With fairground rides, an ice-skating rink, circus, panto and Santa – Manchester’s Winter Funland offers families an action-packed Christmas experience.
Winter Funland is taking place at EventCity, intu Trafford Centre, Greater Manchester, until early January, providing an indoor festive extravaganza.
Our verdict
This year we’re spoiled for choice in the North West and Midlands when it comes to festive family experiences. There are so many available that it’s tricky to decide which ones to pick. But with an active nine-year-old who loves the build-up to Christmas, Winter Funland was top of our list.
We chose a Sunday for our visit and arranged to take Ewan’s 10-year-old friend, Ethan. The journey to EventCity by car from Nantwich, Cheshire, took about an hour.
Unfortunately, we didn’t read the website information correctly in advance and arrived about 10.30am, which only left us three hours to enjoy the attraction (the session ran from 9.30am to 1.30pm).
But once inside Winter Funland, we were like kids in a candy shop (including me and my husband). The huge space was filled with fairground rides and stalls, and because everything was indoors, we paid to leave our coats in the cloakroom.
We began by taking a wander, so the boys could decide what they wanted to do. The rides were a big draw, and both Ewan and Ethan (and the grown-ups) tried several of them, with the rollercoasters and the inflatable obstacle game, ‘Meltdown’, being especially popular.
There were traditional favourites including a funhouse, carousel and helter-skelter, alongside winter-themed attractions such as an ice slide and an ice-skating rink.
Entry is all-inclusive of the rides and entertainment (including the panto and circus). But it’s a good idea to bring cash with you because certain things are extra, such as the fairground stalls, food, drinks and presents from Santa’s Grotto. (I think these extras are all cash-only, and although there are cash machines within the venue, I believe there’s a fee.)
For lunch, my husband and the boys opted for pizza, while I chose a burger and chips. However, there were plenty of food options available, as well as a bar.
I was tempted by the ice rink, but we were running out of time, so I headed for the circus, while the boys decided to try more of the rides.
I caught a few of the circus acts, including a clown, acrobats and stunt motorcyclists, who were all fantastic, but I’m afraid we missed the panto.
We did, however, visit Santa’s Grotto in the late morning, when, to our delight, there was no queue. This was a lovely experience, with Ewan, of course, enquiring to the man himself, ‘Is your beard real?’
We didn’t feel rushed in the grotto, but Ewan wasn’t too impressed with his present, which cost £3 (but then, it’s all about the experience rather than the gift, right?).
To sum up, we all had a wonderful morning and were grateful there were hardly any queues – a massive bonus. And it was lovely that it didn’t feel crowded. However, at around £90 for a family ticket, the event may be out of many people’s price range.
My tips would be to make sure you arrive in time, so you get your full four hours, and to visit Santa’s Grotto halfway through the session (the queues are apparently longest at the start and end).
Winter Funland offers a fun-packed – if pricey – festive family experience.
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When is Winter Funland?
It opened on 6 December 2019 and runs until 4 January 2020. There are two sessions available most days, with each session lasting four hours.
Where is it?
EventCity (opposite the intu Trafford Centre)
Phoenix Way
Off Barton Dock Road
TRAFFORDCITY
Manchester
M41 7TB
(satnav: M17 8AS)
How much are tickets?
- Family (either two adults and two children or one adult and three children) – £89, plus £3.50 booking fee
- Adult – £23.50, plus £1.50 booking fee
- Child (three years old or over) – £23.50, plus £1.50 booking fee
- Under 3s – free entry (ticket required)
- Carer – free entry (ticket required)
- Santa Fast Pass – £3, plus 30p booking fee
How do I book?
For tickets, click here.
Things to note:
- Adults can only be admitted when accompanied by a child
- There are 3,000 free car parking spaces
- A ticket is valid for one session of activities
- Disabled parking is available in the EventCity car park
- The venue is fully wheelchair-accessible and there are disabled toilets inside EventCity
- The nearest rail station is Urmston, and the venue is a short drive from all central Manchester train stations
- There are numerous bus routes that regularly stop outside EventCity, see stagecoachbus.com for more information
- The venue is indoors
- There’s a cloakroom, charged at £1 per item
- There are baby-changing facilities and a breast-feeding area within the event
By Colette Warbrook
You may also want to read this:
Review: Magical Christmas Woodland Adventure at Blakemere Village
Restaurant Review: Christmas Feast at Comptoir Libanais in Manchester
Christmas Gift Guide – Gifts For Teens
Photo credit: Winter Funland
* We were provided with press tickets in exchange for a review. All opinions are our own.
