We’re looking at different christmas experiences for our 8 and 10 yr olds, wife is keen on lapland uk – looks like an expensive commercial hell to me, enchanting christmas fluffiness to her with the last chance before secondary school completely removes even the pretence of “believing” for the older one.

So, anyone been? how was it?

8 and 10? You are on dodgy ground for both already imo. Seems pointless dragging it out in some kind of commercial tat hell.

I’m sure you could spend the same on a great day out doing something else that you will all enjoy.

edit – not been 😀

We went a couple of years ago (girls of 6) – it is a pretty decent set-up and they do set the story up really well (ie, how the kiddies are transported to Lapland) and at the start (indoors) they even have heaters going to warm you up so when you walk out into ‘Lapland’ the cold hits you. When we went they had one bit where the kids get to help Santa build toys, one of them being a cuddly reindeer which you can then subsequently buy a version of in the shop which our two found magical to open on Christmas Morning (ie believing it was the toy they actually made).

Also, you send info to Santa about your children up front so when they see him he already knows things about them.

All in all I would rather not do this stuff as it IS very commercial but my wife wanted to do real Lapland so this was a financially preferable option and all in all it wasn’t too bad.

There is also a really big garden centre nearby that has a big Christmas section so you can browse in there too and start to get really festive.

It will be shit. Save your money.

Have you been martinhutch?

Sorry, I’ll rephrase. For 380 quid (assuming you don’t buy any food or want a photo with Santa) you’ll get some fake snow in a field near Winkfield, with some grumpy-looking elves experience the true magic of Christmas.

Hey, it’s your money. Enjoy.

Presumably you’re look at next year? I put up a thread on Lapland, here’tis http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/taking-family-to-lapland-to-see-santa-tipsthoughtsexperiences

I’m off to Lapland this xmas for a week

HOW MUCH 😯
Holy moly!

Blimey. So a few green suits and some fake snow. I’m going to set one up now at a suitable honeypot location. Swinley. That’ll do. We could easily staff this with some money-grabbing festive-minded stw’ers in that location.
Who’s in then 😉

Sorry, I’ll rephrase. For 380 quid (assuming you don’t buy any food or want a photo with Santa) you’ll get some fake snow in a field near Winkfield, with some grumpy-looking elves experience the true magic of Christmas.

Hey, it’s your money. Enjoy.
So not of any particular help to the OP then? Happy Christmas.

Yak – Member
I’m going to set one up now at a suitable honeypot location. Swinley. That’ll do.

Lapland UK is in Swinley anyway, technically. Other side of the A322.

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/taking-family-to-lapland-to-see-santa-tipsthoughtsexperiences

I don’t know what a thought sexperience is but it doesn’t suitable for kids (I might want one for Christmas though)

Thanks Johndoh, I can tell I’m losing the “discussion”, so it’s good to hear that it isn’t complete rubbish! any more opinions from people who’ve actually been, or cynical grinches who haven’t?

Happy to help, just bear in mind my experience is almost two years old now so things may have changed since I was there. I have to say the ‘Santa’ was the most realistic one I have ever seen, although it was a shame that we weren’t allowed to take our own pictures so had to buy theirs (which was, admittedly, very good quality.

Sorry, I’ve just realised that it’s an attraction in the UK. I thought you meant Lapland in Finland!

Holy Christmas. I thought the £380 price tag was a joke so I went to have a look and that’s the cheapest option for a family of four, it looks like you could have spent double that but all the more expensive packages are sold out. I’m clearly out of touch with what people consider reasonable cost.

There are time slots on the booking form, how long does this whole thing last?

Hi. Amazingly we went twice, both times funded by the in-laws. Of all the UK Santa ‘experiences’ it’s one of the better ones I’ve been too. Like someone else said they set the scene very well and the whole ‘set’ is pretty well done, given that you’re just in the woods near Swinley. I wouldn’t pay myself for the sheer cost, we’re just going to a garden centre this year. The kids still love the cuddly Huskies they got from Santa there though. It’d be rubbish if it rained and the second time we did more queuing which took the edge of for us adults, but the kids didn’t seem to mind.

further to that I just watched the home movie I made, my kids were pretty young and appeared to love it, I’m not sure an 8 and 10 year old would ‘believe’ quite so much (if you want a link to my video just ask) Going at the end of the day so it goes dark while your there is nice and it’s nicely lit and feels more festive and it’s even harder to tell where you are.

Well, just got home from an absolutely fantastic day out, the kids loved it, all the staff were great – yes it’s expensive, but for me it represents better vfm than Legoland.

Simpson’s Garden Centre in Inverness has real snow and real reindeer at their Santa Extravaganza. You could probably fly 4 folk there and back for £380 🙂

Blow the budget and Just go to the proper Lapland.