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Christmas experiences

  • 10-08-2018 9:38pm
    #1
    Woodbrook80
    Registered Users Posts: 188 ✭✭


    Hi all the Xmas experiences are beginning to pop up my son will be 2.8 months at Xmas just wondering is that too young and also which ones are good and bad I live in Leinster


Comments

  • #2
    ciara007
    Registered Users Posts: 131 ✭✭ciara007


    Hi I would defo check out clonfert farm. They do a santa and its a lil farm and they have a nice coffee shop there too. http://www.clonfertpetfarm.com/

    I brought my little girl to the liffey valley santa her first xmas for the photo...

    The arnotts santa is brilliant we are going to causey farm bet will also go to the santa in arnotts.


  • #3
    weetiepie
    Registered Users Posts: 191 ✭✭weetiepie


    We went to slane castle 2 years ago. It was a wonderful experience for us all. Our youngest was 8mths at the time. It was such a magical time. The kids were mesmerised by it all. I would highly recommend it.


  • #4
    mirrorwall14
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,751 ✭✭✭mirrorwall14


    We did Causey with an almost three year old last year and while he found it long and the first part of it hard going he loved Santa’s toy factory place and was literally jumping for joy when Santa’s legs started coming down the chimney. The toy was perfect, good quality and he’s still playing with it now though I initially thought it was a bit young for him

    we’re considering Powerscourt this year as it’s a bit closer and i’ll have a three month old


  • #5
    r3nu4l
    Registered Users Posts: 17,399 ✭✭✭✭r3nu4l


    Can I ask for experiences in Munster? We've been going to Castlecomer discovery Park in Kilkenny for the past three years but last year was a disaster with a boghopping, inappropriate Santa who made comments to one girl about her being 'a bit old for this kind of thing', said 'Kilkenny for the all-Ireland lads' and sang ' jingle bells, Batman smells...'. Complete Muppet!!

    Hideous experience compared to the previous years so definitely not going back there.

    Looking for a Santa with a real beard and a bit of decorum and traditional Christmas spirit about him and the place we visit this year.

    Munster or Leinster is fine. Thanks in advance.


  • #6
    DvB
    Registered Users Posts: 10,114 ✭✭✭✭DvB


    Palmerstown House just outside Naas (Dublin side).
    We've been the last 2 years to the santa express experience & we loved it (all 4 of us), only changing to Causey Farm this year as we are running out of years of santa being believed so want to vary it as much as we can rather than do the same thing every year. Other than that though we'd be going back. Its well run & the santa's we had were both excellent.
    Try to go after dark though as its lit up well & adds to the experience.
    "I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year" - Charles Dickens




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  • #7
    mirrorwall14
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,751 ✭✭✭mirrorwall14


    DvB wrote: »
    Palmerstown House just outside Naas (Dublin side).
    We've been the last 2 years to the santa express experience & we loved it (all 4 of us), only changing to Causey Farm this year as we are running out of years of santa being believed so want to vary it as much as we can rather than do the same thing every year. Other than that though we'd be going back. Its well run & the santa's we had were both excellent.
    Try to go after dark though as its lit up well & adds to the experience.

    Brilliant to hear. We just booked here. We were in Causey last year and it was very good


  • #8
    DvB
    Registered Users Posts: 10,114 ✭✭✭✭DvB


    mirrorwall14 wrote: »
    Brilliant to hear. We just booked here. We were in Causey last year and it was very good

    I'd be shocked if you didnt love it TBH.
    Looking forward to Causey farm, have heard good things, mostly.
    "I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year" - Charles Dickens




  • #9
    Toots
    Administrators, Business & Finance Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 16,905 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Toots


    We've done the Amber Springs since the little dude was 2, so this year will be number 5 I think. We'll have the new baba this year so looking forward to getting her down there. IMO the hotel itself isn't as nice as it once was, but the guys that do the train/village are all excellent. It's the same group every year and they're great at getting everyone in the festive spirit. The village is good craic and they generally have a couple of animals in the manger, which is lovely for the kids. The Santa is a good one, and the presents are relatively decent, too. It's a bit of a trek for us all the way down to Wexford, but it's been worth it every year so far. I would say, don't bother getting dinner/food in the hotel before you go on the train - we did it one year and it was so rammers the service was really slow, and we were nearly late for the train.


  • #10
    DavyD_83
    Registered Users Posts: 1,991 ✭✭✭DavyD_83


    mirrorwall14 wrote: »
    We did Causey with an almost three year old last year and while he found it long and the first part of it hard going he loved Santa’s toy factory place and was literally jumping for joy when Santa’s legs started coming down the chimney. The toy was perfect, good quality and he’s still playing with it now though I initially thought it was a bit young for him

    we’re considering Powerscourt this year as it’s a bit closer and i’ll have a three month old

    Sounds like Causey has upped their game massively since we were there 3(?) years ago.
    It was nice, but didn't feel very 'polished', not sure how else to explain it.
    I can't remember in that much detail except being a bit disappointed with the whole thing. Oh, and being driven around the farm in a blacked out bus with disco lights.

    We've done Airfield the last 2 years, it is really nice, the group Santa visit is great, although at first I thought it wouldn't be as special. The Santa we had last year wasn't quite as good as the first year.
    The first guy was the one in all the promo stuff, real beard and just perfect, must have hit his day off last year. It's not cheap thought.

    I'm off to look into Palmerstown House now


  • #11
    mirrorwall14
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,751 ✭✭✭mirrorwall14


    Tbh it was our first time at one of these experiences so we’d probably have been a bit wowed anyways!


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  • #12
    DavyD_83
    Registered Users Posts: 1,991 ✭✭✭DavyD_83


    Yep, not meaning to knock it. We had a decent drive down and daughter was to young (15months) to get much out of it, so I think it all just felt like a lot of effort at the time with not much reward.
    It was actually the fact she was too tiny was the real problem now that I think it through


  • #13
    Forever21
    Registered Users Posts: 229 ✭✭Forever21


    r3nu4l wrote: »
    Can I ask for experiences in Munster? We've been going to Castlecomer discovery Park in Kilkenny for the past three years but last year was a disaster with a boghopping, inappropriate Santa who made comments to one girl about her being 'a bit old for this kind of thing', said 'Kilkenny for the all-Ireland lads' and sang ' jingle bells, Batman smells...'. Complete Muppet!!

    Hideous experience compared to the previous years so definitely not going back there.

    Looking for a Santa with a real beard and a bit of decorum and traditional Christmas spirit about him and the place we visit this year.

    Munster or Leinster is fine. Thanks in advance.

    Did you visit winterval in Waterford , it’s extremely good, really enjoyable for all ages. Just go to www.winterval2018 for all the dates & Santa along with all activities. Can’t wait for all the food huts at it this year .


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