Most of y’all know by now that Dorky Adventure Dad is the one who plans out our routes and adventures. When he told me we were going to Santa’s Village I thought, “Hey, that’s cool. A Christmas themed amusement park. Cool”. That was pretty much it. Little did I realize that the moment we walked in we would be transported to a truly magical place. When that Christmas music reached my ears I immediately felt like a little kid all excited and filled with optimism and hope. I know, I know. It sounds corny, but it’s true.
Make sure you make it to the opening show. You can catch the show at either 9:45am or 10:15am. The Welcome show introduces you to Ted, Ed, and Fred, the merry tinkers as well as Celeste, the snow angel. The show absolutely sets the mood for the day. Singing songs that will fill your heart with Christmas cheer, and dancing in a flurry of fun snow is the perfect high energy way to get your day started.
Just after the welcome show on Main Street, head over to the Elf University to get your Elfabet scavenger hunt card. All over the park there are elves waiting to punch your card. There are 26 total, but if you don’t get them all, don’t fret! Get as many stamps as you can and then head back to the Elf University for your diploma and prize! In the true spirit of Christmas, this is just one of the several free gifts that Santa’s Village will shower your kiddos with.
Make sure you visit Santa! He’s friendly, authentic, and obviously a quintessential part of any Christmas celebration, even in August. He’s got some candy canes for the kiddos and he’s very eager to hear that they’re being great kiddos. He’s already looking forward to bringing them their fondest wishes.
Across the way you’ll find the reindeer blacksmith shop. This fun little stop has been a Santa’s Village tradition for more than 60 years. There’s a sweet blacksmith working here who will size you a good luck ring and all it costs is one smile. When I went over to check it out while the kiddos were with Dorky Adventure Dad on the chimney drop, he insisted I take one then and there because I was smiling! It was such a fun little surprise.
If you’ve followed us on our adventures so far, you know that we usually recommend saving money by buying something the whole family can share for a meal. Well, we didn’t do that at Santa’s Village. They have an adorable dinning area called Burger Meister food court (where’s all my Christmas classic movie lovers at?) that has kid’s meal options at around 8ish dollars that included chicken and french fries, apple juice, apple sauce, and a Santa’s Village branded fly disk. We couldn’t pass up that offer. We bought one kids meal for the kiddos to share, plus an extra apple for Giggly Adventure Grace, who has been on a real apple kick lately. Dorky Adventure Dad grabbed a burger, because Burger Meister of course! I had the Pasta salad. It was a pretty hot day and cool food item sounded more appealing. Pro tip! If your kiddo’s chicken portion looks too small don’t be afraid to speak up! They gladly gave us another chicken strip for our big boy. If you’re looking to save money and fill up your water cups, look for the water at the coffee stations, and not the soda stations. It threw us off at first, but once we figured that out we kept our water bottles full.
The shows at Santa’s Village were phenomenal! Our personal favorites were the opening show, of course, as I mentioned above. Tinkers’ Tune Up was awesome! The actors playing Ed, Ted, and Fred clearly love their job and you can’t tell what is scripted or fun improv, which we find makes the absolute best shows. It also includes a bunch of audience participation for the littles. I laughed until I cried at one point. Merry Main Street Block Party was awesome! There was hula hoops, and inflated balls, and a Santa’s Village original take on the 12 Days of Christmas. The 3-d show A Tinkerdoodle Christmas fell a bit flat for us, but we appreciated the air conditioning break. Story Time with Celeste was especially sweet. Hearing the story of who she is and how she came to be in this intimate setting was just the epitome of what Christmas is about. Being close together, reading a story, wonder and magic. It was a beautifully simple show that I will always treasure.
Do not miss the Sugar n’ Spice Bake Shop! We decided to make that our one last treat before the park closed and I’m glad we did! The cookies were incredibly yummy! They were huge, warm, and reasonably priced. Like the wall said, “A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand”!
One of the ways we knew for certain that Santa’s Village truly cares about children is that they make leaving the park so easy. There is an option to leave without walking through the store, which was incredibly thoughtful and very much appreciated! We gladly took the way out without the whining and begging. There is also a small play area outside. We were able to let the kiddos have one last hurrah by climbing and playing for just a few more minutes. While those few minutes don’t matter that much to us as adults, I know that it helped ease the pain of goodbye for the kiddos. After all who wants to say goodbye to Christmas?
Santa’s Village is wholeheartedly Fun Adventure Family approved! We are still walking around singing Christmas carols and appreciate the mid-year boost of Christmas Spirit. We’d love to see your family’s fun adventure to Santa’s Village so be sure to tag us on Instagram #FunAdventureFamily and use #SantasVillage too!