Review: A magical family day out at LaplandUK

We drove into LaplandUK near Windsor early on Friday morning for a tour we had been invited to review, and when Daddy T rolled down the window to speak to the parking guard it was three-year-old Big Boy who first spoke. ‘Hello, Mister!’ he bellowed from the backseat, beaming with excitement for the journey we were about to embark on.

After parking and a swift check-in process, the children were equipped with new colouring books, Elf passports, team Husky stickers, and little red velvet pouches filled with Elf Jingles that we bought them to ensure they had the currency used in LaplandUK to spend in the Elf Village.

In the check-in area, there’s a cafe, where we’ve previously purchased hot chocolates, coffees and pastries to take away, but this time we decided to go straight to the area where Team Husky would enter from.

The tour started on time with elves in impressive costumes setting the scene and a wall of suitcases opening up to reveal a hidden entrance to the Enchanted Forest, where elves explain that Father and Mother Christmas used to live before joining the elves in LaplandUK.

The introductory session is like an interactive theatrical experience where the audience sits on wooden benches around a beautiful tree, and we soon found ourselves dancing around in circles and howling like huskies. The highlight was the moment the door opened to the wintery landscape beyond, and we got to walk through a tall doorway, holding hands with our small folk–our children–both with big grins.

Next stop was the Toy Factory, a room filled with work benches and equipment for toy-making, and when looking up, visitors could see wrapped presents rotating in the ceiling. The silly elf Conker made us all laugh and a few lucky grown-ups got to hold some signs and show off their dance moves. The next activity was for the small folk to help make cuddly penguins, which the elves explained have been a particularly popular wish this year.

The children received a basket with all the pieces, including a heart and a fish, and started putting the easy-to-make cuddly penguins together and then handing them in to the elf that would apparently later wrap them up. For Big Girl, a cuddly penguin was quickly added to the Christmas wish list, something I’ve become used to happening after visiting LaplandUK.

After the Toy Factory, we continued through the beautiful winding trails through the wintery woods and ended up in Mother Christmas’s kitchen. The children got to decorate gingerbread cookies to take home before a short storytelling session and Mother Christmas sharing advice on what not to give to Father Christmas. Daddy T and I were relaxing on the benches dedicated to grown ups, watching the magic from the sideline and munching on the gingerbread cookies we were handed by the elves.

The next part of the journey was a 90-minute stop in Elf Village, where we headed straight to the ice-skating rink, and the whole family enjoyed a spin on the ice–the small folk with the support from Penguin skate aids available for free on a first come, first served basis.

After skating, six-year-old Big Girl was worried about potentially not having enough time to go shopping in the Elf Emporium, exploring the Pixie Mixie sweet shop and writing another letter to Father Christmas in the Post Office, so this time we ended up going for the quickest dining option.

We stopped for a bite near the entrance to the ice rink–hot dogs from a stand first and then a toastie in the cafe–but last time we visited we went to the new Elf Restaurant, which has been transformed this year and reminded me of a market hall with different street-food style options.

I think spending time in the charming village makes the experience truly varied, and it means every visit different. There are huskies to meet, elves to greet and last time there was also carol singing. There’s a separate bauble shop, where we’ve previously bought a bauble as a memory from LaplandUK, and we always return home with merchandise from the Elf Emporium, where there is an array of LaplandUK themed toys, dressing-up outfits, decorations, puzzles, stickers, books and more.

The highlight was still the very last part of the trip. After the 90 minutes had come to an end, we started our walk through the woods, passing stunning little cottages, reindeer and Father Christmas’s sleigh. We ended up in a new check-in area, where we got to confirm the facts we had pre-submitted about the children’s memorable events from the past two weeks and favourite friend or pet or thing to ensure everything was still correct

An elf soon called the children’s names and led us through new winding trails and to a traditional-looking cottage in the woods. After a short wait outside we were let in to the warm and cozy room, where Father Christmas dressed in an outfit with an authentic feel was sitting in front of a Christmas tree. The children were handed a golden bell for their efforts during the day, and Father Christmas impressed with kind words and personable conversations with Big Boy and Big Girl.

It turned out he knew Big Boy’s favourite book and complimented Big Girl on sports. After showing them both the good list with their names on it, photos were taken of us all and the children left with cuddly toy huskies, which we later bought outfits and collars for in the exit area.

Before leaving the cottage, Father Christmas also said some lovely things to Daddy T and myself about how we’d done as parents, which made me feel my eyes were welling up. Meeting this kind, amazing Father Christmas was the most perfect ending to our LaplandUK visit, and I think we practically all believe now!

Tickets to LaplandUK have in previous years been available to buy for a limited period in winter, and then gone on general release in September.

Tags: Christmas, Christmas 2018, Elves, Event, LaplandUK, Review