My friend and her children have been to Winter Wonderland for several years and have generally found it a magical experience. For this reason, my 2-year-old son and I travelled all the way from London to join them this December, paying nearly £30 entrance fee. However, we were all bitterly disappointed for a number of reasons.
UNABLE TO CLAIM ADVERTISED DISCOUNT
The website offers a discount to members of Netmums, but the online booking system doesn't have an option for this, so I called the advertised number several times to book over the phone and even left voicemail messages with my contact details, requesting a callback. However, I was unable to speak to anyone and so ended up paying full price online.
UNABLE TO CONFIRM OPENING/CLOSING TIMES
I had difficulty locating opening/closing times on the website and I was unable to reach anyone on the telephone line to answer my query. Our e-ticket didn't give opening/closing times either, but it clearly stated: "If you have booked a time slot to see Santa after 5:00pm, please ensure you make use of all of Wonderland's additional facilities prior to your visit to Santa." We therefore naturally assumed that Wonderland would be open until AT LEAST 5:00pm, if not later. However, when we arrived just before 3:00pm, we were greeted with a sign that Wonderland would be closing at 4:00pm today. As such, we had only an hour to rush around the park. Much of this time was spent queuing to see Santa, so we saw little else.
VARIOUS ATTRACTIONS UNAVAILABLE
I'm told that WW usually has fake snow and Disney princesses wandering around. When we visited, there were no princesses and no snow, which detracted significantly from the Christmas experience that my friend and our children were so looking forward to. We could not find the indoor soft play area either, which is referred to in the Important Information leaflet that is sent out with e-tickets. Having now read other reviews from this year on Trip Advisor, however, it seems we had a lucky escape, as all the equipment is apparently covered in mould.
ATTRACTIONS CLOSED EARLY
From as early as 3:30pm (only half an hour into our visit), staff began making regular announcements over the tannoy to say that the park was about to shut and we should begin making our way to the nearest exit. They also said that rides would end at the earlier time of 3:45pm. As a result, we rushed around, trying to find any rides for our children to enjoy. However, when we located one at 3:40pm, we were told by a particularly grumpy and unfriendly member of staff that we were too late and he was about to switch off the ride. We then went to look around your gift stores instead, but these too had already closed! All of this left us with the distinct impression that staff were desperate to usher everyone out of the park as quickly as possible, so that they could leave work at 4:00pm on the dot, if not sooner. In previous years, my friend and her children have always received a warm welcome, which was sadly lacking on this occasion.
SUB-STANDARD GIFT FROM SANTA
Santa was very friendly and we were initially pleased with the stuffed reindeer toys that our children received. But within just a few days, the seams had split and the stuffing was spilling out.
NO RESPONSE FROM CUSTOMER SERVICES
I have written to Wonderland twice now with these complaints, asking for some kind of recompense as a gesture of goodwill and for reassurance that our feedback will be taken onboard to avoid these same issues arising in future. That was nearly two months ago and I have received no response whatsoever.
Their website claims that "Winter Wonderland is a truly magical experience for both little ones and grown ups with many families returning year after year." While this has been the case for our friends in the past, it certainly wasn't when we visited in December 2018. Unfortunately, based on this, I cannot recommend Winter Wonderland to anyone.
Overpriced and underwhelming. read more