After being cancelled last year due to the pandemic Winter Wonderland once again opened its doors to the public for Christmas. The booking procedure was a little different having to book in ‘sessions’ in an attempt to limit the number of people attending the Hyde Park venue. I have not been to Winter Wonderland before; I have only seen it on multiple social media profiles and spoken to friends about it. My son’s birthday seemed a perfect opportunity to debut in Winter Wonderland, London, albeit in a quiet morning session from 10 am – 1 pm.
Booking System and Entry in Winter Wonderland, London
It was only a social media profile that caught my eye that sparked some interest in attending Winter Wonderland having looked for something to do on a weekday for my son’s second birthday. London can be extremely busy and the bustling crowds in Central London can be overwhelming for me. I figured that morning between 10 am and 1 pm, should be pretty quiet in Winter Wonderland. The booking process was simple. I went to the website and booked the session for two adults and a toddler, free of charge. Simple. I can imagine the website gets busier the closer you get to Christmas, and I can only imagine how busy it would be in the evening and at weekends.
Parking and Accessibility at Winter Wonderland
The pandemic does give me the chills a little. Fortunately, working from home, I am not one to frequent public transport so driving, for me, was the best option. On the Winter Wonderland website, the suggested parking availability is at a Q-Park which is just inside of the congestion charge. I came from the Victoria side of London, over Battersea Bridge. As you see Winter Wonderland on your left, there is actually a car park metres away from the start of the congestion charge which saved me £15 in congestion charges. Result! To be fair, the £26 it charges for 4 hours was not the most joyous expenditure but I felt better I had beaten the congestion charge system, nonetheless.
What to Expect inside the venue, Winter Wonderland
Firstly, a gentle frisk from the security for metals and the checking of your tickets. I had no idea what to expect from Winter Wonderland but I was extremely happy to see them taking security so seriously, despite there being hardly any people attending at that time of day. It is well enclosed with only two entry and exit points and so security can be well marshaled with the concentrated area not allowing for any discreet accesses. Queues undoubtedly build up outside and the staff are well set up for the process of entry with railings positioned to bring structure to the crowds. In terms of covid security, there was not a temperature taken at the gate, which I had expected. There will certainly not be any social distancing in those queues either so if you are a little worried about covid it would be a good idea to attend at the earliest opportunity in your session and wear a mask.
The Food and Treats at Hyde Park
I have to admit that I was probably more excited about the food at Winter Wonderland than anything else. From my research, Winter Wonderland looks to be a place full of alcohol-fuelled youngsters partying, going on rides, and eating but I felt just young enough to eat my way through the place, the other two, ill leave to the youngsters!
There is a wide range of food available there from burgers to candy, and a ton of different drinking spots too. I thought maybe it was a little early to have Bailey’s hot chocolate but boy, did I fancy one!
I tried a few bits there obviously and I have to admit, I was impressed with most of the food offerings. One thing I really wanted to do was the 2ft Sausage but, after eating a brilliant burger from Truffle Burger, I would have been stretching myself pretty thin.
I found the chicken pretty good by the entrance with the Ice Skating Rink. I took a few hot wings and some curly fries. Baring in mind this had a price tag of £7.80 for some half-decent hot wings and a portion of over-salted, under-performing curly fries it was not the best start.
My Son had some brilliant fried boneless chicken thighs at one of the food courts that was a game-changer, they were some of the best fried chicken I have tried to date, yes I took some of his too! Right by the big wheel, there is a food court, where Truffle Burger is, everything there looks so great I was a little upset to have only got through Truffle and an amazing smoked Brisket Burger. If you guys like Brisket you have got to try it out, really nice people and amazingly fresh brisket bun.
If you like food, you know where to go!
Although I am not one for fast-paced rides, drinking in crowded environments, or falling over on ice, Winter Wonderland is foodie heaven. With so many options for street food and the prices being, well what you would expect in London, it was a brilliant experience. Attending at such an early slot meant that I was able to really have a look around all the food spots and be selective rather than just attending whichever had the least queue. One thing to note, if you are attending the 10 am session, you won’t get any food until at least 11 am as the stalls prepare for the day. One of my bright ideas was to skip breakfast and go at it hammer and tongs on arrival, to be met with a quick realisation I wasn’t eating for at least another hour. Was cool to spend some time with my little man on his birthday and watch him ride around on little tracked cars 3 times, his favourite ride, but with my stomach rumbling like the T-Rex scene from Jurassic Park I wish I knew ahead of time.
