It's Christmas lights, sort of We only did the Peppermint Parkway and paid extra for the track lap The track lap was sort of cool because you got to see and drive in the COTA track But after that the drive thru lights were meh, lasting 10 minutes Not much to see and a dancing grinch is not worth the cost One and done, will not be back read more

Not worth it. Some of the stuff that's advertised we couldn't even find in the plaza. When asking the employees they weren't sure either. The people working were nice at least. The "shopping" was mediocre. Maybe I just had expectations that they'd be selling actual Christmas stuff like decorations or clothing. Nothing like that. Weren't impressed with the few food options available. Definitely eat a good meal before going. Finally, the driving and lights experience was an absolute joke. We got line at 6:08 according to my MIL and didn't actually get to the lights until past 7:30, maybe 8. There was a lot of random merging than splitting, then merging again. We were waiting so long that people were leaving their cars to go to the porta potties. Literally, leaving their car in park, walking over to the bathroom and back to their cars with plenty of time to spare. Getting the fast pass isn't worth it, we didn't bother with that, but it was not any faster than the regular lanes. I was really looking forward to such a fun family experience with the kids and we all left disappointed and hangry. I could see other families in their cars with parents stressed out with screaming bored and hangry kids also. read more

We waited in line for a good half an hour in the express lane only to drive through for about 10 minutes so it was pretty disappointing. I wish they would stagger entrance times to cut down on long lines. They offer water, cotton candy, and over salted popcorn if you need snacks. I would recommend you bring your own for a better price and experience. Once you get to the lights, the grinch greets you and that's fairly cool, but he's not super animated or anything. Just waving! None of the characters were particularly lively or exciting. The lights were nice but not exactly awe-striking either. The experience was so short that we wondered if we'd taken the wrong turn or something. read more

The lights and show itself were great but it was really only 10/15 minutes which feels like of time in line (45min - 1 hr) and price of admission ($40). While in mine they did have big screens with clips from popular Christmas movies to keep you slightly more entertained while waiting. There was a TON to look at so I wish we didn't have to keep the car moving (although I understand it's not logistically feasible to let cars stop). I believe they used to do this as a walking event and changed due to COVID. I would only go again if the wait weren't so long or we got to spend more time in the actual show. I guess what I'm saying is that the wait to experience time ratio is off. read more

Peppermint Parkway - Festivals Near Me - Del Valle, Texas

Meh. We weren't very impressed. We felt that the decorations were lacking and the whole thing was kinda boring. We wouldn't do it again or recommend. The workers are nice and we were able to get through the whole mile pretty quickly, read more

A fun way to get into the holiday spirit! A perfect drive if you have a mini van, truck with a bed to sprawl out in, or a sun roof. Priced similarly to Trail of Lights, unless you buy a package with upgrades to get a fast pass and/or lap around the CODA track. The experience is similarly short (20-30 min drive?) with the exception that this one has two lanes, so possibly a car can block your view on one side. However, it's not congested, and the lines go through pretty fast. What made it fun for me as an adult without kids who can enjoy it, was the lap around the track. Roll those windows down, stick your head out the window as you make those wide and sharp turns and scream at the top of your lungs. You won't regret! read more

See all

I got to the event around 815 on a Friday and the line to drive thru the lights was pretty empty. The fast pass line was just as long as the regular line. Popcorn, cotton candy and drinks were available for purchase while in line. Movies were playing in the line too, but we zoomed past all that. Driving on the actual track was a cool experience, though I wish it was decorated a bit more or something to lighten up the area a bit as it was pretty dark. The actual drive thru lights were awesome!! Loved that they had live entertainment throughout the drive. However, I thought it was really short compared to the Zilker and belton lake drive thrus. I don't think I would have paid the $100 for just 2 people to drive through, definitely a packed car event. The holiday carnival area was really cute, but more catered towards kids. We ate beforehand so skipped out on the food which was pizza, burgers, and other carnival food. We did hang out at the peppermint lounge and got some hot toddies. Beer selection was super limited. So be ready to order a holiday cocktail. The lounge area was super cute and probably a great spot to warm up had it not been 80 degrees that day. Highly recommend for families with little ones who want to be festive. read more

The plaza is a ripoff this year. They got rid of the wristbands and charge $5 a ride. We blew through $40 in ten minutes and decided to just leave. Not worth it. Oddly enough, we usually spend way more when we had wristbands. Wristbands encourage parents to stay longer and buy more things because their kids are having an absolute blast. Instead, we bought a few tickets, kids rode a few almost empty rides and we skipped the booze, food and snacks this year. We'll spend our money elsewhere next year. read more

What an amazing experience! Spectacular light display! We loved the live dancers and in the plaza there are multiple opportunities for so many pictures. There's even a Statue of Liberty and Eiffel Tower! They have hot chocolate, snacks and drinks. The elf came by and gave us complimentary candy canes when we got there. The fast pass was awesome bc it gave us the entire left lane to cruise at our own pace, TY YELP! The entire thing of lights takes about 10 mins maybe 15 if you are driving super slow. You will spend at least an hour in the plaza enjoying the stuff there. There's carnival rides and a mini train. There are two fully lighted beautiful white gold Santa sleighs for picture opportunities. The giant organ is an interesting musical element. read more

Peppermint Parkway - Festivals Near Me - Del Valle, Texas

It's pretty cool with your squad! I've been to the drive thru at trail of lights last year, and it was just about 20min drive with 30min waiting in line to get in. But this one at COTA also comes with a driving experience on the F1 track and a small amusement park at the end. So I would say the experience is better. But for the amusement park, you need to buy tickets for the ride and each ticket is $4 which is pretty pricey imo. read more

See all

Peppermint Parkway is a Christmas time special in the Circuit of the Americas. We took the option where we could drive one lap around the actual Circuit. Felt it was a bit over priced and the long queues are not worth the wait. Tip : If you choose the Circuit lap, go when there is still natural light. Contrast to this is that you wont be able to enjoy the Peppermint Parkway as it looks good in the dark. Pick your preference read more

See all

What a night of lights, speedy drives and rides! Thank you Yelp Austin and COTA for a chance to experience it all at one place. We went around 7 PM in the evening and the directions were pretty clear to find COTA. What better way to start the night at COTA than to take the ride at the track lap. So we went straight to the fast pass lane and were at the track lap in about 5 mins. There was pop corn, cotton candy and water available to purchase. The track lap experience itself was exhilarating!! Although I would have liked to have some more distance between cars, the twists and turns made up for the lack of distancing. Next up, we went to the parkway to enjoy the lights drive through and what fun this was!! Kudos to the decorations in the tunnel and the artists entertaining at the Tunnels - truly was the show stopper. We went to the plaza to catch the last show and some rides. My favorite ride was The Drop. There were ample food options and the whole place was very well organized. One star off because the I felt like for the price, they should either include the unlimited rides for 2 people or at least increase the number of track laps one can take. read more

See all

After seeing this advertised for a few years and not seeing very good reviews and yet being a Christmas light's enthusiast I jumped at the opportunity to participate in this Yelp Elite adventure. Adventure it was... signage getting out there was terrible unlike going to the races where there is no question where to go. We had the fast pass it was fast once we found out where to go. So the whole question of not knowing where to go and not knowing where the fast pass line was made this a 4 star review instead of 5. That and the music being sooo loud. Had to have to the windows down for best light viewing but there were areas that were deafening. My favorite thing- setting this apart from other light shows- Loved loved loved the skating snow flakes and the dancing Go go girls. We also enjoyed the little performance. The lights were outstanding! I didn't feel rushed either. I do feel the price tag (free for some Yelp elite) but if paid for - cost prohibitive. Our deal would have been over $100. That's really too much for a 10 minute drive through the lights. There wasn't much that caught our attention for the amusements. Maybe come up with reindeer games or something that doesn't cost a lot to do. I really liked it! But I can't see myself actually paying $100+ for the experience. I see where I can just pay for the lights I might go that I heard the Trail of Lights is also $40. It is shorter and is filled with advertising. My friends were rushed through that and it did take less than 10 minutes. Not going to do that! And I'd choose Peppermint Parkway over it. read more

I really wanted to love this event but in the end it falls short. The night we went it wasn't crowded so we didn't have to deal with long lines for things. The light displays were nice to look at, the staff was super friendly and festive which was a plus. Just over all for me it fell a little short of things to see/do to justify cost and time getting to the location. read more

Peppermint Parkway - Festivals Near Me - Del Valle, Texas

Never knew I really wanted to drive on a racetrack, but dang was that cool! The "lap pass" that lets you drive once around the track in a group of cars (with a leading staff car setting pace) was the coolest part of the whole event. You won't go above 40 mph, but it feels like you're going 80. Windows down, hair whipping, it's a really unique, cool experience. That was the first thing we did when there, and everything else was a bit of a letdown after. The Peppermint Parkway itself is a mile, but goes by super quickly. There were some nice lights (pictures attached), but after a childhood of strolling through light events, it seemed to go by too quickly. You were supposed to go 3 mph, which would have made it 20 minutes, but we were definitely going 5 mph trying to follow the traffic ahead of us. Because there are two lanes of cars it also means you miss some of the lights, particularly as the driver. There were singing trees on the right side of the road and I had no clue till my friend showed me the video later. That experience plus the Peppermint Plaza games and rides selection led me to believe it is 100% an experience designed for children (save the "lap pass"). Some of the rides at Peppermint Plaza were down, including the roller coaster, with lights turned off. I appreciate that Peppermint Plaza is the one free item of the night, and that it might be a cheaper way for families to celebrate the holidays, if you come just for the short North Pole Palooza show, take some pictures, and head home. The rides are $4 to $20 a ride ($4/ticket, up to 5 tickets a ride), so that can add up quickly for families with multiple children. Logistics: if you're going to be doing the lap ("lap pass"), seat passengers on the left side of your car, since you'll be in the left lane throughout the Peppermint Parkway, and it's easier to take photos if you're not trying to navigate your camera between the other row of cars. If you're not doing the lap pass, seat everyone on the right side of your car for the same reason, as you'll be in the right lane. Bonus points for trucks with beds to hold extra passengers, or cars with a sky roof. Keep in mind that if you have more than eight people in a car (or a car that can fit more than eight) you'll need to buy two tickets instead of one. I'm torn on if you should buy the fast pass ticket if you have kids, or not. I'm leaning towards no, because they have screens set up showing Christmas classics while you wait in line. [They were showing Frozen the night we went and I would debate them on if it was a "Christmas classic" or not, but that's a different story.] But on the other hand, you might have to wait 45-60 minutes to ride through Peppermint Parkway (and do the track lap, if you bought that add-on). With the fast pass there was no wait and only three cars ahead of me when I got there, so you're in and out within 15 minutes, all told. If I had to find a criticism, I'd say they missed a trick selling items right before you get on the track. If I were them, I'd have people wandering the rows trying to sell the cotton candy and popcorn to individuals trapped in their cars, waiting in line. You want to watch the lights when you're on the Peppermint Parkway, not be monitoring the opening and sharing of snacks. Plus, bonus distraction opportunity for young kids while they wait. I was also disappointed to find out it's an extra $10/person to climb the "Candy Cane" (race track tower). I feel that should be included in at least one of the package options, or at least notated on the website as an extra cost so you can plan ahead. There were signs to the Candy Cane, but no more information on it till you walk all the way there. Felt they were trying to sway you into buying tickets using the logic of "well, I already walked all this way." Their website in general is my biggest complaint. I didn't get clear instructions on what to do and where to go until the reminder email an hour before the event. As someone who likes to plan ahead and print out instructions, that caused a slight grumble. Overall I enjoyed going as something new and different, and definitely had fun on the track lap ("track pass") portion. Would not do it again, and that's a combination of price plus the time cost to get out to COTA and back. If you're going for your first time and have children who can stand the wait, I'd bring some healthy snacks for the car while you wait and do the Candy Cane Cruise package, which gets you onto the Peppermint Parkway and access to one track lap for $65. That gets the lights for the kids enjoyment and the track lap for your enjoyment. You will have to wait 45-60 minutes on line, but if you have a car full of kids (even if you splurge for $8 cotton candy right before you drive the parkway), it's a reasonable night out. [Think $65 divided by 8 people = just over $8/per person.] read more

See all

Thank you Yelp and Cota for this fun Fridau night experience! We got the opportunity to drive a lap on the track which was a super cool experience! The lines were not long at all and we didn't have to wait at all. The lights were spectacularly done... just wish the lighted part was a little bit longer. It is a little pricey for such a short trail of lights but what is up is done extremely well. The theme park Wars a great way to end the night...we even took a ride to the top of the observation deck! All in all this was a super cool experience! I would definitely recommend for families with kiddos or couples looking for a cool and different date night idea! read more

See all

I really wanted to love this place. The lights were really cute and I loved the live dancing, but it all went rather quickly. Aside from the lights, I wasn't too impressed. I won't come back as $80 for about a 10-15 drive time was just not worth the money. The park only included a show from Santa and letters to Santa. Everything else that anyone wanted to do cost an arm and a leg. $4 a ticket for rides? one is better off getting the the wrist band for $15 (that doesn't even include the skyscraper ride). If the prices for tickets were cheaper than I would probably come back with my kids. I just couldn't see buying a wrist band for like 6 rides. I have to admit that I was quite disappointed with this experience. read more

See all

The parkway is really fun and pretty. You really get to see all the pretty lights there and the instructions/check in are very easy to follow. We didn't have to wait at all, and it was not too crowded. We went there on Friday night so I was kinda surprised that we got to go in right away, didn't even have to use our fast pass. The F1 lap experience is something interesting, yet it's not too special because it's very dark so you didn't get that racing vibe. I would say the package $95 is quite overpriced, even the general admission only is a bit pricey but still more reasonable than the package. Staff is very nice and friendly. If you have not seen it then I recommend taking the general admission only, no need to get the package. read more

See all

It's a joke. First you wait 45 minutes to even get to the entrance. Then The drive through lights goes insanely fast and it's not all that impressive. Then you get into the "festival" area and every single thing is pay to play. Long lines. Over priced activities and very small area that's not exactly festive. We spent a total of $100 (that included the $65 to get in and $45 for mini golf for 4 people). Complete waste of money all around. I would never recommend anyone go. read more

We have been here many years and has been a great experience. This year was terrible, awful at least 10x more people with 10x less amenities and space. Given that they are doing construction on the old grounds that they used to hold the party, they should have cancelled this year. Total waste of money read more

honestly, i had high hopes but the light show was not amazing at all. i hate to say that but it was just not what i expected, they had patches of no lights and it just didn't blow me away. we cut the line w/ fast pass in a bus, so didn't have to hassle with the lines, but WOW, they looked pretty insane and we got there before opening. If we had to have waited in line, I probably would have left a 2 star review. The little holiday market after was okay, a bag of s'mores for 2 was $15 so i'd say a bit overpriced! i wouldn't come back due to the long lines and underwhelming light show! honestly, i'd suggest going to the zilker trail of lights instead or go find a cool neighborhood! read more

This year was disappointing. We arrived a little before 6:30 and got to the plaza a little after 8. They had 2 rows of cars going and there were stretches of time where we were at a stand still. The lights were lovely but attending an oversold event was upsetting. We did our best to keep happy and act like we weren't bothered so the kids could enjoy themselves but they were also confused on why weren't moving at times. Once we finally got to the Plaza it was really nice. Everyone was friendly and the rides were fun. It was windy and cold but as long as you could bundle up it was great. The kids loved it. The petting zoo portion was a very small but the kids still enjoyed it. They were sad that the animals were not eating but you could tell they were stuffed. Maybe stager the feedings next time, lol! There was plenty of to do. I would recommend buying the ticket package online to get more bang for your buck. If the driving portion is the way it was this year, next year, we might just skip that and hit the plaza. Or check out other spots. read more

We waited about 25 mins in line until we got to the actual front of the Peppermint Parkway. There is Christmas music playing while you wait though. The drive-through is probably 30 mins but it's packed with fun! My boyfriend and I's favorite part was the inflatable tube men dancing to EDM haha. Highly recommend it! read more

I'm torn I have to give pepermint parkway 3 stars but it because the drive for the lights was sooooo short this year. It felt like they may have run out of funds or something half way through cause the only good parts were the entrance and the exit. Everything else in between was very mediocre. For reference I'm in my 20s and was not all that impressed, however, my three year old cousin was in love with all the lights and colors. Very family friendly place and be sure to check out the plaza afterwards. It's a huge part of the entire experience! read more

We went on the night it opened this year. This was our third year doing Peppermint Parkway and the Plaza. By far the worst experience this year. The staff is nice but doesn't seem to know where anything is. The food vendors are ridiculously overpriced this year - $9 for a regular corn dog. It's only about a 10-minute drive through the lights. The lights never change and there isn't enough festivity in the plaza itself. The best part about the plaza was the gentleman playing piano, he was very talented. Won't go back next year. read more

I echo what everyone else was saying and also recommending a cap on tickets. We went last night and it was really insane!

Spent 1.5 hours in traffic waiting to get through a 15 minute light display. Aggressive drivers kept cutting in front of patient drivers. Even those with a fast pass had to wait much of the time we did. There are entrances that will give quicker access to the area, that needs to be better managed. Park area was nice. Kids rode Ferris wheel and roller coaster. Lights were very nice, kudos there. read more

My kid had a wonderful time at Peppermint Parkway! Thank you to Yelp and to everyone at Peppermint Parkway for the complimentary ticket. Once I figured out what parking lot to turn into it was smooth sailing mostly. There was hardly any line when we went at about 8:45. They offered drinks, popcorn, cotton candy and a few other snacks to purchase before you start the lights. At this point I unbuckled my kid because I thought we were starting the lights but actually we went for a drive on the race track. I wish there had been a little more communication as to what was happening when. I would have waited to unbuckle her if I'd known we were driving on the track. It was an experience though driving on it. After the track we were directed to the lights. We enjoyed the beautiful scenes and especially the live cast members which made it seem more life like. After the lights we headed over to the rides area. I liked that they had plenty of rides for the little kids. We rode the carousel and the train. We attempted to get some snacks - funnel cake and pretzels but both food stands were out or the food wasn't ready. Overall we had a great time! My kid is still asking to go back to see more lights and ride the rides, so I think that makes Peppermint Parkway a hit! read more

See all

Awesome Christmas fun - thanks so much to Yelp and COTA for the tickets! We especially loved the mistletoe kissing booth :) definitely got us in the holiday spirit!!! read more

See all

First of all I would like to thank Yelp and COTA for the invitation and opportunity to be here today. My 7 year old was super excited. We have been here once back in 2017, but it was completely different experience. This place improved so much. Since we had fast pass, our wait time was 0. We got there by 7 pm to beat traffic. Everyone starting from entrance and inside helping with directions was nice and helpful. Lots of smiley faces. I read one of the reviews and wanted to make a comment to that. Even if it maybe TAKES only 15 min TO GO THROUGH THE PARKWAY but it worth it. You feel this happy holiday spirit with all those lights, music and people. Experience and memories that stay with you. Plaza is pretty safe and has more stuff than I expected. Weather was perfect and hot chocolate was delicious. We spent 2 hours and were able to see pretty much everything. I had no idea they have tower to go up. But we probably did not miss much, since track lap was a big deal already. Some pics and videos to share. Merry Christmas everyone :-) read more

See all

Peppermint parkway is a great family outing and a new addition to holiday options with the trail of lights! Hosted at the COTA, Peppermint Parkway is a - Carnival with stage and show - Community supported light installation - Opportunity to drive on the race track. Unfortunately the racetrack lap is VERY slow but still fun. The carnival is also small but it has a fun show on the hour. Rides and a kissing photo booth -- there are a lot of great photo opportunities for young and old alike. The full service bar was a nice touch and who can say no to funnel cake? I can't wait to see it expand and grow into a bigger event. Other than the show racetrack lap, the other downer was the hot chocolate. It tasted like a packet of mix and water ... and it was watery! Regardless, the cocktail was good and maybe next time we BYOHot Chocolate. There's still time to catch the Parkway before it closes up but if it's already next year, get your tickets! You won't regret it. read more

This was a wonderful experience with my family. Kids loved all the lights and dancing performers. I went ahead early so there was not many people but had to wait a bit longer in line. The drive through experience was amazing. The lights and performers are really good. Also, there are more performances in the parkways plaza with some nice rides. Rides tickets are $4 but the unlimited pass is only $15 with some exceptions which was good. Also with fast pass you will get a chance to drive on the circuit which was an amazing experience too. Overall a fun-filled evening with family. read more

See all

I got the $40 deal which does not give you access to the F1 race track or fast pass lane. Just a drive through the lights, which is a nice view from a truck with the windows down. It was 75 degrees when we went so it was nice. There's different Xmas songs as you drive along. You drive past a group of dancers, dancing pretty well. I had THOUGHT i was recording the whole drive but realized i never pressed record. I wish you have the option to drive through again if you're willing to get back in line. Then you can park and explore the village. There's the usual carnival foods and alcoholic beverages (~$8) We walked over to the tower and it's $10 to take the 400+ stairs or elevator to the top. We opted for a photo in front. The Bavarian funnel cake stand provided really poor customer service so it kind of made the night bah-humbug-y. The cashier informed my friend AFTER taking his payment that they needed to make more batter and it would take 10 minutes. However he went for a walk and came back and it took them another 20 minutes to figure it out. He observed 4-5 staffers laughing around a pot of oil. We missed the 9PM show where Santa comes on stage, but we went on the stage to take photos. Don't do it in front of the staff driving around in golf carts. There's a kissing booth filled with spongy hearts and a mistletoe. I wrote a letter to Santa, and made a "T" in front of the #COTA sign. lots of photo opportunities if you like xmas lights. We arrived around 8:30 on a Friday so there wasn't a line and it wasn't packed. It's a great improvement from when COTA hosted Christmas lights their first year. I think this could be better than Zilker Park. read more

What a great way to start the holiday spirit!! Thank you Yelp and COTA for the tickets. We got the fast pass which was well worth it. The drive on the track was pretty cool though we wished we could've driven faster on it. But understand the liability:-) They did an outstanding job on the lights display, we loved it. However we wished it was longer. Before we knew it, it was over. Do visit the plaza especially if you have young kids. We got the $15 unlimited ride pass and was totally worth it for the kiddos. Santa and his helpers have a performance every hour at night. The best thing was that there were no lines on the rides except for the Ferris wheel. The family enjoyed this event. I'm not sure we would've paid $100 for the pass (entrance, fast pass and lap track). If it was a longer light display then for sure but it was too short, you end up wanting more! Maybe next year they will extend it? read more

BEWARE THIS IS A SCAM The only good part was the guy dresses up as the grinch 2HOUR WAIT FOR 5 minutes LIGHT SHOW so underwhelming Such a scam and overpriced SCAM read more

Pretty but incredibly unorganized, no signs, and very poorly located vendors who hold up the lines. I'm not sure if the extra $40 for the fast pass was worth it as the fast pass line starts way too late. You'll still have to wait about a half hour in a line of cars to get to the point where the fast pass line starts. Then they allow the idiot vendors to stop cars in the fast pass line to sell their chotskies. Vendor should not be allowed in the fast pass line. If people want to buy souveniers, there needs to be a separate place where they can pull over and avoid holding up traffic (because once you're in a line, you're stuck!) OR they need to only be allowed in the festival part, which definitely needed more. The lights were pretty but the festival part was disappointing unless you wanted to buy the expensive ride tickets and most of the rides were for younger children. Our party was just me and my adult son. The bar, which was one of the only covered spaces (it was drizzling a bit) was the best part! The lights were pretty but took too long to get in line. They also misrouted us around the track (I didn't buy the track lap and suggest you don't either...it was boring) so I lost even more time having to wait to drive around the track and then I missed a part of the lights because where the route you off the trail of lights is not the same place as where they route you back on. Best thing to improve the experience would be LOTS more signage (it was so stressful wondering what lane we should be in), move the vendors away from the entrance so they don't hold up cars, and more vendors at the festival (so much empty space where more adult things could have been added). read more

Parking attendants suck! They just wave their wands and then yell at you if you follow the car in front of you. It was challenging trying to get out. Decorations were cute but Very short drive thru. Something to see but won't go back. read more

Okay this is a new family holiday tradition for me and mine!! First off the experience in and out the park was quick and efficient! The customer service was OUT OF THIS WORLD! I mean every single person who interacted with us that night was so kind, fun, and just amazing! The lights trail that you drive through is such a fun experience, they even have live characters in and out of the lights, my girls got to see queen Elsa! We saw snow flakes skating! We even saw the grinch!! They were beautifully crafted lights and a great great experience! We parked and went into the amusement and food area which was a blast!! Tickets are 4$ a ticket and or you can get a wrist band and ride unlimited rides! The rides are very cute and fun for the kids and there were a few that adults would love too!! There were hood options on food, balloon artist, face painting, and fun little characters walking around! Overall my kids and myself had a blast and we will def be going again each year! read more

See all

Sadly, another example of shrinkflation. We came to Peppermint Parkway a few yrs ago and it was fantastic. Tons of energy and characters interacting with the crowd including the mascots (pepper and mint) and a huge light display with a dragon, train, ornaments, etc. This year we did not see the mascots at all. Tix for rides cost extra and you have to use a ticket for every lackluster experience. They advertised that the parkway would be longer this yr but it was missing all the fun stuff they had in years prior including scaling back on the snowflake skaters. A+ for Santa and the elves and all the characters, but the food quality, price, and overall experience were as dismal as its concrete surroundings. They used to hand every kid cookies and peppermints and the mascots would greet you. Now its like $10 for a pretzel with gas station quality cheese and you no freebies for the kids. It's clear to us the owners thought they could pare down the details to make an extra buck off all of us and it shows. Will not be returning and will find a new tradition next yr read more

What a great family experience. The staff were so friendly. We did the drive along the 3+ mile Circuit of the Americas course--pretty cool experience. Then, we drove through the Peppermint Parkway. Since it wasn't very crowded (Nice!) our group of cars zipped through in about 5 minutes vice the advertised 15. The team did a fantastic job putting together a great show. read more