Everyone who has a toddler knows what a struggle it can be to get a great photo with Santa. This year was no exception for us. We originally had planned on just going to the mall to see Santa and had some high hopes for a great photo. Nicole was first in line and was so excited to see Santa; that was until Santa arrived. Then you couldn’t convince her to go sit on his lap and tell him what she wanted for Christmas. In the end, we ended up getting a picture with her standing next to Santa trying to run away with the colouring book she was given, while her dad tried to keep her in the picture. If only I had found out about North Pole BC at Tradex in Abbotsford before going to the mall! It seems to make a difference when they have the REAL Santa!
After getting the disappointing mall Santa photo, I was super excited to find out that we would be heading to North Pole BC for a review. I was hoping that by experiencing the North Pole for herself, that Nicole would be excited to see Santa and actually sit and talk with him and that we would be able to get a nice picture of them together. Well my expectations were met and then some, it was such a family friendly event and really warmed Nicole up.
We decided to pre-book our North Pole experience online. Pre-booking online allows you to select the date and time that works best for your family. When you are booking online, it shows you what days and times are available as well as how busy the times are at booking. This allows you allocate the time you plan on spending at the North Pole accordingly. A typical visit will last around 2 hours, give or take… there is no rush, have fun exploring!
Checking in at the North Pole BC was simple and quick and we received a scavenger hunt that would take us all around the North Pole. By this point, Nicole was already too excited to see everything and the scavenger hunt was put aside. However, for those who have children who are a bit older, I think the scavenger hunt is a great activity to keep them involved and interacting with all elements at the North Pole. Our first stop was the Post Office. There, Nicole was able to mark on the map where she was from, write her letter to Santa (asking for a Girl Truck), and mail the letter.
From there we headed to Elf school, the toy inventor, the bakery where we got to decorate gingerbread men and then off to story time with Mrs. Claus. Nicole’s new elf name is Elf Pony but shhh…we can’t divulge what we learned at elf school. Both elf school and the toy inventor got all the kids involved, laughing and giggling the entire time. The kids all got together to create the Red, Purple, Pink Train Making Machine. Nicole was so involved that we could not get a picture of her standing still! She did stand still enough to decorate her gingerbread man and then promptly eat it…
Nicole had been super patient up until this point, but her excitement for Santa was bubbling under the surface, she kept asking us constantly if she could finally go see Santa! It wasn’t quite time yet but we were so happy to see that she wasn’t scared and looking forward to seeing him this time. It wasn’t hard to distract her, with so many elves roaming around the North Pole with all their friends, it’s easy to strike up a conversation with a new friend!
Then it was off to the The Gift Wrap Room where Nicole was able to create her own gift wrap using stamps and crayons, such a great idea to wrap grandparents gifts or something special for mom and dad who are sure to cherish this one of a kind creation. After our gift wrap adventure we visited The Toy Factory where kids are able to help build stuffed animals or for an additional fee they are able to create their own small or large take home teddy bear.
Finally, we decided it was time for Nicole to go see Santa for her professional photos. Excited as she was, she still needed a little coxing to go sit on his lap. Once she was there, though, she wouldn’t stop talking to him. She sat nicely and we were able to get a few great pictures. But don’t worry, if you aren’t getting professional photos with Santa, there will still be opportunities for you to get your own pictures with Santa. Santa regularly wanders around the North Pole looking for opportunities to photo bomb you!
He even stopped to take a picture with the Snow Princess and grabbed Nicole (who was now following him around) so she could get in on the picture too. There are plenty of photo ops at the North Pole so make sure to grab your camera, if you happen to see an elf walking around, you can hop into the photos as well! We definitely left with some lasting memories from our trip.
Overall, we all had a great experience and North Pole BC will definitely be a place we visit every year. Nicole had so much fun she was exhausted after our 2 hour stay. If she had a choice, I don’t think she would have left. Our favorites were definitely how warm and inviting Santa was, for a kid who wouldn’t go anywhere near mall Santa, she warmed up quickly and instantly made a new friend. We’re grateful for his patience so we could grab that special Christmas photo. Thanks Santa!
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What are you most excited to see or do at North Pole BC?
{Disclosure: We were provided with free passes to North Pole BC to facilitate our review, all opinions are our own. A big thank you to North Pole BC for hosting us!}