Brielle and I went on a train ride tonight on the North Pole Express in Grapevine. It was her first time on a train (outside of an airport). It was a cute, festive, and fun Christmas experience. I think we may have to make it a yearly tradition! In a year or two we can bring the twins along as well. I actually tried to get tickets for them a few weeks ago and it was sold out. Every train ride for the entire Christmas season is completely sold out! I understand why now. It is a great experience and will certainly put you in the Christmas mood! As we were getting off the train Brielle even asked if it was Christmas Eve tonight. No, it’s not. It’s only November 29th.

imageThe entire experience was great in that they had everything running smoothly, on time, and with clear instructions. Once the journey began we were entertained and engaged the entire time. They do a great job with this Christmas experience. I see why Grapevine is called “The Christmas Capital of Texas”.

The train ride included a Christmas sing along for the entire ride. There were festively dressed elves or Santa helpers that had us sing along, clap, stomp our feet, and wave our hands in the air. Everyone got into it. Even the teens sitting in front of us willingly participated the entire way! Mrs. Claus came on board at our one stop and she gave out bells to all the kids. She personally visited with each child in every seat and posed for photos too. Brielle liked Mrs. Claus the best. She still is a bit standoffish when it comes to Santa, so it was sweet to see her so enamoured with Mrs. Clause.

Following the train ride we walked through a pathway lined with Christmas trees. They even had snow falling on us! At the end of the walk we were seated for a show that featured singing elves and finally…Santa! The kids were invited to sit along the stage. Brielle was apprehensive and instead chose to sit with me. She loved the show though! It was well done. Very good performers! The best part was that nothing lagged or took too much time. They keep things moving, which is smart and makes the event more successful, as most kids have limited attention spans. After the show they gave out mugs of chocolate cocoa to everyone, in cups they could keep as souvenirs. Everyone was also invited to see Santa and take a photo with him. They gave out a free photo vouchers to each family. We skipped that part, as we will be seeing Santa this upcoming weekend at another event. I wasn’t sure if there would be a line, but I guessed there would be, as he was in true form tonight!

I will be sure to keep a watch out when they go on sale next year, as the tickets sell out every year. Next year I may get tickets for the entire family…lets just see how this year goes and how well the twins sit still a year from now.