What happened when we visited the Kingdom of the Elves at Bluestone

THERE’S a corner of West Wales where Christmas spirit is absolutely contagious.

It’s impossible not to catch it. It converts the most hardened cynic into a singing, dancing, ball of glittery mush.

A single dose of it should be prescribed to the coldhearted. Ebenezer Scrooge could have saved himself a sleepless night by just booking a trip to Bluestone.

Here’s the disclaimer. I love Christmas anyway. Can’t get enough of it. Everything about it.

But at the same time I’m not exactly a fan of audience participation. Of forced fun. Of people trying to make me join in, especially if they happen to be annoyingly enthusiastic or nauseatingly chirpy!

But I’ll tell you what I am now a fan of. Elves. I bloody love Christmas Elves. I love how happy they are. I love how committed and helpful and warm and festive they are. And I absolutely love how they make my daughter gaze in absolute wonder.

Bluestone has loads of them. I mean loads. And the mask never slips. Not with any of them. Ever.

Think of the old fashioned Butlins Redcoats but with rosy cheeks and and tinsel.

I had a preconception about visiting Christmasland, the name Pembrokeshire’s premiere national park resort adopts for two months from early November each year.

It’s just a marketing ploy to get guests in during those quieter winter months, right?

I supposed the staff would begrudgingly be made to dress in green felt with pointy shoes and ears. They’d stick up a few decorations and play Wizzard and Slade over the tannoy.

The truth is that they run an incredibly impressive, slick operation with pretty impressive production values. It’s sensory overload for little ones (and some big ones).

And it’s great. It’s just really fun and joyful.

There’s a panto (Snow White this year). You can visit Santa’s workshop, help him with his toymaking duties and listen to him tell a festive story.

There are Christmas themed food and craft workshops. You can have breakfast or diner with the elves surrounded by song and dance.

There are weekly Christmas parades and daily Christmas lights switch on ceremonies.

Some of these activities need to be booked in advance though and places fill up fast. The same is true of the many more non-christmas themed activities (but more on those later).

The show stopper though, the thing that brings families back year after year, Christmas after Christmas, is Kingdom of the Elves, and the magical journey to Elftopia you take there.

So, what is it?well, every year the resort creates an immersive storytelling experience, which sees visitors travelling through the Kingdom of the Elves, meeting characters and taking part in activities, games, challenges and general silliness along the way.

This year’s journey through Elftopia is called All aboard the Elf Express and the journey departs from the magical Pa Rum Pum Pum Pum platform and takes you on a mission to save Christmas!

How does it work?the experience happens at the resort’s indoor adventure centre (which has been turned into a train station).

When you arrive you get a train ticket (which you later get stamped at every stop along your journey).

Children get a free elf costume. You can buy an adult costume too for around £20.

Everyone gets their cheeks painted red and then you’re all led through a series of themed rooms starting with the carriage of the Elf Express (of course).

You meet characters along the way including Mother Ginger, Marshall Mallow and the Snow Queen and in each room there are different things to do.

For example, one had a craft activity to do, in another there were physical games to play.

At the end of each experience you get your ticket punched and move on to the next part of the adventure.

That’s about as much as you need to know without me spoiling it!

But suffice to say there’s loads going on to keep everyone entertained. It’s no surprise that Kingdom of the Elves has grown into a seasonal highlight for children across Wales.

What else does Bluestone have to offer?during the rest of the year Bluestone is one of Wales’ premiere activity resorts sat inside Pembrokeshire National Park.

The 500-acre resort offers over 100 indoor and outdoor activities like archery and rock climbing.

The Blue Lagoon water park is brilliant and there’s a soft play centre and an award-winning luxury Well Spa.

There’s a village with restaurants a shop a park and a pub. There’s a lake and lovely walks through the woods.

Most the accommodation options are variations of wooden lodges which are dotted around the site, although there are also a few cottages and studio flats as well. The lodges are modern, comfortable and stylish.

They are equipped with everything you’d expect for a self catering stay. They also have outside seating areas and bike racks.

By the way, if you are somehow bored by all that, Oakwood Theme Park is next door, Folly Farm is down the road as is the pretty town of Narberth.

And only a little further away is Saundersfoot and Tenby.

It’s the perfect location but frankly you won’t struggle to fill your time.