Showing posts with label Santa's Grotto. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Santa's Grotto. Show all posts

Monday 2 December 2019

Feeling Festive at Coral Island Blackpool - A Review

If you are a regular reader to the blog, then you may remember that back in April, we paid a visit to Coral Island in Blackpool. We had a fabulous family day out and we all had a fantastic time playing on the rides and the machines, as well as enjoying a treat in the restaurants. Therefore, when I recently saw an advertisement for the Santa's Grotto, I knew that my children would love it, so we organised another visit to this popular seafront arcade.

We began our day with a full cooked breakfast at Peggy's Snack Bar. They have a great choice of breakfast items on offer and having eaten here during our last visit, we knew that the food was good quality as well as being great value for money. Coral Island currently have a 'Kids Eat Free' offer on throughout their restaurants, so children under 10 can get a free children's meal with each full paying adult meal, which is great. We purchased four full english breakfasts since my older children have adult appetites, and Riley enjoyed his free children's breakfast which consisted of toast, beans and sausage. We also bought some hot chocolates, which my daughter claimed was the nicest hot chocolate she had ever tasted, along with some fresh orange juice for me and a cappuchino for my husband. The service was fast and friendly and there were plenty of seats and tables available to choose from.

Once we had finished in Peggy's Snack Bar, it was time for some fun, so after collecting our tickets for the Santa's Grotto, we spent some time in the arcade enjoying some of the games and rides, before heading over to see Santa at 12pm.


For only £7.50 per ticket (or £5 for under 3's), each child gets to spend some quality time with Santa, a goody bag filled with tickets and gifts, tokens for the camel derby and rides, as well as the chance to choose your very own gift from Santa's workshop. Tickets can be purchased in person on the day, or alternatively they can be booked in advance online, however a small booking fee does apply. I thought that this price offered excellent value for money, so we couldn't wait to see if this was just as good as it sounded.


In my honest opinion, it actually far exceeded my expectations and as my children and I joined the queue, Riley excited looked around him at all of the decorations and reindeer. Everywhere he looked there were lights twinkling, mischevious elves hiding and Christmas trees galore. It was beautifully decorated and created a lovely festive atmosphere. We queued for around twenty minutes before it was our turn, which we were quite happy with as there was plenty to look at in the queue and we enjoyed chatting to Riley about what he was going to ask for off Santa. We could also see that families weren't being rushed, so we knew that we were going to get a nice amount of time with Santa to make it all the more special.


Once we reached the front of the queue a friendly and welcoming elf, invited us into Santa's workshop and Riley took a seat on the small bench next to him. Riley absolutely loves dinosaurs and had won a keyring on one of the machines earlier, so he began to show Santa and started talking all things prehistoric. Santa was absolutely brilliant with him and they had a good chat all about dinosaurs and the toys that Riley likes to play with. He asked him what he would like for Christmas and Riley asked for a large dinosaur playset, which Santa said he would try his best to do. The conversation flowed so easily and Riley, who is normally quite shy, really engaged well and thoroughly enjoyed the moment. He had a huge smile on his face the whole time and it really helped to make our visit quite magical.

My eldest two (although now past the age of believing in Santa) also had tickets, so that they could join in with the experience for Riley. My eldest son took his seat on the bench and we had a good laugh as Santa made some jokes and chatted to him in a way that was suitable for his age. This was great for us as it meant that my eldest two also really enjoyed it and each of my children left the workshop with huge smiles on their faces.


However, before we left, we were provided with a gift bag that contained some prize tickets and sweets and each of my children could also select a gift from the workshop. Riley chose a Car Garage Playset, Emma chose a giant Elf on the Shelf which is now perched on the top of one of our Christmas trees, whilst Ben chose a Car Racing Playset which he is donating to charity following a recent Christmas Toy Appeal that he saw before our visit.


Following our visit to Santa, we decided to try our luck at a game of bingo. We had been lucky enough to have won some games on our previous visit, so we were hoping that we could possibly win again. The bingo boards are all touch screen, which really helped Riley as he simply needed to tap his board and the numbers would auto-mark. The prize display looked fabulous and we loved how there was a Christmas and Winter theme with Santa toys and elves in abundance.


Ben managed to win his first game and received a prize ticket worth 50 points. The more points you collect then the bigger the prize you can claim and there is a great selection to choose from. Unfortunately we didn't win any other games, so I was a little worried that he wouldn't be able to find anything for 50 points, but there was still quite a few small prizes that were suitable and in the end he opted for a good quality Blackpool themed pen.


After our games of bingo, the children decided that they wanted to use their Santa's Grotto voucher to claim their free go on the Camel Derby. This is great fun and so simple to play, so it is suitable for the whole family to enjoy. All you have to do is roll balls as quickly as you can and get them into the coloured holes. The more balls you score, then the faster your camel runs in the race, so you have to be quick to compete against the other players and be the first to the finish line. Emma was delighted to win this on her first go, despite playing against several other people and she exchanged her win for a small cuddly toy.

We spent a further hour playing on the various 2p machines and ticket machines, to try and win as many tickets as possible to exchange in the shop. My children absolutely love 2p machines and they could spend hours playing on them. The machines at Coral Island are well stocked with plenty of keyrings or sweets on the edges to try and win. Ben and Riley won 18 prizes from the 2p machines alone and are now the proud owners of various themed keyrings.

Each of my children also had tickets to exchange at the prize shop, so before we left we used the ticket eaters to count our tickets and print a receipt. We then took the receipt to the prize shop and each of my children chose some prizes up to the value of the tickets. Coral Island has such a great selection of prizes that there really is something for everyone.


Due to having a full english breakfast at Peggy's Snack Bar earlier in the morning, we had skipped lunch, so were looking forward to a filling dinner before heading home. We ate in the Buccaneer Family Bar and Restaurant which is located within Coral Island and offers a great selection of family favourite meals to enjoy.

The menu is extensive and the Kids Eat Free offer applies in this restaurant too. It was very busy on the day of our visit, but we asked a member of staff to help us find a table and they soon found one available for us. We each took some time to look over the menu, before my husband went to the bar to place the order. The meals we ordered were 2 x Buccaneer Burgers, Steak and Chips, Scampi and Chips and my youngest had Chicken Nuggets from the children's menu. 

Despite the restaurant being full, we found the service to be very quick and we were served within 20 minutes. The food was absolutely delicious and we were all happy with our choices. A waitress also came over part way into the meal to check that everything was ok, which it most definitely was.


Overall we had a wonderful festive day at Coral Island Blackpool. We absolutely loved the Christmas Grotto and were so impressed with Santa. He was fabulous with the children and knew how to interact well with the different age groups. Riley loved chatting to him about dinosaurs, whilst my older two children enjoyed just having a laugh with him as he told some jokes and a funny story about him and Mrs Claus. His elf assistant was just as friendly and welcoming and this made for a fantastic family experience. I feel that the ticket price offers excellent value for money and there was a good selection of gifts to choose from. As well as the Santa's grotto, we enjoyed playing on the gamesm rides and 2p machines, and we found the whole place to be well maintained and immaculately kept. If you are looking for somewhere fun to visit this winter, that also has a wonderful Santa's Grotto, then Coral Island Blackpool is most definitely the place to be!

Santa's Grotto will be open every weekend until the 22nd December between 11am to 6pm. Tickets are available to purchase on the day subject to availability, or alternatively can be booked in advance online.

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

Website - www.coralisland.co.uk
Facebook - facebook.com/coralislandblackpool
Instagram - @CoralIslandBlackpool
Twitter - @LoveCoralIsland


*Disclaimer - AD - We were welcomed as guests of Coral Island for the purpose of writing an honest review of our experience. Our breakfast in Peggy's was purchased by ourselves. Opinions and photographs are my own unless otherwise stated. Details provided are believed to be correct at the time of writing, but are subject to change. I would therefore always recommend visiting the attractions own website in order to obtain the most up to date information.

Monday 1 October 2018

Winter Wonderland at St Luke's "Bombed-Out" Church, Liverpool 1st to 23rd December 2018 - Competition!

One of Liverpool's most iconic landmarks will be transformed into a magical, immersive, Christmas attraction for 2018.

St Luke's "Bombed-Out" Church, situated at the top of Bold Street, will be turned into a Winter Wonderland for almost four weeks this festive season and is set to become the 'must-visit' Christmas Grotto experience of the year in Liverpool.

Set against beautiful and atmospheric festive backdrops and with lots to explore, families will be escorted by an elf and immersed into their very own Christmas spectacular full of festive characters, workshops and fun activities.

Winter Wonderland at St Luke's "Bombed-Out" Church will take place between Saturday 1st December and Sunday 23rd December 2018, with sessions available to pre-book now.

Fondly known as the 'Bombed-Out' Church, St Luke's is one of Liverpool's best loved heritage sites. The festive attraction will transform St Luke's and its grounds in a way which has never been seen before. The interior of St Luke's will be transformed into a Winter Wonderland, where families can make their way through a whole host of activities which includes a special appointment with Santa during the experience.

Two-hour timeslots are available to book in advance and the Winter Wonderland ticket price includes Santa's Workshop where youngsters can make their own bauble or Christmas Card to take home; art sessions at Mrs Claus's Art Studio; build and dress up a snowbuddy in hats and scarves in the Snowland; storytelling in Storyland with characters; show off fun dance moves in the Silent Disco; and not forgetting a trip into Santa's Grotto with a gift and framed photograph with Santa to take home. Adults are also treated to a hot drink and mince pie.

Ms Christmas from Enchanted Productions said: "We are so excited to be bringing to Liverpool a brand-new, top-quality immersive Grotto experience that hasn't been seen before, and in such an iconic and historic location! It is going to be a really magical and unique attraction for the festive season, for the whole family to enjoy."

For further information, you can visit their social media channels which are:

Facebook - StLukesConservationTrust
Twitter - @bombedoutchurch

Listing Details

Event - Winter Wonderland at St Luke's "Bombed Out" Church
Dates - Saturday 1st December to Sunday 23rd December 2018
Tickets - Children £18.99 / Adults £12.99 / Family Ticket (2 adults, 2 children) £59.99
Early Bird Ticket Offer - Quote SANTA1 when booking for a 20% discount for the first two weeks on-sale. This will be valid for sessions booked for the first two weeks of December only (excluding weekends).
Booking - Bookings can be made online at www.ticketquarter.co.uk, by telephone on 0844 8000 410 or in person at the Liverpool Echo Arena Box Office - Kings Dock.

Photo credit: David Munn 

Competition

We also have a fantastic competition for our readers, offering you the chance to win a family ticket to Winter Wonderland at St Luke's "Bombed-Out" Church in Liverpool for either the 3rd, 4th or 5th of December 2018. Please read through the terms and conditions and then enter using the gleam app below. Good Luck!

Win a Family Ticket to Winter Wonderland at St Luke's "Bombed Out" Church, Liverpool

Terms and Conditions

  • There is 1 (one) prize of a family ticket (2 adults, 2 children) to attend the St Luke's "Bombed-Out" Church Winter Wonderland Grotto, for either the 3rd, 4th or 5th December 2018. Prize can be used on 1 (one) of these dates only and tickets are not transferable to an alternative date.
  • Entry is open to UK residents aged 18 years or over.
  • Competition closes on the 31st October 2018.
  • Winner will be drawn and notified within 3 working days of the closing date.
  • The winner shall have 7 (seven) days to respond to the winning notification and confirm their acceptance of the prize. Should the winner fail to respond, then an alternative winner shall be drawn from the remaining eligible entrants.
  • No bulk or third party entries.
  • Winner's details shall be shared with the promoter for the purpose of prize fulfilment and permission shall be obtained from the winner prior to doing so.
  • The family ticket is not transferable
  • If circumstances arise that prevent the event from going ahead as planned, then It's A Family Adventure accepts no liability and no alternative prize will be offered.
  • Entries shall be validated to confirm that the entry action has been completed as stated. Incorrect or invalid entries shall be removed.

Thursday 30 November 2017

Visiting Santa's Grotto at Bridgemere Garden Centre, Nantwich - A Review

When we woke last Saturday morning, we were shocked to find a thin layer of snow that had settled on the ground, which made the perfect start for our day out to see Santa. Riley became convinced that we were travelling to the North Pole as we ventured further into the Cheshire countryside and the snow, hail and sleet began to fall at regular intervals.

We stopped for breakfast along the way and Riley sat fascinated as he watched the snow fall outside, excited to continue his trip to the 'North Pole' to see Santa. There really is nothing more magical than a child who believes he is about to meet the real Santa and his elves.

Once we had continued on our journey, we noticed that there were regular signs for Bridgemere from the main road once we had passed through Crewe. Our sat nav has a habit of sending us down little lanes, so it is always more reassuring to see signs that show you are going the right way! A short while later we arrived and made our way into the huge car park. Having never visited Bridgemere before, we were a little unsure as to what to expect, but seeing how large the car park was, gave me the initial impression that this is certainly a very popular place.

It was bitterly cold so before we left the car, I made sure that the children all had their gloves and hats on to keep them warm. We then made our way into the centre, to have a look around prior to our 11:15am time slot.

I could have literally spent thousands of pounds there, as beautiful items lay displayed absolutely everywhere you turned. There were hundreds of wonderful gift ideas, as well as stunning collections of Christmas decorations, flowers and plants. We arrived about half an hour before our entry time, so we had a quick browse around, whilst the children excitedly looked at all the different kinds of baubles that were available.




As our time slot approached, we made our way over to the beautiful grotto, where we were greeted by a lovely friendly elf, who brought some chocolates over to the children and made conversation with them all. Riley was so excited to be talking to a 'real' elf and he told her what he was hoping for from Santa on Christmas Day. I was already very impressed by the set up and the welcome we received and right from the beginning all the children were made to feel special and welcome.


Once all the guests for our time slot had arrived, we were invited into the cottage where we were told about the magic that could take place. We had not been expecting this and simply thought we would go straight through to Santa so this was a lovely surprise and made the experience much more interesting. The elf told the children that they could each plant a magic seed by collecting a pot, planting the seed and then enclosing it in sparkly paper. Whilst the children did this, the adults wrote each child's name on a stick, which was then placed into the pot.



Once all the children in our group had planted their magic seeds, another elf appeared at the door, who told us that Santa had fallen asleep and needed to be woken up. He encouraged the children to shout 'Wake up Santa' and after a couple of attempts, Riley was delighted to hear a very merry "Ho, Ho, Ho", from the other side of the door. We were all then invited in, where Santa gave us a lovely welcome.


The children were then all invited to place their magic seeds and pots, into the magic cupboard, where some mystifying trickery would take place. Once all the pots had been placed in the cupboard, everyone was encouraged to take a good look around the Grotto, spend some time with Santa himself, or go and select a special Christmas gift from the huge range that was available.



It was clear that a lot of effort had been put into the decorating of the grotto, with Christmas ornaments galore in beautiful and carefully created displays. It really was a lovely setting and we all enjoyed having a good look around Santa's home.

My children were also very excited by the gifts that were on offer. Children were welcome to pick something of their choosing from the large display and I was very impressed by the choice and quality of gifts that were available. There was something for all ages and I felt that this was a nice way of doing things so that children can pick something that they really like.


Once everyone had spent some time with Santa, one of the elves called us back over to the magic cupboard. To our surprise, the magic seeds had turned into real miniature Christmas trees. This was such a lovely touch and my children were delighted to be handed their own special tree. We thought that this was the end of the experience, so we were very surprised to then be led into another room, where the kids then had the chance to decorate their trees.

There was a nice selection of streamers and craft supplies and I made stars out of sparkly pipe cleaners to go on the tops of the trees.



The Santa's Grotto at Bridgemere Garden Centre costs £10 per child, which I think is excellent value for money given the experience the children get and the gifts that they get to take away with them. My children were delighted with their mini Christmas trees and couldn't wait to show their grandparents when they got home. If you would like to visit the Santa's Grotto, then Bridgemere recommend that you book online to secure your slot, which can be done via their website here: Wyevale Garden Centres

The Little Diggers Santa's Grotto Experience is also available at the following Wyevale Garden Centres: Andover, Bicester, Birchencliffe, Bridgemere, Cadbury, Carr Gate, Endsleigh, Huntingdon, Pennine, Podington, World's End.

Attraction details

Attraction - Bridgemere Garden Centre Santa's Grotto
Address - Bridgemere Garden World, Bridgemere, Nantwich, CW5 7QB
Cost - £10 per child
Dates - Daily from 1st December to 24th December
Times - Opening times vary, so please check their booking page for availability here: Tickets
Website - Wyevale Garden Centres
Twitter - @WyevaleGC
Facebook - Bridgemere - A Wyevale Garden Centre


Disclaimer: We were invited as guests to experience Bridgemere's Santa's Grotto for the purpose of providing an honest review of our experience. Opinions and photographs are my own unless otherwise stated.

Tuesday 6 December 2016

Santa's Magical Grotto - Liverpool Town Hall

It is a tradition for our family to visit a Santa's Grotto, and we like to try somewhere new each year. I am really enjoying the festive season so far, as my youngest son who is 3, is really starting to enjoy Christmas and has been learning all about the true meaning of Christmas in nursery as well as making lots of craft and talking excitedly about Santa. He was therefore really happy when I told him that we were going to see Santa on Sunday.

The traditional style grotto is housed in The Crypt of the Town Hall, and after being greeted by Santa's Elves, you can follow the Santa trail through a festive fantasy world featuring reindeers, fairytale characters, candy canes and giant gingerbread men.


Santa's Magical Grotto has been described as being bigger and better than ever for Christmas 2016, and it is open each weekend from 26th November to the 11th December and will then be open daily from Friday 16th December to Friday 23rd December.

Lord Mayor, Counciller Roz Gladden, said "Liverpool Town Hall is a Liverpool Landmark - so where better to bring your family and enjoy a traditional magical grotto".

"This year, our excited young visitors (and old ones too!), can look forward to meeting Father Christmas in the grand surrounds of Liverpool Town Hall. We look forward to ensuring everyone has a truly magical time".

We live in North Wales, but Liverpool is within easy travelling distance at only 45 minutes by train or car, and so after reading all about Santa's Magical Grotto in Liverpool, we decided to pay a visit. We often choose to travel by train as the kids really enjoy it, it is more cost effective and there is no worry about finding somewhere to park.


We arrived at the Town Hall just after 10:30am, it was very busy outside due to an event taking place and so I couldn't see any signage other than it was the town hall, so I wasn't entirely sure if we had the right entrance. However, it soon became apparent that we did, as when the door was opened two friendly elves came dashing towards us. The elves were full of enthusiasm and chatted away to the kids. I really enjoyed the fact that the experience began as soon as you walked through the doors, and my son was so happy to have met an actual *real elf!

As we were walking through the festive decorations, our elf guide asked our names and whether we thought we were on the good or naughty list this year. We were then encouraged to shout "SANTA" before being led into his cosy grotto. My son couldn't wait to tell Santa what was on his Christmas list, and I was a little bit worried about what is response would be as my son wants a Dolls House and a Kitchen, and quite a few people have proclaimed (much to my annoyance) that these are girls toys. I was relieved when Santa exclaimed "Well isn't that lovely, I will do my very best to bring you those toys on Christmas Eve as long as you're a very good boy." I was delighted with this reply as my son was grinning from ear to ear and my daughter loved seeing her little brother enjoy the experience so much.


Both children were provided with an early Christmas gift that was neatly wrapped, and I took a picture of the children side by side with Santa. When we left we took some more time to have a closer look at the decorations and take some photos. It was really quiet when we were there so the elves said that we were fine to take a good look and get some pictures.


As we left a lady approached and asked if we wanted to purchase our photograph, however no-one had taken our photo whilst we were there, nor was it mentioned to us whilst in the grotto, so I am not sure if the photographer had just popped out, or simply hadn't been made aware that we were there. This wasn't an issue though as the lady did kindly offer for us to go back down and have our photo taken, but it was at this point I was informed that there was an additional charge for this so I politely declined. I have read a few press reports on the event and note that none of the ones I have read mention the additional charge, so just to make you aware it is £6 for one photo or £10 for two.


For guaranteed entry, tickets can be purchased in advance via Ticketquarter and are priced at £8.25 per child which includes meeting Santa Claus, a selection box, and two accompanying adults (there is a cost of £1.50 for any additional adults). There are also a number of on the day tickets available at a slightly lower price of £7.50 but queues are likely at busier times.

My children really enjoyed the experience, and the elves were all really enthusiastic and friendly, which immediately made my son Riley feel at ease, as he is often very shy with strangers, but he chatted away to the elves and told them his name and age. As we were leaving one of the elves also approached us again, and asked if we had enjoyed meeting Santa and wished us a Merry Christmas.

Once outside I agreed that the children could open their gifts early, so they both unwrapped their presents and chose one of the chocolates to eat whilst we continued our day out in Liverpool and headed to Dreamworks Lights at St Georges Hall.




* Disclaimer - It was not a real elf (or was it????)
I was provided with complimentary tickets for the purpose of providing an honest review of the attraction. All opinions are my own.