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Original poster

On the topic of spoilt children

24 replies

nikkim · 05/10/2004 00:42

Rather than buy her a pressie as she will get lots i though we could go on a magical chritmas extravaganza!

My two options are eurodisney (dd likes it and wants to go again ansd they must do a magical christmas extravaganza!) or Lapland ( mummy wants to go)

I have looked at prices and the cheapest day trip to Lapland I can find is £299, for the same money we could have a two night break in a disney hotel over the festive period.

Which would you do? Please do not tell me off for spoiling my daughter because...... well have no reason other than I am very pre menstrual ( well am on period so should that be menstrual?) and hormonal and I know you lovely mumsnetters wouldn't want to make me cry or get violent Besides I am not spoiling my daughter the trip is for me, hapy daughter is a by product!

Would lapland be too cold for a three year old? has anyone been? Is it all a con? Does anyone know of a cheaper magical christmas extravaganza? Or a cheaper way of getting to lapland - as at £299 a head I am going to have to pull out all the stops in the bedroom!

OP posts:
MTS · 05/10/2004 00:46

i would do eurodisney in your shoes - I think with a day trip the timing for everything will be very tight, so it would be much less stressful with a 3 year old to do a 2 night trip to Eurodisney - that way if you have a grotty few hours it won't matter as much, iyswim. never been to either tho, so you may just want to take my advice with a pinch of salt.

Original poster
nikkim · 05/10/2004 00:53

I know you are right, but mummy wants to see santa she shouts in a stamping feet spoilt brat kind of way!

OP posts:
JoolsToo · 05/10/2004 08:12

Maybe Disney has a christmas theme at that time of year? - although the thought of Mickey dressed as Santa conjures up strange images!

I too would go for Disney but then I HATE the cold!

woodpops · 05/10/2004 08:23

It would have to be Laplanmd for me. I was looking into it myself yesterday. The only thing is I found several sites that didn't advise the trips for under 4's due to the extreame weather conditions. Think I'll wait 2 years until ds is 5 and dd is 4. I think it'll mean more to them then as well!!!

JanH · 05/10/2004 09:27

Have a look at this piece , nikkim. It was Sweden though, not Finland, and a longer trip...I think I've seen other accounts, I'll try and find one.

As far as the weather is concerned, it can be pretty cold - and damp - in Paris in December too. I wonder how much more it would cost to fly to Florida?

JanH · 05/10/2004 09:29

A Lapland version!

There are some suggestions for other Christmas trips at the bottom of this one.

Original poster
nikkim · 05/10/2004 09:45

Right these stories are scaring me! I think it may be eurodisney.

These stories remind me of taking my daughter to see Father Chritmas at London zoo when she was about eighteen months. Tickets were £17 each so nowhere near the cost of Lapland but still not cheap for a family of three. Any way it was total crap, it rained so al the animals were indoors, we were kept hanging around for ages, father christmas was grumpy and never even acknowledged my daughter.

the best santa we have seen was at harrods, infact dp has suggested that we go to lonodn for a long weekend just before christmas to do some shopping, vist friends and take dd to see santa there.

OP posts:
JemimaBobbins · 05/10/2004 09:52

I'd say go for eurodisney this year and save lapland for when she's a bit older.

I desperately want to go to Lapland and have been going to go every year for the last three years but people who have been kept saying wait until ds is 5. So he's now 5 but now I'm not sure he's ready. I really want him to get the best out of it and I think this year he'd probably refuse to see Santa and wouldn't go on all the skidoo and husky rides.

When I do go I'll be going with Canterbury travel as they really do seem to be the best and worth the extra.

Original poster
nikkim · 05/10/2004 09:55

One company won't take them until they are five so I know we should wait another two years. It is just me acting like a spoilt toddler!

Not quite the same but we hiked up snowdonia over easter and dd hated the cold so she would probably detest lapland. it would be a shame to spend all that money and she not enjoy it.

OP posts:
sweetheart · 05/10/2004 09:56

JoolsToo, How come you can come on this thread and give constructive and supportive comments yet you found it necessary to post negitive things on my thread yesterday.

JemimaBobbins · 05/10/2004 09:57

Maybe me and you should go Nikki?

GeorginaA · 05/10/2004 10:02

Must say - Santa at Harrods is the only true Santa! He's beent he best Santa we've seen too...

aloha · 05/10/2004 10:23

We never, ever go to Harrods normally, but do make a trip at Christmas. It was dh's tradition with his daughter - my lovely stepdaughter, and this year will fully include our ds too. Last year, at two, he was really too young. We finish off at the food hall, buying treats for tea. Looking forward to it already!

wizzysmum · 05/10/2004 10:39

I loved lapland but think a day trip would be exhausting at 3. We did a 3 or 4 day trip. It was hugely expensive but worth it. We had to be at Gatwick by about 4am where people dressed as reindeer looked after the children and I seem to remember arriving at late lunchtime. Favourite moments were helping the elves make presents (kids not me) reindeer sledge ride, snowmobiling and huskies. Lots of great sledging and hot berry juice in little huts with big fires. It really was magical, but my youngest at just 3 was probably too young though he enjoyed it. It is very cold but there was no wind while we were there. We did the Cosmos trip but talking to others they all seem fairly similar. How about skating at Somerset House with a trip to Covent Garden - do they still do the merry - go-round?

JoolsToo · 05/10/2004 11:04

sweetheart - I can come on this thread or any other and give my honest opinion about something - if you don't agree with my opinion thats fine - I respect that. But I shall continue to post withersoever I choose.

Original poster
nikkim · 05/10/2004 11:08

I don't live in london anymore, am in lancashire but there are so many lovely christmassy things such as harrods santa, iceskating at somerset house (although at 3 she is too small I would think).

So now have a new dilemna London or Eurodisney. Oh being a mum is full of these life or death dilemas!

OP posts:
Batters · 05/10/2004 21:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

KatieMac · 05/10/2004 21:36

I went to Tomteland (Santaworld) in Mora in Sweden. It was spectacular Santa spoke broken english - enough to get by...she got a present we met elves in 3 foot of snow.....fantastic.

They have a website - but it's in swedish - however there is an english version somewhere....

Best holiday I ever took 4 yo on ..... well worth it

Original poster
nikkim · 05/10/2004 22:39

well have been well and truly told off - my mum came round and I asked for her opinion on magical chritmassy extravaganzas! Apparantly I am an awful mother who spoils her daughter who should be happy with a tangerine and a pat on the head for chritmas.

She must be a mumsnetter!

OP posts:
miggy · 05/10/2004 22:55

The link janh posted, said Efeteling in holland is open at christmas. I think that would be fab. Its a lovely theme park, miles nicer than disney and really fairytale magical. I think that would be lovely with a xmas theme

miggy · 05/10/2004 23:00

look fairytale magic

Angeliz · 05/10/2004 23:09

miggy i just looked at that one.
I don't want to really go away at Christmas but am SOOOOOOOO tempted by that. DD LOVES anything remotely fairytale at the moment and would be in HEAVEN!

Weatherwax · 05/10/2004 23:13

We took dd1 (5 and 3 quarters)and dd2 (2and 3 quarters) to eurodisney last year the week before Xmas. Santa was present on his sleigh. However the Queue was about 1 hour long and Winnie the Pooh was most popular as he greeted the children first and didn't want to disapoint the kids so went up and down the queue for awhile. Both Pooh and Santa stayed much longer than they were due to so as not to disappoint.It was the longest queue we experienced as we went for the younger kids rides.

Eurodisney do a great line in artificial snow, very small bubbles.

wizzysmum · 06/10/2004 20:23

santaworld.se - has English version.

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