Blenheim Palace Avis 

Well what a surprise! Wealthy land owners spanking you at the last minute.
Paid for an annual pass earlier in the year with the expectation of visiting the palace at Christmas time.
I checked the terms and conditions at the time of purchasing the tickets and was informed there would be no extra cost to see the palace or the light display apart from certain days and prior to certain times.
Todays visit was a complete disaster, we had to pay to get into the house and we had to pay an extra £30 each to look at lights ( we didn’t) this was completely contrary to the original T&Cs when we bought the annual pass in October. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY FOLKS. I don’t know why I’m surprised, I suppose I expected some form of decency from the Churchill family.

Had bought a family ticket for two adults and two children under two months ago. A stupid worker checking tickets at the beginning of the trail stopped us from going in, claiming the ticket wasn't valid (it's one family ticket as opposed to four separate ones) and made us walk all the way back to the box office with us carrying a toddler and a baby+ pushing a double pram, even though I told her I called beforehand to make sure it was correct and explained the concept of a family ticket. The guy at the box office had to print the tickets out for us separately. We lost half an hour doing this, knowing it's late at night for a toddler and confusing to be refused entrance as well for a young child. Couldn't be more upset. They shouldn't hire people with such low empathy and low IQ for a family friendly event.

Booked tickets for Illuminated Light Trail. I visited tonight with a 4 year old. Maybe I’ve been spoilt, I last visited in 2019 and it was fantastic.Today was overpriced and underwhelming with a naked grab for more of your money. A big disappointment and I wouldn’t recommend.

I have been trying to contact your appointed ticket agents TICKETEK UK for 3 solid days, I noticed an issue with my tickets in advance of my visit on the 18/12/24 and have attempted numerous times to contact ticketek- not one reply. The event has cost me over £300 and currently this will be a waste of money, why have agents that do not represent you in a professional way? No replies in 3 days to all of my emails pleading for help?? Absolutely disgusting and enough to drive anyone mad

I think I'm being fair given 2 stars we went to the Christmas Light trail as we had never been before but to be honest it's way over priced. We even went on a so called off peak time we still managed to spend over £100 for 3 people is a bit ridiculous I mean the lights are ok but also charging for car park on top just taking the mick.

I have only the utmost praise for the magical lights, music and the "Never Never land " experience staged within the Palace.
The staff/actors were interacting with visitors as it was their first time of doing so: such professionalism on every level.
It set the Xmas mood for the festive season.......we loved it!!
True; it's not cheap , but I would save throughout the forthcoming year in order to re-live the evening. It may be off my "bucket list" , but will be re-instated for Xmas '25.
By the way, I am over 70, but even received a cuddle from Father Xmas ! Who could too that !!!!?
Thank you for the artistry and hard work

The new charge of £12.00 to park during the Christmas period is the last straw.
A yearly membership was OK and high priced food and drink just about ok. But the latest move means won't be renewing memberships.
Really bad decision.

If I could leave zero stars I would. I went to have the Christmas afternoon tea in the Orangery with my mother, sister and grandmother as a Christmas treat. The service was sub par and the food was nearly inedible. We managed to enjoy scones and tea but the savouries and deserts were left uneaten as they were clearly not made fresh/ very poor quality. This experience was had by people with various dietary requirements- standard, pescatarian and vegetarian. We all had a poor experience. No compensation offered. I would definitely avoid.

Cancelled Xmas show on 7th December 2024 - siting "weather" Woke British lack of a spine!
24 hour notice and they've had my money for 6 months! Grrrrrrrr....

Neverland experience if you have an autistic child who wants to hold a bottle please don't go I was as if attacked by the staff almost asked us to leave very disrespectful behaviour of the staff. Not suitable
Also started questioning why is she holding a bottle she looks old. Very unprofessional. All the staff ganged up and started speaking over me. Horrible behaviour. What to do with a pretty place when they treat you like shit. Unbelievable. How can a water bottle or a lollipop
And the illuminated trail cancelled on the day we booked

Refundable tickets not being refunded, spent over £360 on tickets for the light trail and palace for the family. spent a little extra as my grandson has CLD and gets hospitalised reguraly. The light trail was then closed due to storm bert so and Thames valley police advice was not to travel. Refund rejected even though you closed the lights due to health and safey concerns because i do not have a offical govement notice not to travel. strangly though you still managed to cancel the annual pass that comes with the ticket. Shocking and will never re-visit!!!

Have been to event in 2022, it was great, this yr it cost us over £600.00 for 3children, 6 adults, completely under welming, £3.00 per token for the rides, £14.00 for a ham and cheese wrap, £15.00 for 3 kids lollipops, £10.00 parking, Charles James Spencer Churchill, are you overseeing this! Come on, this is not fair, I'm all for supporting local traders and preserving our stately homes, but this is not fair, !!!!!!!

Worst Christmas Market we have visited! Having travelled 90 minutes to get there & really looking forward to it, nothing has left us more disappointed. £12 for parking followed by rip off vans selling food. Very few stalls. We considered going into the Palace & doing the light trail but at over £200 for the 3 of us we thought better of it. On the way home we booked Luminate at Coombe Abbey, £15 each & was beautiful!

I’m trying to find a review for this year (2024) Christmas experience! The Great Skate was such a fantastic addition to Christmas at Blenheim this year and the Big Wheel! What has has made me leave this review is the amazing service from Heather at the Great Skate! She was amazing! She would have not have realised my son was autistic she really helped make this experience so great!

I took a grandchild to Neverland in the palace yesterday. It’s a rip off to have to pay £10 plus a booking fee for a disabled parking place particularly for an annual pass holder. Other similar venues offer one free parking space per booking. There was no synopsis of the story of Peter Pan in the various rooms which would have been helpful.We went in the cafe by the shop afterwards. There was only one available table but it had no chairs. I asked the staff if they could get more chairs and they said there weren’t any. Eventually I managed to find two chairs on other tables that weren’t being used but had to carry these myself with great difficulty to the table ( I’m disabled). The whole event was about profiteering with no concern for customer’s needs.

Visited Blenheim Palace illuminated Christmas trail today and was somewhat disappointed. Last year (2023) the trail was spectacular, this year not so much. So many dull dark areas, for example in one area last year tiny lanterns, angels and various other artistic lights were suspended in amongst trees that created a magical scene, even as an adult you could get into the magic. This year the same part of the trail had 3 large led snowmen on each side nothing else, just darkness, instead of a slow moving queue of people admiring the lights a fast moving queue trudging past. Many areas were so dark you couldn’t see the path. Very few of the beautiful trees lit up this year such a shame as they are an attraction in themselves. Opening entrance area to the trail was just some led strips on the floor whereas last year the trees had fabulous led strips mimicking the bark and branches and shots of light through the flower borders. incredibly disappointing, my friend who I taken for a treat tried her best to be positive but it was such a let down. Even the water show was a it second rate. Last year the movement of the water and lights had been choreographed in time with the music, this year music happened to be playing whilst water and lights did something, much lower standard all round. We followed the fast queue round the track and finished it in nearly half the time of last year. We were polite and tried to be positive but there was no mention of coming back again. Such a shame.

The annual passes look like great value when you buy them and I think if you don't have kids then they probably are - you can actually access many of the events with them and given the breadth and range of events when they do charge extra for them, it makes sense. But there's a lot in the small print. We have never managed to visit the adventure playground and make full use of our membership (i.e. all the things it sells itself on; cafe operating, water operating, no extra parking charges, sometimes you get all 3). There are also many times when you can't visit due to an event without paying; even if you don't want to attend the event. This happens for 6 weeks in Nov and Dec (i.e. times when families are generally getting together and looking for things to do) and for some weekends in the summer too. When you pay for membership to the adventure park, this is particularly jarring as the additional charges are often similar to the charge for the park and they can't distinguish whether you're doing Christmas activities or just going to the park - which is obviously something you want to do if you get that membership. It's very strange to have annual membership of somewhere but still having to check constantly if your membership is going to work on a particular day or if you'll pay extra; we should be able to rock up and enjoy the parts of the palace our membership entitles us to (yes I know in the small print this is all clear so technically we're not entitled to access the play park whenever we like for free) within reasonable opening times; I understand we might not be able to access an event but going to a rather expensive and relatively average-to-good playground that I've got membership of whenever I like (without paying £12 for parking) is a minimum expectation but one which for 10% of the year Blenheim can't meet. Note that the playpark sells itself on a cafe and very large water feature, both of which are regularly not operating.

Visited the Christmas market today expecting the same standard of beautiful stalls when I went 4 years ago. Not the same at all. Down market stalls with very few of any quality. Plus £12 to park the car an absolute rip off and awful Christmas market. Not what you’d expect in the grounds of such an historic beautiful house. Poor show.

Sadly Blenheim Palace fleece loyal annual pass customers by charging them parking and fees for getting tickets to the palace at this time of year at any reasonable time. In addition to this there is a £2.50 handling charge, a £1 charity donation - it isn't a donation as you have no ability to remove it, in addition £10 to park - all for people who have already paid for an annual pass. In addition annual pass holders can only visit at certain times and not on weekends running up to Christmas - meaning of Christmas for the exceedingly rich Blenheim = profit, profit and....oh yes profit :-(. In addition no real thought to people with gluten allergies/coeliac, but if you are vegan, there is plenty of choice. Sadly I want gluten free with dairy. Very very expensive as you pay so much for food, more for rides, plus, plus for anything on top of just walking around. Such a shame Blenheim has taken this route of trying to get more and more out of people whose support they have had for years. The grounds are beautiful, the palace lovely and Neverland lovely for kids, food plentiful if you don't have allergies but expensive. In summary, such beautiful nature, architecture and variety of things to do (most at extra cost), but goodness you pay for it!!!! I remember in COVID Blenheim understandably closed for a few months, but oh no - they didn't extend the annual pass for that amount of time. As might be clear from this review....feeling a bit cross at Blenheim's greed mentality and lack of anything relating to the true meaning of Christmas.

We were charged an extortionate £12 for parking even though we had already paid for a yearly ticket. The gatehouse attendant said it was because "We are celebrating Christmas!" On arrival at the main building we were sent back to book up a time slot. After waiting in a long queue to do this we were told we had to pay a £2.50 fee and a £1 donation. The market stalls were boring and very expensive. The cuttlery in the cafe was filthy and tables were not cleared quickly enough. The food was very expensive but very nice. The themed display indoors was excellent as was the light display on the trail round the lake. The Churchill rooms are very interesting and there are great walks around the grounds. OK but spoilt by an atmostphere of greed.