Hyde Park Winter Wonderland in London

If you love the theme park atmosphere and Christmas, then the seasonal experience of Hyde Park Winter Wonderland in London is for you!

My husband and I go to this festive event every year. I grew up in Daytona Beach, Florida which is 60 miles from Orlando. It’s undeniably the theme park capital of the world. In fact, I worked at Universal Studios for a few years after finishing my internship with NBC News London Bureau, where I met ‘Mr Sunny’.

And… I LOVE CHRISTMAS! So- this is the activity I look forward to the most annually during Christmas in London.

Watch the Hyde Park Winter Wonderland in London Experience

If you want to literally see how much fun this holiday event is in London, then I have you covered. Mr Sunny and I filmed all the highlights of food, rides and markets and published it on the Sunny News channel.

Admission Winter Wonderland in London

After the 2020 closure due to the pandemic, there were some big changes to this annual Christmas activity in London.

Foremost, you must book your tickets in advance online. I literally booked ours the first day it is possible in early August. I know to do this because I subscribe to their email.

The biggest variable for you is really the weather when choosing a date to attend.

When you book tickets you must choose one of three entry times: 10am, 1pm and 5pm. No matter what time you enter, you can stay until the event closes that evening. We usually choose 1pm find it works really well. It allowed us to both experience Hyde Park Winter Wonderland in London both during daylight hours and night.

You do know that it gets dark around 4pm in the winter in London, right?

Since we are equally as excited about food and drink as we are the rides, Mr Sunny and I book a package at the Bavarian Village. This is because if you spend £20 on any attractions, rides or games online in advance, your entrance ticket is free when booked in the same transaction.

Our total one year was £33. This is the breakdown.

• 1 Adult/teen Entry (standard) £5, 1 Adult/teen entry (standard) free
• Booking fee £3
• Food package from 10am, Bavarian Village Food package, 2 x Food to Go Bratwurst Deal- Alcoholic Drink £25

If you don’t book any additional items, then entry is free during off-peak periods and costs £5 or £7.50 for peak periods.

Thoughts on Admission

No one ever wants to pay for something that previously was free. However, after we arrived at 1pm on Friday 19th November in 2021 for the first year of this process, we saw the difference it made.

As Mr Sunny commented, ‘This is far more civilised.’ And I agree completely.

Since you can’t just rock up to the gate, it eliminates a lot of last minute visitors. It also seemed to cut down on the amount of pick pockets.

Personally, I would happily pay this entry charge with the option of having it waived by spending a certain amount. Being able to walk through easily from the Christmas market booths to the food stalls to the rides is a refreshing change.

What do you think? Leave me your ideas in the comments.

Food at Hyde Park in Winter Wonderland in London

Christmas market food always has a special place in my heart. Maybe I should say stomach?

We traditionally enjoy Bratwurst sausage and crepes when we visit Hyde Park Winter Wonderland in London. It’s always a bit of a mystery on how to use our pre-paid vouchers when you go the first day it opens each year.

People working at the food stalls in the Bavarian Village don’t always know what to do with them. However, eventually someone figures it out for you. We usually get Bratwurst and you can see, Mr Sunny’s Bratwurst and mountain of sauerkraut in the above YouTube video.

I also usually get a crepe each year. I love them so much we bought a crepe pan during the pandemic and try to make them at home. (If you have any tips on how to perfect one- I would be grateful if you left them in the comments.)

Later in the evening on our annual visit we check out the Street Food Festival that’s been added to Winter Wonderland. Below is a scoop of mac and cheese from the Mac Factory. Yum!

Some of the food companies you will find there are: Halal Guys, Doughlads, Meltsmiths, El Pollote, Freewheelin’ Pizza, Truffle, STAKEhaus, E8Fish and Oh My Dog! The big star seems to be EL&N cafe.

Thoughts on Food at Hyde Park Winter Wonderland in London

It’s fair food. Pun intended.

Expect food that’s kind of warm but not hot and sitting outside all day. You know you will pay a lot more than what it is actually worth but that’s part of the experience at a theme park, isn’t it?

However, as indicated, the Street Food Festival really is a nice addition. And since there is staggered admission that’s no longer free, there was plenty of space to sit and enjoy our food while we were there.

But- if you’re a bit OCD like me, you’ll want to make sure you have hand sanitiser and wipes with you at all times. We’ve noticed that the benches and tables aren’t always being wiped off as quickly as one would hope.

Drinks at Hyde Park Winter Wonderland in London

Mr Sunny skipped his annual Stein at Hyde Park Winter Wonderland last year. But, we did make our yearly pilgrimage to the Carousel Bar, Santa’s Pub and our favourite- Thor’s Tipi. It is very ironic, but we found the most ‘chill’ atmosphere in the later which features a warm, cosy environment with tons of mulled wine, hot chocolate and Prosecco.

Worthy of a special mention is Bar Ice. It’s billed as the ‘coolest’ bar at Winter Wonderland and as an insta-worthy haven. We opted to skip it because twice we had been to the Ice Bar in London. Sadly, this bar on Heddon Street closed during the pandemic.

If you’ve never done anything like it- I would highly suggest booking a session during your Hyde Park Winter Wonderland in London visit. Bar Ice sessions are 20 minutes long, just like they were at the venue Mr Sunny and I experienced. While you might think the -10°C would be unbearable, the gear they give you makes it easy to enjoy your plunge.

Thoughts on Food at Hyde Park Winter Wonderland in London

Keep an eye on your bank card when you go to Hyde Park Winter Wonderland. Those drinks, no matter what location you hit, add up really fast the next day when you aren’t using cash.

Rides at Hyde Park Winter Wonderland in London

I am most critical of this area of Hyde Park Winter Wonderland in London. When you grow up visiting the world’s most perfect theme park experience (Walt Disney World), it’s tough to have any other place measure up to your normal.

For this reason, I hesitate to go on too many rides at temporary amusement parks. While I am sure they undergo rigorous inspections when being built, I just don’t have too much faith in their structure.

Plus, you will pay a HEFTY price for a ride at Hyde Park Winter Wonderland in London.

A simply must-do is The Giant Wheel. We rode this with a VIP champagne package the year we got engaged. Unfortunately, it was a windy and cloudy evening so my lack of faith in rides mentioned above created a terror in me that did interfere with the ability to enjoy the ride.

However, I’ve seen a lot of people’s photos from The Giant Wheel this year and it looks like on a clear night, the views of Hyde Park and surrounding London area are incredible. This ride also had the longest line later in the evening. But, they do offer Fast Track passes.

While initially criticising the astronomical price of the Munich Looping ride, we did splurge for it at the end of our visit. It’s a famous ride popular from Oktoberfest and is the world’s largest transportable roller coaster.

Aside from these two rides, everything else you find is conventional fun fair attractions.

Thoughts on Rides

This is where you will spend the most money fast. In fact, just a few rides will put you over the ticket price for a full day at Universal Studios Orlando or the Disney theme parks. Choose your adventures carefully!

Every year I have been curious about the Haunted Mansion. Again, this can be attributed to the one I knew and loved at Walt Disney World.

Last year I finally ticked it off my bucket list, and it was a complete waste of money. Without a doubt- skip the Haunted Mansion at Hyde Park Winter Wonderland in London.

Final Thoughts

To get the most out of your experience at Hyde Park Winter Wonderland in London, we absolutely suggest the 1pm time to book your tickets. Figure the visit will cost around £150 if you want to have two snacks each, a few drinks and 4-5 rides.

I didn’t even get to the Christmas markets in this article feature. That would certainly add more to your trip.

What do you think, Sunny friends? Is a visit to Hyde Park Winter Wonderland in London on your horizon this year?

If you’re interested in more updates about holiday festivities, I have plenty of Christmas in London articles for you. And, to keep informed of when tickets go on sale for these events and all things to do in London, subscribe to my weekly email- the Sunny News.