LAPLAND UK
It all started back in September when I booked the tickets, a simple and easy process, choose your date, pick a time slot, ping in some information about your children (for Father Christmas purposes) add on’s selected and with a click and few pounds lighter you are booked and set to see Father Christmas in Lapland UK.
The magic starts when you receive your envelope through the post, this includes a letter to your child from Father Christmas inviting them personally to come to visit Lapland UK as they have made it on to the good list, in the letter he explains that he would like them to help make the toys in the toy factory with the elves. What an enchanting start to the whole experience.
(obviously it’s up to you when you give your letter to your child, we decided that the ‘elf on the shelf’ would bring it the morning of our visit).
Wrapped up warm with gloves, scarves, hats and and christmas jumpers we jumped in the car and headed off to Ascot – From the moment you enter the car park, you know that this is going to be a fabulous experience. All parked up we headed into the Enchanted Forest, and checked ourselves in, became a member of the Husky team and collected our Elf Jingles, we then had a quick drink in the refreshment area and headed to the Husky departure gate where we going to be taken to the Elf area. Walking through the windy path to the elves it smelt magical and the feeling of entering a children’s adventure.
All seated around, an Elf suddenly appeared and started to tell us the stories of elves and how they help Father Christmas, and soon the magical doors opened onto a snowy forest and we were on our way to the Toy Factory to help make the toys with the elves for father Christmas. Once in the toy factory you didn’t know where to look, toys moving from the ceiling, elves being mischievous, rocking horses, toys and telephones ringing. The children had to help make a cuddly toy and a wooden teddy bear (both these could be purchased when booking your tickets), handing them in when complete so Father Christmas could wrap them and put them on his sleigh ready to hand out on Christmas Eve.
Next up was a visit to Mother Christmas, where she entertained the children by telling stories and explaining what her elves did, the children then got to make a Gingerbread man to ice and to eat…. the doors then opened and we were ushered through the secret woodland pathways to the village, which consisted of an ice skating rink, eateries with festive food and drink, meeting of the huskies, sweet shop, toy shop (where the children spent their elf jingles!), post office (where you could write and send off your letter to Father Christmas) and the bauble shop (where you could buy and personalise them).
After approx an hour and half here which soon goes quickly, we made our way to the reindeer and were taken in to a beautifully decorated wooden house by the elves, just then the children heard their names being called by another elf, and off we went, up, down twisting and turning through snowy paths, UNTIL there in front of us was a little wooden house…. the elf knocked, opened the door and THERE he was – FATHER CHRISTMAS himself…. the children were mesmerized, he was fantastic, he knew their favourite toys, he knew my son had been in a golf tournament, even knew his best friends name – our friends daughter was completely caught out by the fact Father Christmas knew she had played a reindeer in her school nativity, the surprise, shock and sheer delight on their faces made a fantastic day out an even better one. Any doubts that Father Christmas may not be real were soon dismissed “he really is real Mummy, how does he know all those things, he’s magic”.
Now if that didn’t melt my heart then what would. I can’t wait to see his face on Christmas morning when the cuddly toy he helped make in the toy factory turns up in his stocking….. now that’s magical!!
After a good 15 minutes with him our time was up and we went back through the twists and turns of the snowy forest and ended up in the final wooden building buying photos and books to remind us of the fantastic day we had.
Yes i would recommend going, especially if your children are on the cusp, yes it is an expensive experience but what an experience it is and its a day out, your there for approx 3/4 hours. A few top tips – buy the jingle money when you book your tickets, buy one of the toys that they make in the toy factory, take cash with you as they don’t take cards in the food areas, and finally get a timing that makes you be there at dusk at some point, it makes it just that little more magical. Its to late for this year BUT sign up now and get the alerts for next years experience.
Thank you Lapland UK for an amazing, magical and memorable day out.
BR6Life