Alternative to Lapland hol (...Disney?)

[Meandacat]

I would love to be able to take DD on one of those Lapland santa holidays (and not just because this has been my dream forever too) but.. I've just keeled over at the prices. Way beyond my budget for a couple of days away. So are there any alternatives?

I've wondered how Disneyland Paris might compare if I book early enough. Has anyone been on the run up to Christmas? Is it any good at that time of year? Or would a summer trip be the better option (and just give up on any xmas magic breaks?)

We went this time last year. It's magic especially when all lit up and the parades are on. The decorations are gorgeous. Halloween finishes and they have a break of about 5-6 days and straight into Christmas.

It's amazing at Christmas time. It snows on Main Street, there is a Christmas parade which is fab, a tree lighting ceremony every night and Santa has a meet and greet as well as appearing in the parade. I've been during the summer too which is still great but Christmas time is just magical. The nighttime show (fireworks etc) is also themed for Christmas.

If you are staying on site my favourite hotel is the Sequoia Lodge, it's lovely at that time of year (log cabin style buildings), it's very cosy looking. It's one of their mid range hotels!

If you're prepared to go last minute you can get some very good deals for Lapland. 3 night breaks last year were going for £800 for a family of 4

Thanks folks. I think Disney might be the way to go for us.

Thought I'll keep an eye out for these last minute deals littlereindeer but as I have no more annual leave to take, it might be tricky.

We did DLP for Halloween and it was wonderful, Christmas would be fantastic if the amount of effort they put into Halloween is anything to go by!

littlereindeer that sounds amazing what a good idea!

Op have you thought about Lapland UK? Its near Ascot /Windsor, its from 65 pp to over 100pp depending on the day.

If not DLP also check out The Efterling theme park in Holland, I have not been to DLP and I imagine they do xmas in an amazing way, I would love to go - but a cheaper and brilliant option is Efterling too, its fab theme park, will cost half price and have ice queen and other characters, fires in the squares etc.

We have booked Lapland for a week in December, we booked the package separately through Charter Flights and booked a separate lodge. It worked out about £400 each for 7 days. We went to Lapland as a couple for NYE one year and booked it last minute, it was about £800 all inclusive for a week for the two of us so there are some bargains last minute.

Re Disneyland we have just come back as went for Firework Night, we stopped for 5 days at the Sequoia Lodge. My 3 year old loved the magic and they really put a lot of work into the shows and parades and fireworks.

What I would say is the food is AWFUL and the cost of the food horrific. I personally would self drive in future and stop at the Davey Crockett. In the park all you have are burgers unless you stop for a proper sit down meal (which we didn't want to do at lunch time), it would have been nice to have options such as savoury crepes, hot sandwiches etc. And the queues were horrendous.

We thought, nice evening meal - how wrong we were! Everywhere there were queues at least half an hour long, restaurants didn't allow you to book. The food was so basic in all of the restaurants in the Disney Village, it's all just junk. The hotels are just buffet, couldn't see anywhere for a nice meal. Dined at The Rainforest Cafe one night (had to get there early) and the food was shocking! So I would stay out of the park and go to local restaurants rather than eat at the park.

If you go, the Wild West Show is awesome, food was good there! Well okay anyway. And Mickey Cafe Breakfast.

How old is your DD? We found our 3 year old got quite frustrated with all the queuing at Disneyland, we thought it might have been quieter during the week but wasn't, what didn't help is that a lot of the rides are closed over winter and that it was bitterly cold, it snowed on our last day and this was only a week ago.

PS Lapland is magical, we found it magical as a couple so am looking forward to experiencing it as a family. The husky safaris, ice hotel, meeting santa etc it really is something you need to do before they stop believing :)

sorry to be thick gin but is lapland a place or do lots of different countries do it? Like norway, finland etc? Your deal sounds amazing will it include all the reindeer stuff, elf stuff etc?

BTW Food at The Efterling is very good for theme park and no queues all accommodation is gorgeous too.

so looking at charter flights there are two places Kittia and Kussamo....

We went for 7 days to Finnish Lapland a couple of years ago but used a ski company, Inghams. It was about £220 per person with return flights to Kuusamo. It was great and the company were fantastic. Would love to go back in the next year or two. We even went to Santa Claus village in Rovaniemi and it was actually brilliant. Not tacky or OTT. We stayed in a real log cabin in the woods :)

Here's the answer to where Lapland is! Basically it's a region

Most people traditionally go to Finnish Lapland.

ginauk , lots of rides are closed at Disney this year as it's the 25th anniversary next year and they're refurbishing everything . DLP at Christmas is lovely , best time of the year IMO , we stay at the Pink Palace but have also stayed many times at the New York which is lovely .

Neuschwanstein Castle? It's the castle the Disney logo is based on.

mrspig, sounds lovely.

I was reading review this week in paper and it said hotel was ugly but made up for by loads of snow, it seems not all places are cosy with log cabins...

wow Lapland is a huge area!

Leavesinautumn,
Yes we went self catering and it worked out the same price to have a cabin all to ourselves (between 6) than be in a hotel. And much nicer too I'm sure! Children do go free too on the whole holiday with the company we used so it probably works out more affordable than Disneyland. The Lapland day trips are a huge waste of money and really expensive too.

If your on Facebook Disneyland for Brits is a really helpful and friendly group. We went in the summer and I would love to go back for Christmas time. Pp comments about restaurants isnt accurate but does need some planning as a lotbof people book sit down restaurants 60 days in advance.

DN went to lapland last year with her dad and his family. While it sounded ideal for them, as they love to go skiing, I dont think it has bought them any more time of DN believing in santa and the cost was extortionate. Other than the snow they could have had an equally nice time at centre parcs

Re Lapland, it's an area of Finland. We are flying into Kitilla and stopping in Yllasjarvi in a log cabin in the woods by Hotel Saaga. Last time we went there was a lot to do in the area and you can pick and choose which activities you do. As we are only one family it was expensive to get taxis so we are hiring a car - we were originally going to go with the in laws and the taxi cost would have been better split.

Flight booked with Charter Flights, cabin booked with www.lomarengas.fi/en

Activities for us we can book direct with the operator cheaper than through the travel agent. They can arrange pickup, last time we did:
Snowmobile at night to find the Northern Lights
Snowmobile to the Ice Hotel
Husky Safari
Santa trip
Skiing by Hotel Saaga
There is loads more as well to do.

We stopped at the Snow Princess last time, I would describe as cheap and cheerful though it's not that cheap if you pay full price and not late deal prices. The food is quite basic and the accommodation is also.

I don't think you can compare Lapland to Disney or center parks at all! Lapland is breathtakingly beautiful! It's absolutely amazing and my days there were honestly the best days of my life!

Honestly I've travelled a lot and been to both Disney Paris and Florida and Lapland beats them by miles! Centre parcs is rubbish imo😁

There are always deals about and if you book a Santa trip, excursions and clothing are all included. I will forever remember driving my daughter in a husky driven sled, through a landscape I can only describe as narnia for the rest of my life! Stopping for hot berry juice and reindeer sandwiches over a log fire half way..... Amazing!!

Interestingly DD aged 11 (yr6) still believes .....because she's met him😀

It's magical beyond words but try avoid the ski resorts or to rovaniemi as a bit more commercial.

sounds so amazing!

buttercup do all operators do the narinia hot berry juice thing?

Very interested that booking charter flight and accommodation separately might prove cheaper than an organised tour... but how does that work logistically? What about transfers? And is it still cheaper by the time you add any activities on top? I'm not actually fussed about a lot of the stuff on offer, tbh - all I really want is a snowy ride (pref. reindeer than husky) through a forest if poss. And of course, a visit with Santa!

That said, I'm please to see all the thumbs up for DLP. I was dreading folk saying it was pants and leaving me with no options. And I have never heard other ones in Windsor and Netherland!!

I hate Centre Parcs, I also think it's rubbish, just my opinion, I just think it's a lot of money for what it is and I would rather spend similar money and go abroad but for those who don't like travelling I can see it appeals.

Re overall cost when we did a package through a travel agent they didn't include any tours - only a snowsuit, boots and transfers.

We worked out car hire was cheaper than booking transfers but driving over there might not be for everyone. However I would have thought it still works out cheaper. We are a family of 3 for a whole week it's £1200. I think hubby found the best deal at a travel agent was £800 each for 3 or 4 days in a 3star hotel. Last time the food was so naff we mistly ate out so a cabin works best for us, it also feels more magical.

I really really would recommend the huskg ride, one of those once in a lifetime experiences. The one we did was one of us steered the huskies one sat in the sledge then we cooked some food over a fire in the woods and swapped so the other one drove back. It was magical.