Pratt Brothers Christmas 2025! + Giveaway info!

 

It is that time of the year again! All of the holiday lights are up and holiday festivities have begun. This year marks the tenth anniversary of the Pratt Brothers Christmas! We were able to attend last year and we loved it! We were invited back again this year, and we had just as much fun as last year. If you love holiday events this is a must and it is fun for all ages. They have everything set up at Rawhide, so not only will it be a Christmas experience, but it will feel like you are in the old West as well. You'll find a train ride through several different themed areas that are absolutely packed with lights, a fire pit area where you can make smores, a fabulous photo opportunity spot where fake snow falls, a Christmas parade, A big light show with pyrotechnics and more. 

When you arrive be sure to pick up a map & guide, it will show you where everything is and have times listed for the different events. If you time everything out right, you will be able to do a lot of the activities back-to-back without a long wait time in between. I highly recommend heading to the back as soon as they open and doing the train ride first as the line can get pretty long. Both sides of the train are decorated and have different lighting & decor, so I suggest going on the train ride more than once since unlimited rides are included with admission. That way you can swap sides and concentrate on each side individually. One of my favorite spots at the Pratt Brothers Christmas is the fake snow area, the "snow" is made from a bubble foam type liquid, but it does look very similar to an actual snow fall. It creates some fantastic winter photos! If you get there a little early for a time slot, you'll be able to snag a spot in front of the snow-covered Christmas trees for even better photo opportunities.  

If you have small children you'll be visiting with you can book a time slot to see Santa! They do allow walk-ups however it is on a first come first serve basis, so I would book a time when you get your tickets online. Your children will also be able to meet Mrs. Claus in another area of the event, plus there is a section to write letters to Santa. See a live show, make Smores, grab some food or participate in one of their two scavenger hunts, there is plenty to do at Pratt Brothers Christmas. 

They offer two different ticket options, you can get a general admission ticket for $38 or opt for a VIP ticket for $89. They also have some discounts available such as the family four pack of general admission for $133 which will save you about $20, or you can go on a weekday for lower pricing. Is the VIP ticket worth it? I know the VIP is quite a bit more than what the general admission tickets are, so let's go over everything that comes with the VIP tickets. 

When you purchase a VIP it comes with everything that is included in the general admission, plus you'll be given a goodie bag & a lanyard. The lanyard gives you access to the VIP lounge where you can grab drinks and sit down for a little bit to rest your feet while watching a holiday movie inside where it is a little warmer. Your goodie bag comes with a ticket for a free hot coco - if you are an adult you can get a spiked hot coco, a free boot shaped mug with your choice of drink - kids can choose from soda, and adults can choose from either a soda or a "Santas Helper" a specialty alcoholic drink. The boots light up which adds a little extra Christmas magic & they are yours to take home. Your gift bag also comes with a ticket for premium seating for the western show, a fast pass for the train, a smores kit, a cookie decorating kit, and a set of hand warmers. Plus in a kids bag they will get a button pin & a wrist band, and adults will get a button along with a holiday ornament. Without the VIP tickets hot cholates are $8, the boot cups are $3, sodas are $4, Santas Helper is $13 and spiked hot chocolate is $10 so in drinks it adds a $15 value to the kids ticket and $15-26 value to adult tickets. I unfortunately didn't see how much the cookie decorating kits & smores kits were if you were to buy them separately. However, given everything that is included in the bags and the front of the line pass/premium seating I would say it makes up for the $50ish difference in price. 

It was busy when we went, however all of the lines were pretty manageable, and we were able to find good spots to watch both the light show and the Christmas parade. It was also easy to find a seat to watch both of the live shows, which was surprising for a Saturday! If you've gone multiple years in a row, the train ride themes haven't changed from last year. Everything was pretty much the same as it was last year, but we still had a lot of fun, especially because my husband and our son didn't make it with to last years event. On a last note, I just wanted to include that since this event takes place in part of Rawhide, this is an outdoors event it will be chilly and the ground is mostly dirt. I would bring something warm to wear & make sure to wear proper shoes as it can be a little muddy out. 

Want to win a family four pack of general admission tickets to this event???? Stop by either my Instagram page or Tiktok and enter on my Pratt Brothers Christmas post. I am @Themoonlitnook on both Instagram and Tiktok. 

🌵 If you live in Arizona check out the "Things to do in Arizona" section of my blog to find entertainment, restaurants, vacation spots & more. (Click on the name or locate it on the right-hand side of my page).

Disclaimer-  Pratt Brothers Christmas provided this experience to us for the review + giveaway free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase.

Christmas at the Princess in Scottsdale!

 

For the last few years, I've wanted to visit the Christmas event they host at the Princess hotel in Scottsdale, Arizona. This year we were finally able to make it over to the event & sadly I have a bit of mixed feelings about the event. Everyone will have a different experience at events like this, and this is just our own personal experience. Christmas at the Princess is hosted at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess hotel. Tickets for the event for general admission are $35 per person, plus you'll need to pay $35 for parking. 

I always like to include as much helpful information in my posts as I can so that anyone looking to attend & have questions know what they are getting themselves into. This experience just like others have positives & negatives, unfortunately for what was included in this experience I felt like it was overpriced. For example, several other Christmas destinations in Arizona include a meet & greet with Santa along with one photo. At the Princess it is an additional $50 to take a photo with Santa, or if you really want to go all out you can purchase a personal experience with Santa for $500. 

So, let's start off on the positives of our visit to Christmas at the Princess. I really loved the light display that is in the back over the water. They did a fantastic job with the set up both with the lights and the music that played during each show. I also enjoyed the giant Christmas tree when you first walk into the main center area. They did a great job over all with the light displays throughout the property. They had fun characters walking around & taking photos with guests like the Snow Princess or a giant penguin, plus there were lots of cute photo opportunity spots around the property. Smaller children were able to write a letter to Santa & drop it into the mailbox to the North Pole. Thankfully the Ferris wheel & train ride are included in the admission cost however be prepared for a long wait. There is also a small carnival style area with a few rides for small children, I'd say ages 2-6 would be the best for the rides.

Now we have to dive into the negatives. The train ride is included with admission as mentioned above, but it was a big ole let down. On their website it states the train goes through a "17-foot-long infinity tunnel", I am not sure what they consider an "infinity tunnel" but we went through no such thing during the ride. Unless they consider the bit behind the water light display the tunnel then there is no tunnel & when we went behind the display out in the water it was all off because it was during a countdown for one of the shows. On the way back the show was going on, but we were on the back side of the displays, so everything was still off in that section. It didn't offer a look at anything different than you could see on foot. We stood in line for over an HOUR just to find out we had already seen everything on foot. Plus, the whole train ride only lasted 5 minutes. You may also run the possibility of all being smashed onto one seat on the train per group. We didn't bother getting on the Ferris wheel even though we wanted to because the line was huge, other people were talking about having to wait in line for one to two hours to get on it. It is still early in the season & from what someone in the train ride mentioned is that it gets even busier the closer you get to Christmas which means the lines will be even longer.

The ice den area is an additional $20 per person to see. It was also kind of difficult to navigate to some of the areas as there wasn't a ton of signage and even with a map things were set up kind of oddly. All in all, it felt like you spent $35 per person mostly just to look at lights. There were a lot of unhappy people in the line for the train talking about the experience, so I know we weren't the only ones who weren't completely satisfied with our experience. For some reason they only have a few google reviews up for this event even though it has been happening for years, they eight reviews that are currently up are a mixture of people who enjoyed it plus 1 & 2 stars from people who didn't like it at all.

There is room for improvement though so hopefully moving forward they change a few things to make it a little more guest friendly! 

🌵 If you live in Arizona check out the "Things to do in Arizona" section of my blog to find entertainment, restaurants, vacation spots & more. (Click on the name or locate it on the right-hand side of my page).

★ This is not a sponsored post, we paid for this on our own. I enjoy sharing new places we explore with my followers.

Pratt Brothers Christmas at Rawhide!

 

It is a little bit cheesy, but during the holidays I love Hallmark holiday movies & I absolutely love Christmas lights. So, I always thought it would be wonderful to live in a town that goes all out for Christmas with holiday lights & festivities. Most cities put up some lights but don't really go crazy, but visiting the Pratt Brothers Christmas at Rawhide in Arizona will make you feel like you are in a holiday movie Christmas town. This event is located at 5700 W North Loop Rd Chandler, Arizona 85226, parking is included in admission. 

This event is hosted at Rawhide which is a small old western town theme park in Arizona. When the Pratt Brothers take over for the holiday season it turns into a sparkling Christmas gem featuring over six million Christmas lights, a magical train ride through thousands of lights, visits with Santa, an area where it snows & more. This was our first year visiting the event & we had a fantastic time! Tickets are $35 for general admission or $80 for VIP tickets. On your way into the event don't forget to grab a map near the front entrance! Because it not only shows you where to go but all of the show times will be listed on the flyer as well so you can plan out your night. Expect to spend anywhere from three to four hours here if you take your time doing everything.

We arrived shortly before the gates opened & there was already a pretty decent size line formed to get into the event. We weren't sure how long it would take to get in, but they had everything set up & running pretty smoothly so it didn't take long before we were headed into the event. Upon entering you will see that every house down main street is covered from top to bottom in Christmas lights! And if that wasn't enough lights there are also lights strung from one side of the street to the other, plus several photo opportunities like a giant ornament or a huge stage coach which are also completely covered in lights. 

What's included in general admission? You will be able to ride on the train as many times as you wish, watch the Gingerbread light show as many times as you want, visit Santa, write letters to Santa, play in a 'Snowfall' and more. We stopped at pretty much everything aside from visiting Santa as my kids are a bit older, and we didn't do the Smore's kit area because it cost extra and we weren't really hungry at the time. If you arrive to the park right when they open, I suggest heading either to see Santa first as the line can get pretty long quickly or heading to the back left near the Gingerbread light show to hop on the train before a line starts. We went on the train twice, each one was pretty much back to back. We took turns being on the right side vs the left side because the light displays you drive through have a ton to look at it is easiest to concentrate on looking at one side at a time so you don't miss anything. I think they did a fabulous job with each different themed area of the train ride from Peppermint fields to going back in time with Dinosaurs, even adults will love this train ride. I've been on several different train rides at different holiday events here in Arizona & I would have to say that the Pratt Brothers train ride is hands down the best when it comes to the length of the ride & how much there is to see on the ride. 

The Christmas themed western stunt show was cute, it gave you a chance to sit down and watch a tale about Santa visiting the town of Rawhide. I'd say the show last about twenty to twenty five minutes in total & is scheduled so you won't miss any other big shows like the parade down main street. At 8pm there is a parade down main street which features several pretty whimsical vehicles to look at such as a giant gingerbread house that drives by or a car that reminded us of a wonkamobile. Shortly after the parade ends is one of the Gingerbread house shows so you can watch them back to back. The show is spectacular, there are a ton of lights and even pyro bursts during the show. 

They also have a "Snowfall" area which has a few dozen snow frosted Christmas trees, at certain times through out the night it will snow in that area. Instead of using shaved ice it is a bubble mixture that is shot out of hoses from the roof, however it does look similar to a snow fall. It was a fun experience and made for some cute photos and many laughs. I also liked looking at the large miniature Christmas village they had set up, it reminded me of the one my great grandmother used to put up when I was a child. 

Writing postcards to Santa was fun, the little work shop area they had set up looked fantastic and was well organized. I also loved that one of the buildings wasn't just a normal Christmas house, instead it was a "Scary" Christmas house which was decorated with purple and green lights and inside were festive Halloween decorations. Browsing the shops was fun at well! Overall we all had a great time at this event & I would 100% visit it again next year.  

If you want to see more from this event stop by my Instagram page to watch a reel where I highlight more details from this event. 

🌵 If you live in Arizona check out the "Things to do in Arizona" section of my blog to find entertainment, restaurants, vacation spots & more. (Click on the name or locate it on the right-hand side of my page).

Disclaimer-  Pratt Brothers Christmas provided this experience to us for the review + giveaway free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase.

Pioneer Winter Wonderland Review! (+ Giveaway)

 

This year there is a brand-new Christmas destination! If you are in Arizona & are looking for fun holiday events to take your family to, you should hop in the car and drive out to visit Pioneer Winter Wonderland. It is located in North Phoenix along the I17 just before Anthem. Their address is 3901 W. Pioneer Rd Phoenix, AZ 85086. The Arizona Pioneer Living History Museum has turned into a winter wonderland to celebrate the holiday season & it has a ton to offer families! 

There are two different ticket options for this event, you can purchase general admission which is $25 per adult & $20 per child or if you are planning on buying food + drinks at the event anyways then it may be a better option to try for the VIP option which is $125 per person & I will go over everything included in both packaged. Parking is included with either ticket option, plus they have a fresh Christmas tree lot in the yard if you want to buy a tree after your adventure. 

Even if you were to enter the park with just the general admission there is still a lot to do in the park. If you arrive before 6PM there is a small parade down the main street which is their opening ceremony. It was fun seeing all of the characters go by, but hands down the Grinch had the best ride into town. Following that general admission also includes a photo with Santa, story time with Mrs. Clause where children ten and under will get a free hot chocolate and cookie), you can write a letter to Santa, roll around in a human sized ornament ball, see a cowboy performance, watch one of the live acts they have each night, there are holiday lights along the paths & trees to look at, a "selfie with an Elfie" area that has several different photo opportunities set up. Along with all of that you can pan for gold, visit Santa's workshop, visit the Grinch for photos and check out their pioneer buildings decorated for the holidays. 

There are also other areas that are not included with general admission & will cost a little extra. You can hop on a holiday train to be taken through a light show, the light show was set up & sponsored by World of Illumination. It is set up just like one of their holiday drive throughs that you can visit in your car except you are on a train & along the way you'll make a pit stop where an elf will hand out candy canes. A little further back from the train you'll find a horse drawn carriage ride which will take you on a trek through a patch of desert where you'll see a small lighted forest of trees, see a gingerbread house and if you are lucky see a Yeti! Both rides are $10 per person, the train does have a family pack where you can get five people on for the price of four. Across from the train is a small winter carnival which has carnival games & a few rides, the prices vary. I am unsure how much the carnival games were as we didn't play any, however I do know that my husband paid $9 for one of the carnival rides so it was $3 for both our children & himself to get on. 

One of their partners this year is Funbox which is a giant bounce house, so they have a bounce house location set up on the property. It is $10 per child to explore & jump. This is more of a bounce city than a bounce house, it is huge. One of our favorite spots was located right up front, they have a small Christmas escape room set up that is $5 per person. It is a short escape room set inside of a living room decorated for the holidays, you will need to solve puzzles to open several different chests to get pieces to use to escape the room. After exiting the room, you will enter a secondary room that has forty decorated Christmas trees, you will be given a scavenger hunt sheet to find six hidden ornaments among the trees. Food + drink wise, there are food trucks in the back, a cowboy BBQ area, and a few pop-up spots with things for purchase. 

So now that we've gone over what is included in the general admission & what cost extra let's talk about the VIP tickets. They will include everything that the general admission does plus you will receive a light up engraved VIP lanyard, a light up bracelet, your choice of either the train or carriage ride, a coupon for 30% off the gift shop plus access to the VIP lounge area where you will be able to select one of three dinner options & you have a drink voucher you can use at either the lounge or out front for a hot chocolate. The VIP lounge also has some yard games set up to play while you wait for your dinner. I also loved how they decorated it, it felt like an ice den. 

I really enjoyed the selfie area, it was fun having the different statues & cut outs to take photos with. There is plenty of space around each one to take a group photo, or just photos of the kids. Ever since I was a kid, I loved seeing Christmas light displays, so I loved seeing all of the trees & buildings they decorated. The letters to Santa area was adorable & is always fun to do even if you are older. There was a decent amount of people at the event however it wasn't overly packed so the only spot we really had to wait in line for was the train ride. While waiting in line some characters may come by to keep everyone entertained, while we were in line a contortionist put on a performance & when we walked by a little later in the day a trio of singers was singing Christmas carols. If this sounds like an experience you & your children would enjoy, I suggest checking it out. 

GIVEAWAY ALERT! Head over to my Instagram page ( <-- Clickable Link) to enter to win a family four pack of general admission tickets to Pioneer Winter Wonderland. 

🌵 If you live in Arizona check out the "Things to do in Arizona" section of my blog to find entertainment, restaurants, vacation spots & more. (Click on the name or locate it on the right-hand side of my page).

Disclaimer-  Pioneer Winter Wonderland provided this experience to us for the review + giveaway free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase.

World Of Illumination in Glendale,AZ! Reindeer Road Review.

 

One of the best ways to make holiday memories with your family is to bundle up, make or pick up some hot chocolates & a sweet treat then head out to look at some holiday lights. We are very lucky & there are a few spots near Phoenix that do holiday light shows that can be enjoyed from the comfort of your car. World of Illumination is a yearly event that we enjoy visiting together! They have two separate locations each with its own theme. This year we visited the Glendale location which is located behind the Desert Diamond Casino off of Northern & the 101 freeway. Its theme is Reindeer Road, tickets range from $39.99 to $49.99 per carload depending on what day you visit. If you enjoy bringing your dog out on a car ride, they are welcome to join you in your car to see the lights. 

Signs to the entrance are easy to follow & although there were two or three dozen cars when we arrived, we were able to get in quickly and enjoy a nice slow ride enjoying the lights and music. They will have signs at the front entrance to let you know what station to tune your vehicle to. The music that is playing on the designated station are synced with the holiday lights & many of the elves, reindeer, etc. will look like they are signing along to the songs. 

They had a great assortment of traditional Christmas songs that have a slight remix to them along with some holiday movie songs. It is a great family friendly event that kids in particular will love, it is exciting to hear what song they will play next and see the light show that goes with each one. This event will include lighted tunnels, giant Christmas trees & more. In total it took about half an hour to drive through & view everything they have set up. I always look forward to seeing the light show each year. If you want to add something extra special to the experience for yourself or for your children they sell light up cheer sticks and 3D glasses to really make the lights pop. If you aren't near the Glendale location they have another in Tempe with the theme Cosmic Sleighride. At the moment they do not have any kind of bundle package, but it would be nice to see a bundle in the future where you can get tickets for both locations with a slight discount for the dual tickets. 

🎄 Does this sound like an event that you & your family would enjoy? Which theme do you think you would enjoy more the Reindeer Road or Cosmic Sleighride?

🌵 If you live in Arizona check out the "Things to do in Arizona" (Click or locate it on the right-hand side of my page) section of my blog to find entertainment, restaurants, vacation spots & more. 

Disclaimer- World Of Illumination provided a pass for the event for this review free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase.