The world-famous Winter Wonderland is open – I found the best-value attractions, rip-offs and where they put prices up

BRIGHT lights, a monolithic Ferris Wheel, Christmas songs connected blast and £10 hotdogs - the OG Winter Wonderland from which each different modern time Xmas markets were spawned has reopened.

I headed down past night, earlier it opened to the nationalist today, to enactment retired the must-do bits and the parts to avoid.

Located successful Hyde Park successful Central London, Winter Wonderland is simply a sprawling maze of woody chalet stalls, immense funfair rides, wacky bars and nutrient vendors.

Of the large attractions, the Magical Ice Kingdom is 1 of the astir impressive, with its brand-new taxable of Alice successful Wonderland.

The Magical Ice Kingdom claims to beryllium 1 of the largest crystal exhibitions successful Europe, with immoderate carved sculptures taller than 5 metres.

Visitors participate the temperature-controlled situation done the Queen of Hearts' castle, earlier seeing immoderate of Lewis Carroll's iconic scenes brought to beingness arsenic immense crystal sculptures.

I loved the usage of colour successful this year's Magical Ice Kingdom with playing cards frozen into immense crystal walls and lanterns hanging supra the Mad Hatter's Tea Party.

In summation to posing for selfies with the crystal sculptures, there's besides an crystal descent hidden distant towards the extremity of the icy exhibition.

While it's lone a fewer metres successful length, I felt similar a kid again arsenic I whooshed down, but it's tucked successful the country of the exhibit, truthful could beryllium easy missed if you're not connected the look out.

Before heading inside, wrapper up lukewarm due to the fact that temperatures successful the gathering beryllium astatine -10C to support the sculptures, and immoderate kids tin struggle.

Another attraction worthy of the terms tag is the Real Ice Slide - a 35m slope made from ice, wherever visitors ascent to the apical earlier heading down the descent connected a rubber ring.

Donning a alternatively fetching helmet, I was helped into the rubber ringing earlier being fixed a immense propulsion down the slope, and portion it was implicit successful seconds, it was a existent unreserved of fun.

For the much sedate thrills, I'd besides urge the Giant Ferris Wheel, which astatine 70m precocious is lone fractional the size of the London Eye, but offers a beauteous presumption of the technicolor Christmas onshore beneath and the iconic London tourer spots adjacent Hyde Park.

Rides past for astir 10 minutes and my person and I were fortunate capable to nab a pod to ourselves - though this isn't ever guaranteed unless you've booked a backstage 1 for £42.

If you've lone got currency to spare for 1 fairground thrust aft that, I'd urge Munich Looping arsenic it's the largest transportable  rollercoaster successful the world.

Dr Archibald, Master of Time, was different standout thrust -  a substance of virtual reality (VR) and a weird obstacle course, tha debuted astatine Munich's Oktoberfest backmost successful 2019.

As I sat successful the cart, a subordinate of unit placed a VR headset connected my head, earlier we followed on connected the steampunk and dystopian story.

While this would person been enough, the headsets are removed astatine the extremity of the thrust and visitors are near to tackle a glow successful the acheronian obstacle course, which is simply a large spot of fun.

London's Winter Wonderland has surely breached distant from the mould of accepted Christmas attractions - it reminds maine much of European funfairs similar Munich's Oktoberfest and Feria del Vino Fino, with its premix of games and rides alongside marketplace stalls and nutrient vendors.

Whereas tons of the accepted Christmas Markets successful Italy and Germany are much acrophobic with food and drink and handmade gifts.

Each has its ain entreaty - and though Winter Wonderland loses the quaintness, it does person thing to entreaty to everyone with its rides, quirky bars and haunted houses.

The European examination doesn't halt determination due to the fact that Winter Wonderland has its ain Bavarian Village, implicit with a Bavarian Beer Hall that wouldn't look retired of spot successful Oktoberfest.

It reminded maine of the ample enactment halls similar Hofbräu Festzelt and Ochsenbraterei astatine Munich's Oktoberfest.

A big of unrecorded singers keeps brew drinkers entertained connected rows of woody benches — though nary self-respecting German would beryllium caught dormant drinking brew retired of a integrative cup.

It's not rather the existent woody but it's surely a precise bully imitation.

Prices successful the brew hallway are somewhat much costly than past twelvemonth too, with a pint costing £7.75, which is 50p much than past year.

But overall, the prices haven't been hiked.

Last year, tickets for the Giant Ferris Wheel and the Real Ice Slide outgo £7.50 per idiosyncratic - with these figures staying the aforesaid for this year.

Magical Ice Kingdom tickets commencement from £5 conscionable similar past twelvemonth too, with £5 being the ballpark fig for rides and attractions.

If you're clever and publication activities successful beforehand online, you tin get escaped introduction into the parkland erstwhile you walk implicit £25.

Visitors tin besides acquisition the Santaland Unlimited Ride Pass, which gives park-goers unrestricted entree to implicit 12 family-friendly rides, including Race-O-Rama, Santaland Express Train, Winter Spinner, and Racing Coaster - though this is 3 rides little than past year.

The walk costs £25, and it includes escaped introduction to Winter Wonderland.

That being said nutrient and portion is expensive, with pretzel pizzas from £11.50 and 2 vegan sausages and chips costing a whopping £44 successful the Bavarian Beer Hall.

Pints commencement from £6.85 astatine aggregate vendors successful the park, which isn't excessively atrocious for a cardinal London spot - though visitors from extracurricular the superior volition surely consciousness the pinch.

Winter Wonderland volition tally for six weeks from 21 November 2024 until 5 January 2025.

It volition beryllium unfastened from 10am until 10pm each time betwixt those 2 dates, excluding Christmas Day.

The nearest London Underground stations to Hyde Park are Bond Street, Green Park, Knightsbridge, Marble Arch, Hyde Park Corner, Paddington, and Victoria.

Several autobus routes volition besides get you there, and Paddington, Victoria, and Marylebone train stations are besides nearby.