[2025 Event] Christmas Wonderland

[Elise]

Have they done preview entries this week? I had a look at google reviews - there's one from 4 days ago that has Christmas pictures....

Anyways - with regards to Christmas. I have 1 wish. Yup, just 1. PLEASE, I repeat PLEASE make is easier to buy a proper drink!

Christmas is the only time of the year when it's socially accepatble to get slightly squiffy. As things stand it's nigh on impossible to buy a proper drink at DM. I joined a queue during Halloween, and it was not viable. 30+ minutes to buy a drink. That isn't acceptable. The demand will be even higher over Christmas.

Employ more bar staff, preferably EXPERIENCED bar staff. Install more pop up bars. Please, just make it easier for people to spend money!

I haven't seen or heard anything regarding previews for this event , they may be older photos if they are of the likes of Santa.

As someone who doesn't drink & doesnt support the idea of alcohol being sold in a family park, I politely disagree with that idea, but can understand the frustrations of having such a long wait for any food or beverage items

 

[Themeparksandy1981]

I haven't seen or heard anything regarding previews for this event , they may be older photos if they are of the likes of Santa.

As someone who doesn't drink & doesnt support the idea of alcohol being sold in a family park, I politely disagree with that idea, but can understand the frustrations of having such a long wait for any food or beverage items

I agree like I do like to have real ale with friends but that is up town and I taken the train or bus up there.
When I’m at a theme park I have driven and I’m there to supervise my kids.

 

[BigCraig]

Vive La France!

Thankfully the French have a different attitude towards alcohol amongst a family setting. They've been doing it very successfully for many a century!



Roll on Christmas. or - Vivement Noël

 

[Themeparksandy1981]

Who’s going to the park this weekend?

 

[BigCraig]

Who’s going to the park this weekend?

Not me!



Maybe next weekend.

 

[BigCraig]

Will the Vikings Entrance to the Park be open during this period? Can people gain access to DM via Vikings? Will we have to walk all the way round to the main entrance?

Elftoria is open 4-6PM Does that mean that the Vikings entrance to the park is off limits?

Sorry. That was a lot of questions!

They've upped their game! Didn't have to wait 9 working days this time for a reply!

Here's the reply:

 

[Themeparksandy1981]

I may pop in tomorrow afternoon as I want to move my Christmas train booking and won’t have another chance before the 22nd December

 

[Pete999films]

Hyper coasters has done a vlog featuring end of day show on YouTube.

End of day show looks great.

 

[Charliie]

I think we’ve picked a good day. Everything is walk on which is nice and the weather is decent.

 

[Themeparksandy1981]

They really need to scrap the multiple opening times for rides as yesterday with 2 of the main coasters down after 5pm only the Carousel and the bounty was open. I wasn’t gonna stand around waiting to 6pm to watch the end of show.

 

[Charliie]

They really need to scrap the multiple opening times for rides as yesterday with 2 of the main coasters down after 5pm only the Carousel and the bounty was open. I wasn’t gonna stand around waiting to 6pm to watch the end of show.

I agree, I know they have staggered the whole park opening but it was frustrating arriving for 10.30 and having to wait around to do something as a lot of the 10.30 openings didn’t actually open at that time. Despite this though we managed to make a day of it. We didn’t catch the end of day show but we did do the add ons other than the grotto as after last year we decided to see the big red man himself somewhere different this year.

 

[Themeparksandy1981]

I agree, I know they have staggered the whole park opening but it was frustrating arriving for 10.30 and having to wait around to do something as a lot of the 10.30 openings didn’t actually open at that time. Despite this though we managed to make a day of it. We didn’t catch the end of day show but we did do the add ons other than the grotto as after last year we decided to see the big red man himself somewhere different this year.

Was the elf event worth £20 wanted to go in and take pics but staff only let in ticket holders from 3:45.

 

[Pete999films]

I'm seeing a lot of complaints on social media. People not happy. TPW went yesterday, be interesting to see some vlogs. Only seen one so far which focussed on the rides!

Going to give the event a miss for the first time this year. Normally do christmas eve, but opted for SVR instead.

 

[Charliie]

It didn’t seem very organised but the staff running it was amazing. I’m not quite sure it justifies the £20 per person up charge and if I had a family of 5 I would be very disappointed by the lack of feel for value for money. I’ll be posting photos tonight

 

[Charliie]

As promised here are some photos. All of the rides had new signed apart from the horse themed ride. There’s a wrist band system in place however if you book onto this during the middle of day, you didn’t get a wrist band and some staff was insistent on seeing the red band to admit you and was very unsure of accepting the digital ticket that’s on the apple wallet from the website. With elftoria , there’s so much potential and it’s inline with the elf brand however for £20 pound , there’s a fake snowball fight which you can win a snow ball to take home. An elf themed prank guide for adults and kids. A cheeky elf prank workshop and a ginger bread decorating tent. All the rides in the area was very quiet with a max of 4 or 5 people riding it at a time. The vikings shop was turned into an elf merchandise shop. I felt that this event was at most a £10 up charge event with how little there was considering the rides are usually available during the year as part of admission. We didn’t do the grotto but I feel that there was 3 stations within the event similar to how the grotto is set up so I feel the £20 up charge is more for the ip they must have paid for rather than the quality of the event itself.

 

[Elise]

That Jormungandr sign is very much what everyone thinks hahaha - Thanks for sharing some photos and thoughts!
Im guessing the snowball prize is a plush?

I do agree that the price is quite high for the offering, does feel like this is down to the IP part of it.

Still not sure which parts of the event I will be covering / if or when we intend to do a visit as we still feel like the event is a bit too expensive even as a passholder.
Christmas is always a bit of a difficult event for us to cover without children ^^' So its twice the challenge

 

[Stevie]

That Jormungandr sign is very much what everyone thinks hahaha - Thanks for sharing some photos and thoughts!
Im guessing the snowball prize is a plush?

I do agree that the price is quite high for the offering, does feel like this is down to the IP part of it.

Still not sure which parts of the event I will be covering / if or when we intend to do a visit as we still feel like the event is a bit too expensive even as a passholder.
Christmas is always a bit of a difficult event for us to cover without children ^^' So its twice the challenge

Not a unique problem to Drayton (cost) -I guess Xmas is worth whatever people are willing to pay but by us even a low-key garden centre Santa experience is like £25 per person. Crazy

 

[Joe]

As promised here are some photos. All of the rides had new signed apart from the horse themed ride. There’s a wrist band system in place however if you book onto this during the middle of day, you didn’t get a wrist band and some staff was insistent on seeing the red band to admit you and was very unsure of accepting the digital ticket that’s on the apple wallet from the website. With elftoria , there’s so much potential and it’s inline with the elf brand however for £20 pound , there’s a fake snowball fight which you can win a snow ball to take home. An elf themed prank guide for adults and kids. A cheeky elf prank workshop and a ginger bread decorating tent. All the rides in the area was very quiet with a max of 4 or 5 people riding it at a time. The vikings shop was turned into an elf merchandise shop. I felt that this event was at most a £10 up charge event with how little there was considering the rides are usually available during the year as part of admission. We didn’t do the grotto but I feel that there was 3 stations within the event similar to how the grotto is set up so I feel the £20 up charge is more for the ip they must have paid for rather than the quality of the event itself.

How good was the water show compared to the Halloween version

 

[BigCraig]

That Jormungandr sign is very much what everyone thinks hahaha - Thanks for sharing some photos and thoughts!
Im guessing the snowball prize is a plush?

I do agree that the price is quite high for the offering, does feel like this is down to the IP part of it.

Still not sure which parts of the event I will be covering / if or when we intend to do a visit as we still feel like the event is a bit too expensive even as a passholder.
Christmas is always a bit of a difficult event for us to cover without children ^^' So its twice the challenge

I suspect everyone will experience it.

According to this we can all enter in the 2nd hour of the thing! (for free!)



Someone else on that certain book confirmed it:



Why pay £20 for 2 hours, when everyone gets in half way through for free??

Am I missing something obvious?

 

[Haz]

How good was the water show compared to the Halloween version

I thought it was slightly better than the Halloween version mainly because the AI was a lot less obvious, parts of it looked like actual footage too?. It is confirmed they use AI for those who don't know.



The song choices were good, a lot less use of the projection interlude parts (which i don't like anyway), the programming of the fountains were brill as always.
They did 2 water shows at the end of the day on Saturday for some reason too was complaining.

There wasn't a lot of people in the park on the Saturday it didn't look like Sunday was any better either, hopefully crowds will pick up as we get into December.
The poor weather was probably a contribution to low crowds as well.

Our group was going to do the grotto but they had stopped taking bookings / time slots for whatever reason. anyways we decided on the 2pm showing of the pantomime instead, just a little warning that it is £7 on the day. The pantomime was enjoyable. They'd left the Shockwave 21st plaque on the wall, and some barrels which were falling apart.. Lovely!.

The Ride opening and closings were extremely confusing as is the norm with Drayton now, everything seems to be a bit of a jumble.
I'd just wish they were better at communicating things as there is almost no definitive answer to anything.