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5D World (London)
by juicy_lucy 5d world We were recently in london following the tourist trsil and found ourselves in Trocadero. it seems to always have a strange allure whether for tacky gifts or the amusement area downstairs but whatever we decided to give the 5d ride a go. LOCATION... It is situated son the lower level of Trocadero ... in Picadilly Circus, unmissable because of the noise from the arcade games. I thought it would be big but it was tucked in a corner of the lower area. It is however noticeable since there is a large sign telling visitors what the attraction is and outside the 5 d room there is a large screen where we could see live what was happening in the room. Some of the people experiencing the 5 d show were very funny depending on what show they were experiencing WHAT IS IT? The attraction is advertised as "the Attraction of a new generation which lets visitors get real emotions and take a dive into the midst of bright and virtual world." THE ATTRACTION... We spoke to someone at the small desk who showed us the list of shows and allowed us to select one. There are lots of scenes to choose from including: western Coaster, Portal, Taxi and Octopus. The different simulations seem to include most themes and encompass fast cars, roller coasters, horror, underwater as well as more cartoony themes. When looking through the list there is nothing to tell us what the storyline is so we just go on our general idea of what it's probably like. We chose the roller coaster for starters because it was in the realms of the 3 d rides we had already experienced. We were taken into a smallish room with three rows of large blue chairs with the inevitable handles so we could hold on. Having been on these types of rides before I was surprised to find that there was no safety bar which came down over us, and the only reason I can think for doing this is that the venue isn't very big so if you fall out there's not far to fall! Or, failing that, they don't expect anyone to fall out. Once the movie starts it is exactly as I would expect one of these rides. The stereo image of 3d makes you feel as though you are taking part in the show, and with only the three d I can stop myself reaching out and trying to grab the objects lying towards me. The seats turn quickly left and right, and whilst some rides are quite gentle turns, these really do turn to the side quite sharply, and then certainly on the roller coaster ride we were dropped quickly and what felt almost vertically down. It's all done very quickly and exactly follows the roller coaster ride, really making you feel as though you're dropping quite spectacular heights. I was interested to find out what an altogether different ride would feel like because I had seen some visitors on the screen literally throw their legs in the air as though they had felt something, whereas on the roller coaster we really got mainly the feeling of speed and dropping. So, with this in mind, we chose one of the haunted ones ( can't remember which one). This followed the usual spooky journey with the light effects and music making it really creepy. The horror movie feeling continued when we quite literally felt mice running across our feet and hands or branches touching us depending on the part of the journey. Vey cleverly done! Throughout all of this, the seats are not uncomfortable although for reasons of the inclusion of water, they are plastic and do look hard. It's also easy to stay put on the chair but at times I did feel as though I needed to hang onto the handles tightly and Little Miss got a tad shrieky when the mice arrived! OPENING HOURS... Mon - Thurs: 11:00 - 23:00 Fri: 11:00 - 00:00 Sat: 11:00 - 00:00 Sun: 11:00 - 23:00 CONTACT... Tel: +44 (0) 207 287 0806 E mail: info@5dworld.co.uk VERDICT... A relatively interesting experience but in my opinion, pricey at £10 a shot for rides which last around five minutes. The experience is however sometimes on offer on the discount sites at half this price which makes it a bit more reasonable but still expensive. It was quite enjoyable but for me the whole place is a bit tired looking and this attraction just looks as though it has been pushed in the corner as an after thought. The whole place is very noisy and not the cleanest but I suppose that's not the fault of this attraction, its just quite off putting. Ok as a one off but I think we will just stick to our 4 d experiences nearer to home if we want this kind of attraction. Thanks for reading Daniela xx Read the complete review |
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Center Parcs Whinfell Forest (Cumbria)
by scooch12 I was pregnant when we visited, with working and getting ready for the new arrival too, we fancied a relaxing trip away. This is what I got - but it came with a big price tag. We visited out of school holidays and rented a 1 bedroom apartment. It was big enough for two of us and was the cheapest option available. It cost £199 ... for 4 nights Monday to Friday, although I know it costs a lot more sometimes dependant on accommodation and time of year. It was our first visit and we weren't sure what to expect. Everyone we knew who'd been loved it. We're people that like eating out on trips away. I do enough cooking at home and don't fancy doing the same thing on my hols. So, that was probably why we found it quite expensive. I get the impression the majority of people do a mixture, do a shop at the supermarket there, make their own meals sometimes and eat out sometimes. It's not the sort of place you visit and go out and about - once you're there, that's it for the trip (I don't think it's entirely impossible to leave for a day but I wouldn't have tried it) so we only had the choice of the on site facilities. When we arrived, we were told to drive into this room and checked in at the desk in there while still sat in the car, that was a new experience. Cars are only allowed onto the main site at certain times on changeover days only (Monday and Friday). We parked up, walked around and then at 3.30pm they allowed everyone to reach their accommodation with vehicles to unpack. All hell broke loose, cars everywhere, big queues. We unpacked as quickly as possible so we could park the car back up. Once the car's parked up again, you don't see it until the day you leave. Unfortunately I forgot something from it, my poor husband had to walk for over half an hour round trip to go and bring it back in the pouring rain! That said, it's a nice idea that no cars are allowed on site, it makes it very pleasant. You often however see Ranger cars driving around. The Site There is a huge lake in the centre. Around this are the pub, the resort centre and the swimming pool. The sports hall and spa are up near to the pub and accommodation radiates out from the centre - some are very close to the centre and some are a good distance away. The Accommodation Our apartment was clean but basic, the bathroom could have done with being replaced but it was usable and there was a kitchen, living area and bedroom all open plan. The number one annoyance was one 'starter' toilet roll and that was it! The room doesn't get visited by a cleaner, our apartment had bedding but I think there are other accommodation where you have to take your own so it's worth checking. Shopping We visited the supermarket on our first day to get some supplies that we'd not taken with us although I did fill the car up with a few snacks and this tends to be the norm, as long as you have space in the car. The supermarket is ok - has most things but not a massive selection. There's also a counter that sells fresh cakes that always looked tempting. There are some other little shops dotted around the main centre, a couple of clothes shops (not big brand shops but sell a very limited amount of branded stuff) and a couple of souvenir type shops too. Food and Drink At the time we visited, there was a Bella Italia, Café Rouge, a steakhouse, a sports café and a burger place that shut the day after we arrived. There was also a pancake café, two Starbucks, a pizza takeaway and an indian takeaway. I think now they've opened a couple of other restaurants too. There's a café at the spa (but we never went in there) and there's also a pub that serves nice food until 9pm. There's a bar area near the bowling alley for hot and cold drinks but this always seemed empty, there is a play area near there too. We ate at Bella Italia twice, it was lovely, similar priced to a normal Bella Italia at about £25 for two meals, a starter between us and drinks. We also ate at Café Rouge twice, same menu as other café rouge restaurants and it cost around £30 for two meals, a starter between us and drinks. The steak house was overpriced - it cost £40 for a burger, a steak, a couple of drinks and a starter between us so we only visited once. To be fair though, we enjoyed the food a lot in there. We used Starbucks a few times, it rained most of the week (I think it's an exception when the sun shines!) and it was one of the cheapest places apart from the room to sit and have a drink! One overlooks the big lake and the other is located in the sports hall. Things to Do Being pregnant, I was limited for things to do. It's a place where most people take part in sports activities, water activities and spa treatments throughout the day. My husband is sporty so took part in a few things - football, tennis, badminton - these are all timetabled and a place can be pre-booked on the sessions over the internet, at the main desk or at one of the self service points in the main centre. They can be booked in advance of visiting. The problem is that some of the activities, eg football and tennis rely on the weather - my husband's tennis was cancelled for this reason and they do warn you that a lot of activities are 'weather permitting'. Very little is included in the price that you pay for your stay. Almost everything has a fee during the day and it adds up. I took part in the adventure golf (a bit daft because it was on a hill - the ball just rolled wherever it felt like!) and that was £4 per person and was pre-booked, the swimming pool had a wave pool and big slide and was nice to go in although it wasn't a pool that you could have a relaxing swim in. It was so busy - I don't remember being charged for that facility though so maybe that was why! In the bowling I used the children's ramp, it was also good fun and cost around £18 for a lane for 60 minutes (it is exactly 60 minutes - if you are in the middle of a game it's tough luck, it disappears from the screen and the lane closes!). It was £6 for a badminton tournament, £6 for the football. We hired a pedalo around the lake for half an hour for £10. I'm not sure on prices for other things as these were the only ones we did. There are other activities for children but again I don't know their costs and what there was on offer. We spaced out the activities so we had something booked for the morning and then in the afternoon each day and in-between just walked about and drank tea and coffee! Getting Around With no cars allowed, the main way seems to be hiring bikes, again this isn't something we did but I suppose in the rainy weather it must have been quicker to get from A to B. I didn't feel we missed out as our apartment was central to everything. It would be a good way to see the park. They also offer horse and cart rides, these were only on offer at certain times across the week. Spa There is a spa where you can have various treatments and massages but as we didn't visit this part of the park I can't give any comments about it. Night-time There seems to be a culture of early to bed and early to rise, we visited the pub most nights, where sometimes a quiz was on which we enjoyed but when the pub shut, everywhere seemed quiet. There were a lot of families with small children there and I think people tend to stay in for the evening sometimes instead of venturing out, especially when staying in bigger lodges. Hometime When leaving, a similar thing as when arriving happens -You have to walk back to your car and drive it back onto the site when the park gates open, fill your car up with belongings and then you're homeward bound. We tried to leave about 10ish in the morning and we didn't have to queue too much to leave the park. We had a lovely time, very relaxing but spent far too much money than necessary for four days away. I'd recommend it for families and would visit again but only with making our own food sometimes too. Read the complete review |
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Lee Valley White Water Centre
by Essexgirl2006 I am fortunate enough to live near the new White Water Centre in Lee Valley, Herts that was built for the 2012 Olympics. As part of the legacy policy of the Games the course is open to the public. You can learn and practice canoeing and kayaking here, as well as try white-water rafting. I had tried rafting elsewhere and loved it, so was ... very keen to have a go. Some friends went in September, but I was booked to go with some other friends in October, so went along to watch them to see what it was like and then took the plunge myself. The Centre is approximately 10 minutes walk from Waltham Cross rail station (trains from Liverpool St in London) or if you drive, there is a car parking on site (as well as overflow parking when events are on) and the centre is close to the M25/A10 junction. I made the initial booking on-line with my credit card, but when we wanted to add extra people to our party I booked by phone to make sure our booking was linked and we could share a raft (they can't guarantee this unless you have nine people). I didn't find it easy to get hold of anyone by phone having to leave messages, so I recommend booking on-line if you can. The seven of us were booked for a 4pm slot on a cold and wet Saturday in October, and were advised to get there for 3.30pm. There is a café on site selling snacks, hot drinks and alcohol. You are not allowed to drink alcohol before going rafting/kayaking. At 3.45pm we were all called together and giving basic tips about wearing wetsuits and equipment that we needed (all provided). The wetsuits come in various sizes and you are also provided with boots, a helmet and a life vest. As it was particularly cold we also got a cagoule and gloves, which the friends who went a month before didn't have. We got changed as quickly as we could, and helped each other into the wetsuits, as they are hard to do up by yourself. I would also advise going to the loo before putting the wetsuit on! They have lavatories and communal changing rooms (two female, three male) with showers. They can get quite busy though. Under my wetsuit I wore my swimming costume, they advise against wearing T-shirts as they just get wet and make you colder, and don't insulate you like the wetsuit does. The lockers are free and are set by a code of your choice. You just have to remember the code and your locker number; otherwise you are in for a cold wait in the corridor. Wet -suited up we then headed outside to meet our raft guide Jorge, who ensured out helmets and life vests were all tightened correctly and gave us a short briefing. If you can swim and have no health problems you wear a blue helmet. Non-swimmers and those with health problems (one of our party had asthma) wear a yellow one, so if you should end up in the water, the guide and the marshals know who to pull out first. The raft was outside the centre on concrete, when my friends did it previously they did the training on the water, but as it was cold, we stayed on dry land, and Jorge went through the strokes and instructions, as well as the drill for pulling someone out of the water correctly. We then put the raft on the water and paddled around the corner towards the course. Here we got out the boat and Jorge went through the drill again if you fall into the water. We then had a swim test where you have to jump into the water and float down the course before swimming out. Getting out was quite a challenge as the current meant I was staying still, no matter how hard I swam against it! In reality you would float until you caught a rope from a marshal or got to calm waters, if you were too far from the boat. From here we paddled to the uphill conveyor belt that took us to the top of the course, and we commenced the first of our practice runs. We didn't paddle much for the practice runs, Jorge steered the boat from the back and we went with the flow of the water. The early rapids aren't too vicious, but the later ones mean those at the front do get a face-full of water. They swap the seat positions on the raft around on the conveyor belt so everyone can have a chance of being at the front if they want. Some didn't want to, but I found it quite exhilarating. When we went down properly, we paddled through the rapids and Jorge attempted to get us to turn and surf the rapids more, with varying levels of success. We did seem to spend quite a bit of time paddling in circles. There are several sets of rapids to go down - the course is man-made, so there are plastic blocks to generate the rapids, and it all seems very clean. At points around the course are marshals with ropes that keep an eye on the safety aspect and may ask a raft to wait, if a raft ahead is having difficulty. I felt completely safe at all times. No one in our raft actually fell out, but I have seen it happen when my friends were doing it previously. Sometimes the bemused person is drifting off with the force of the water unable to hear the marshals, but as they followed their training no harm came to them, and the marshals pulled others out of the water. To be honest it looked most fun just to 'ride' the rapids, but I guess that isn't great for health & safety. In our two hour slot (which included training) we managed to get round six times, but I know at busier (warmer!) times it would normally be less than that. There were about four other rafts going round the 160m course at the same time as us. Naturally you get wet, and the the swell can be powerful and hard to row against, but I loved the challenge and we had lots of laughs as we went round. Back at the centre there are buckets for your boots, gloves and wet suits. The changing rooms are still busy but showers are hot. Afterwards we all met in the café for a warm drink or a beer and some chips. They also do wine, sandwiches and crisps. The cost was the activity was £49 per person. You must be over 14, and under 18s need a parent or guardian to sign. It you book a raft for nine people, and then you get a drinks voucher to the value of £50.00. Do I recommend it - absolutely! I had a brilliant time and there were lots of laughs. Yes, I got wet and cold, but that is to be expected. I will definitely go again in the spring when the weather turns warmer again. The facility seems very well run, and is clean and efficient, and this can be enjoyed by experienced rafter as well as being a great introduction for the beginner. Read the complete review |
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