Winter Wonderland is one of the most anticipated attractions of the season. It’s a popular destination amongst couples and families every single year! This year I was lucky enough to go to Winter Wonderland for the first time ever! From the atmosphere to the decor, it was truly a spectacular experience! So I’ve compiled a list of some of my favourite attractions and more of the best things to see and do at Winter Wonderland this year. There’s still time to check it out if you haven’t already as the event is open till the 5th of January 2020.
I’ve also included some general reminders about travelling to the park, opening times and things like what to wear. I’ve even thrown in some money-saving tips and tricks, because although entry to Hyde Park is absolutely free, the accumulation of costs from buying tokens for rides can really add up in the end! So hopefully I’ll help you to get your money’s worth out of it – because, really, who doesn’t like saving money?
1. Have a skate across the UK’s largest outdoor Ice skating rink!
This is by far one of the main attractions of Winter Wonderland and it’s a lot of fun!
My Top Tip : if you’re really set on going ice skating at Winter Wonderland then I would recommend that you pre-book your tickets online from beforehand! They can get booked up really quickly on busy days so it’s best to be prepared in advance to avoid disappointment! Also wear heavy layers to avoid bruises as much as possible!
2. Take on one of the over 100 games and rides, including thrills and rollercoasters!
Here is just a short selection of some of the rides me and my friends tried and enjoyed but you can check out the full list of games and rides right here.
- Munich Looping Rollercoaster
This ride is one of Winter Wonderland’s most famous attractions! According to the official website it is ‘the world’s largest transportable roller-coaster’ and definitely not to be missed! It’ll take you up and round 5 impressive loops and get you screaming for sure!
- Star Flyer
This ride takes you up 60m off the ground – so it’s pretty high! The ride itself is rather relaxing when your on it and you get an amazing view of the entire park and central London while your up there. I think it’s a nice ride to end the night on!
My Top Tip: When you gazing out at the city skyline, keep an eye out for the London Eye! You can get an awesome view of it on this ride!
- Bumper Cars
This is a classic ride at most theme parks but it’s still loads of fun! The duration of the bumper cars ride actually lasts a lot longer than it would at other parks so it’s definitely worth having a go! It’s also just a really fun and interactive way ride to go on with your friends!
My Top Tip: Before your trip have a look at all the rides on the Winter Wonderland website so that you can scout the ones you’d be interested in. Also save your money for the bigger rides (unless your scared of heights in which case you might want to give the rollercoasters a miss!)
3. Check out some of the totally cool Christmas Carol Ice Sculptures!
One addition that is entirely unique to this year is the ‘A Christmas Carol’ Ice Sculptures! Have a look at the intricate detailings of the ice sculptures for yourself! There are also a lot of shows and parades that take place around the park so check be sure to check those out too!
4. Have a bite of some sweet churros or waffles and warm up with hot chocolate!
After a long day of rides and excitement, there is absolutely nothing better than finishing up with some sweet desserts and wrapping your cold fingers around some warm drinks.
5. Take in all the stunning fairy lights and explore the quirky Christmas markets!
There is a lot to see and do at Winter Wonderland and the Christmas markets are no exception. They have some of the most beautiful and delicate ornaments to sale as well as lanterns and wind movers. It’s definitely worth checking out because they can make the cutest presents for all your friends and family this year!
Traveling Tips:
One thing I didn’t really consider when I was planning this trip was the journey home. Because although Google Maps prepared me for the journey there, arriving home was more complicated than I had anticipated it would be. What would have been a 30 mins journey home actually took me nearly 2 hours!
What Google Maps doesn’t tell you is what tube stations are exit only and which aren’t.
Unfortunately a lot of the stations around Hyde Park (including Hyde Park Corner, Marble Arch, Knightsbridge) were closed by 7 because of how busy the station can be at that period. So it’s worth double checking your journey route there and home from before hand so you don’t have to be waiting for long periods and walking around at night looking for ways to get home! I found out that Apps like ‘Citymapper’ can actually help you out a lot with this because it is designed to tell you what stations are exit only and includes this important information when your calculating your journey!
‘Until, Sunday 5th January, the station is exit only from 19.00 until 23.00 on Fridays and from 11.00 until 23.00 on weekends and bank holidays.’
This applies to the following tube stations:
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March Arch (Central Line)
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Hyde Park Corner (Piccadilly Line)
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Knightsbridge (Piccadilly Line)
Alternative tube stations:
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Victoria (Victoria, Circle, District Lines and National Rails Services)
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Green Park (Piccadilly and Jubilee Lines)
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Bond Street (Central and Jubilee Lines)
Tips on Things to bring:
1. Your own food.
Trust me you can save a lot of money simply by eating dinner before-hand or bringing your own food to the park! The restaurants and food stalls can get pretty expensive so it’s a good idea to pack some sandwiches and snacks in case you get hungry!
2. Contactless Credit card.
The whole park is built with contactless pay available everywhere! I wouldn’t worry about bringing a lot of cash because it is more likely to get pickpocketed than one card. (As long as you keep it safely stashed in your wallet and in your bag) Maybe you could bring a few spare pieces change in case you want to purchase photos of you on the rides, but not more than necessary!
3. A small bag.
Since you’re going to get bag searched before you come in it’s a lot quicker and more convenient to have a generally smaller bag. You shouldn’t be bringing too much to the park so its more reasonable to pack lightly in a smaller purse or satchel. Also if you are more conscious about where you can safely store your bags before you head up on a ride, the safest option (to avoid the thieves and pickpockets) would be to simply carry a small lightweight bag that you can take with you on the rides.
4. Phone & Portable charger
Your phone is pretty much essential to going anywhere nowadays. Travelling becomes a lot simpler when you have your phone on you and can work out your journey. It’s best to bring your phone and make sure you have access to Mobile Data so that should you get lost you can contact someone. It’s also great for taking cute pictures while you’re there! If your phone doesn’t have a lot of battery charge it’s probably useful to bring a small portable charger while you are there.
Clothing Tips:
It’s a good idea to wrap up warm! London at night-time can get really chilly so wearing a jumper or a hoodie underneath a big coat is probably your best option! Ideally you would want a coat that isn’t too light in colour in case you sit on something wet on the ride.The key is wearing multiple layers to keep you from absolutely freezing! Don’t forget to bring a hat and gloves – trust me you can thank me later!
So what are you waiting for grab a couple of friends and get going to Hyde Park’s Winter Wonderland as soon as you can! The Christmas holidays are the perfect opportunity to go have fun, catch up with your loved ones, destress after exams and celebrate the semester being over!