We got the chance to head over and experience Drayton’s Magical Christmas, and I didn’t tell my girls where we were going or that we would be meeting up with their best friends!
Was a total surprise!
Overall the day was amazing, we had 5 girls with us ranging from 2 years old all the way up till 9, and apart from some height restricted rides they were all able to enjoy the same activities – which almost never happens.
Our day was filled with twinkly lights, Christmassy music, the zoo, Polar Express in the 4D cinema, a chat with the main man Santa and a brilliant firework display at the end.
What I would note is that the walk down to Santa himself isn’t as magical as you might expect, you are directed off to a room pretty quickly once you get down to the grotto. Santa had a lot of time for the girls though, he spoke to each of them about what they wanted, helped settle them all down for a photograph (which I can’t remember the cost of now, I think between £12-£20?). The room was clean and he saw all 5 of them at the same time, which I thought was a really nice touch, because often you must have smaller groups and the opportunity for friends to see Santa together was pretty special.
After you exit the grotto you land directly in the gift shop, which is packed with some very lovely festive bits! The goodie bag you get from Santa is actually pretty nifty, a little Elf, a giant chocolate coin and a child goes free ‘golden ticket’ that can be used for the next couple of months.
The giant Christmas Tree (next to the ben ten ride and the Grotto entrance) is fabulous, when it gets a little darker the lights are beautiful and it plays tunes!
Top Tips:
Arrive Early
Park Close to the Entrance
Buy Tickets Online
Remember to Book Santa
Running on selected dates from Saturday 19th November to 31st December
Stay till the fireworks – There is a parade and a really lovely fireworks show, totally worth staying for
Make time for the 4D cinema for Polar Express, it’s 15 minutes and worth it
The Zoo – short and sweet – perfect way to break up the festivities
Book the hotel! I wish I had made a booking before going, just so we could’ve enjoyed it all a little longer.
Overall?
We loved the fake snow, the singing, the lights, the fireworks and the general happy feel of the place. I can’t help feeling like the grotto needs some extra sparkle – that said the verdict from the people who matter, my children, was that the grotto was amazing and Santa was the nicest one they’ve seen this year. The girls and I would very happily go back tomorrow and recommend it to others as a brilliant way to spend time as a family over the festive period.
*tickets in exchange of a review, opinions honest, photographs poor, much fun was had.
