SINGING penguins, interactive shows, cookie decorating and magical woodlands - these are just four of the highlights from our trip to 4 Kingdoms Adventure Park.
The theme park, in Thatcham near Basingstoke, has been transformed into the UK’s largest indoor Christmas attraction for the 12th year.
Each year, guests, including thousands of excited children, visit the 100,000 sqft attraction with their parents and grandparents. They embark upon a magical journey to the North Pole and enjoy a 2.5 to 3.5–hour immersive walkthrough experience.
@hampshire_chronicle 4 Kingdoms Christmas adventure is epic! We spent nearly THREE hours there to get round all the trail. It’s incredible.
♬ Potter Waltz (From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire") - The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra
The Magical Christmas Adventure has been entertaining children of all ages since 2013 with a new and exciting immersive story each year.
I clearly had not read the description properly when I turned up with my two kids on Saturday.
We drove in through the entrance, parked in the ramshackle car park, and were shown to a wind-beaten marquee to wait for our 'flight' to the North Pole. If there's ever been a case of not judging a book by its cover, this is it.
The floor was muddy underneath, and it was a bit cold while we waited until an elf showed us through to what resembled a waiting room made out to look like an airport.
Now, there's nothing glamorous or Christmassy about an airport waiting lounge. We were then shown to a green screen to have our pictures taken. I can imagine this is what processing feels like when waiting to enter a prison.
However, any trepidation was unwarranted, as we were soon being shown to an 'aircraft' by an elf with a simulator and flown off on our adventure. This is where the festive madness started.
We landed and were led down streets decorated with lights and fake snow, past lives in workshops, and down cobbled streets.
Then it was on to a show by two Christmas sisters, complete with a rock band, then through more festive workshops, down snowy corridors, past snowmen and into a room with a giant teddy who spoke to all the children.
Then it was on to my son's favourite part, the Minecraft festive scene, with robots and characters I simply didn't understand, but he loved, and then it was into a scene with more elves and a huge snowball fight. In what feels like a festive fever dream, this was one hell of a lead-up to see Santa.
An elf then took us through another magical woodland to knock on a wooden cabin where Santa himself was. Jolly and friendly, Santa was on good form. Anybody would think that was the crescendo, but oh no, 4 Kingdoms wasn't stopping there.
Mrs Claus gave us some sweets, which we thankfully received in order to keep the energy up.
By the time we popped out the end, a mere three hours later, we had walked so far that it was necessary to get a train back to the car. It was dark, and the place was near closing, but my kids were amazed and eager to go back. Arms rammed full of toys; there was so much to talk about on the way home.
Ticket prices start at £35 for adults and £45 for children. The Magical Christmas Adventure is open for visitors on selected dates from November 23 until Christmas Eve.
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