Last Updated on 2 October 2023 by Colette
This post features gifted experiences
This December, Silcock’s Winter Wonderland Manchester returns after a 4-year gap to EventCity next to the Trafford Centre in Manchester – and we went along to the opening night to find out more!
Silcock’s Winter Wonderland offers a festive family experience with over 50 rides and attractions all under one roof – the majority of which are included in your ticket price. Tickets aren’t cheap but if you start adding up the individual cost of how many rides our kids went on while we were there, it suddenly doesn’t seem so bad!
Tips for visiting Silcock’s Winter Wonderland Manchester
Get there early to secure a parking space – there might be 3000 free parking spaces but they seem to fill up quickly! (Or consider getting the tram as there’s a stop just across the road from Event City – you’ll avoid all the heavy December Trafford Centre traffic that way too!)
Eat before you go – there’s loads of food on offer, from German sausages to waffles and crepes but it’s very expensive – almost £15 for a pizza or £8.50 for some cheesy chips and a fizzy drink! Dave and I enjoyed gyros at £7 – I definitely wouldn’t want to be feeding a family of five there!
Be prepared for the pester power – almost as soon as you walk through the door you’ll be assaulted by exciting games stalls offering you the chance to win a teddy the size of your child if you pop sixteen balloons with a dart – I exaggerate but you get what I’m saying. From the moment we walked through the door, all Chloe wanted to do was win a husky dog! Take a quick right off this main entrance area and you’ll avoid most of them.
Make sure you check out the timings for the Christmas Pantomime and Christmas circus – we missed both! (Though I must admit we weren’t at all bothered – the kids were more excited by the rides than anything else.)
If you want to see Father Christmas, you need to work out where he is and plan this in to your slot, we forgot he was even there until we were leaving so he can’t have been all that obvious! I have it on good authority that it’s a lovely experience though.
If you have older children head towards the back right hand side of the event – this is where the biggest, most exciting rides are. Conveniently placed near the bar so if they are old enough, and sensible enough, you can pretty much let them go while you enjoy a pint or two!
Don’t go on the anti gravity ride three times in a row – you’ll be sick as one of Jenny’s kids can attest to!
Make sure you’ve got your NHS Covid pass ready – either with proof of vaccine or negative LFT. Ours weren’t checked on the night but you don’t want to get caught out.
Winter Wonderland Manchester runs from Saturday 4th December 2021 to Sunday 2nd January 2022.
Tickets are priced from £32 per person. There are reductions for family tickets, key workers, senior citizens etc. Your ticket price includes parking, entry to the event, all the shows and rides. What it doesn’t include is any of the games or food – both of which are, in my opinion, obscenely expensive so be prepared!
Why not read one of these posts next:
Christmas days out in the Manchester area
The best places to visit Father Christmas in Manchester
Ice skating in Manchester this Christmas
Our Ultimate Guide to Christmas
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It was an excellent evening, and brilliant to see you guys 🙂 And who knew you really would throw up if you went on the big kid rides too many times? 😀