Wonderland fun is back in Cardiff

Joshua Knapman has been to the opening of Cardiff’s Winter Wonderland to see what is on offer this year

IT’S got a new ride, food and drink, and of course, everyone’s favourite festive ice rink. Winter Wonderland opened last night, meaning that Christmas is officially kicking off in Cardiff.

We went along to have a sneak peek of the rides, the rink and the bars to see what’s on offer this year.

Here’s what you can expect from Winter Wonderland 2018 and its impressive new ride... The rides

New for this year is a ride that drops you from a height.

It’s a staggering 90m tall, making it the tallest structure in Cardiff at the moment, so it’s not for the fainthearted. The ride itself has been shipped over from the Netherlands, and it took nine articulated lorries to get it to Cardiff, just to help you gauge the scale.

You’ll also find dodgems, a fun house and a variety of fairground-style stalls on the site.

And, of course, the hugely popular, undercover ice rink is back and expected to host more than 60,000

skaters during its time in Cardiff. Food and drink

This year there’s a big improvement on the food and drink front.

The bar has been upgraded to a twostorey building with plenty of seating and a cosy decor made up of cushions and wooden booths.

There’s even a big floor-to-ceiling window on the first floor where you can sit and enjoy a mulled wine while looking out over the site.

You’ll also find a space with a number of wooden stalls, similar to a traditional Christmas market, along with an outdoor seating area.

And organisers have also acquired cable cars that they’ve imported from Switzerland, where guests can sit and enjoy food and drink.

Also new for this year are card machines at the stalls – organisers say that all the stall holders will be taking cards if you’re buying drinks or gifts.

Dotted around the site there are also a few food vans. You’ll find The Dirty Fries Van, a Gourmet Burger van and there’s also a Cadbury’s hot chocolate vendor.