Christmas 2023 – Christmas in the Crystal Kingdom
If you are interested in paying instalments over the coming months please get in touch with Sam our Head of Events and she will send you some more info. Her email is magicalleystratford@gmail.com
Please note that the Management retains the right to cancel and refund tickets bought by anyone who is abusive to our staff in person, by email or on social media.
There are 3 specific types of session in 2023
Christmas in the Crystal Kingdom for children over 5 (the majority of the sessions available)
An Introduction to Father Christmas for children under 5 (Saturday 25th November from 10.20 to 12.55, 18th, 19th and 20th December from 10.20 to 1.30pm)
Special Educational Needs sessions for children over 5 (Sunday 26th November from 10.20 to 6.45 and Wednesday 13th December from 3pm to 6.45)
Please note if you wish to bring a child with additional needs to a non SEN session and receive a carer ticket we will allocate you a slot at the beginning or end of a session subject to availability. Please do not be offended if we will not offer you a slot in the middle of a busy session as in our experience these slots are not suitable for children with additional needs as there are simply too many people and it can be very overwhelming with additional queuing. If you want to book the middle of a session (even though we don’t recommend it) a carer ticket will not be possible unfortunately. Thank you for your understanding.
Christmas in the Crystal Kingdom for children over 5
These sessions require at least one child over 5 but younger siblings are welcome to accompany older siblings
We have made the decision to aim our event at slightly older children, in part because the event involves solving puzzles and clues as you move through the themed rooms. Children who cannot yet read therefore do not get the same experience as older children. We would also like to remind our valued visitors that if you do not want to engage in puzzles etc then our event is probably not the best for you as all of the timings are worked out on the basis of getting involved and therefore anyone who does not fully participate will just experience extended queuing times which we would like to avoid.
What does this event involve?
Enter Christmas in the Crystal Kingdom and make your way through our magical rooms completing the Christmas quest and solving puzzles on the way.
In 2023 your journey will start in our snow covered Enchanted Forest. There may be more than one family in the forest to reduce queuing but the Quest Elf will come and find your family and allocate the appropriate quest to start your journey through the Crystal Kingdom
In 2023 the quests will be age related and you will be asked when you book to select which quest is most appropriate for your child/children
You will then begin your quest before meeting Father Christmas and receiving an age appropriate present. Everyone will receive a present in these sessions including adults.
After visiting Father Christmas you will continue through the attraction engaging with various activities and elves culminating in a visit with The Ice Queen. There will then be some photo opportunities before you leave the attraction.
Making the experience more personal
In 2023 you will be asked to complete an online form to send us some information for “The Elf Reports”. If you participate then when you meet Father Christmas the Chief Elf will report back from the elves (be it your Elf on a Shelf or a teacher elf that hides in all schools). Hopefully this will ensure a unique and amusing experience. You can of course opt out by simply not filling in the form and if the information you provide is too generic to be used one of our team will be in touch to ask for alternative information.
The form to fill in will be contained in the Additional Information section of your ticket booking confirmation from Ticketsource so please look out for this when you book. Again there will be a strict deadline after which the form will be removed.
The form will contain space for information for up to 4 children – if you party has more than 4 children please email Sam our Head of Events on magicalleystratford@gmail.com
The experience lasts around an hour
Father Christmas
If you came to visit us in 2022 and would like to see the same Father Christmas as you saw in 2022 (we have 2) then please email Sam on magicalleystratford@gmail.com with a photograph of the Father Christmas your family saw in 2022 and she will be able to advise the best available dates to book in order to ensure continuity subject to any unexpected circumstances or sudden illness.
This is only available for previous visitors – it is not possible to request a particular Father Christmas if you did not visit us in 2022 (except under very exceptional circumstances) and both of our Father Christmases have had excellent feedback and both have real beards. This is of course all subject to there still be availability for your chosen Father Christmas
Please note there is a minimum of 2 full price ticket for all slots
For the last weekend before Christmas (23rd and Christmas Eve) there is a minimum of 3 full price tickets per slot. This is in order to enable as many people as possible to see Father Christmas on these days given the late break up of schools and the fact that we have reduced the number of slots per hour to enable everyone to have a bit more time.
An Introduction to Father Christmas for Children under 5
This session is perfect for introducing your child to Father Christmas
There is no quest in this session.
You will enter via the traditional entrance; you will see Father Christmas in The Ice Queen’s Palace and then go through the door into the forest to play in the snow
All time slots are groups slots that admit up to 6 people (£25) or 4 people (£20) – if you bring fewer people the cost will remain the same
You will be asked to give us the number of visitors when you book and tell use the age of the children – it will not be possible to bring more than 4 children to any one session.
Children receive presents in this session and it is likely to be a colouring book or equivalent. Babies will receive a baby’s first Christmas gift. Adults do not receive presents in this session.
This is very much intended to be a photo opportunity with Father Christmas and a way to introduce younger children to Father Christmas
This session will not be personalised based on feedback from 2022. Parents generally gave feedback that the personalisation was not picked up on by their children especially if the children were 3 or younger.
Christmas in the Crystal Kingdom for Children over 5 – Session for Children with additional needs
In 2023 we are offering some specific sessions for children with additional needs
These will take place on
Sunday 26th November
Wednesday 13th December after school
We may add an additional weekday session if the demand is there
One carer ticket will be included per booking and evidence will need to be submitted when requested by our admin team. If for any reason you do not receive the email please bring your evidence with you
To be eligible you will need to provide one of the following documents:
DLA Letter
(Along with the ID of the person named within the letter – ie the parent if the letter is addressed to the parent, the individual if the individual is over 18)
These sessions will be quieter and there will be no flashing lights
Performers will gauge whether to approach your children and will take their lead from parents – this is with the exception of Chief Elf/Mrs Christmas who will call you in to see Father Christmas at the relevant time
After seeing Father Christmas it will be possible for families to overtake each other in case some children need a little extra time and others want to move faster.
It will generally be a more relaxed event with buffer slots to allow everyone to have a little more time and not feel rushed.
These sessions can be personalised using the link on the booking confirmation but please only fill this in if you feel your child will want to interact with the performers and Father Christmas. We would hate for anyone to feel awkward.
General Information
Babies
This year there is a £5 charge for babies under 1 year (£7 on 23rd and Christmas Eve).
Also as a result of customer feedback it is not permitted to bring a baby to a session for children over 5 after 6pm. We thank you for your understanding.
Group Bookings
If you would like to book more than 6 tickets you will need more than one slot back to back. This can only be done via Sam if you want to guarantee entry together. Please email Sam on magicalleystratford@gmail.com as soon as possible as once availability becomes more limited it may not be possible to accommodate groups – especially at weekends.
Single Adult Tickets
The system is set up for 2 adults as this is a default setting – if you wish to book 1 adult then please get in touch with Sam on magicalleystratford@gmail.com BEFORE you book the tickets as we are unable to process partial refunds. This is in no way to discriminate against single parents who we welcome it is just a technical system issue.
Carer Tickets for non SEN dates
Please note if you wish to bring a child with additional needs to a non SEN session and receive a carer ticket we will allocate you a slot at the beginning or end of a session subject to availability. Please do not be offended if we will not offer you a slot in the middle of a busy session as in our experience these slots are not suitable for children with additional needs as there are simply too many people and it can be very overwhelming with additional queuing. If you want to book the middle of a session (even though we don’t recommend it) a carer ticket will not be possible unfortunately and you will have to pay full price if you decide to book for that slot anyway. Thank you for your understanding.
Please note that we do not recommend bringing children with additional needs at weekends (other than the beginning or end of session) as it can be very busy and therefore be rather overwhelming.
There is also likely to be additional queuing required especially during the Victorian Christmas Market weekend (7th to 10th December) so we would very much recommend booking a different date if you or your child has any issue with queuing or suffers from an sensory disorder.
This year we are offering a carer ticket at the reduced rate of £12.00 (£14 on 23rd December and Christmas Eve). To receive a link to book a session with a carer ticket included please email our Head of Events Sam on magicalleystratford@gmail.com
It will be necessary to submit proof unfortunately due to the number of people who have tried to take advantage of the system in the past.
To be eligible for a carer ticket you will need to provide one of the following documents:
Blue Badge
DLA Letter
(Along with the ID of the person named within the letter)
Carer tickets are not available for under 5 sessions and are automatically included in the specific SEN sessions.
Please note that carer tickets are for those over 18. If you have a young carer (under 18) you can still have a carer ticket but you will need to bring an extra adult with you.
Please note there is a minimum of 2 full price tickets per slot so if there is a group of 2 a carer ticket will not be possible unfortunately.
Magical Ticket
We will not be offering magical tickets in 2023
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have wheelchair access
Can I get a free ticket for a carer
Where is the nearest car park
What does Christmas involve
How much does it cost
Are tickets refundable
Can I exchange my tickets
Do you have customer toilets
Can I book over the phone
Can I book 1 adult ticket for session for children over 5
How long does the experience last
Can I take photos/video
Will there be time to visit the shop
Are presents age appropriate
Can I bring a pushchair
I have lost my tickets
I have a party of more than 6 what should I do
Do adults get presents
What is your address
How can we contact you
Can I bring a child under 5 to a session for children aged 5 and over
Can I bring people from more than one household
Can I add additional tickets to my booking
Do I have to wear a mask
Will Covid-19 safety measures be in place
Terms and Conditions
Refunds
If for any reason the event is unable to go ahead refunds would be issued automatically and there will be no need to contact us as it is an automatic process.
If this event can go ahead tickets will not be refundable UNLESS Refund Protection is purchased at the time of booking. Please note this cannot be added onto a booking after the event so please do take care to add it during the checkout process. Refund Protection offer refunds under a wide range of circumstances and their terms and conditions can be found here https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/kb/customers/refund-protection
Please note that we sell the time slot so if someone is unable to attend then we are unable to offer partial refunds. We are still planning to run the event with small group sessions in case of any other Covid variant appearing in the Winter of 2023.
If you forget to attend your timed slot unfortunately your tickets will not be refundable and you will not be offered an alternative slot without buying additional tickets.
Tickets are non-transferable and any tickets sold on or gifted to someone else will not be valid and entry will be refused.
Exchanges
Tickets may be exchanged up to 48 hours before the event if there is still availability.
Please contact our Head of Events Sam on magicalleystratford@gmail.com to process an exchange.
Please note that exchanges cannot be processed if the event has subsequently sold out.
Resale and Subsequent Refund
As previously tickets are non-transferrable – the only people who can sell Magic Alley tickets are Magic Alley and any other sale will result in the tickets being void.
In certain circumstances (where tickets would otherwise be non-refundable) provided we are given 24 hours’ notice in writing to magicalleystratford@gmail.com we will endeavour to resell your tickets if you can no longer attend. You will receive a full refund if all the tickets resell and a partial refund if only part of the booking is resold for example if you book 6 tickets and only 4 resell you would receive a refund to the value of 4 tickets. Please note booking fees are not refundable.
The circumstances for resale include (evidence may be required)
A member of the party being unwell
Sudden bereavement
Sudden diagnosis of serious illness
This does NOT include (not an exhaustive list)
Double booking yourself
Work commitments
Changing your mind
Isolating by choice
Government mandated quarantine after returning from abroad.
General Terms and Conditions
Toilets
There are no customer toilets available on site. There are public toilets available in Bell Court to the left of the Everyman Cinema.
Please allow sufficient time to visit the toilet before your required time slot. If you find you do need the toilet one member of the party will have to leave with the child who needs the toilet and re-join the party after visiting the toilet. It is not possible to wait until they have returned to enter the attraction unfortunately.
Pushchairs/prams
Pushchairs/prams cannot be accommodated on the shop floor. If they are brought to the venue they will have to be left downstairs at the owner’s risk.
Late or Early Arrival
If you arrive late admittance cannot be guaranteed. Anyone more than 15 minutes late will not be permitted entry. If you are running late please call the shop on 01789 290969 and we will do our best to make arrangements but these cannot be guaranteed. You are unlikely to be permitted entry if you are late for the last slot before lunch or before the afternoon tea break
If you arrive 5 minutes later than the last slot of the day you will not be permitted entry and no refund will be offered.
Please do not arrive more than 5 minutes early – this can result in children queuing for long periods before even entering the attraction. If you are more than 10 minutes early it is likely you will be asked not to wait in the shop but to come back closer to your entry time.
If required in December 2023 Covid safety measures will be in place and visitor temperatures will be taken. Anyone with a high temperature of 38 degrees or higher will not be permitted entry.