Saturday 7 December 2019

Winter Funland at EventCity, Manchester - A Review

On Thursday evening my family and I were invited along to experience Winter Funland 2019, which is being held at EventCity Manchester right through the festive period and up until the 5th January 2020. This Christmas extravaganza follows on from last years highly successful event, which saw a fantastic attendance of over 85,000 people, who all came along to enjoy the festivities. Prior to the attraction opening, Winter Funland event director, Andy Windmill, said: "Last years event was a phenomenal success and this year promises to be bigger, brighter and full of even more festive fun. We have pulled out all of the stops to ease queues for Santa, quicker service for food and of course - brought in even more exciting funfair rides."

Tickets for Winter Funland include access to a whole host of attractions such as the giant indoor funfair, a fantastic Christmas pantomime, a magical festival circus, Santa's grotto and a wonderful ice-skating rink for guests to enjoy. With the expectations set of a Winter Funland even better than before, my children and I couldn't wait to visit and find out exactly what was on offer for families to experience.


On arrival we made our way straight to the food court and with three hungry children to feed, I was hoping that there would be something that they liked. I needn't have been worried as there was a fantastic variety of food available for sale, ranging from children's meal favourites to curries, hot filled baps to yorkshire wraps and tasty burgers and hotdogs. The prices were slightly high, but in line with other attractions and the portion sizes were fair for the cost. We purchased two large Bratwurst sausage hot dogs, one kids meal of chicken nuggets and chips with a chocolate milk drink, a bacon cheeseburger, a beefburger and a portion of chips which all came to £32. As well as the main food court, there was also a pick and mix stall, a bar area serving alcohol and a slush factory.


Once we had enjoyed something to eat, my children excitedly ran to some of the fairground rides. They were pleased to see some of their favourites, with Riley being very happy to spot the flying elephants. There was plenty to choose from and we loved wandering around from ride to ride in such a family friendly atmosphere. Sociable elves could also be spotted regularly saying hello to the children and making them feel really welcome.


We really liked the variety of rides available and that there was something to suit all ages. I was also pleased to see that there was a good mix of both traditional and modern rides, with popular favourites such as the dodgems and a carousel also in attendance. All of the ride operators we met were really friendly, particularly the gentleman running the planes who was great with my children, along with a lady running the car ride near the entrance, who made sure that all the children got off the ride safely. A welcoming smile can make all the difference, so it was great to see staff being so helpful and polite.


In addition to the rides, there is a wonderful ice skating rink for visitors aged 4 and above, where you can glide gracefully across the ice. However if you are a bit unsteady on your skates, then there are staff on standby to give you advice, as well as useful skating aids to give you a helping hand.

For those who enjoy some added excitement, then there is a thrilling festive circus to enjoy, which is sure to mesmerise the whole family. Featuring hilarious clowns and a host of talented performers, a trip to the circus is sure to entertain.


Visits to Santa's Grotto are also included in the ticket price, however for an additional cost, you can also purchase a gift or photograph. With the grotto being very popular with families, the event organisers have listened to feedback from last year and implemented some changes to improve the experience. I think it is great when companies listen to their customers and I think the displaying of queue times, the option to purchase fast passes (at the time of booking tickets), as well as the grotto being opened 30 minutes prior to the session start times, will all be of benefit to guests.

The grotto has been well planned out for those important memory making moments with Father Christmas, making it a truly magical experience for children. Visits to Santa's Grotto will only be available up until Christmas Eve so please bear this in mind when booking tickets. The queue for the grotto will close one hour before the session ends.


If all this wasn't enough, then there is also a Christmas Panto, providing entertainment to audiences young and old. Telling the story of an Arctic Adventure, this fabulous festive treat offers something for everyone to enjoy and is a fantastic addition to Winter Funland 2019!

Overall we had a great time at Winter Funland and found there to be a huge range of rides, shows and activities to choose from. The staff on the rides were really friendly, as were the excitable elves who could be found wandering around the event. There was a good amount of security who had a very visible presence throughout the evening, which I think is very important at present, especially at large events such as this. Everything is well laid out and despite being busy, it didn't feel crowded at any point and my children rarely had to wait more than a couple of minutes to go on a ride. The atmosphere was fun and festive, making it a great place to enjoy some family fun together this Christmas.


If you would like to find out more about Winter Funland, then you can visit their website or social media pages on the following channels:

Website: www.winterfunland.com
Facebook: facebook.com/winterfunland
Twitter: @winterfunland
Instagram: @winterfunland

Event Details

Event - Winter Funland
Venue - EventCity (opposite Intu Trafford Centre), Phoenix Way, Off Barton Dock Road, Trafford City, Manchester
Dates - Various dates from 6th December 2019 to 5th January 2020
Times - Times vary, so please visit their website for the most up to date information.
Tickets - Tickets are priced at £23.50 per person with under 3's admitted free of charge. Fastpass tickets to visit Father Christmas at the Santa's Grotto are also available from the website.
Parking - There are over 3000 free parking spaces available


*Disclaimer - My family and I were provided with complimentary wristbands for the VIP night, for the purpose of writing an honest review of our experience at the event. All opinions and photographs are my own. Details provided are believed to be correct at the time of writing, however I would always recommend visiting the attractions own website, in order to obtain the most up to date information.

2 comments:

  1. Looks so much fun and seems plenty of activities for the family to enjoy

    ReplyDelete
  2. wow this looks like a fantastic day out im sure any child would be delighted to visit

    ReplyDelete