Recently visited Namco station, before this visit I would have given 3 stars. It was in decline,…read moregetting boring, nothing new, and nothing exciting, it use to be a good place to be silly and have whole hearty fun. I would visit a few times, and the new machines just didn't tempt me. So when I say my most recent Namco station visit came at a surprise, it really did. It had bigger, newer and cooler machines, designed to capture fun for all groups and ages. It almost reminded me back to when I first visited Namco station. I love the giant size connect 4, and the dodging laser beams. Overall I had a great time, something different and best possible way to kill time.

Sorry the picture is a bit dark, the bar is 3 floors underground. To get to it you have to…read morenegotiate the upper floors filled with, slot machines, video games and other games you usually find in one of those places at popular seaside destinations, so you may spend your drinking money before you reach the bar. Has a lift for wheelchair access to all floors but there isn't a ramp to get into the building in the first place, I have asked the staff and security and they don't know of any either. More details to follow as soon as I find my notes. Sells food all day and does kids menu. No real ale. Has a selection of wines. Areas available for hire.

I ended up here with my 10 year old when he got nervous to go in the London dungeon next door. I…read morewas convinced it was going to be a lame hour of my life, but was pleasantly surprised by how well done it was. And we both had so much fun! You go from room to room and meet different fairytale characters who are helping you escape a witch. The characters were engaging, funny and the hour flew by quickly. We had so much fun that my 7 year old (who did make it thru London dungeon) had fomo and begged my husband to take him after. They both loved it too! Great activity for kids to break up all the sightseeing in London!

I was impressed with what they were able to do…read more The design and layout were impressive as they led you through a guided journey with real actors playing characters in a story. They made due with the space that they had and it worked! The acting was cute and they tried to make it interactive, which was also nice. However this was mostly for kids to enjoy...and my only complaint is more SHREK!!!! THE BEST THING WAS THE MIRROR MAZE!

In short, most stalls and carnival games are scams, a lot of food stalls but the food are mediocre,…read moreand the rides are much better at Thorpe Park. It was absolutely packed and I can barely feel any Christmas vibes. It is worth mentioning that the park tends to attract large crowds, and there are a number of carnival mini games that are scams, falling short of expectations and potentially being overpriced. While it can be worthwhile to visit at least once to immerse oneself in the festive atmosphere, it is understandable that some individuals may opt not to return based on their personal preferences.

We visited London just before Christmas and decided to go to Winder Wonderland in Hyde Park. We…read morebooked a time slot for arrival between 11 and 12 am to beat the crowds, are things expensive? Yes. But it is also a nice mix of rides, food stalls and market stalls in a Christmas setting. We spent in the end about 3 hours and were well entertained.

Thorpe Park is great!! Lots of rides for thrill seekers, and plenty for younger fun seekers!…read more We had a really great day, and queues were not really an issue, they're expected!! We have a Merlin Pass so we didn't pay entry but it is a little pricey if you're paying on the day. Look out for the 2 for 1 offers. A great choice of food, not all take the Merlin Pass discount though.

Right on the ocean Adventure Land has been here as long as I can remember. One great thing about…read morethis place is that over the years that i have been going to SouthEnd this place has grown and modernized. Plenty of things to do for kids of all ages from coasters, sk8board ride, arcades, small kiddie rides, gokarts, souvenirs. They also have a great food stall serving fresh espresso based coffee which was welcome on a frosty morning. And on that cold windy morning, the place had plenty of people to keep the place buzzing.

Fantastic staff great food places clean well run I buy…read moreyearly tickets for my grandchildren and they are mixed age group they all love it there A great day out for the whole family

My daughter and I had a ton of fun here. The roller coasters were tremendous and there were other…read morethrilling rides. This is definitely not a kid's theme park. The only issue I saw was the lack of cleanliness at some of the places we ate at, especially the KFC. If you go here, try the Walking Dead ride, very unique.

We had a very nice day here overall!…read more The roller coasters were fun, but the rides are quite short overall, compared to other theme parks. Many snack bars were closed, but that was not a bad thing. Still, there were no long lines. There is hardly any good/healthy food. The themes are randomly thrown together and the park has no guideline (more). It seems like they have lost their concept. The theme was Oktoberfest and it was poorly executed. The employees who drove around in cheap costumes in a kind of rickshaw and played (Romanian) music, rather made fun of the other nationality (German). Apart from the fact that this is not ethical and discriminatory, it was in bad taste.

This amazing roller coaster is in my top 3 rides in the UK. It's an exact replica of the layout of…read moreKingda Ka, currently the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world, to be found in Six Flags Great Adventure, New Jersey, USA. Unlike most coasters which are gravity driven (the car is lifted to the top of the first hill and gravity takes it round), Stealth is one of the few cable launched coasters (like the catapult on an aircraft carrier) in the country - it wasn't the first; that honour belongs to RITA:Queen of Speed in Alton Towers. Stealth is however the fastest coaster in the UK. You are launched from 0 to 80mph in under 2 seconds along a straight track. Then the car goes up vertically 205 feet, back down 205 feet, then over little bunny hill before coming to an abrupt stop. After what can be a long wait, the ride is over in around 10 seconds but let me assure you that 10 seconds is an amazing compressed adrenaline rush. The feeling of acceleration along the track is like having a wind powered face lift. In the vertical phase, you feel like you're in the space shuttle as it is launched. The drop sensation on the downward section is surprisingly muted and the abrupt stop brings hysterical laughter to a lot of riders, the sign of a good ride. It's one of the few rides I prefer to ride at the front but it's worthwile having that unobstructed view of the launch and rising phases. Also a top tip - use the single rider queue!! I'm not sure why they call it Stealth - the superstructure is visible from all around the park and the launch is nothing short of sensational!

This is my favourite ride at Thorpe park along with saw. Me and my friends went at fright nights…read morewhere they had a special Halloween recorded audio to seem spooky which was a nice effect. Me and my friends were so scared to go on stealth the first time even though I have been on it before. We ended up going on it 6 times in one day. It was really nice when we could go in the pitch dark which was really scary as you couldn't see where you were going but then when you got to the top the whole park was lit up and the line of 20 minutes was totally worth the wait. Stealth will satisfy any thrill seeker and if you are scared of rollercoaster this is a great one to get rid of your fear of them as it does not go upside down!

The fun park at canvey is a great bargain at £5 per wristband for all day fun! my child is a…read moretoddler and perhaps too young for some rides. But masses amounts of 20p static for added fun! the go-karts and ufo bumper cars are great fun for adults too!! Great food at the burger bar on site too!! Staff top notch, especially the lady selling the wristbands.

Let's face it Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park, whilst glorious in its own way, is far too often…read moreovercrowded and overrated. In this respect, Winterville offers a welcome alternative. The biggest downside to Winterville is its distance from any public underground or train station. Based in Victoria Park in East London, Winterville is a 15-20min walk or a bus-ride (277 / 425) from Mile End underground station. Nevertheless, accessibility via public transport aside, Winterville provides a good range of entertainment, befitting of the festive season.  Upon entering you are offered a handy map of the venue for free, if you should need a cash machine there is one but unfortunately it charges a fee for use, the public toilets are probably the most respectable portable toilets I've ever seen (- like walking into a caravan of toilets), plus there is an impressive range of good food in the food hall as well as from stalls dotted around the place. There is an alternative market hosted by circus folk, selling unconventional, artistic items, accompanied with their own stage for live music. There is a childrens' play area where you can drop off your beloved little ones when they are being particularly annoying or to reward them for being good - take your pick ;). Meanwhile there are fair rides and prize-winning activities as well as an ice-rink and circus shows to give yourself a memorable time.  I don't want to put a damper on things but just to add a bit of honest critique: the ice rink is quite small and when it rains they don't seem to clear out the puddles, the family-friendly circus show is enjoyable enough to watch with a decent variety of acts but does not quite reach incredible heights, and the bumper car ride lasts about 4min for £4 and only allows you to move in one direction which makes it harder to 'bump' someone, hence defeating the purpose somewhat. However all-in-all Winterville is indeed worth visiting for some festive fun, with good grub and mulled cider up for grabs as well as the option of treating yourself to a spot of ice-skating, crazy golf or watching a circus show or film at their very own cinema. Good fun all round.

Finally the time came for my partner (Alex) and I to venture to Winterville! I'd bought tickets for…read moreus to go to the Backyard Cinema Enchanted Forest experience last month as a surprise and had been very excited ever since. I've known about Winterville for a while and just never ventured there but this week was the week and what a great time we had. Alex literally had no idea Winterville existed which was brilliant! We headed in and went straight to the cinema taking in the sites, smells (oh the smells) and sounds around us! There's a circus, crazy golf, an ice rink, rides, mulled wine stalls on every corner and some great local food stalls! We got to the cinema and were given our tickets - no queues, woo! We were then guided round the corner to a wooden wardrobe door. What's inside the door I hear you cry... Narnia of course! No I joke. But it is a Narnia esq closet filled with winter coats and a small gap which you cautiously step into. And then you're in there - the enchanted forest! It's honestly a magical mini experience as you wind your way into the cinema area which is decorated beautifully and truly makes you feel very merry indeed. We grabbed a couple of drinks, some popcorn and 2 tubs of £1 ice cream - yes £1!!! I had the salted caramel and it was delicious and obviously gone in 20 seconds. They have comfy sofas with blankets or bean bags available. Sure it's kind of pricey at £16 a ticket but who cares - it's Christmas, it's romantic and we were watching Bugsy Malone which is just a great film! Once the film had finished we grabbed a bratwurst each and watched people ice skate. Sadly we were a bit low on funds so didn't partake in all that was up for offer but we had a lovely walk around the village and really enjoyed ourselves and our bratwursts! For me Winterville is a more relaxed, quieter, and enjoyable version of Winter Wonderland. Perfect for those living east and wanting to stay away from the tourist crowds. We loved it and will no doubt return next year with a few more pennies to spend!