We got a sneak peek at the Stamford Holiday Wish Express experience- and it was MAGICAL. We’re talking virtual train ride that takes you all over the world, a visit to see Mrs. Claus and her character friends, a Mission to Save Christmas, and tons of photo ops!
Basically, it’s an immersive theater experience that takes you on a jolly journey through the North Pole- it also sets the stage well for a visit to see Santa at Stamford Town Center!
Curious about what it’s like? We put together a very detailed guide. Note, there will be some spoilers at the bottom.
What to Bring:
In addition all the usual stuff:
Your Tickets:
You’ll want to buy tickets in advance at The Holiday Wish. They are timed tickets. Ticket prices are around $37.50 for Adults and $27.50 for children, with kids 2 and under being free.
They were super nice and offered us a promo code- use “Kidtivity” to save 15%, which means tickets are $31.88/Adult and $23.38/Child.
An Adorable Outfit
Some families even wore their matching PJs! Remember, this is a spot with TONS of photo ops, so if you’re up for it, dressing in style definitely adds to the festivities.
Your Camera/Phone
So. Many. Photo. Ops!
Sweater/Layers
It can get chilly at the North Pole- and it DEFINITELY adds to the vibe!
Getting There:
This part is for the overthinkers.
When to Arrive:
We plan to arrive at Stamford Town Center about 30-40 minutes early. This gives us time to pay for parking, use the bathroom, and head over to the fifth floor (above Barnes & Noble). If you went at Halloween, it’ll be just past Blood Manor (TOTALLY different experiences though, to be clear!)
Parking
There is PLENTY of parking in the attached garage- we found the garage a little intimidating at first, but quickly figured it out. We parked on Level 8, which is right by the food court. Parking is about $1 an hour here, with a daily max of $9.
You’ll want to take a picture of your SPOT NUMBER and will use that to pay at the kiosk. Kiosks are located at all the doors leading to the mall and inside the food court. They are possibly located other places too, but those are the ones I noticed 🙂
There’s also valet parking which is a flat rate of $12 per day.
Bathrooms:
Are available throughout the mall. Because we parked by the food court, that is the bathroom we used. It had a family restroom available with a changing area, a couch (I nursed Baby there for a bit), and a separate room with a kid sized potty/sink (and adult friendly facilities too!)
A map of everything is here: https://shopstamfordtowncenter.com/map/
The Experience
Where to Go:
When you get to the spot on the 5th Floor (map here), you’ll be greeted by a huge train. Line up by the velvet rope and soon enough a conductor will give the call!
Note: Below contains event spoiler information (for those of us who want to know EXACTLY what is going to happen before we do something. Fellow planners, I’m right there with you!)
The Train Ride
A conductor calls you in, and you’ll file into an area with a (pretend) train. The conductor is a character and he’ll ask you where you’re going. He did a really great job interacting with kids and the audience before ushering us on board!
The train itself is made up of 2 rows of seats surrounded by virtual “windows-” and is decorated in style! Your conductor takes you on a tour of the world (we saw New York, Paris, China, and a few other places) before you arrive at the North Pole.
The Ice Caps
At the North Pole, you’re greeted with a snowy wonderland. A photographer is waiting to take a family photo (you’ll get a card to view it and buy photos if you so choose; photos can be purchased online in advance too).
There are about a billion places for selfie spots too- you’re encouraged to take full advantage of them!
Reindeer & Elves at Work
Once you are through the ice caps, you see Santa’s Reindeer up close and personal before taking a trip into Mrs. Claus’s house, where the real Mrs. Claus spends lots of time interacting with kids and adults alike (She was SO NICE- exactly as I pictured Mrs. Claus!)
The whole thing is decorated to the nines, and visitors are encouraged to explore absolutely everything, which adds to the fun. You can stay as long or as short as you wish.
From there, it’s on to Main Street at the North Pole, where tons of characters wait to greet you. Each window is decorated with different moving characters and it’s absolutely adorable. We won’t spoil the best parts, but it was so sweet.
Save Christmas Spirit
At the end of Main Street, you’ll line up to await famed toymaker Phineas Flywheel. He will invite you into the toy laboratory and treat you to a fantastic and very interactive performance where you must SAVE THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS! Kids take an especially important role in this- so make sure you brush up on your button pushing skills!
Santa’s Lights
Your reward for saving Christmas will be Santa’s Magic Lights- and they are spectacular. They’ve picked out several selfie spots, but really it’s hard to take a bad picture. We stayed for quite some time, then headed out into the North Pole Mailroom (Complete with tons of busy boards, letter writing, and more!) and into the gift shop. There were tons of things to choose from!
And that’s it! All told, we were there at least an hour, and probably would have stayed longer if it wasn’t getting late. There is a LOT to see and do.
The Holiday Wish Express
NOV 23 – DEC 24, 2024
STAMFORD TOWN CENTER
Tickets Are Available from $31.88/Adult and $23.38/Child using Promo Code “Kidtivity.”
As always, we love exploring and do our best to make things as accurate as possible. That said, it’s always best to do your own research and check in with the event themselves before you go!
