Christmas 2023 events - have you booked anything?

[CollieWobbles2023]

A Christmas 2023 event near me was advertised last weekend and tickets were released. It's already sold out!!

I was just wondering if anyone has already booked their Christmas treats and days out? And if so, what did you book?

I know it's June. I'm aware of the months of the year.

My husband has just upped and left and I'm having to budget from now to afford Christmas and I'd love to make sure my DC have a lovely day out somewhere despite what has happened 😊 (I'm thinking ice skating!)

I booked our local Christmas light trail. It’s absolutely massive and through a national trust type of site. I’m already excited 😁

We booked polar express for this year.

Legoland Santa tickets go on sale tomorrow. Not sure if it's just for us annual pass holders first or if it's general release as well.

I have Winter Winderland in Kielder, Polar Express type a train and weekend trip to Slovakia for Christmas market. still waiting for the Snowman at the Sage tuckets to go on sale…

We've booked Warwick castle so far as collected the sun vouchers and the whole summer was unavailable when went to book!

Last year we went ice skating twice; once at at a fancy outdoor rink which cost a fortune and once at a normal rink in a nearby town that cost approx £7pp. Guess which one dc preferred?!

I've booked pantomime tickets for the theatre Royal so far. I'm hoping something festive is planned for Lilidorei at Alnwick Castle, we went for the first time last week and it was magical, i imagined it would be special at Christmas. Also watching out for tickets to see father christmas at John Lewis or Fenwicks.

Just about to book our National trust Xmas lights slot. Not sure our panto have released tickets yet, we did it for the first time last year and the kids loved it (DC will be 4 & 7 this Xmas).

Really want to do poor express but it's pretty far away from us drive wise.

We do quite a few local activities; Santa afternoon tea, breakfast with the elves, festive train ride. I make sure I only do one Santa visit per year.

We've decided we will be spending Xmas day just us four again at our holiday home by the coast. If the weather is nice will have plenty of walks and bike rides along the seafront.

We saw it last Christmas it was great!

I booked the Chester Zoo lanterns last week.

@ChristmasCwtch tickets have just been released for the watercress steam illuminations 🚂

I’ve just booked the ballet for me, DD and DM. We’re off to see The Nutcracker and I’m so excited, first time for all 3 of us and DD is ballet-mad so she’s going to be thrilled!

Also considering booking the Polar Express for me, DH, DD and DS.

Will need to think of something we can do with just DS since he isn’t coming to the ballet, possibly something just him and DH but not sure what yet.

Have booked the panto for the 23rd, we’ve been every year and I really look forward to it.

We always meet up with friends and have a weekend away in early December so will end up booking that fairly soon.

That’s it and I won’t be booking any more.
Will go to the church Christingle, school Christmas concert x 2, and have a drive around the village to look at the lights.

It sounds a lot but I budget carefully for these things.

Has Kielder been and gone already!? Bah! I need to be on the ball with these things 😂

We’ve just got the new light trail booked at Newcastle. We usually do a stately home type thing - last year Castle Howard but not sure this year, might try to get into Hardwick. Will probably visit beamish at some point and do the Alnwick light trail.

I've booked a midweek Butlins break first week of Xmas holidays so hoping that will be enough for Xmas experiences. Other than that we will do the children's carol service and father Christmas grotto at the local church, see father Christmas travel round the streets of the village in his sleigh and a few more small local things.

I do want to take my DD to the nutcracker one year but she will only just have turned six this Christmas so thinking I'll save it for a year of two

My oldest will be seeing the panto with school and my younger two are toddlers so a bit young

We went to a few places last year as dp had Christmas week off work but he doesn’t this year so it’s harder to plan and I don’t think we’re going to be able to afford much anyway 😩 I am looking though and will hopefully be able to find a couple of affordable things to do🤞We went to Lightopia last year and a different light walk the year before and neither were very good so I don’t think we will do that again. I’m looking for more fun things like days out at the play places with indoor and outdoor play and kids rides ect. as we did one of those last year and although it wasn’t particularly Christmassy it was good 😊 I’m looking at the Christmas Santa train rides too but but they all look really expensive and might be sold out before we can book anyways 🤔

I've booked the pantomime, booked it a few weeks ago and it was almost sold out

Thanks so much @OneFamily 👏

My email box is full, so I haven’t been getting any emails for the past week. Just saw your message here 🥰

Wisley light show . We went last year and were hugely disappointed. We drove over 2hrs to get there and we literally zipped round in 20mins , the only refreshments available was a drink station / cafe thing . Went home .
Could someone suggest a much better offering in the South East please .

If anyone is in the southwest then I recommend this place. We went last Christmas Eve with a 9 and 12 year old and a group of friends - it was good fun and reasonably priced.

We got half an hour of tobogganing to Christmas music, fake snow and Santa hats. Then afterwards we had our own campfire and shelter with hot chocolate, marshmallows etc. they do other activities there too

mendip.me/book/toboggan/priority-twilight/

@hattie43 Wisley is nice. We always go as we’re members. Agree though that it wouldn’t be worth the long drive.

Christmas at Kew is spectacular with restaurants, lots of stalls for food and drink and a Victorian funfair. Tickets sell out quickly.

@ChristmasCwtch you are welcome. Prices have jumped since last year so we aren’t going to go this. Hope you enjoy.
@hattie43 we were hugely disappointed with Wisley despite going regularly in the daytime. Kew is brilliant, Windsor is supposedly good but shorter but we haven’t been yet.

@OneFamily I was expecting £120 for 4 tickets and it’s worked out at £158!! Massive jump.

I’ve booked. It’s our first time and looks super fun. It’s replacing our usual trek to Kew. Thanks again 🥰

the bluebell railway has a steam light train which is pretty.

Thankyou for this , sounds perfect

To be honest we're shorter on money this year than previously so we've decided to book Butlins for the week before Christmas, it was something like £120 for the week for 5 of us. But that encompasses Christmas lights, fake snow, seeing father Christmas, and panto; which if we did as separate local events would cost WAY more once added up. Plus also things like swimming, soft play, fairground etc
Then apart from that we will do a local country park for a big walk (free) for Christmas Eve itself, then drive around and see local Christmas lights and get a McDonald's drive through and the kids will be happy and we still won't be spending as much as previous years. Last year we paid £120 alone just for a father Christmas train ride at a country park - it lasted 15 minutes and it wasn't worth it 🤣

We live very close to the watercress line and still haven't been on it (DCs are a bit older and not that bothered) but it does usually have some availability last minute on the less busy slots and after Christmas. If it is too pricy and you aren't far away there are a few spots where you can go and watch it, it really is quite magical.

The open top bus tour of London is fabulous. We also go to a cut-your-own Christmas tree farm which is a lovely thing to do, last year there was snow on all the trees.