Reviewed by The Magic Hatter
The Hatter family were invited to attend a special preview of the new Christmas Den Experience at William’s Den. But was it a Christmas cracker or a bit of a turkey?
Here’s our verdict…
Deck the Halls
We regularly visit William’s Den throughout the year. It’s one of our favourite play areas, especially because staff actively encourage parents to join in, get messy, and play too! From the rustic wooden adventure play area indoors to den building, mud kitchens, rope swings and more outside, we always have a great day but hadn’t previously visited at Christmas…
The Den has been transformed for December with towering, twinkling trees, giant nutcrackers and colourful but elegant decorations.
The majority of the Christmas experience takes place in the re-themed Hideout area, and the transformation is stunning! A lot of care and attention to detail has gone into the theming and decor, and the quality really shines through.
We were met by Snowball the Elf who led us through the workshop door into the beautifully decorated space. Regular visitors will barely recognise the Hideout, now bedecked with benches, trees, presents, a fireplace, and lots of fairy lights. Warm, cosy and magical!
Elf Control
The elves led a series of activities such as giving each child an elf name and sticker, reading letters, magically making a teddy bear and a present passing game with all the children involved up at the front. However, there was no pressure for the children to join in, and the elves coped well with a wandering child interested in the decorations instead.
Even for a dress rehearsal, the elves were good at going off-script to accommodate children’s suggestions…my youngest suggested a different song to what I think they had planned, but they ran with it! This shows they were really listening to the children, and that this isn’t just a production line type of event where groups are rushed in and out.
Each child became an honorary elf and received a beautiful certificate, hand-signed by Jingle the elf and Father Christmas.
But the festive fun didn’t stop there…
Sugar and Spice
Soon, Mrs Claus arrived and needed help to decorate her gingerbread men, and the honorary elves were happy to oblige!
Messy, sticky fun then a sweet treat to eat as Mrs Claus captivated the children with a little festive storytelling. We were especially impressed with Mrs Claus, she was endearing, believable and immaculately dressed in plush velvet and fur.
Father Christmas
We were soon joined by the big man in red himself. After a little interaction with Mrs Claus, he sat by the fire and took time to find out what each child wanted for Christmas, before leading a singalong of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. It was a nice touch that he handed out the ‘heart of Christmas’ to go inside each bear too.
A minor niggle, but I would suggest a smaller and more realistic beard to allow more of his face to show. From seeing so many over the years, children seem to connect and engage with Father Christmas more easily when they can see more expression. It would also help younger children meeting him for the first time to feel less nervous.
We first met Father Christmas as a group, but it was also refreshing to have time to speak with him individually too – as usually it is one or the other. There wasn’t the opportunity for the usual photograph with St. Nick though, which is something many parents will want (although I think he would’ve been happy to oblige if asked)
This does mean however there wasn’t the upsell afterwards to buy photographs, and William’s Den set themselves apart from other experiences by not encouraging parents to spend more and more.
Bear Necessities
Next it was time for the newly-trained elves to have a go at toy-making, and we were shown how to build a bear. Making bears can come with a price tag big enough to knock the stuffing out of mums and dads, but here it is all included in the experience price. Our two boys could ‘bearly’ believe they got to take their new cuddly friends home. The bears are lovely quality, and both children went to bed cuddling theirs last night. A nice idea, and no plastic tat or yet another generic book!
One suggestion though is to move the gingerbread decorating to after the bear making…sticky fingers!
Making toys is hungry work, so we grabbed a bite to eat then played, climbed and swung whilst listening to Christmas classics over the tannoy!
Mulling it Over
So how is William’s Den different from other Christmas experiences? The experience lasted 45 minutes and never felt rushed, there was ample time to enjoy each activity. The visit felt relaxed and was full of Christmas cheer, with some lovely little touches. The range of activities kept things varied, and our boys were beyond excited. When prompted, my eldest said his favourite part was…all of it! My youngest loved the silly elf and eating the gingerbread icing!
The main elves, Jingle and Snowflake, were jolly without being annoying, and clearly enjoyed the interaction with the children – asking questions, helping with the trickier tasks and giving lots of positive encouragement. Oh, and the mulled wine and mince pies for the grown-ups were both delicious and appreciated!
Speaking of delicious…wood-fired pizzas, burgers, ice-cream, homemade cakes, brownies (and lots more!) are all available to purchase at The Kitchen Table.
Prices start for £22.50 for children which includes the 45-minute experience, a personalised certificate, gingerbread man, buildable bear, mince pie, mulled wine and full entry to William’s Den (to burn off all that excited energy!) With the day’s entry included, we feel it is comparable to similar attractions but offering a longer and more leisurely experience with a range of activities and a quality gift.
MAGIC RATING 
VALUE FOR MONEY
OVERALL
The Christmas Den Experience runs from 30th November to 24th December 2019. More information and online booking can be found at https://williamsden.co.uk/events/christmas-den/
The smiles say it all!
Disclaimer: Tickets were provided for this event, however all opinions are honest and are our own.
Review Wizard 