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Manchester lifestyle reviews

Winter Wonderland

Winter Wonderland

at Event City, Trafford Park

Reviewed by Katie Leicester December 2017

 

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas… well this is certainly true at Event City in Trafford Park. Winter Wonderland is back for its fifth year with live theatre, a circus, fairground stalls, arcade attractions, gifts stalls, fairground rides and of course with the one and only Father Christmas and his glittering elf helpers there is literally something for all ages. For the thirsty adults, there is a well-stocked bar, which has a great range of wines, spirits and beers and of course the infamous hot mulled wine to enjoy whilst soaking up the Christmas atmosphere. There is also an abundance of stalls selling some fantastic foods and sweet treats to satisfy most palates This is the fourth year I have visited Winter Wonderland with my family, and this year the ‘Kingpin Events’ have excelled themselves with plenty of new attractions and fantastic performances.

 

The security at the event was reassuring and the organisation to enter the event was seamless, families were lead into a holding area where the head elf to Santa gave the crowd the details of what to expect during the evening. The holding space at Event City was glittered with Christmas sparkle and was dominated by a huge stage at the entrance of Winter Wonderland where families were entertained by some very talented local performers. The Sky High Dance troupe captivated us with their exquisite dance routines, and then 17 year old local girl Chloe Rose from Warrington sang, sounding even more spectacular than she did last year, pleasing the young teenage audience with her popular pop songs.

 

The time came and the grand red velvet curtains opened to reveal an amazing array of colours, Christmas smells, balloons, and music. As the crowd entered Winter Wonderland snow fell adding to the children’s delight; it was truly breath-taking to enter and see how many rides and attractions this venue held. Winter Wonderland is billed as the UK’s largest indoor Christmas theme park, with the area set out to ensure that there is enough space for everyone especially those with prams, pushchairs or a wheelchair user and considering there were 2500 guests attending the evening it never once felt cramped or cluttered, and we didn’t have to queue for a ride or an attraction for more than a few minutes. There are literally too many stalls, rides, arcade attractions to count let alone list but they all added to the fantastic experience of the event, every station was manned by friendly and happy smiley staff.

 

Notably the majority of the rides appear to be aimed at the younger visitors with height limits strictly enforced on attractions such as inflatables. But that is not to say there aren’t any adult rides, as there are plenty and if you are feeling brave enough to ride some of the fast paced adrenaline rides, they are guaranteed to terrify and thrill.

 

The main stage saw Ice Princesses live on stage, Rainbow’s characters Zippy and George, Jedi Training, and Daisy and Ollie’s Christmas panto, so there was no shortage of live performances to keep the little ones (and some big ones) occupied.

 

Winter Wonderland 2017For my crew of a 23yr, 19yr, 12yr and 9yr old the highlight was the fantastic Circus that showcased jugglers, aerial brilliance, balancing acts and of course the cheeky clown that cheers every circus performance. The shows were every half an hour so there was always plenty of seats available with the option to buy popcorn and candyfloss as you entered the circus ring; the performers were exceptionally talented and held the crowd’s attention throughout their acts leaving the audience with the feel good factor only a Christmas circus can bring.

 

Winter Wonderland wouldn’t be complete without Father Christmas, his fabulous friendly helpers and some real (but smelly) reindeers. Children young and old can visit and view his and Mrs Claus’s home, see if they are on the ‘good list’ and get a picture with the big fella himself until the 24th December but after that then he will be gone as I believe he has a rather important job to do delivering presents to all the good children.

 

Winter Wonderland included a mini make over section that seemed very popular with the little princesses (and some princes) that were there tonight. New additions to this year’s event were the Lego section, circus skills class, and old favourites such as the ‘Beach’ section and ‘baby chill-out zone’ for the tiny ones, as not all visitors like the rides and this is a perfect alternative for those little ones who like to sit and play quietly.

 

Tonight’s session lasted 3 hours and the time flew by and with all rides included (4 hour standard session) in the admission fee, this is amazing value for money and a perfect day out for the family to bask in the Christmas spirit, with something to capture the interest of all ages. Winter Wonderland guarantees a festive family fun day out and is how every child would imagine a Christmas themed land to be, and much more!

 

Winter Wonderland is open at Event City next to the Trafford Centre daily (except Christmas Day), with various session times each day until the 1st January 2018. Full details including session times and booking information can be found at www.winterwonderlandmanchester.com. I can’t recommend this event enough as it was undeniably spectacular tonight, and had a true family orientated Christmas feel to it, my little crew certainly loved it from the eldest to the youngest each and every one left high on Christmas spirit and excited for the festive season. To keep up to date with all the latest developments go to: www.facebook.com/WinterWonderlandManchester.

 
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