When do you book your grotto tickets?

[Tattoo]

When do you book your tickets to see Father Christmas? And where do you go?
I'm kind of a rookie mum here, and I don't want to mess up! Last year we took DD to the grotto in the town center and it was utterly crap! (I won't go into the whole story, but basically we'd pre-paid for a session, had to wait three hours in the rain, only to be told that the grotto was closed and no refunds!)
I started looking for tickets about three weeks ago. The local garden center is sold out, and so is a local-ish adventure farm (their tickets went on sale in April!)
DD1 will be three this year so, while she had a vague understanding last year, this year is the first time she'll be super-psyched for Christmas!

 

[pa2k84]

I booked ours last Month. Is a Santa train at a local safari park. Luckily managed the weekend before Christmas nothing any closer to the big day available. I think with big events tickets get snapped up pretty quick!

 

[Tattoo]

I booked ours last Month. Is a Santa train at a local safari park. Luckily managed the weekend before Christmas nothing any closer to the big day available. I think with big events tickets get snapped up pretty quick!

Ah, I think I know where you're going!
Yeah, I'd expect big events to go quick, but I must admit I was shocked that the local garden center was sold out already!

 

[annio84]

We've booked our local garden centre, I booked really early because I missed it last year.

There are loads of garden centres that do it in our area, we have a santa steam train, santa on a canal barge, santa in real snow at chill factore.

 

[dani_tinks]

We normally go to Trelawney (a garden centre) and you only have to book if you want to have breakfast with Santa. We buy tickets on the day for the grotto.
Might go Eden Project this year though as it's meant to be magical. Think we need to book well in advance for that so I better look into it .

 

[happilyhappy]

we booked our local garden centre about a month ago, it's really good and very popular. Luckily because we can go outside of school hours in the week we had more options. Christmas Eve pretty much went in the first hour! x

 

[leoniebabey]

I've booked to go to winter wonderland at keilder forest this year so was booked well in advance and includes santa. I'm so excited. Were also booked on for polar express, booked that back in may! We won't bother visiting a grotto since were doing both of those.

 

[Pingu]

This year we are going to legoland, we booked it on the day they started taking bookings

 

[Jolann]

Hi Tatto, not sure whereabouts in B'ham you are, but if its not too far I really recomend the Snowdome in Tamworth. You get to play in real snow for about 1/2 hour (sledges, mini slopes etc are all there), then watch a little show with Santa in it and finally spend as much time as you want in Santa's village. No 121 with Santa admittedly, but a great experience otherwise. We do this with a visit to santa at our local garden centre. I believe Drayton Manor & Hatton World are also pretty good but have never been to either.

 

[Tattoo]

Hi Tatto, not sure whereabouts in B'ham you are, but if its not too far I really recomend the Snowdome in Tamworth. You get to play in real snow for about 1/2 hour (sledges, mini slopes etc are all there), then watch a little show with Santa in it and finally spend as much time as you want in Santa's village. No 121 with Santa admittedly, but a great experience otherwise. We do this with a visit to santa at our local garden centre. I believe Drayton Manor & Hatton World are also pretty good but have never been to either.

We've booked Snowdome! Did it last year as well, and the year before I took my class of KS1 children.
I've heard Hatton is good, but it's already sold out (that's the one who's tickets went on sale in April).
Might look at the Nativity story trail at Ashend House Farm. I wanted something a bit more local, though. It was Solihull Notcutts I was after really. Can't believe they're already sold out!