To think going to Lapland is more likely to make kids stop believing?

[growlum]

Sister is in Lapland with niece and nephew.
They are 6 and 7.
I think there is a strong possibility they will come home no longer believing in Father Christmas, because the magic will have gone.
As a child, if somebody told me I was going to Lapland to see father Christmas, I would most definitely have been looking forward to seeing flying reindeer, tiny little elves and an incredible magic workshop like in all the Christmas movies.

There is no way my expectations would be met, and once I had visited lapland to find a distinct lack of observable magic, and rather a lot of gift shops, I think that would be the end of it for me.

AIBU to feel worried and a bit sad that this may be the end of my niece and nephew’s belief in Santa?

I think you're giving the children too much credit actually by thinking they'll stop believing because of Lapland 😂

Don't forget children often WANT to believe

Obviously there'll come a time when they don't but I don't think Lapland would generally be the turning point for lots of children

This is an odd response.

Morocco can certainly be mesmerising and not sure why you would think it isn't for children.

Why on earth would anyone need to go anywhere if being told about it is considered the same as experiencing it.

I would happily go to either Morocco or Lapland right about now.

Ooh okay then, you’ve all sold it to me 😅 I might be booking a flight for myself next year then, ha!

What is the significance of Lapland with regard to Christmas? It seems as though an industry has been built around it in recent years, nobody much went there years ago. I don't get it.

Have you even been to Morocco?It doesn’t sound like it if you think it’s mesmerising. It’s not a particularly safe place. There is lots of crime and trouble. It feels very unsafe and is currently carryingva foreign office warning. Not comparable in any way to Lapland!!!!

It’s an industry but that’s where Santa comes from North Pole so makes sense to have it in that area

So seeing him out and about places at home makes kids believe more?

Not been have no desire to go but certainly don't get your point either

We had a wonderful experience here in the UK when the children were about seven. The event was held in a big park and you had to get into Land Rover to cross the park to get to the caves where Santa and the reindeer were.

We had told our DC that Father Christmas had called in on his way. The night we went there was deep snow and it was like being in Narnia. I was so emotional because it was so magical and Father Christmas was wonderful.

Even though as adults they put back on this as one of their t wonderful Christmas memories.

Hold onto these moments of magic as they are few and far between you

It doesn't matter. It's a wonderful experience and kids want to believe so I doubt it would have a negative impact. We are just back from there and had a wonderful time.

This makes me really want to go!

Can I ask for 2 adults& 2 children what would the estimated cost be? How many nights are needed to fit everything in?

Last year I paid around 3.5k for 2 adults + 1 child.
but it was
£200 for the flights (I got them as soon as they were released)
£200 for 2 suitcases
airbnb £800 booked one year in advance
£500 for visiting the toy factory where Santa and the elves are
£450 for huskies
£400 for reindeers

remaininf was food , beers and purchases here and there

This. It’s nuts to me that people will fly their kids all the way to Lapland for often 24/48 hours. And buy winter weather kit for the occasion too. As if Christmas isn’t enough of an environmental disaster already.

We are going tomorrow. Just on the cusp of not believing here too so now or never!

Really looking forward to the atmosphere and fun of being in Finland. A very long time ago I was in Norway in January. There is something really amazing about the snow and Northern lights and I was there for work!!

Just to agree with a lot of the previous posters, we went to Lapland just before Covid appeared and it was the best holiday we have ever had. Just so magical, not commercial at all, and the only holiday our children still keep talking about today. There is quite a difference in quality between trips available and definitely best to spend more time there if you can to fully immerse yourself in the experience. We did the 3 night one here https://www.canterburytravel.com/lapland-holidays/magical-interlude/?tc=INT4ST-08-12-2025-MAN

the whole experience started on the plane which was just for families doing the Santa thing.All the kids got to meet the pilot and go in the cockpit before takeoff. There were games and Christmas films to keep them entertained on the flight and then on arrival you got your snowsuits and were whisked off into the snowy woods to meet the elves for tobogganing and snowball fights. All the activities were once in a lifetime for me and it genuinely was so magical (and I’m a miserable, cynical so and so normally). It is really expensive but it was worth every penny.

I’ve been to Morocco and I wouldn’t bring a small child there personally. However it is a beautiful country, I was there for 3 weeks and found it was an amazing experience the culture is so different to where I live.
i wouldn’t bring a child to Lapland waay too expensive and fake. No thanks. I can understand someone wanting to bring their child somewhere to experience a different culture.

We went for 48 hours in early November and it was very intense! For 2 adults and 1 child we paid about £1800 including all of our spending money while we were there. We stayed at Santa Claus Holiday Village and spent time in the village, went to see Santa’s pets and walked a reindeer in the forest as the sun was setting with an elf, and it was bloody amazing!! Next day we went to Santa Park, a big underground Santa experience with a stage show, a couple of rides, elf school, crafts and gingerbread decorating. We also went husky sledding which was my highlight and then on the last morning we mooched around Santa Claus village again. We had a hire car and both nights we drove out of town and had amazing northern lights shows! The actual meeting Santa but was in some ways a really small part of the experience and the elves at Santa park made it so magical, they all had back stories and knew all the elf lore which was super cute. I would go back in a heartbeat, it was so magical even though we had little snow, but I do wish we’d had an evening flight back rather than mid afternoon as it would have given us just a little more downtime during the trip as it was very full on.

We did eat reindeer one night, DD was iffy about it but tried some and had now asked if we can have it for lunch on New Year’s Day!

We went 5 years ago.
Best holiday we ever had
Rain deer sleigh rides
Husky sleigh- i drove and boy did we go fast
Rode pillion on the back (dh drove) of a snowmobile , underneath a star lit sky, across a frozen river.
Candle lit walk up forest path.
All this in the beautiful snow covered Lapland county side
Breathtaking

Me too.
The airport has one flight in (which then has a quick turn around and out again ) per day.
There was a tasteful gift shop at said airport.

Me, my husband and our two children went a few years ago for 7 days over Christmas: we arrived on the 21st of December and went home on the 29th.

We did everything DIY, no package holiday.

It cost us just over £6’000 for the week and that included the flights, the accommodation (we had a huge and beautiful cabin in the woods with nothing around us but trees, snow and reindeers), all our snow-wear, car hire for the week and we went on 4 trips.

It was the holiday of a lifetime. I used to wake up every morning and look outside the window in absolute disbelief that somewhere so beautiful could exist and that I was right there in the middle of it.

The winter weather kit is provided in the package.

Took DC at 5 and 7 and it was magical just due to the location rather than the Santa experience. DSD had been with her mum at a much older age - maybe 12/13 and she still loved it

DH took me for my birthday a couple of years ago.

Absolutely stunning place. Huskies, reindeer, went ice fishing, hike with snowshoes, saw the northern lights sitting in a hot tub by our cabin.

We didn’t do anything Santa related obviously, but I was fully up for believing again 😂. It’s a magical place.

Where would people recommended staying? I want to book for next year

I always just assumed that they were fake Santas tbh

You are all making me want to book for next year with my 21 & 18 year olds!!