Thoughts on Hyde Park Winter Wonderland?

[Squrmyweesl]

So, what are everyone's thoughts on the ride lineup? It doesn't seem to change much from year to year, nothing new this time AFAIK - so for me the only coasters worth riding are Munich Looping, Wilde Maus XXL (the terrifying untrimmed daddy of all wild mice) and perhaps more controversially, Euro Coaster. But without the Looping, I probably wouldn't go at all.

Also many flat rides, some huge - are there any that you enjoy? I don't really trust tall flats at fairgrounds but might check out the Mondial turbine Blizzard this year, it looks pretty wild but also potentially very nauseating. Maybe on an empty stomach...

IMO, pros of HPWW as a whole are:
- Location
- Unusually large ride offering for a temporary funfair
- Surprise rare credit - one of only two Reverchon 'gliding' inverted wild mouse coasters ever made (Euro Coaster)
- ...Uh.

Cons:
- Needing to book a ticket these days, sometimes with a £5 - £7.50 fee depending on day/time, just to get in
- Ridiculous food/drink prices even for a London event, and it's not good food
- Charmless atmosphere
- No wristbands available, individual ride prices pretty high - though this does seem justified for something like the Looping given the showmen had to transport and construct 900 tonnes of giant steel meccano for a pretty short operating run
- Same rides every year
- Very overcrowded at peak times

 

[Will]

Overpriced and hellishly busy.

I've done it in a group of CFers a few times, but I confess I've never particularly enjoyed it - I'm glad I ticked off Munich Looping though and if Hollenblitz came to town, I'd be straight down there.

I did a VERY big spinning booster type thing last year which I confess scared the crap out of me.

 

[emoo]

I've not done OLYMPIA Looping for a few years now as an annoying amount has already been spent riding both here and in Europe. Plus those queues have been off putting even if I'm in the mood to spend another tenner + on literally the best traveling coaster in so many metrics.

A similar ride line up each time is fine, that's a theme park. The thing we like. Adding a cred here and there is the biggest draw right now other than bar hopping (the rotating ones make me so happy) and seeing some cool lights.

I'd be more into it if I wasn't alone trying to dash through the slow moving clump of people randomly darting into my chosen path without looking.

Grumbles aside its pretty spectacular that London gets a genuinely huge event each year rivalling Europe and outdoing most with the funfair.

 

[Squrmyweesl]

I did a VERY big spinning booster type thing last year which I confess scared the crap out of me.

Haha, yeah that was probably Blizzard - it does look terrifying, but the way it's driven by the fans on each end is so cool. Did you find it caused any motion sickness? (If that's something you ever get on rides)

 

[Will]

^
I think it was the one called Airborne. I did need a sit down afterwards...

 

[Smithy]

We turned up last year as we were in London for the day and got caught out by the need to pre-book tickets. As soon as we saw you had to pay, we turned round and went on our way.

I get it, it got to the stage where they couldn't handle the numbers that would turn up particularly on evenings and weekends, but after I'd got all the creds my only real interest in visiting was to wander around, take in the atmosphere and maybe get the odd thing or ride here and there.

Wouldn't be surprised to see it gone within the next few years as it starts to price itself out of the market.

 

[JoshC.]

It's not really my thing.

Then again, as a whole, London isn't really my thing. I live in Surrey. I can get to London Waterloo in just over 40 minutes, door to door, but maybe go into London once or twice a year. It's expensive and busy and generally just eurgh.

Winter Wonderland is much the same in that regard.

I've only ever been 4 times, and each time I've never really enjoy it that and much, and have resented the high costs. I think I've got all the creds that are there, and there's nothing drawing me back. Also, as someone who doesn't like spinning rides, many of the flat rides are a flat-out no. I'm sure I'll return at some point when the time gets to it, but right now, nah.

At the same time, it is a good thing to have, as mentioned above. It's a big fair, which in terms of ride line up, rivals the biggest and best out there. So it's a major plus for industry.

I'm slightly surprised the entrance upcharge has remained (it was introduced under the guise of a Covid regulation), but I guess for now it's still working. I think as an event it's reached its peak in terms of size and numbers and profitability, but I expect it to remain at that level for many years to come yet.

 

[Niles]

Last year I went off peak and looking they still do these days free entry, also with paid entry days if you book enough attractions before hand you can also get in free so i dont mind it so much, if i do go i try to go when its quiet.

Last year i thought it was fine, did the Starflyer because i love a high one, picked up a cred i did not have and did Dr Archibald Vr ride which was.....megh. This year there is nothing to bring me back, costs for each ride are a bit high but a new intresting coaster would bring me back, something like Drifting coaster, Hollenblitz, Alpina bahn, and i would go.

Also i believe Winter wonderland have a contract till 2032 so as long as the people come its here for a while.

 

[Squrmyweesl]

Last year i thought it was fine, did the Starflyer because i love a high one, picked up a cred i did not have and did Dr Archibald Vr ride which was.....megh. This year there is nothing to bring me back, costs for each ride are a bit high but a new intresting coaster would bring me back, something like Drifting coaster, Hollenblitz, Alpina bahn, and i would go.

Oh God, Dr Archibald... I hated that ride! It fools you with the amazing steampunk owl facade out front, makes the ride itself even more of a letdown. Never again

 

[Matt N]

I must admit that I don’t really get the hype myself, based on the one time I went.

I went to the 2019 event in January 2020, and while I had a nice time and was glad I went, it’s not somewhere I’d rush back to. It’s undeniably impressive, but not really my sort of thing.

Olympia Looping is a very impressive coaster and a true feat of engineering, but I controversially didn’t really rate it as an actual ride experience. The other coasters there are just different permutations of wild mouse coasters, a ride style which I don’t personally rate at all. As a fan of a drop tower, HangOver was admittedly very good, but I’m not generally big on flat rides other than that, so not a lot else there really appeals to me.

I also to remember it being very expensive; I think 7 rides cost something like £60, and this was back in 2019. I understand why it’s expensive, but from my personal standpoint, I can get into a permanent theme park that I’d likely get more out of for quite a bit less money.

I don’t deny that it’s brilliant that we have an event like Winter Wonderland in the UK, but it’s not really my cup of tea and it’s not somewhere I’m clamouring to go back to nearly 5 years on from my visit. I might go back if they got another of the big names in the travelling coaster world there (e.g. Alpina Bahn, Hollenblitz), but unless that happens, I don’t see myself returning any time soon.

 

[Squrmyweesl]

Olympia Looping is a very impressive coaster and a true feat of engineering, but I controversially didn’t really rate it as an actual ride experience. The other coasters there are just different permutations of wild mouse coasters, a ride style which I don’t personally rate at all. As a fan of a drop tower, HangOver was admittedly very good, but I’m not generally big on flat rides other than that, so not a lot else there really appeals to me.

Yeah, I'm not really into wild mice either so it's a shame the lineup isn't a bit more varied - I didn't actually enjoy Wilde Maus XXL that much, those insanely fast hairpins at that elevation are quite aaargh, but it does have more going for it than most of that type. Shame you didn't enjoy the Looping... I do personally, but it was the first inverting coaster I ever rode so it'll be interesting to see how it compares now after doing lots of other ones. It must be getting quite old now, so if it's still running well it'll be impressive!

They did used to get a Pinfari called Thriller/Alpine Thriller which wasn't a wild mouse, it was a sort of moderately-sized, aggressive sit-down thing which I just remember being unexpectedly fast and brutal, like a family coaster for people who hate their families. I liked it, apparently it's been scrapped now though.

Totally agree that most theme parks would offer better value, but with most of those being shut here at this time of year it's nice to have an option!