After the success of Lolibop last year, with both children big and small, it was a no-brainer that we would attend again this year. Having just missed out on super early bird tickets, we celebrated when our family ticket was purchased at early bird prices (just under £100 with booking fee). That's where the excitement began, and with each new reveal it quickly built.

My eldest (6) wanting to try out the new Skylanders Swap Force game, and my youngest (3) wanting to see Shaun the Sheep, Peppa Pig and the Cloudbabies, and both wanting to sing and dance along with Justin Fletcher.  

However, it failed to live up to expectations. It's hard to know whether 2012's offering was being remembered with rose tinted glasses or not. I want to try and deliver a balanced view, so here goes.

Last year Lollibop was held in Regents Park. This year it was held at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford, which with its good transport links and proximity to our Essex home we thought it ideal. However the long narrow shape that formed Lollibop within the park led to problems and lacked the same charm as Regents Park even when surrounded by the majesty of last year's Olympic achievements.

Organisers of the festival said more than 45,000 attended over the three days (August 16-18), although if honest it felt like all 45,000 were there with us on Saturday.

The thoroughfare bottlenecked in before the main stage which meant lots of people were crammed into a small space.

The main stage was of course where the fantastic Justin Fletcher performed, all of us excited at the prospect of getting a glimpse of the star who doubles as the wonderful Mr Tumble. Unfortunately being to the right of the stage, not only did the boys fail to see the man himself, they also were unable to see the big screen. This led to some tears before being hoiked onto our shoulders. Justin did not disappoint as he led fans through songs and various characters including Mr Tumble, we however abandoned part way through as the crowds grew and our chances of seeing the star reduced. Perhaps additional screens would help?

Queues were a big issue and a bug bear of mine. Long ones, short ones, slow ones, fast ones. There were queues for food, queues for activities - simply queues everywhere. I appreciate that queues are to be expected at any large event but some ended up dictating which activities the boys participated in. Both wanted their faces painted but the queues were so long and slow, this was abandoned.

The boys did enjoy themselves, my eldest playing Skylanders and even winning stickers by entering a contest there. My youngest saw Shaun the Sheep, Peppa Pig and Tickety Tock. Both explored the Science Museum tent and had a boogie, my eldest winning a CD for pure energy and enthusiasm for his dance moves!

We had planned on staying till the close at 6pm but barely made it past 4pm, so with weary children we made our way back to the trains and home. As for 2014, the jury is still out. The boys both upset by the prospect of not going for the third year on the trot, me... I'm not sure. Unfortunately the whole thing left me with a headache and disappointed at queues, overcrowding and a perhaps a less polished feel.