It's been on my radar for a while, but felt quite expensive for what would likely be a shortish outing, at £14 for one adult and one child, however, Baby and her two best friends have their second birthdays within three weeks of one another, so we decided to take them as a birthday treat.
We booked online around three weeks in advance, however it was actually quieter than we expected, especially considering it was the summer holidays, so we perhaps needn't have booked. One point to note was that of the three of us, only one received an email confirmation, however when we checked in at reception we had no issues.
We arrived by 10.00am, but as we were leaving the snow park around 11.30am the queues seemed to have grown significantly, and the snow park itself had definitely become much busier.
Reception gave us tickets to redeem for cake afterwards, and in my case, a voucher for jacket and trouser hire. They asked if we 'had everything we needed' though weren't particularly specific on what that was. The official stance is that hats and gloves are mandatory in the snow park, with waterproof jackets and trousers highly recommended. While booking I had been under the impression that the waterproof jacket and trousers were mandatory, however when questioned, staff confirmed that this was not the case. At a cost of £8 for the full outfit, it wasn't particularly expensive, but it all adds up. Boots and helmets (if required) are provided free of charge.
There is plenty of space to get changed, with benches and cubicles provided, as well as wall to wall lockers, which require a refundable £1 coin.
Mini Moose Land is a portion of the snow park reserved specifically for under 4s. It features an ice maze, small ramp with inflatable doughnuts, two wooden houses, two tunnel systems, a soft igloo and various soft shapes and plastic truck toys dotted around. There were also some small skis for the toddlers to strap to their snow boots if they wanted to.
By far the biggest successes were the doughnuts and the little houses. Two wooden houses, each just large enough for two toddlers to sit on small plastic chairs, with windows which opened and shut. All three toddlers spent a long time playing in them.
The ramp initially didn't look particularly exciting or large, but once a child in a doughnut was tipped over the edge they absolutely flew down. Two of our toddlers positively loved this, and wanted to go on it again and again, particularly enjoying pushing each other down the ramp. The other (who is actually the keenest on slides in general), went on it once and didn't want to try it again. There was a soft barrier at the bottom of the ramp which was definitely needed, but because of the speed at which they hit it, also meant their little heads were bounced around, to the extent that Baby's hat was jolted off many a time.
The two tunnel systems were expansive, but didn't particularly attract the attention of any of the toddlers for any length of time. Similarly the soft shapes, although plentiful and colourful, didn't occupy them for long. When we arrived there were various semi circular shaped pieces on the floor, which our toddlers climbed over and walked through. Someone who had been before was obviously in the know however and by the time we left, they had been shaped into a soft igloo, for the toddlers to sit in.
The ice maze looked small at first glance, but when our toddlers entered it, in places we couldn't see their heads above the walls. Variable success with the maze, one loved it, one spent a little bit of time in it, and one barely visited it.
At a temperature of -3 C, we knew that our toddlers wouldn't last too long, even in their padded snowsuits. In fact they spent around 45 minutes on the snow before their noses and fingers started to get too cold, but within that time they'd thoroughly explored the area. I should say that none of them finished the session wearing gloves, as they found them too cumbersome, but there were no staff around to enforce the glove wearing rule.
After we'd returned our boots and clothes, we made our way to the cafe upstairs for our hot drink, cake and cookie. We gave our vouchers to the staff member behind the counter, and in return were provided with a square of sponge cake, with some jam and cream on top, and a cookie each. In a corner of the cafe, there were some jugs of blackcurrant and orange squash, along with water, and large flasks of tea and coffee.
To be honest this was the only negative for the whole experience. Although the cookies went down well, the cake didn't look appetising, particularly given the other more tempting cakes on the counter, which were not included in the offer. It was also disappointing that the hot drink was limited to pre made tea or coffee, as two of us drink neither, and we'd all agreed that actually we were looking forward to a freshly made hot chocolate.
The cost for Play n Cake is £2 more than the cost for an individual session in Mini Moose Land. Although a normal session only lasts 1 hour, whereas Play n Cake is unlimited, we'd be unlikely to stay any longer anyway, so if I went again I'd just book a normal session and be more than happy to pay a smidgeon more to get a choice of cake and drink.
Mini Moose Land was a huge hit with all our toddlers, and although perhaps a bit pricey for a regular morning out, I'd definitely go back as a treat.
Key Facts
Month of visit:
August
Weather for visit:
Irrelevant
Is it pushchair friendly?
No pushchairs allowed on the snow park for obvious reasons, but if you wanted to take one into Chill Factore everywhere is flat, with a lift to the upper floor.
How are the baby changing facilities?
There was a baby changing table in the women's toilets on the first floor next to the cafe, though to use it you would block the door to one of the toilets. The toilets were clean when we used them.
What about somewhere to feed?
Plenty of seating on the first floor, including some booths offering a more private place to feed. Various cafes, restaurants etc with seating as well.
Is it worth a visit?
Definitely as a special treat.
Baby's highlight?
Sliding down the ramp in a doughnut.
Chill Factore
Trafford Quays Leisure Village,
Trafford Way,
Manchester,
M41 7JA
https://www.chillfactore.com
No comments:
Post a Comment