The festive season has definitely begun after I was invited to attend the wonderful Windsor Great Park Illuminated light's trail.
In true British fashion, the rain was chucking it down but it didn't dampen our spirits at the opening night last Thursday, November 13.
This is the second time I got to experience this light's trail and comparing it to 2021, this time round it's even better than before.
The new trail design was opened by Mayor of Runnymede, Councillor Margaret Harnden, and was attended by celebrities Joe Wicks, Laura Hamilton and more.
Although I'd say our dog Henry was the true VIP of the night, as he grabbed the attention from families passing by and even the event's very own press photographer. Look at his little face!
The trail includes a rather impressive Windsor Express Train, which immediately transported you to feeling like a child watching the Polar Express film.
There were spectacular lights dazzling from all corners of the forest, with colours of purple, reds, and pinks pointing in different dimensions.
Each section of the trail was random but flowed well. There were elves throwing snowballs above your head to a Christmassy concert, with dancing animals singing popular pop hits like ABBA's Dancing Queen which echoed across the park.
The Enchanted Forest transported me into a Disney dimension, reminding me of the film Tangled.
This was one of my favourite moments to walk through, hand in hand with my better half and soggy spaniel.
The trail is perfect for your four-legged friends, with drinking stations at various points and picture opportunities for them to pose in front of.
There's also welcomed pitstop breaks where you can order a hot drink (or alcoholic one), giving you a chance to relax and really soak up the atmosphere of the trail.
New for this year too, Windsor Illuminated will be hosting Low Sensory Sessions for the very first time next week on Tuesday, November 25.
These sessions will enable visitors to experience the event in a more comfortable and inclusive environment. The lighting will be raised to highlight pathways and reduce the impact of the features, music will be lowered, and capacity will be limited to allow visitors to move more freely around the trail.
Food options were fantastic too, with a choice of pizza, burgers, fried chicken, hot crepes, waffles and even a traditional Alpine food stand which you'd typically find at any German Christmas market.
Not forgetting the toasted marshmallows too, where you can enjoy standing by the crackling open fires to warm up at the end of the trail.
Windsor Great Park Illuminated is open until January 3, 2026 with tickets available to buy via www.windsorilluminated.com now.
Ticket Prices: Adults (16+) from £18, Children (3-15) from £11, Family tickets from £51.
Super off-peak ticket prices also remain frozen at last year’s rate, and this year WGPI has doubled the number of these sessions.
Popular dates for this special light trail sell out quickly, so advance booking is strongly recommended.
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