What your day at Winter Wonderland REALLY prices: How a household of 4 would face astronomical invoice at Christmas attraction earlier than they’ve even sat on a single experience

Christmas may or may not be the most wonderful time of the year, as the old seasonal hit would have it, but for visitors to Hyde Park’s annual Winter Wonderland festival it is definitely the most expensive.

With a cup of hot chocolate coming in at eye-watering £9.50 and hot dogs costing as much as £16, London’s popular Yuletide attraction is fast becoming the sole preserve of wealthy tourists – and the bane of financially overstretched families.

Winter Wonderland includes an array of fairground rides, an ice kingdom and a Christmas market.

But whether a family of four would have enough left over to enjoy any of those offerings after paying for admission, food and drink is another matter.

An off-peak visit including a hot dog each, two soft drinks for the children, a beer and a mulled wine for the parents, and churros with Kinder sauce for dessert, would cost a minimum of £97.

That price assumes the visit takes place during the reduced off-peak times of 10am and 2pm on one of 16 specific dates – failing which, there would be an admission charge of up to £7.50 for both children and adults, adding another £30 to the bill.

The calculation also assumes the family purchases a Bavarian village food package, which allows adults to wash down a bratwurst with their choice of a beer, wine, mulled wine, or single spirit and mixer for £15. Children receive a choice of soft drinks to accompany their hot dog, at a price of £11.50 each.

As this graphic shows, the potential cost of a peak-time visit to Winter Wonderland for a family of four, including food, drink and rides, comes in at an eye-watering £262.50

Warming hot chocolates will set you back £9.50 at Winter Wonderland, where even funky hats made to look like animals come with a sky-high price tag of £25

In one German-themed restaurant, bratwurst with fries were on sale for £18.50

If the items were purchased individually – with two hot chocolates for the children, the bratwursts substituted for hot dogs at £16 a pop, and the churros replaced with a shared dessert of two Nutella and banana crepes at £10 each – the cost would climb to a staggering £143.50.

That total also assumes that Dad treats himself to a pint of Thor’s Hammer beer at £12. 

Factor in the price of rides, and the bill rises considerably. 

An off-peak, fast-track family ticket for the giant wheel comes in at £36, rising to as much as £48 during peak periods.

Similarly, an off-peak ice skating ticket for a family of four costs £34, climbing to £46 at peak times – with an additional fee of £2 per item for the cloakroom, where all bags and large items must be left.

Throw in a couple of goes on the real ice slide for the kids – £5 a head for children and adults at all times – and the total cost of the three rides, at peak time, would be £108.

It means a peak-time visit to Winter Wonderland for a family of four, with all tickets purchased on the day, would come in at a whopping £262.50.

The high prices did little to deter visitors last week, however, when huge queues snaked around Hyde Park as people sought an early festive fix as the event opened. 

Lisa, Allie and Lynne travelled more than 4,200 miles to enjoy the revelry, flying in from the US state of Georgia for a trip that was months in the making.

‘I came for the biggest Christmas market,’ said Lisa. ‘We planned this trip six months ago. I’m a big Christmas fan – got my Christmas sweater, my Christmas hat in my rucksack!

‘We can’t wait to get inside – it looks amazing. This was 50% of the reason to come here!’ 

Lisa (right) Allie (left) and Lynne (centre) travelled more than 4,200 miles to see the Winter Wonderland – flying into London from the US state of Georgia to enjoy the show

Hot dogs cost as much as £16 at Winter Wonderland – leaving a family of four facing a hefty bill

Purchase a pint of Thor’s Hammer beer at the Christmas jamboree and it will set you back £12

Others were less easily seduced by Winter Wonderland’s promise of making ‘magical memories with your loved ones’.

‘I’ve got no interest in it and it’s too expensive,’ said a Transport for London employee working outside the event. ‘It’s ridiculous, it’s too much.

‘It’s all right for a tourist or one person, but for families!

‘It’s going to be expensive, because it’s in London, but you’ve got to be interested in rides if you want to go.’

A spokesperson for Hyde Park Winter Wonderland said: ‘We strive to create a magical experience for visitors, with the best attractions and a wide selection of food and drinks at a range of price points.

‘Our pricing is benchmarked in line with other temporary events and winter attractions in London and we offer discounts on food and beverage, as well as retail, and off-peak attractions and games bundles on selected days.

‘Despite rising event costs, our entry ticket prices have not increased since 2021, prices for the majority of rides, attractions and games have remained in line with last year, and we continue to offer thousands of free off-peak entry tickets and various free activities and entertainment.’

Winter Wonderland added that the prices quoted are premium options or items with additional toppings, with their ‘standardised prices’ lower.