A Magical Christmas Experience with a Price Tag
Lapland UK, a luxurious Christmas attraction that has captured the hearts of celebrities and families alike, is still offering tickets for its festive experience. However, these tickets come with a hefty price tag, making it accessible only to those with deep pockets.
The event takes place in two locations: Whitmoor Forest in Ascot and a new site near Capesthorne Hall in Cheshire. This year’s version of the attraction has seen an overwhelming response, with tickets selling out quickly since they went on sale in the spring. The popularity of this extravagant day out, where children explore an ‘Enchanted Forest’, make gifts in a Toy Factory, and decorate gingerbread in Mother Christmas’ kitchen, has grown significantly—alongside the prices.
Even with 12 weeks until Christmas Day, there are only a few slots left for the ‘magical’ day out, which uses Hollywood set designers to create an authentic winter setting. Parents may find themselves wincing at the cost of this experience.
A four-hour Golden Experience tour, which includes a personal guide, private access to activities, lunch, and priority seating for performances, costs £299 per person for a weekday in November. For dates closer to Christmas, the price jumps to £399 per person, rising to £599 per person for weekends and weekdays after December 12th.
Children under one are free, but once a baby turns one, the cost jumps to the standard ticket price. Adding a booking fee of £19.80 and postage and packaging of £5.80, a luxury afternoon at this festive Ascot outpost can cost around £2,400.
Cheaper tickets are available for those who act quickly in the spring, with December tours starting from around £95 per person for the standard experience, and early November weekdays from around £60. Even at the cheapest price, a family of four will still pay more than £280, almost double the price of a trip to a UK theme park.
For those seeking an alternative, a trip to actual Lapland offers a different kind of experience. The cheapest return day trip found by the Daily Mail was to Pajala in Swedish Lapland with Newmarket Travel, costing £599pp for adults and £555pp for children. A family of four can enjoy a day trip with a husky-sled ride, snowmobile experience, and reindeer sleigh trip for £2,308 including flights and lunch.
Canterbury Travel also offers a more luxurious option, traveling to Finnish Lapland in December for £729 for adults and £649 for children, totaling just over £2,756 for a family of four. This includes a range of activities such as husky sled rides, snowmobiling, reindeer sleigh rides, a hot lunch, a gift from Santa, and flights and transfers.
The Origins of Lapland UK
The ‘Santapreneurs’ behind Lapland UK, Alison and Mike Battle, a former teacher and hedge fund manager respectively, first opened the Ascot site 18 years ago in 2007. They spotted a gap in the market for a high-quality attraction packed with authentic Christmas cheer.
The year before they had taken their own young son to meet Father Christmas at a local attraction and had a dismal experience after being greeted by a Santa wearing a ‘joke-shop’ beard. After approaching the Forestry Commission, they set up the first incarnation of Lapland UK in Tunbridge Wells in 2007, selling 37,000 tickets in the first year.
Customer Reviews and Alternatives
Of 640 reviews on TripAdvisor, 361 describe the day out as ‘excellent’. One happy customer said their visit had seen her children ‘absolutely blown away by the entire day’. Another added, ‘Everything was so magical. My 10-year-old came away in shock that she had met the REAL Father Christmas as he knew about her.’
However, not all reviews are positive. Some customers baulked at the price, with one writing, ‘It was okay, we paid nearly a grand for a family of 5. Would I go again? No. Why? Overpriced for the experience we received.’ Another warned, ‘A nice day but don’t believe the hype and don’t expect value for money.’
This year, there is a rival to the UK attraction with a Polar Express experience launching in Manchester. The brand-new immersive Believe! The Polar Express Experience promises to bring magic and enchanting moments to the O2 Victoria Warehouse.
Families can step inside the charming world of Hero Boy and Hero Girl’s journey to the North Pole. The ‘completely unique experience’ runs from November 14 to December 31, with tickets ranging from £39.50 to £49.50. Differing from the classic The Polar Express Train Ride, the whole new attraction won’t have any moving locomotives. Instead, passengers will immerse themselves into a walkthrough of the Polar Express world in a more ‘hands-on environment’.
Josh Baker, an associate producer for Plus Live, one of the companies running the attraction, tells the Daily Mail the experience would be ‘one of a kind’. He adds, ‘I don’t think there are any other Christmas events like this. It’s got something for everyone.’
The interactive experience will include hot chocolate, a cookie, and passengers will receive the iconic golden ticket just like in the film. Children are encouraged to wear their favorite pyjamas and join in with the Pyjama Party.
