Christmas in London is truly magical. And for visitors from abroad as for Londoners, it is impossible to skip Winter Wonderland. The Hyde Park funfair returns every year and guarantees you an ultra festive family moment. The princess had been waiting for this event for several weeks and it was the highlight of her stay in London. Winter Wonderland, or how to experience the magic of Christmas in fast-paced rides and endless queues!
In the heart of Hyde Park, Winter Wonderland comes back every year in London, from November until January. We strongly advise you to plan your visit in the evening, because the atmosphere is clearly more magical. But, inevitably, you will have more people than in the morning. The lights of the rides really create the magic of Winter Wonderland, which during the day looks more like a fairground like any other.
Winter Wonderland does not only host rides. You will also find essentials there, which we advise you to book well in advance, such as the Magical Ice Kingdom and its ice sculptures. However, this will not prevent you from queuing for very long minutes sometimes. Be patient and buy a hot drink and a vegan donut!
Good to know
Must do
Several attractions are somewhat symbolic and totally unmissable in Winter Wonderland, especially for a first timer:
The Magical Ice Kingdom for its ice sculptures;
The Ferris Wheel which is beautifully lit, for a superb view of London;
The Real Ice Slide where you can slide on the ice on a rubber ring: you will be queuing, but the moment is very nice;
The Blizzard for adults who love thrills;
Helter Skelter: the traditional wooden slide; it’s not going fast, but it feels like we’ve gone back to the beginning of the 20th century.
The princess loved
The princess could have stayed for hours! She loves rides so Winter Wonderland was bound to be an awesome time.
She really liked:
The Ice Mountain merry-go-round, a roller coaster with a rotating gondola;
The Real Ice Slide which allows you to slide several times on the ice;
The Euro Coster: your legs dangle from upon high as it twists you along its 370-metre long track;
She also loved a merry-go-round with suspended gondolas that turned extremely fast (I hated it!).
The ups for kids
Your kids are over 8 years old
If you have teenagers and they can enjoy themselves without you, we advise you to let them pick their own rides and live your life on your side. Because the queues are long, and even longer when not everyone wants to do the same thing.
For younger children, you will see that from 8 years old, they have a multitude of choices. Take some time to eat something (the choice is wide). We even managed to eat a very good vegan pizza to regain some strength. And we even found some spare seats! Heaven!
Your kids are less than 8 years old
I find that for the little ones, Winter Wonderland is not necessarily the most suitable place. If you decide to go with them, choose a morning visit. You can then do the rides intended for them without too much waiting and they will be less tired. Because clearly, between the noise and the lights, it’s still quite an exhausting moment, especially for toddlers.
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Information
Rates
There is a fee to enter Winter Wonderland but if you book at least £20 worth of rides before you come, your entry fee is free.
Details
Winter Wonderland
Hyde Park
Every day from November to January over a period of 6 weeks.
In 2021, the park was open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.