Showing posts with label EventCity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label EventCity. Show all posts

Thursday 9 December 2021

Silcock's Winter Wonderland Manchester at EventCity - A Review

My family and I enjoyed the perfect start to our week on Monday, with a trip to Silcock's Winter Wonderland at EventCity Manchester for their VIP Launch Night. This marvellous event has returned even bigger and better than before and we were so excited to visit this fabulous festive extravaganza once again. Featuring over 50 family rides and attractions all under one roof, as well as some wonderful shows to enjoy, it is a fantastic way to spend some fun family time together and we couldn't wait to have a look around and explore.

Our evening began with some launch night entertainment from some talented local dance groups, along with a young vocalist performing a small selection of songs. This performance ended with a fabulous rendition of Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas" which seemed to get everyone in the mood and excited to enter the Winter Wonderland doors as the crowd began a ten second countdown. As the curtains opened, snow began to fall as we made our way into the event.

We intended to head towards the back of venue to begin with, however we were stopped in our tracks by my youngest son deciding that he wanted to go on every single ride that we tried to walk past. The last time Winter Wonderland was in EventCity in 2017, he was only 4, so he couldn't really remember much about the event, or just how many rides there were to choose from. He was therefore delighted to find such a great choice and he began to have so much fun right from the start.

Photo Credit: Prakash Bhalsod

As well as classic favourites such as the Dodgems and the Waltzers, there were mini rollercoasters, a flying elephant ride and a mini carousel to name just a few. My son absolutely loved the Caterpillar rollercoaster and went on this several times with both myself and his big brother. When he decided he wanted a rest, we utilised that time by having a sit down and watching a show on the main stage. There were a few to choose from which included an Ice Princess Show as well as some entertainment featuring TV stars Daisy and Ollie. I really liked the fact that the main stage was central to so many rides, as this meant that I could let my teens go off and enjoy some of the larger and faster rides, knowing that it would be very easy for them to find us again when they were finished. 

There was also the chance to visit Father Christmas, however we decided not to queue for this and spent our time on the rides and shows instead. However, this seemed really popular with other guests and there is also the option of purchasing a toy and photo from the Father Christmas Toy Workshop. He is available for meet and greet sessions every day, up to and including Christmas Eve.

We hadn't eaten prior to arriving at the event, so it wasn't long before my children were hungry. There were a range of food vendors to choose from and although they were a little on the expensive side, it was on par with prices that we are used to at these kind of events. We purchased four burgers which set us back £24 and five drinks cost us a further £12.50 later in the evening. The food was really good quality though and tasty too, which made up for paying the slightly higher prices.

Photo Credit: Prakash Bhalsod

Another additional cost at the event is the games stalls, which varied in price. With having three children these stalls can get expensive if they each want a go, so I usually try to avoid these, but there was a ring toss game which was only £1, so I was quite happy to pay that and we each tried our luck. My eldest son got lucky and managed to win himself some candy floss as well as some sweets so he was really pleased with himself.

Overall we had a fantastic time at Silcock's Winter Wonderland Manchester and we are hoping to return with other family members in the coming weeks. There is plenty of free parking outside the venue and I feel that the ticket prices offer excellent value for money. We loved how many rides there were to choose from that catered for a range of different ages, which ensured that there was something for the whole family to enjoy. I also really liked the addition of the short shows on the main stage and the Circus which was also available to watch. I would absolutely recommend this event to others and we cannot wait to return again in the near future. 

To find out more or to book tickets please visit www.winterwonderlandmanchester.com or alternatively you can visit the following social media channels:

Facebook - facebook.com/winterwonderlandmanchester

Twitter - @wwmanchester

Instagram - @wwmanchester

Listing Details

Event - Silcock's Winter Wonderland Manchester

Venue - EventCity (next to Intu Trafford Centre), Phoenix Way, Off Barton Dock Road, Urmston, Manchester, M41 7TB

Dates - 4th December 2021 to 2nd January 2022

Parking - Free parking available

Ticket Information

Off-Peak Tickets

Adult: £29.50 (plus booking fee)

Child: (3-16) £29.50 (plus booking fee)

OAP: £20.00 (plus booking fee)

Child (Under 3): Free (Ticket Required)

Family Ticket of 4 (must include at least 1 Adult) discount of £10 (plus booking fee).

Peak

Adult: £35.00 (plus booking fee)

Child: (3-16) £35.00 (plus booking fee)

OAP: £27.50 (plus booking fee)

Child (Under 3): Free (Ticket Required)

Family Ticket of 4 (must include at least 1 Adult) discount of £10 (plus booking fee).

Carers tickets go free with full paying adults.

Groups: 1 in 10 goes free (no booking fee)

School and nursery bookings: From 7-10 December and 13-17 December, tickets £15 each including booking fee.

Payment plans are available this year - see website for details.

Reduced £22.00 (plus booking fee) tickets are available for NHS and Armed Forces on certain dates, see website for details.

All rides and attractions are included in the price (excluding games and food stalls) and each session lasts for 4 hours.

Bookings can be made online at www.winterwonderlandmanchester.com or by ringing 0344 815 7131 for both individual and group bookings.


Photo Credit: Prakash Bhalsod

*Disclaimer - We were invited as guests to the VIP Launch Night for the purpose of writing an honest review of our experience. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Details provided are believed to be correct at the time of writing but are subject to change. I would therefore always recommend visiting the venues own site in order to view the most up to date information.

Tuesday 12 December 2017

Our Visit to Winter Wonderland at EventCity, Manchester

On Monday, we spent the evening at Winter Wonderland, which is taking place at EventCity in Manchester until the 1st January 2018. We have visited Winter Wonderland for the past three years and it has become one of our favourite events to look forward to throughout the year, as it guarantees us some great family fun together.

EventCity is well signposted, so it is very easy to find and is only a short distance from the motorway. Apart from a few short queues on the way, we had a pleasant journey there and arrived with enough time to enjoy a meal together in the Trafford Centre. We then made our way over to EventCity approximately half an hour before the start time of 7pm and had no issues with parking. The security was excellent and although a sad reflection of current times, it was very reassuring to know that you were in safe hands and that a good security protocol was being followed. In addition to being well staffed at the entrance, there was a visible security presence throughout the event, which was excellent.

Once inside all guests stayed in a large 'holding area' where everyone could gather prior to the curtains to the event opening. We were treated to live entertainment by the fabulous Chloe Rose and the Aim Sky High Dance Group, who were both well received by the audience. In this area there was access to the toilets, cloak room and also a quiet room for anyone that may have found the noise, crowd or lights a bit too much. Just after 7pm the curtains were drawn and families began to make their way through the falling snow, ready to enjoy all the attractions inside.

This is the fifth consecutive year of the event, which sees the 22,000sqm exhibition space transformed into a spectacular wonderland extravaganza, that features over 50 family rides and attractions all under one roof. In addition to the rides, there are also a great selection of shows to enjoy, including Daisy & Ollie and Zippy & George from Rainbow, who add lots of magic, mayhem and comedy capers. You can also be marvelled and amazed by the daily performances of the Christmas Circus. There really is so much choice so I would recommend making a note of the time of the shows, so that you know what time to return and don't miss out.

Riley's favourite ride last year was the Flying Elephants, so he had already asked if we could go and find it first. He knows that I don't like heights so he always finds it hilarious to press the pedal which makes the elephants rise really high towards the ceiling. It's also a great place to get a good view of everything else that is on offer. The queues for most rides were literally only a couple of minutes at the most, and we were even able to walk straight on to some. All the rides are included in the price you pay for entry, which means that the ticket price actually offers fantastic value for money.


It was great that I didn't have to worry about ride prices once inside, so instead of limiting how many rides they could go on, they could literally just pick and choose as much as they wanted. There was something for everyone, ranging from slow paced toddler rides, to fast and exciting rides for thrill seekers. My older children aged 9 & 11 enjoyed being able to go on their favourites over and over again and also liked being able to go on the smaller rides with their younger brother who is 4.

Winter Wonderland operates on a session basis, that offers families four hours of fun and entertainment. I personally think this is a great idea as it prevents overcrowding and ensures that families are able to make the most of their session without the queues being too lengthy for the rides. We had a shorter session of three hours on the launch night and didn't manage to fit everything in, so I would recommend having a look on the Winter Wonderland website so you can get an idea of what rides and shows are available, in order to help you plan your visit.


Another firm favourite from last year was the Pip Ahoy beach. Riley could literally sit and play in the sand for hours and often does when we go on beach holidays, however he obviously doesn't get the chance to do this much in the winter. It was therefore lovely for him to be able to build some sandcastles with his siblings, whilst Mr F and I took advantage of the deck chairs for a sit down, around the sand pit. There were plenty of buckets and spades for all the children to play with and it also provides a somewhat quieter zone for little ones, away from the hustle and bustle of the bigger rides.


Both Ben and Emma really enjoyed the huge inflatable assault course that was on offer and went on this several times. Adjacent to this was a crazy fun house, which also provided lots of laughs and challenges as you made your way around. Ben's absolute favourite though was the rodeo bulls, where there are a row of bulls that can each seat three people. You then have to try and stay on as long as possible, whilst the bulls move and twist in an attempt to throw you off. This looked so much fun and again Ben went on this quite a few times.


Santa is also available to meet and greet children over in his grotto, along with a couple of his reindeer, which helps to make the visit even more magical. There is no gift included, but this didn't bother us at all. We also met numerous elves and fairies throughout the night, who were busy giving a friendly wave and a smile to all the children. The whole place was just full of happy families which made it a really nice atmosphere to be in.


In addition to the rides, there are plenty of food stalls and games stands. These are NOT included in the entry price and the costs vary, but of course you don't have to play on the games if you don't want to, or if you would simply like to keep your expenditure low. We tried our luck on the ball throwing game, which only cost a £1 a go. Unfortunately we didn't win, but for £1, I certainly didn't mind letting the kids have a go each.

There is a wide range of food and refreshments available for purchase, that cater for all tastes (including the very popular Yorkshire Pudding Wrap)! Alternatively, you could grab a bite to eat at the Trafford Centre like we did, if you would rather enjoy a sit down meal.


Overall we had an absolutely fantastic time. It was great to be able to have a fabulous evening together as a family and have so much fun. I feel that the entry price offers excellent value for money, which if you consider the average cost of a fairground ride now is around £3 each, you can certainly get your money's worth. There is plenty to see and do for all ages, offering lots of enjoyment for both young and old. Would we go again? Absolutely!


Listing Details

Event - Winter Wonderland Manchester
Venue - EventCity (next to Intu Trafford Centre), Phoenix Way, Off Barton Dock Road, Urmston, Manchester, M41 7TB. Free Parking Available.

Ticket Prices - 
Adult £20.50 (plus £1.50 Quaytickets booking fee)
Child (3-16) £20.50 (plus £1.50 Quaytickets booking fee)
Family of 4 (2 ad + 2 ch or 1 ad + 3ch) £70 (plus £1.50 Quaytickets booking fee per person so total fee of £6)
OAP £15.00 (plus £1.50 Quaytickets booking fee)
Under 3's are Free (Ticket not required).
Groups 10% discount (when booking 15+ tickets)
School rate: £9.50 per child (under 12's) with some teachers free from Tuesday 13th to Friday 16th December (morning session only).

All rides and attractions are included in the ticket price (excluding games and food stalls) and each session lasts for 4 hours.

Session Times - 

December   
Tue 12th, Wed 13th & Thurs 14th: 10:30am-2:30pm
Fri 15th: 10:30am-2:30pm and 5pm-9pm
Sat 16th & Sun 17th: 11am-3pm and 4:30pm-8:30pm
Mon 18th & Tue 19th: 10:30am-2:30pm
Wed 20th: 10:30am-2:30pm and 4:30pm-8:30pm
Thurs 21st, Fri 22nd & Sat 23rd: 11am-3pm and 4:30pm-8:30pm
Tue 26th: 1pm-5pm
Wed 27th, Thurs 28th, Fri 29th & Sat 30th: 11am-3pm and 4:30pm-8:30pm
Sun 31st: 11am-3pm

January
Mon 1st: 1pm-5pm

To book please visit www.winterwonderlandmanchester.com or alternatively you can make a booking by telephone on 0843 208 1842. For group bookings please call 0843 208 6003.

Disclaimer: Details can be subject to change, so I would always recommend visiting the events own website to obtain the most up to date information. We attended Winter Wonderland as guests for the purpose of writing a review of our experience.

Thursday 15 December 2016

Winter Wonderland Manchester - A Review

My family and I have really been getting into the festive spirit lately, and so when we were given the opportunity to attend the official launch night of Winter Wonderland Manchester at EventCity, we literally jumped at the chance!


The mammoth 22,000 sq m exhibition space at EventCity has been transformed into an unbelieveable wonderland extravaganza, featuring over 50 family rides and attractions all under one roof - including new rides for 2016 featuring a giant carousel, and all included in one ticket price. (Excluding games and food stalls.)

We headed out there on a wet and windy Monday night, dressed warm and ready in our Christmas jumpers keen to find out more and experience the Winter Wonderland magic. We didn't need to wait long however as the attraction worked its magical wonders on us right from the very beginning, with the children delighted to be entering the event under a cascade of snow. My three year old son Riley has never experienced snowfall before, as the last heavy snow we had in our area was just before he was born, and so to see his little face light up as we walked through was amazing.


Upon entering we were immediately faced with a whole host of fairground attractions and my kids couldn't wait to jump on a ride and have some fun. They each chose a ride near the entrance to get started, and then we decided to have a good look around and find out where each attraction could be found.

In addition to the vast array of rides, there were numerous other festive treats to enjoy including a mini pantomime of Cinderella, a Christmas Circus, a fun family show featuring the fabulous Basil Brush and Mr Matt, and if that was not enough, there was of course the chance to meet Santa himself and his real reindeer too!


Having had a wander around and seen what was on offer, we immediately felt that the attraction offered excellent value for money. We had visited numerous fairgrounds over the summer which would charge around £3 a ride, which for 3 children can quickly mount up to an excessive amount of money, but there was no need to worry about that here, and my children went on some of their favourite rides three or four times. My youngest son Riley, absolutely loved the traditional carousel which is situated towards the rear of the building. It looked so grand and majestic, and he loved pretending that he was riding a real horse. One thing I would note though, is that the steps on the side are quite steep so make sure you are ready to give your children a helping hand to get on and off, and I would recommend riding on the horse with your child if they are quite young just to be on the safe side.


There was also a lovely minature version of a carousel a short distance away for toddlers too which my son also really enjoyed. I thought that this was a great idea.


My daughter Emma who is 10, is starting to show an interest in the more scarier and faster rides now, and so I really loved the fact that there were rides available for all age groups, so that none of my children felt left out or bored having to watch their siblings have fun instead of them.


Santa's grotto is fantastic, with friendly elves ready to welcome you and help make the experience all the more magical for children. Again this is included in the ticket price, but there is also the option of purchasing a gift for your child for only £3.50, but of course this is not compulsory. Real reindeer to meet and greet also assists in making this a marvellous grotto for families to enjoy. On the night we attended the queues varied in length throughout the evening, but on weekends I could imagine this being very busy, so would perhaps like to see the introduction of ticketed slots to reduce waiting times in the future.

The friendly elves can also be found throughout the attraction ready to make your children smile, pose for an "elfie" or quite simply answer any questions you may have. I thought that this was a great idea, as not only did the children love to see the elves walking round, but it also gave us parents an easily identifable person to recognise as staff should we have a query.

If however, winter is not your thing, and you would much rather the fun of the seaside, then make sure you head over to Salty Cove, where you can have a relaxing chill in a deckchair, whilst your children build sandcastles and meet the wonderful Pip Ahoy! I did find it slightly strange having a beach within Winter Wonderland, however Riley really enjoyed it, and it also gave the younger children somewhere to play, away from the more busier attractions.


I do feel as though the organisers have also really taken on board comments from previous years and have tried to cater for everyones needs. There is ample space for prams and wheelchairs, a cloakroom should you want to leave your coat or bag in a safe area, a quiet zone outside the main attraction zone and away from the hustle and bustle, and also a toddler soft play area. I found both the toddler soft play area and Salty Cove really quiet during our visit, so it was nice to take Riley away from the crowds for some quieter fun in between rides.

In order to prevent overcrowding, the organisers operate this event on a session basis to help ensure that vistors can experience all that Winter Wonderland has to offer. This is a great idea, as it helps to minimise the queuing and makes sure that you get excellent value for money by being able to visit each part of the attraction. Each session lasts for four hours, which was just about right for us, as the kids were starting to get tired, however we could quite happily return again and enjoy it for another session. If I was therefore going to make any suggestion it would be perhaps to offer the option of a 2 day ticket.


In terms of food and drink outlets, there was the usual fast food available, as well as coffee, bavarian beer, slushies and sweets. I have seen a few comments asking for more choice and healthier options, but with the Trafford Centre only over the road, there is an ample choice of restaurants right on the doorstep to suit everyones tastes, so you could always enjoy a meal there before or after the session. .

I would suggest taking some cash with you, as you will need additional money for any purchases such as gifts or merchandise, or for the games stalls and arcade area. I personally didn't spend any additional money at the attraction, but I knew my children would want to, so I set them a budget of £5 each to use on the games so that it saved any arguing or demands for money inside. They each knew how much they had to spend and this worked well for us. Fortunately they were more interested in the rides, than the fairground games, so they even came home with some change!


Overall, we had a fantastic time at Winter Wonderland, and my children couldn't wait to tell all their school friends about it the following day. I believe that it offers excellent value for money, and I think it is great that under 3's are free, even though there is plenty for them to do there. There was a huge amount to see and do, and hopefully we can fit in another visit before the 1st January to return again.

Winter Wonderland Manchester is open from Saturday 10th December through to the 1st January 2017. It is based at EventCity which is just next to the Trafford Centre and offers FREE parking. It is also easy to get there using public transport, which I did earlier in the year when attending the Digital Kids Show, and we caught the train into Manchester Piccadilly from North Wales and then the X50 bus from Piccadilly Gardens bus station which runs at regular intervals.

Group, family and individual tickets are on sale now and the event is also offering VIP corporate packages for companies who are looking to treat staff and their families to an extra special Christmas day out.

If you would like to book tickets then please visit www.winterwonderlandmanchester.com 

Alternatively you can make a booking by telephone on 0843 208 1842 or for group bookings please call 0843 208 6003. However, don't delay as some dates are already fully booked!

Full ticket information is as follows:

Adult and child (3-16): £19.50 (plus £1.50 Quaytickets booking fee)
Family: £64* (plus £1.50 Quaytickets booking fee)
OAP: £14 (plus £1.50 Quaytickets booking fee)
Child (under 3): Free
Groups: 10% discount (when booking 15+ tickets).
* (2 adults and 2 children or 1 adult and 3 children).
School rate: £9.50 per child

Session times are:

Fri 16 Dec – 10:30am – 2.30pm and 5pm – 9pm
Sat 17 – Fri 23 Dec – 11am – 3pm and 4:30pm – 8.30pm
Sat 24 Dec – 10:30am – 2.30pm
(No Afternoon session on 24 Dec and closed Christmas Day)
Mon 26 Dec – 1pm – 5pm
Tues 27 – Fri 30 Dec – 11am – 3pm and 4:30pm – 8:30pm
Sat 31 Dec – 11am – 3pm
Sun 1 Jan 2017 – 1pm – 5pm

Please note that the Santa meet and greet is only available until the 24th December.

Disclaimer: I was provided with complimentary tickets to the launch night event for the purpose of providing an honest review of the attraction. All opinions are my own.