Father Christmas Visits are so expensive

[Jumpers4goalposts]

AIBU that a trip to visit the big man in red is getting so expensive. As a family we like an experience visit get us in the festive mood. But looking now (rather late) to book something for DD7 and everything is so expensive and I have a huge fear that it will be rubbish.

So AIBU it’s once a year and you get what you pay for, or
YANBU it’s so expensive what happened to the magic?

also any recommendations for a fab Santa visit which is more of an experience rather than a 2minute chat and a box of chocolates. We’ve done LaplandUK (amazing but sold out), longleat, polar express and Celtic manor which we really enjoyed. Also have done Chessington which we didn’t like so much.

Bit humbag

YANBU

FC experiences can be very expensive. We usually went to village hall ones! But we had our own tradition too.,,

DH was made redundant the autumn DD was born, and we had a lean couple of years. We definitely didn't have the cash for big days out, so I asked DBro to ring me and pretend to be FC and ask to speak to DS, who was then 3. I saved DBro in my phone as "Father Christmas", complete with photo ripped off the www. He duly rang, and had a long chat with DS, who was completely taken in. He got in the habit of ringing at the start of December and in the week before Christmas every year.

This went on for years. I'd message DBro about what the dc were into, and he came up with the FC goods. Over the years he got bells, he got reindeer noises etc, one year he video called from his shed wearing a beard and a red hat. He was only rumbled when ds was about 11 (dd8) when he rang me at another time of year, ds saw my phone ringing and I hand not changed his entry in my phone back. They'd both long since stopped believing, but they still loved their phone calls. They just hadn't worked out who it was!

I've done loads of them way past the age of 7 as my kids liked them.
I agree they are expensive.
If your kids enjoy them and you can afford them, why not just do them.

My kids are older now so we book the panto, ice skating, Christmas market type things.

For me its more about making a tradition and doing something together, probably because Christmas was only Christmas Day when I was growing up. The lack of excitement and joylessness meant even as an adult I don't look forward to Christmas and have to make an effort so my children won't have the same associations.

Stockeld Is lovely with all the lights. We’ve been 3 times however the lights are always the same so we’ve seen it all before so it’s a lot of money to see the repeat of last year. The grotto is amazing though! X

Doing the same thing every year however - that builds layers of memories and IMO that's where the magic comes into it.

I agree. For our kids, Santa on the Round Table sleigh pulled by a tractor with music playing, coming down our road just around bedtime and waving to them, was their annual excitement, and very much anticipated.

My DD was thrilled when it turned up when she was visiting a couple of years ago, and she was in her mid 30s!

I was going to say we had a Father Christmas at the schools Christmas Fair which cost about £2, plus he used to turn up after the church children's service on the 2nd weekend in December.

Only paid once at a Garden centre and had to queue for hours so just did the church and school versions after that.

We usually go to the local pantomime, not the big one that’s is £££ but at our local arts centre, tickets are a third of the price and you get to see Santa afterwards, get a pic and a little present. Its about £50 for the 3 of us but as we get the panto as well I think it’s worth it.

Agreed. We take DC to see the local national trust Santa. It’s £35 for two adults and two children, Santa reads them a story and they each individually go up to sit beside him and tell him what they want for Christmas. Also offer the opportunity for a family photo at the end (on your phone so no extra charge). My DC love it and that’s the FC visit sorted for under £40.

I actually can’t believe how expensive some places are. I looked at one place that charged £50 per child but then £30 per adult on top of that. There should be a nominal fee for adults, we just sort of have to be there but we don’t get a gift or anything!

If you want to go for an "experience" (which is absolutely fair enough) then of course it will cost. You're not paying for Santa, you're paying for everything else.

There must be different options though? The best Santa around here is the free one in the shopping centre. He's even learned sign language and makaton. Lovely man and really looks the part.

We go to our local open farm. Costs just under £100 for the 4 of us including Santa, hot chocolate, toasted marshmallows, reindeer food, pick n mix and making a teddy. Really lovely day out, which is why it sells out in minutes every year.

You don't need the big experience, but if you go with it you'll pay for it.

DH's DD told him the other night it's going to cost £120 to take the gc to Santa...could he pay?
The answer was an emphatic no.
Why does everything have to be a massive experience?

We do Castle Howard every year. It costs a fortune, although we do have annual membership which makes it a bit (small bit!) cheaper.

The house is decorated according to a different theme each year, this year is Alice in Wonderland I think. Then the Father Christmas bit in top.

It is a tradition now, so will keep going for a few more years.

I don't expect them to remember specific visits, but I think they will remember bits and pieces of details and in general, remember it as something nice we did as a family as part of our family Christmas. We also let them both buy a new fancy bauble from the hideously expensive gift shop on the way out.

The one we go to is £15 and it’s amazing. Look around a bit OP?

A lot of the Christmas experiences now are stupidly expensive. What really pisses me off is the paying for adults business. I looked at Lapland Liverpool for this year and it was something like £250 for us as a family of 5

Our daughter's town has one for £9.50 including food. Adults are free.

They have got so expensive! I asked my mum and she said when we were little we’d just turn up to the grotto by the Christmas tree farm and no need to book and it was nowhere near today’s prices. We’re taking DS to do the Polar Express earlier in Dec as he is train mad. It’s his first year doing anything Christmassy and he will love this. I’m on my own with him on Xmas Eve as DH is working and was looking at something Christmassy we could do together and saw our local shopping centre has a grotto with availability Christmas Eve. I’ve seen it before and it’s really nothing fancy, but thought it might be nice to do with DS to kill some time and get us in the Christmas spirit. It’s the same price as what we’re paying for the Polar Express! I couldn’t believe it. Safe to say we aren’t doing it.

Because it’s about making lovely memories for the children.

Polar express is lovely we did it the year older DD was having doubts. Make sure you all wear your PJs.

If anyone is local to the South East, Penshurst Place do a little panto we go to and it's usually less than £10 a person

Well it's likely to be your last year so won't be a problem.

He has better things to spend £120 on!!!

My two DC were both quite scared of Santa experiences. But they LOVED the personalised videos from Portable North Pole. I think there is a small cost involved, but it is all totally personalised and you can watch the video as many times as you want! The videos are definitely a happy Christmas memory for them.

We're live in a really poor town. My sister and I do Christmas dinners every year and deliver them in christmas eve to be reheated for pensioners/ low income families/drug users etc. This year my DHs beard is looking splendidly long and lush so he's volunteered to be FC with my sister as mother Christmas and they are sorting out a set route around our town on the 23rd Dec to see the kids that can't afford "proper" visits. We will but a big box of lollipops or something for him to hand out and I'm working on a Santa suit as I can't stand the cheap shitty suits that look awful.

My sister came up with the idea as she works in a a church and dressed up as the Easter bunny and so many People and kids stopped to hug her and tell her how much it cheered them up seeing her outside the church. She made a quick walking route around the 5 main council estates in our town and advertised it on fb and over a hundred different families turned up to see her so there is clearly a huge need for this sort of thing amongst the lower income groups. It really is eye wateringly expensive to even basic experiences. We went for breakfast with the elves ata local pub last year and it was £20 each for a chocolate waffle in a local pub, a milkshake and a selection box from an end that was about 45 and 6ft 3😂. The entrainment was us, singing ourselves carols.

(And before anybody says about stranger danger etc we are ALL fully vetted and checked as my sister is a professional that works with kids and vulnerable service users, my DH is a special needs school bus driver and I'm a TA).

Not in this house… The magic will go on forever!