like rides - check. If you want entertainment - check. If you want a christmas shopping experience - check.

Perhaps it could be seen as a little busy - but then so are most major fairs, and yes it's probably about 20% too expensive across the board - but then, as a non-Londoner, I feel that anywhere in the capital not just here.

I wish theme parks would take the HPWW approach to the holistic style of event that it is.
 
Matt N said:
Ah, that’s a fair point. We mostly did rides on our visit.

Maybe that kind of thing just isn’t really my cup of tea compared to a regular park?
Click to expand...

If you don’t drink beer or mulled wine or eat German sausages then it can feel like there isn’t much for you.
I’ve usually gone for drinks and food and shopping more than rides.
 
Even I wander and enjoy it. Bit of food, maybe a pint, Hangover, WM XXL, OL and then anything interesting or is a +1. It's a leisurely Christmassy stroll, not a hardcore park visit or a smash and grab cred run. It's expensive yes but you can either like it or lump it really.
 
RicketyCricket said:
Think last time we went we did the Breakdance type ride and that was it. Spent about 6 hours in the beer tent watching a German chap called Josef singing Abba songs.
Click to expand...

Sounds like my worst nightmare that tbh. Abba are, in my humble opinion of course, the single worst atrocity to ever grace the planet.
 
Nipped down to Winter Wonderland this morning for a tot-up of rides. Therefore for those of you that use ridecount.com, we finally have an up-to-date list of attractions at the event!

I had a go on the surprise new credit Heidi The Coaster (which was nothing to write home about - save your money unless you want the cred and have another lap on Wilde Maus XXL for an extra £1) and then a ride on the new KMG Giant Speed known as Airborne. For £8 it's definitely worth a go on this - it's a bit too big and cumbersome to get any decent forces but the speed and views from the top (especially for the elongated time of waiting for the other end of the arm to un/load) certainly make up for it!
 
Cheers @Burbs .

Nine credits there this year then? Couldn't find them listed anywhere else.

I don't have five of them. Tempting.
 
Plenty of credits but only two coasters worth doing in my opinion. I'm not a cred counter or hunter though.
 
You know when your getting old when I use to go to local fun fairs round Birmingham and it was 50p ago for every ride but the bumper cars which were a £1.
I know the rides have become so advanced in the last 20 years but as I commented on 1 of Shawn’s vlogs they do look good but been a family man just to travel to London with a overnight stay roughly £200 then £100 for food and that’s before we got there and then I got to be looking at £150 to £200 I be spending so roughly £500.
For that price I could go to Legoland and Chessington with 2 night stay with breakfast, petrol and food and still have money left.
The rides look good to look at but not to ride at £9/£10 each.
 
Visited HPWW on Sunday and have mixed reviews on it.

Booked a 13:00 entry slot and the entry process was very smooth, but Security as with most places seemed like a token gesture with very limited checking.

The event was laid out brilliantly as with past years with everything from rides, food/beverage outlets, stalls and entertainment.

By 15:00 the place seemed rammed which from previous visits was unusual, we even had to queue to enter the ice kingdom even with a timed slot. On previous visits we usually take it casually for the first couple of hours and get some rides in as queues at this time are minimal. Unfortunately due to the queueing for the ice kingdom this didn't happen and with tickets booked for Cirque Berserk and the city star time was limited.

As for the ice kingdom it certainly felt scales down off to previous visits and I guess that maybe down to Covid but it was still very good other than the 45 minute queue to enter.

The same could be said for the Cirque Berserk show, again the performers were excellent but the show also felt scaled down and a bit repetitive, again I appreciate not all the performers may even be the country.

But the biggest disappointment of the day was the shear lack of atmosphere in the Evening. After watching Cirque Berserk was fully expecting the place to be really busy but to our surprise it was far from it. Admittedly walk on rides were nice but the Bavarian Village was empty and the performers were singing only to a handful of guests which was a real shame as they were excellent. Normally this place would be swinging with everyone singing along and cheering.

It was also interesting to hear from one of the vendors who told us they are struggling this year due to the reduced capacity. Now it didn't feel like that at 15:00 but it was certainly noticeable the later the day went on.

Overall if it's just rides and shows your after it's a great time to visit but for overall atmosphere and festive feel there has definitely been better years.
 
coastinginlife said:
Visited HPWW on Sunday and have mixed reviews on it.

Booked a 13:00 entry slot and the entry process was very smooth, but Security as with most places seemed like a token gesture with very limited checking.

The event was laid out brilliantly as with past years with everything from rides, food/beverage outlets, stalls and entertainment.

By 15:00 the place seemed rammed which from previous visits was unusual, we even had to queue to enter the ice kingdom even with a timed slot. On previous visits we usually take it casually for the first couple of hours and get some rides in as queues at this time are minimal. Unfortunately due to the queueing for the ice kingdom this didn't happen and with tickets booked for Cirque Berserk and the city star time was limited.

As for the ice kingdom it certainly felt scales down off to previous visits and I guess that maybe down to Covid but it was still very good other than the 45 minute queue to enter.

The same could be said for the Cirque Berserk show, again the performers were excellent but the show also felt scaled down and a bit repetitive, again I appreciate not all the performers may even be the country.

But the biggest disappointment of the day was the shear lack of atmosphere in the Evening. After watching Cirque Berserk was fully expecting the place to be really busy but to our surprise it was far from it. Admittedly walk on rides were nice but the Bavarian Village was empty and the performers were singing only to a handful of guests which was a real shame as they were excellent. Normally this place would be swinging with everyone singing along and cheering.

It was also interesting to hear from one of the vendors who told us they are struggling this year due to the reduced capacity. Now it didn't feel like that at 15:00 but it was certainly noticeable the later the day went on.

Overall if it's just rides and shows your after it's a great time to visit but for overall atmosphere and festive feel there has definitely been better years.
Click to expand...

You're surprised there was no atmosphere on a Sunday evening / night in November ???

That might be the strangest take I have read on here so far. You do realise most people have to get up early on a Monday for work and school, right? Now the Sunday before Christmas I suspect it will be rammed and very lively.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top