Shut down after a day, Winter Blunderland! Parents' fury at skinny Santa, a sad-looking reindeer without antlers and a plastic ice rink

 

• Winter Wonderland in Milton Keynes opened to customers yesterday
• Parents claimed that Father Christmas was too thin and event did not live up to promises
• 'We would have had more fun on a frozen puddle', says one customer
• Organisers announced today that the event would be cancelled after partner charity withdrew

By John Stevens
The families who arrived for the first day of the Winter Wonderland festival in Milton Keynes were promised ‘all the magic of the holiday season’.
What they got, however, were skinny Santas, reindeer without antlers … and an ice rink made out of plastic sheets.
Organisers received so many complaints from furious customers that they shut the event down after only a day. Families had paid up to £65 in advance for various attractions at the town’s Campbell Park, including meeting Santa, ice skating and seeing huskies and reindeer.

Skinny Santa: Parents at Winter Wonderland Milton Keynes complained that Father Christmas was too thin and had an ill-fitting beard and suit

Disappointment: The ice rink, which apparently did not contain real ice and was made of plastic instead

Tickets to Santa’s Grotto cost £6, but it was closed for most of the day. When it did open, parents said  the Santas were young, skinny, dressed in cheap costumes – and scared their children.
The first visitors to the site, on Saturday, were quick to complain about the experience on social media.
One mother said she spent  £42 on pre-booked tickets for various parts of the festival, only to find ‘men dressed in Santa outfits from Poundland’.
She wrote on her blog: ‘This was definitely no Wonderland. It felt like an opportunity to rip off parents who had hoped to have a magical day out with their children.
‘The Santa was disappointing to say the least. Unfortunately, his beard was falling down and you could see his normal clothes underneath his costume. Not exactly “magical” and our children asked where the real one was.’
Diane Harrold, from London, commented: ‘I took my granddaughters to see Santa in MK, something we do together every year, and I was so disappointed.

Animals: Two reindeer were present at the event, but they apparently had no antlers

Empty: A pen apparently meant to hold 'reindeer and huskies' at the Winter Wonderland event

Skating: The organiser of the event insisted that the rink was never supposed to feature real ice

‘My little Anais asked “Nanny have we been bad?” I said no, of course not, why? “Well why didn’t the real Santa come to see us?”’ Another parent wrote online: ‘My daughter trod in dog poo and was told by one of the events team it was actually reindeer poo.’
Another visitor added: ‘The staff had cheap, naff costumes, which didn’t fit. The main tent smelt vaguely of urine.’
One disappointed visitor called it a ‘dump’, adding: ‘The photos on the official website couldn’t be any more misleading, it was just a funfair with a couple of tents. The “huskies” were two wolves in a cage so small that they couldn’t turn in. I didn’t see one Christmas light, let alone a tree.’ MP Iain Stewart was due to open the event officially yesterday, but instead it was shut down.
A message on the website read: ‘We regret that this event has  been cancelled. Full refunds will  be issued for all tickets that have been pre-ordered.’
A spokesman from the Parks Trust, which looks after Campbell Park, said: ‘We are very sorry to hear that some people have had such a disappointing experience.
‘Winter Wonderland MK have told us that they will be contacting all the customers on their database to arrange refunds.’

Cancelled: The Milton Keynes Winter Wonderland closed after just one day, and on the website all the event information was simply crossed out

Promise: But the event did not live up to the impression given on its website, according to parents

Festive? The site of the Winter Wonderland event pictured while the event was going on last night

Packing up: The scene outside the Winter Wonderland area, which included a circus tent

Comparison: Some have drawn parallels with Lapland New Forest, pictured, which angered customers with its shoddy offerings such as a few dogs chained to sheds

Letdown: The park was nicknamed 'Crapland' for its poor displays and fake animals