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 Tempe is now Open!

 

The last few years we've made it a yearly tradition to visit at least one of the two World of Illumination locations here in Arizona & this year is no different. We were able to head over to the Tempe World of Illumination location for a media night to check out the lights this year. They host this event at the Tempe Diablo Stadium located at 2200 W. Alameda Dr. Tempe, AZ 85282 which is easily accessed from the I10. Tickets are available per card, you do not need to pay per person. During the week it is $39.99 per car and on the weekends it is $49.99 per car, there is no difference in the show on a weekday vs during the weekend so it is completely up to you when you decide to visit. 

The theme for the shows changes each year, this years theme for the Tempe location is Enchanted Safari. You'll spot a number of cute safari animals along the way, and you'll also find a few other themes mixed in like the space/UFO themed section and one that has Dinosaurs. If you've never been to one of the World of Illumination drive thru light events, then I am sure you have some questions. So let's break down some of the questions I am sure a lot of people have about the event. 

This event takes place in the parking lot of the stadium, you'll follow along a set path which has several turns. This event was made with normal sized cars in mind, so to prevent any damage to their displays they do not allow over sized vehicles such as buses, RV's, Limos or over-sized vans. You will be asked to keep your speed between 3-5 miles per hour. Depending on how many people are at the event it may take you between 15-25 minutes to get through this event. If the line moves smoothly it will be closer to the 15 mark however sometimes things get a little jammed up if people stop. Since no one is able to get out of the vehicles to walk around this is a pet friendly event, so if you wanted to bring your pet along for the ride, you are allowed to! 

The event is family friendly. I feel like smaller children would enjoy this event quite a bit more than a teenager would, however it can still be fun for the older kids too. My kids are eleven & fifteen and they have both enjoyed going to this event the last few years. We also like to stop before hand to grab some hot chocolates & a snack to enjoy during the show. The event also offers a fun assortment of classic Christmas songs & fun remixes on their holiday station that the lights are synced to. 

🌵 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.

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.

Enchant Christmas a family friendly holiday event!

 

One of my favorite parts about the holidays, has always been going to see holiday lights. Every year we go to see the houses in our city that go all out & we also like visiting family friendly Christmas events that offer large light displays. This year was the first year we were able to visit Enchant Christmas & it was lovely. What does Enchant have to offer? Enchant Christmas sets up a large light maze that you & your family can wander through while looking for a number of large light sculptures that are part of a scavenger hunt along with other festive offerings. Keep reading to find out what else you will find at Enchant Christmas. I enjoyed walking around the maze with my family and it was nice that the weather is finally starting to actually be chilly during the day/night so it is finally feeling like winter. Viewing all of the shops was fun as well, everything felt very festive, cozy, inviting & family friendly. Food wise it ranged from tacos, to waffles and desserts like cheese cake on a stick and freshly made donuts. The Christmas tree located in the middle of the maze is massive! You can see it lit up from outside of the venue for a mile or two.

Along with the light maze you will find holiday lights all around the venue & pathways leading up to the venue. Next to the light maze is a ice skating rink that is also lit up! All of the staff members have festive outfits on & are all very friendly. Along with the normal staff positioned around the venue you will also find some performers such as stilt walkers which are fun for all ages to see. The maze was actually pretty large, we enjoyed exploring the area and finding the sculptures along with all of the cute photo opportunity spots they had available. We went later in the evening & were lucky enough that it wasn't completely packed, they have time slots available for tickets & only sell a certain amount per time slot to help prevent it from becoming over-crowded. Before entering the maze you will be handed a scratcher card so you can scratch off the lighted sculptures as you find them, it is a great activity for kids & is even fun for adults. On your way out there is a helper passing out chocolate & there are mail boxes you can place your finished scratcher cards in. 

The Scottsdale Enchant location is located at the Salt River Fields & the way they have it set up is that the maze + ice rink are located in the lower field. There are ramps available for strollers & wheelchairs to make it easier to get down to the lights. Along the upper level of the stadium you'll find "The Village" which is an assortment of shopping vendors along with drink booths, food & of course candy. If you want an extra souvenir to take home they have cocktails + mocktails in cute light up lightbulb shaped bottles, or you can opt for a regular souvenir and buy a magnet, shirt, etc. with the Enchant logo on it. There are also other holiday gifts available from the small shops that have set up including ornaments, hats, jewelry & more.  There is even a small pop-up Build-a-bear station! 

There are also two areas for families with small children. One is called Santa's Landing where you will find Santa for your children to visit, you can take photos yourself or a professional photographer will be on site to snap some photos. The second area is the Little elves play place, where children ages 0-7 can sit down & enjoy Mrs. Clause reading them a story + other activities. Between browsing shops, getting hot chocolate and exploring the light maze we were there for just over an hour. 

How much are tickets? Tickets are $35 per adult & $25.50 for children, infants 0-2 get in for free. If you look at their ticket bundle section they have a family four pack of tickets for $95.20 which will help you save some money if you are buying four or more tickets. They have two parking options when you are checking out they have a Valet service or regular parking, we didn't pre-purchase parking online but when we arrived the staff told us that parking was already included in our tickets so they just had to scan our ticket code & we were set. Ice Skating is an additional cost & needs to be purchased prior to arriving to ensure you can get a spot. 

🌵 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- Enchant Christmas provided passes 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.