What have you booked for Christmas so far?

[chrissysmusts]

I'm a Christmas lover and love all things Christmas so far we have booked;

A centre parks Christmas weekend
Ice skating
The local pantomime
Christmas markets another weekend
A visit to Santa and a Santa train
A family dinner at a local hotel that does a great roast.
My workplace family Christmas celebration

What have you booked...looking for any other ideas to add in!!
I'm so excited!

The lanterns at Chester zoo is fab for the pp asking. We’ve got it booked this year. Again booked early as all the early slots go fast.

@Finchall interesting wouldn't have thought that re Barcelona.

I do feel like some posters who are being negative about others’ activities are perhaps just annoyed that a lot of events/activities are sold out, now. And some sold out very early, too.

I was burned by this myself. Went to book a pumpkin patch in September for Halloween and found out that they’d sold out of tickets in August. Was it annoying? Yes. But I didn’t blame others for it. I just did a bit more googling, found another thing to do and booked that instead.

There will be very limited availability for Christmas activities now, but I feel like as long as you book over the next few days, you will be able to book something if that’s what you want to do. Long gone are the days of just showing up and paying to get in. Most things will have online bookings, now, so you need to be ahead of the game.

Zilch

@Glenmarnoch

The lanterns at Chester zoo is fab for the pp asking. We’ve got it booked this year. Again booked early as all the early slots go fast.

Ah that's fab to hear. I've wanted to go for years but either been too disorganised and missed tickets, couldn't afford it, covid, DD2 being too little. So for once I was organised! The kids will love it I know

Christmas Light Trail at the local stately home.

Will book a Santa grotto at some point.

Other than that it'll be whatever is happening at the school or village hall.

@balonsz

If people are booking Christmas things in the summer when do you book halloween & firework things?

I book things as their tickets are released, that is the company's choice.

For Halloween we have a small family party at home so nothing to book and DD is only 2 this year so no fireworks/bonfire plans made yet, but pre dd we would go to the next village along for their display (pre covid so no booking involved)

Some of these lists are mind boggling! I’d be knackered come Christmas Day. I had a look at a Christmas steam train thing we did when my eldest was 2 but back then it was about £12 per head and we took my parents. This year it’s gone up so much it’d be just under £100 for a family of four and I can’t really justify that for a 40 min train ride and santa coming through the carriage!

We booked Dunham Massey in about March!! we love the light trail there and again, the early evening slots sell out first so we booked. They released earlier than usual this year, I assumed it was a cash flow thing. Other companies may have done the same hence people coming to book now finding everything gone. If there’s stuff I want to do I just follow on Facebook or Instagram and as soon as they announce a ticket drop then book.

Long gone are the days of just showing up and paying to get in

God I miss those days!!

I remember backpacking as a young woman, not knowing where I was going to sleep that night. Bet you couldn’t do that now.

Now everyone wants to organise the shit out of EVERYTHING, check photos and reviews online, decide what they’re going to eat in advance. Then spend the event experiencing it through their phone. Takes all the fun out of it in my opinion.

I'm actually finding this thread hilarious, "Santa at the Royal Albert Hall" whatever next. It sounds like everyone is tripping over themselves to outdo everyone else with what they have booked !! Jees most kids would be delighted with just one of these days out let alone five or six.

If people are booking Christmas things in the summer when do you book halloween & firework things?

Presumably New Years Day.

Pantomime
Safari park
NT light trail
Ice skating
Big family meal out on Christmas Eve
And 3 nights in Lapland. 45 days to go and I’m excited, 5yo dd doesn’t know yet.

@Glenmarnoch

We booked Dunham Massey in about March!! we love the light trail there and again, the early evening slots sell out first so we booked. They released earlier than usual this year, I assumed it was a cash flow thing. Other companies may have done the same hence people coming to book now finding everything gone. If there’s stuff I want to do I just follow on Facebook or Instagram and as soon as they announce a ticket drop then book.

I booked in may and my god it was slim pickings, pantomime booked around that time too.

@lollipoprainbow 😆

Absolutely nothing.

@lollipoprainbow

I'm actually finding this thread hilarious, "Santa at the Royal Albert Hall" whatever next. It sounds like everyone is tripping over themselves to outdo everyone else with what they have booked !! Jees most kids would be delighted with just one of these days out let alone five or six.

Some people actually quite like Christmassy themed days out and events. It's not all about competition.

DH and I also used to do festive days out pre-dd to Christmas markets and London to see shows. As well as a wander round the village to see all of the decorated houses (something we also do with dd now)

I love Christmas but don’t ferl the need to book loads of things. We might go to London look at the xmas lights.

I think some people just love days out and new experiences (I do) , others don’t or can’t afford them.

A holiday. Christmas bbq on the beach & I cannot wait!!!

Nothing!

@TheUndeadLovelinessOfDemons

Not sure! We did a different one there and it was awesome!

www.adventurerooms.wales/bookings-cardiff/

I think some people just love days out and new experiences (I do) , others don’t or can’t afford them.

I love days out and new experiences, just not at Christmas, and not the ones that are generally done at Christmas! For me, Christmas is a time for being at home with extended family (or at theirs), cooking, eating, playing games and going for frosty walks.

@Moonshine11 yes we are NE...

I've booked Imagination Village on Outskirts of Hartlepool but also looking at a place called Make Believe...

A friend has recommended Dragonflies at Durham too... Oh and Cherry Hill Garden Centre which does a Christmas Walk, Santa and Reindeer too

@Moonshine11 apparantly Durham Theatre has plenty panto spaces left too