Best Santa visit in West Midlands/Staffs/Worcs/Warks

[sparklejawsy]

My DS is 7 but is still very much a believer in Mr Claus and every year I think that this may be the last year but thankfully his innocence remains :-)

Last year we did the Black Country Museum Santa hunt and it was wonderful, by far the best we've done and DS still talks about it and would happily go there again this year but I don't think it would have the same magic the second time around.

We've already done Telford's Wonderland (highly recommended), Tamworth Snowdome plus a few Department store visits in between.

Can anyone recommend (or any to avoid) a really magical Santa visit please?

We live South Birmingham but don't mind travelling for about an hour to get there.

I have no idea if there are any near you (we are in N. Wales) but we go to visit FC at our local National Trust property. They put in loads of effort - FC is dressed Victorian style, with Mother Christmas present checking if children are in the 'good children book'. There is a stable with real animals in and dressing up clothes so you can get great photos. They decorate all their outhouses as elves workshops - with everything from elf bedrooms to workshops full of wooden toys.
Loads of people dressed up as Victorian Christmas characters.
Stories read by a storyteller by the roaring log fire in the servants chambers.
Definitely worth checking their website to see if a local property does the same.

I'm in Worcs but there hasn't been any stand out things that I can think of! Thinking of looking into the Telford Wonderland if it was that good? We've got reindeers coming on the 30th at our local garden centre and maybe might go to Drayton Manor to do their christmas wonderland type thing in December (think they make quite a thing of it)

Santa steam trains or Santa safari at safari park. Both in Bewdley, pricey I think, but well done.

I noticed on TV this morning that Drayton Manor have something going on .

www.santasafari.com/

We liked santa safari. I was disappointed with the severn valley railway, very impersonal.

We've also done snow dome, wonderland and Drayton manor. Our favourite was santa safari. Also enjoyed the snow done but you don't actually get to see santa individually.

What do they do at the Black Country Museum?

The Bewdley Safari Park santa is really nice and the children get to chose their own gift. Reindeers etc.
Drayton Manor Park is also wonderful. They have fake snow falling and a show and elves and everything!
The Art Gallery in Brum has the most lovely Santa I have ever met and it is just a donation as the present is a bit pants but he is lovely and you get to do the German Market and rides at the same time.

Ooo and Ray's Farm Country Matters is a good one where the children all sit around and Santa reads them a story. Not one on one though

Think it has to be Wonderland this year based on your recommendation. Did you know they give discount to Mumsnetters too?

Blithbury Reindeer Lodge in Staffordshire do a nice Father Christmas (according to other Mums at the school) visit but I havent been for Christmas myself just to take the children to see the Reindeer in the middle of summer (very odd experience) .

They have the largest reindeer herd in the UK and you get a ride in a sleigh pulled by Reindeer however check the reviews before booking as I wouldnt want you to be disappointed if it turns out to be dreadful.

Hawkstone Park Follies Shropshire does have a very good Father Christmas experience. My 2 love it there, in fact we go quite a lot through the year to visit. Its quite difficult to get to so that may explain why its never been packed when we have been. Its quite a walk to Santas grotto though, you will definately need sturdy shoes.

Thanks for all those suggestions.
I'll look into the Santa Safari, been to safari many times though, not sure I can face it again.

NT is a great idea, forgot I took DS to Attingham Park nr Shrewsbury when he was 3 and it was very festive, had to queue for ages to actually meet the big fella though! Bit far to go now and I've looked but the other local properties aren't doing anything particularly special.

Wonderland is really good as they make the whole place look festive and you go into a little log cabin with santa on your own so it's very personal and special, can take as many photos as you like.

However I can't praise Black Country museum enough. It's pricey but for a good couple of hours of Christmas magic it is worth every penny...

You're put into a group of about 6-8 children (plus parents etc) and a guide dressed in Victorian dress (and full on Black Country accent!) gets everyone into the festive mood and geared up for the hunt.
Briefly, you go on the tram, into the school house and write a christmas list - be prepared as they don't give you long to do it! - which they take off you to give to an old lady in one of the houses.
At her house she gets each child to stir the christmas pudding mixture whilst making a wish and then the christmas lists get sucked up the chimney!
You go to the bakery and have to find the gingerbread men, go to the blacksmiths and make reindeer shoes and the children get one each to keep and are told to make a wish and leave it out on Christmas eve.
Eventually, you get to Santa's house and after some excitement build up you go into santa's living room and he reads out all the lists and speaks to each child and gives a gift (only down side here is that the room is tiny and crowded and photos are difficult).

Then it's off to the pub for a mince pie and mulled wine or squash.

All the way through you meet local characters who give you clues and you have to look out for signs of santa (his hat on a washing line etc).
All the staff are really good actors, I had a very warm glow at the end of it and DS was so so excited :-)

Once you're in you can go and explore the rest of the museum. We did the Mines and then it was nearly closing time.

You need to book early though as it gets booked up very quickly.

The canal trust tunnel trips which are next door are supposed to be good too but I'm trying to see if our budget will run to that this year.

Ash End Farm in Tamworth - lovely santa experience and they get to take part in the nativity with the animals.

It sounds lovely Sparkle.
Ds is 4 and a half, or will be by Christmas. Do you think he's old enough for it? Or will he need to be 5 or 6?

Clearwell caves sorry not a great web site, no Xmas pictures.

The queue for a quick picture with Santa can be a bit long, early or late is best (you can skip it and grab a toy from the stall)

But the displays are beautiful (they tell a story as you walk through) and the whole place is totally different to any other Groto he will ever have been too. Seven is just the right age, he's just old enough to appreciate the mining history and still be blown away by caves full of fairy lights.
It's also done well enough for adults to enjoy it too.

Be certain to take a camera with a decent flash, I have some lovely pictures of the DDs by the displays (they are older and we skipped Santa due to a 100 Brownies.)

Also used for filming Dr Who and Merlin.

Which is a great excuse to take my 12&15 DDs. Not that I need an excuse, I'm a sucker for 100s of fairy lights.

Thanks Annbenoli, will look into that too, again been to Ash End a few times before but forgot to look into that one.

Mittens my DS was 6.3 and got totally immersed in the whole thing. I purposely left taking him until he was a bit older so that he would really understand what was going on. But every child is different and there were some younger children in our group who really got into it.
My advice would be to leave it another 12 months, plus you might struggle to get a slot now, but it's worth a try!?

Maybe I will ring them and see what they say...otherwise we will probably do the Snowdome and Santa safari. I fancied somewhere a bit different that's all, I was put off telford wonderland because it chucked it down all day and it was absolutely freezing. We got wet and then frozen. Not their fault I appreciate but it was miserable and there's not much inside really. We sunk in mud too.

The Severn Valley was basically a ride on a train then two minutes with a bored looking 20 year old Santa (there were hundreds of santas in little booths) and everyone got the same gift so as you were queuing other children came out and you could see what the gift would be. I was distinctly underwhelmed.

Churnet Valley Railway is good - you get a reasonable length train ride, everyone is dressed up in Victorian clothes with an entertainer/ balloon modeller on the platform whilst you're waiting. When you're on the train, the children get a drink and snack and adults get mince pies and sherry, a magician comes round to each group and does tricks and then Father Christmas comes down and talks to the children, then gives them a present, so there are opportunities for photos etc.

I am thinking we might try Wonderland this year though - we've done parties there in the summer, but never been at Christmas, so thanks for recommendation.