Santa’s started making his annual visits to shopping centres, garden centres and zoos across the country, but with some places charging nearly £50 a ticket, how can you take your children to see the man himself without breaking the bank?
Free visits
The good news is there’s still some places you can chat to Santa for free and you may even get a gift too.
Stop for a chat with Santa at the Victorian Arcade in Walsall. He’ll be there every Saturday from 10am-3pm, but if you want a gift it’s £2.50.
You can pop along to his grotto at the Hyde Park Winter Wonderland from 10am-6pm every day until Christmas Eve.
Santa’s grotto at the Belfry shopping centre in Redhill, Surrey is hidden inside a giant Christmas tree and children get a free gift too. It opens 30th November, with a 50p charge for online bookings.
See Santa and get a free gift (typically a book or puzzle) at Brent Cross shopping centre. Advance bookings incur a £1.25 fee.
Get a free, no obligation life insurance quote
£5 or less
Pay more and you’ll usually get the chance to walk through a magical Christmas themed grotto before seeing Santa. A visit plus gift wrapped present costs £3 at Watford’s ‘intu’ shopping centre.
It’s £4.50 at Manchester's Arndale Centre, which includes a plush soft toy (apparently worth £12.99). Check the website and avoid ‘peak’ times if you can or you’ll pay more, at £5.50 a visit. Most grotto ‘experiences’ include a chance to meet the elves or other characters, but don’t expect too long with Santa himself as the website makes it clear each visit is just two and a half minutes.
Feed Rudolph’s friends and meet Santa during an ‘early evening’ trip to Bristol Zoo. It costs £5 for visits between 4pm and 5.15pm, including a gift. You have to book in advance for this one, which opens from 29th November.
The Enchanted Ice Castle at Cribbs Causeway shopping centre is where you’ll meet the Ice Queen and her fairies before taking a trip through her castle. It costs £5 and includes a reindeer soft toy. There are no fees for pre-booking.
Get a free, no obligation life insurance quote
Under £10
Bluewater’s grotto opens on 27th November and promises an Ice Palace with arctic animals. The trip costs £6 per child with two free adults, and you’ll get a ‘luxury’ soft toy (apparently worth £9.99).
Milton Keynes shopping centre always puts on a free festive display in Middleton Hall, although you’ll pay more for train or carousel rides. It costs £6.50 to see Santa and the ticket price includes a gift, plus the chance to make wrapping paper and reindeer food with the elves. The whole experience should last around 30 minutes.
Forget packed shopping centres and see Santa at garden centre Notcutts, which has 18 stores across the country. Visits will set you back £7.50, include a gift and you’re welcome to take your own photos. Check opening times as some Grottos may only open at weekends.
If you’ve got cash to splash....
If you’re prepared to dig deep then £45 buys the ‘I Met Father Christmas’ experience at Hamleys stores including Manchester, Glasgow, Dublin, Cardiff and London.
It lasts around an hour with stories, songs, games and activities plus a gift bag and picnic box meal. Suitable for the 4 -11 age group and strictly one adult per child is allowed. Photos cost from £10 and you have to book online.
Get a free, no obligation life insurance quote
Book in advance to avoid tears and queues
Most places offer a pre-booking option, either online or by phone, which can cost around £1.50 per transaction. However I think it’s worth it as it means you pick your slot and escape the queues, especially at weekends.
Check who’s organising Santa’s visit. The company behind lots of the ‘Santa Grottos’ is Magenta Star which has been creating Christmas Grottos for 15 years with an impressive client list including big shopping centre brands, the Rainforest Café, Center Parcs and Butlin’s. Gifts all bear the European ‘CE’ mark of approval.
Leave your camera at home
Lots of places are happy for you to take your own snaps, but with some big shopping malls the small print dictates it’s only their official photographer who can take photos.
Bluewater, Brent Cross, Manchester Arndale and Milton Keynes are among those that don’t allow you to take your own photos and the Brent Cross website states, ‘cameras and camera phones are not allowed’ although its press office assure me they won’t be "forcefully removed2.
This means forking out another £5 to buy the smallest souvenir photo and of course there’s no shortage of baubles, keyrings and snow globes on sale which can turn what seems like a pocket-friendly trip into an expensive one.
Do adults get in free?
Adults accompanying children are usually free; although maximum limits of two adults per child usually apply.
However depending on the size of the venue, as with the Hamleys experience, you’re limited to just one adult.
Where will you be visiting Santa this year? What do you think is an acceptable price to pay? Let us know in the comments box below.
Get a free, no obligation life insurance quote