to have expected a bit more from Harrods' Christmas Grotto?

[quaffer]

DH and I took DS aged 5 and 2 today. Booked it in September and was really looking forward to it thinking it would be a nice way to kick of the festivities but I'm a bit disapointed and don't understand what all the fuss is about. There was no grotto just a corridor to queue through with Peter Pan (the theme for this year) wallpaper and Father Christmas was ok but he really didn't play the part that well. He was very slim and his beard and hair were obviously fake (and he had really hairy arms peeking out of his robe!) and he told DS1 that if he didn't give him eye contact he wouldn't get a gift!

It was free and I can't complain about the service. The staff running it were friendly and efficient and we queued for less than 10 minutes so AIBU to expect a bit more? The grotto is advertised as THE one to go to and there are whole threads on here devoted to how good it is so perhaps i was expecting too much?

We had a lovely time last year but it was the Harrods experience as a whole they really loved.

It's all so over the top,they loved the windows,pet kingdom,toy dep ,sweet dep etc.They had an overpriced milkshake on a tall stall which they adored. I'm not too bothered about Santa they're all pretty much the same it's the atmosphere of the day they love.My dc are Devon kids though so easily pleased.

Mine loved the Selfridges train but none of us like Selfridges itself so we stick to Harrods.

We did Selfridges on Saturday - we'd prebooked but there didn't appear to be much of a queue anyway - we had a little trip on the train - just a circular track but it did several circuits and elves appeared in various numbers on every circuit - and each family was then escorted into their own cabin with the man himself - probably 5 or 6 Santas on duty but the kids would never have known !

Quick chat - reminded DS that FC would know if he was lying - digital photo taken (up to 3 attempts to get 'the shot') and then we were taken out the back door ! Photos started at £10 each.

Present was a nice hardback book - DD got one even though she's only 13 months and we didn't have to pay for her at all.

We didn't hang around on Oxford/Regent Street - even though the streets were closed to traffic it was still crazily busy - we headed straight back to Hyde Park for the Winter Wonderland - which was lovely and festive but very very expensive !

We left home at 8am and caught the 10pm train back (we're 1 hour away from Charing X) and it was 2 very tired kids, and one very tired DP (who moans more than the 2 kids put together) going home to bed with hot water bottles to defrost !

Really feeling the Xmas spirit now - will put the tree up soon methinks !

But don't any proceeds go to charity from the Harrods Father Christmas?

lollyheart - do your DCs know that they can get twice as much for their birthday money if they just window-shop at Hamleys and buy what they want online or somewhere else? I've been there a few times in the past couple of years, and have found nothing there that you couldn't find elsewhere for at least 20 per cent less (except perhaps Hamleys own-brand things). I took DD a couple of weeks ago and she insisted on spending all her money on one thing which I saw a few days later for half price in ToysRUs... The demonstrators are fun though.

hamleys is very overpriced.agree with the demos

DS sees santa at the school bazaar. We used to take him and the "gifts" weren't expensive but were fairly decent iyswim. Last few years MIL has been taking him and the gifts have improved. Last year he got some plymobil which he loves and I thought it a bit odd. So saturday he comes back with a DS game, complete with receipt for a shop MIL usues.....penny finally dropped that she is taking something along for santa to giver him. I really find this odd. Why would she do it? She already gets him more presentsd than everyone else put together!
(sorry, threadjack over!)