London, which Father Christmas grotto?

[MonsterBookOfTysons]

Hi
I am planning on taking the dc for an overnight stay to London and letting them meet Father Christmas whilst we are there.
Dc are 4 and 2 years old.
Where is best to take them, selfridges/Hamleys etc and do they make more effort than smaller town shopping centres?
Last year our trip to see Father Christmas at Milton Keynes was a bit rubbish and I want it to be magical :o
TIA

Harrods is normally good, my dds like it better than Selfridges (9 and 6)

Tickets released in September, but you need to be up early to get them!

Ooh Harrods, I actually forgot about that one :o
Thanks I will google it :o

You don't want a shop Santa, you want the Painshill Park Centre. True magic awaits you there.

I've not been to Harrods or Selfridges and my DC are too old now (they'd spoil it for the younger ones, they'd be all "Oh that's fake snow, that's not real. How can he be in every house it's just not physically possible"

If you do book, I think they have set times which is much better than queuing.

(I took mine to Bluewater about 3 years ago. They have a booked time, the elves escort the child/children through so it feels like it's just them, which is lovely)

Your DC might be a bit young, but Hyde Park Winter Wonderland has a Grotto. My DC love the rides and in 2010 there was a blizzard lovely falling snow.
That was magical

And in a couple of years- Lapland UK.
Again I've not been, but I've coveted it online.
It's ££ but 2 DC + 1 parent is £10 a ride at Hyde Park.

Don't go to Selfridges. Posted about this last xmas, Santa called my not yet 2 year old a 'spoiled little boy'. He was an old prick.

Agree about selfridges, was very disappointing, kept adjusting beard and forgetting names and not letting children talk :-( rubbish photo too. Harrods is fab but last year was all booked up by gold card members !!

Just noticed all these extra comments thanks, selfridges is out then, I have just applied and received a Harrods gold card :o
Bluewater is a bit too far for me and I would want a lot of money for shopping there! :o
We were considering the Hyde park winter wonderland. I will look more into that one.