We had a fun time at Santa Wonderland, and my kids genuinely enjoyed it. The Christmas lights were beautiful and definitely the highlight of the experience. That said, the food was pretty expensive for what you get, which was a downside. I also didn't love that after already paying for admission, you still have to pay extra for VIP access to enjoy more rides and activities. It adds up quickly. Overall, it was still a fun and memorable outing, and my kids had a great time, but the pricing structure keeps it from being a full 5-star experience. read more

Santa's Wonderland - Polar bear Christmas display and kid friendly photo spot - Amusement Parks Near Me - College Station, Texas

It's a holiday splurge, but I think it's worth the drive (and the price tag) to experience at least once - especially if you have younger kids. We spent about $300 on a family day trip: - 3 adult admissions to the park (Children 2 and under our free) - Add Ons (VIP Hay Ride tickets + Pony Ride) - Parking - A few snacks & refreshments ...But, it was totally worth it to see our toddler in absolute awe of the Christmas decorations and activities. It's VERY well adorned - like an old fashioned Christmas village. The park layout is easy to navigate, and the map you get at the door is helpful too. Free activities include a tiny train ride, snow zone, live music, walking light trail, and lots of photo ops. Additional costs for things like Santa photos, pony rides, and the hay ride. TIPS: Look out for early pre-sales (like big discount offers in the summer), and I recommend reserving parking in advance (purchase online)... Arrive earlier in the afternoon to beat the traffic. It's busy every day of the season! read more

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First time visiting Santa's wonderland and we had a blast! We arrived when the gates opened and stayed for a few hours. We started with a visit to Santa so that we wouldn't miss it or get stuck in a large line. I think we waited about 20 minutes early in the evening. The light show hay ride was a significantly different situation. We didn't get in line until it was dark and ended up waiting at least an hour. I'd suggest getting in line just before sun sets so that you can get that done first. The ride is about 22 minutes from my count and is worth it. The snow tubing was fun for the kids and it was well run with staff at the top and bottom. You will have to fill out a waiver at the start so that took a bit of time. Funnel cake sold here was huge for the price. We split one between three people and it was plenty. All in, the prices are what they are so definitely take advantage of everything you can that's included. If you know you are coming then try to get tickets during their various presales. read more

Santa's Wonderland - Funnel cake - Amusement Parks Near Me - College Station, Texas

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I was pleasantly surprised at how nicely organized and festive this was. The entrance fee was $39/pp for an adult which was somewhat reduced for children. Parking was an extra $30. The lights were elaborate and extensive. There were lots of activities such as snow tuning, miniature train rides, bouncy house, etc. The food was standard Texas "festival cuisine". Our 4 year old boy loved it! read more

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Why 4 stars? Because it's just insanely impressive what they have done with this space. --- --- --- How I know I'm getting old: all I thought about the entire time we were here was -- what do the spreadsheets look like for this place? It's nearly the size of a major theme park, there are literally about 10 million individual light bulbs in the park, and hundreds of barns that range from small to massive. Will someone think of the electric bills?? What happens to this place the other 46 weeks of the year? Are they supplementing with weddings? Is the land paid off? What does maintenance look like? I want to interview the owners and ask them all the questions. But I guess I'll just have to settle for this review. Despite my awe and amazement, why only 4 stars? While thee food options are AMPLE, the quality could use a significant increase. It's all pretty much middle school cafeteria quality (at least what we tried). We wanted to take our son ice skating, and we ultimately did, but I almost passed out when I saw that it cost just a couple of bucks short of a hundred for the three of us to go out on some pretty rough ice. But overall, it's hard not to be pretty blown away with the sheer size of this place. And you can tell there is some pretty strong TLC poured into it because we did not see even a single bulb out the entire night. read more

Santa's Wonderland is a yearly tradition and a fun experience. Buy tickets online in advance during their promos, and if you can, get the Ultimate Express pass--it's worth it to skip the lines for the hayride and tubing. Arriving and leaving early helps avoid the longest lines and crowds. If you arrive at peak times, traffic can get backed up on the highway and it may take you up to an hour before you can enter the park. This can make or break your experience. If you have little ones, stick to the smaller snow hill for ages 6 and under--the big hill can get pretty chippy with snowball fights and the occasional ice ball. The hot chocolate, Cajun food vendor, and campfire roasting are musts. Don't miss the photo ops near the entrance, the snow globe, Santa and his sleigh, and enjoy the Christmas lights on the hayrides and while walking around. One tip: grab food before 8 pm since vendors start closing down. read more

Beautiful Beautiful Beautiful Lights!!!! It is truly Santa's Wonderland. This was my first time attending and I felt like I was on a movie set of a Hallmark movie. I went on a Monday, December 1st and I definitely picked the right day for crowd purposes but sadly not weather purposes. Let me just say I definitely got the winter experience. On this day the weather was about 40 degrees but felt even colder because it was lightly raining. If I have any advice PLEASE dress accordingly. I would've enjoyed the event more and stayed longer if I had a thicker coat. Also do NOT forget THICK gloves. My hands were frozen the entire night..... literally they tuned white/purple with gloves. Since this was the day we chose a couple of months prior we just had to thug it out and make the best of it which is what we did. The park is humongous so be prepared to walk. I purchased the rudolph lot which is the closest parking to the entrance and I really recommend it. Overall this was a beautiful event. My favorite attractions were the hayride and the snow tubing. We didn't have to wait in any lines for anything which was awesome. The hayride really got me in the christmas spirit. Everything is truly bigger and better in Texas because those lights were jaw dropping. The snow tube was FUNN, I wish I did it again!! It goes down so fast so hold on lol but you'll defines enjoy it. Some cons I do have is that the staff weren't that inviting, like nobody was rude but many weren't super welcoming. I'm just gonna blame it on the weather because I know the staff was very cold too. Also I didn't try any of the food besides hot chocolate which was surprisingly good and sweet, because I wasn't impressed from what I was seeing. I noticed that they had all these different cozy bakery shops at random spots but when I would enter I couldn't smell anything baking and all the desserts looked the same at all the shops so I wouldn't be surprised if it was from a mass vendor. They do have a lot of food variety options though, from pizza to burgers, cajun, bbq, mexican and more. So maybe if I return i'll try something because I can't lie the burgers were smelling pretty good. read more

This was my first visit to Santa's Wonderland, and my boyfriend surprised me with a private horse-and-carriage ride for my birthday -- such a magical experience! We went on a Friday in early December, and the park wasn't very crowded, which made everything even more enjoyable. What we loved: * The lights and displays were absolutely beautiful, and there were tons of great photo opportunities. * Food and drink prices were surprisingly reasonable, and the hot cocoa was delicious. * It was easy to spot staff members thanks to the cowboy hats, and every employee we asked for help was friendly and gave clear directions. What could be better: * We arrived by Uber, and the drop-off situation wasn't ideal. Our driver pulled into the wrong lot, and even though it wasn't busy, we weren't allowed to get out and had to loop around the highway to turn back. * The photo we purchased from our carriage ride didn't include the actual horses, which was disappointing -- it would've made the picture feel more special. Suggestions: * A bit more music throughout the trails would really enhance the atmosphere. * It would be amazing if guests could ride through the castle -- such a missed opportunity! * Since you already have the seven swans, a full "12 Days of Christmas" theme or version would be so fun to see. Overall, it was a wonderful experience, and I'd definitely recommend visiting. We had a great time! read more

Santa's Wonderland - Carriage ride - Amusement Parks Near Me - College Station, Texas

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3 out of 5 stars Santa's Wonderland in College Station is a fun experience overall, but there were several things that really took away from the visit. For starters, most of the bathrooms were trailer-style, and the very first one I entered had zero toilet paper, which was disappointing considering the size and price of the attraction. When I stopped by the coffee shop near the snow pile area and asked for ice in my coffee, the employee actually had to check if they even had ice--which they didn't. We also ate at the Bandera BBQ barn, and while it was warm and cozy, it was way too hot inside with not a single fan anywhere. Installing some ceiling fans would make a big difference, especially on warmer November days. The BBQ mac was alright, and honestly the best part of the meal was the $20 souvenir cup with endless refills. As expected, everything available for purchase is pretty expensive. I bought a small glass of sweet red wine for $12, and when we tried to buy a bottle to save money, we were told they were completely out--despite the park only being open about 10 days at that point. The lights are beautiful and definitely worth seeing, but overall we were expecting a bit more. If we ever return, I also won't be buying tickets ahead of time with a restricted date reservation, just in case we need to change plans due to weather. read more

The staff go above and beyond for guests! We had an incredible experience. A staff member saw me frowning because I was looking at a map and couldn't see it and stopped to ask me what I was looking for and how he could help! Magical Christmas vibes. read more

Santa's Wonderland - Lights hayride - Amusement Parks Near Me - College Station, Texas

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Not what we expected at all on many levels. I've never see a more poorly run park. The crowd control is a joke. The attendants move slowly, if at all. Even they don't want to be here. Folks, this is nothing more than a money grab and there is really not that much to do here except stand in line. For instance, it took over an hour to get through the line to go down the inner tube run... maybe 35 feet in six seconds. Fun. Do yourself favor and save your money, avoid the annoying crowds and find something worthwhile to do with the family. read more

I had the chance to go this past weekend, I loved it! This place was absolutely magical! I loved it! There were a ton of food and drink options and The gift shops make great additions too! The food was great, the music was great, the employees were great, and I literally can't complain about anything! Hot chocolate was about $6, I would say bring something to keep hot because it's served lukewarm. I went about 9 pm, since they closed at 12z there is literally parking right in front of the gift shop, that's where I would suggest to park since that is also where you walk in at. There were a ton of parking even in a Saturday. They say Saturdays are the busiest days. Now when it comes to passes, The hay ride line was long, so I would recommend buying the pass for this one. I think it's like $10 for this pass alone. You do have to climb up pretty high, so most def not wheel chair accessible I will be back. Entry was $60, can't use the pass on a Saturday. Food is pricey, but expected for the atmosphere. The part i love the most was the area where the bands were, I watched the live band play for a pretty long time and was entertained. It's romantic and a ton of seating there! read more

Santa's Wonderland - Amusement Parks Near Me - College Station, Texas

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Santa Wonderland waa a nice road trip for the hoildays. On arrival it was packed even with rain that never stopped . Parking is convenient some have bus pick up others are walking distance. The cost for each varies , on how close you would like to be . I chose the Blizten Lot , it was walkable. Restroom trailers are near parking which is a great idea. On entry several Souvenir shops and a few food stands. As you proceeded further into the park, it was a hay ride , ice skating, with a snow play area. It was a walking themed light path which was bright and festive . The area is filled with a number of eateries from fudge to funnel cakes. We just purchased a couple glasses of wine and walked around. Overall we will return , but hopefully the weather is better read more

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COLLEGE STATION, TX 77845 / AMUSEMENT PARK / 12-25-23 / 3:30-7:00 Party of 5 +The park is well-organized and great for the little ones. +Plenty of helpful staff everywhere. +The hayride was fun. -The place gets super crowded. -The snow play area could have some better snow blowers. read more

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Loved the burgers and the funnel cake. The food was very tasty and the staff were so friendly overall. We will be back again soon.

Great place for all ages!! We took our kids when they were young and it was magical. We took them back with their girlfriends as young adults and it was a whole new experience!! Love the photo opps, magic of Christmas, and light tour! Plan in advance! Upgrade parking! read more

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First time going as someone who lives in Austin. Best time to buy tickets is during their July sale or Early December. They have good deals for a general or express ticket that you can use on assigned dates. We went early December and found the lines were short, parking was full and not too crowded. Will advise to get turkey legs early because they ran out by 7pm. Note that the ice skating($25/45min), hay ride (which takes you through there light attraction), and petting zoo ($7) are extra charge from general admission. read more

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Okay. I see why people would rate this lower but you CANNOT find another experience like this in the Houston/Dallas area! Just like how iconic the state fair in Dallas is- santas's wonderland is one of a kind. Yes the price tag is hefty. Yes crowds can be intense. I won't lie when I had to wait almost 3 hours for a wagon ride I felt so bad for my parents who had to stand and wait all that time with me. But despite all that- it was so magical and I would definitely recommend at least going once. Like meow wolf in Dallas it's just hard when a place is so popular because it's so good. I think they definitely have room to improve in making the tractor rides better- have more tractors! I love all the food options and the decor and how everything is Christmas and uniquely Santa's wonderland themed. read more

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This used to be the highlight of our Christmas. The cost has just gotten astronomical to take the family. The lines are ridiculously long and everywhere you turn it's $15 more here or there. The photos are terrible and over priced. They lost half our photos somehow. On a supposed slow day an hour to ride the hay ride. So many workers just standing around doing very little. This was our last time to visit which is what I said last time but I wanted my daughter to see it at least once. So sad. I used to go multiple times a year. read more

Drove over an hour to get here, prepaid for parking & got turned away. Lots full........ maybe shouldn't sell more tickets than spots. Waited in the line to park for 40 minutes. No refunds allowed which we knew about, but after being turned away? Will never return. read more

Tip your cowboy hats, kick up your spurs, shake those jingle bobs, and prepare to enjoy a "Merry Texas Christmas"! Big kids at heart required! Little elves welcome too! Go tubing and play in their snow park, brightly surrounded by enchantingly lit trees. Have a stroll through a forest and let your imagination fill with awe. Later meet some animals nose to nose. Family fun also includes: an encounter with Santa, live music while sitting around a warm bonfire, lotsa food, drinks and snacks, beer booths, browsing fun stuff, activities and letters to Santa, huge jumping gyms and mazes for kids, amusement rides, plenty of bathrooms, rest area seating, and even bullriding! Yeeeeehaaaaw! read more

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I'm a sucker for all things Christmas so I've had Santa's Wonderland on my radar for years. Not that my friends and family did not want to go, it's just hard to coordinate a road trip during this busy time of the year. One thing I did know about this place is that weekends and holidays are nuts here so a weekday was my plan of attack. This year I was blessed to have not one, but two of my favorite Yelp friends to join me. Shout out to Tiffany and Sara! Santa's Wonderland is located in College Station, a good hour and a half from Houston. Buy you tickets ahead of time to save some dough depending on what day you go. As for parking, you have plenty of options depending on how much you are willing to spend. We went with the free route which had us drive past the park to Post Oak Mall in College Station. There is a shuttle that runs 30 minutes prior to opening to close. It does add time on to your day, but it is free and it drops you off right in the front of the park. Once we arrived, we scanned our tickets and planned our attack. I suggest getting there early. Even on a "slower" night, it eventually did get busy. We checked out some of the food options until it got dark. They have your typical fair type foods. Lots of junk and fried food options. Between us, we tried a corn dog, onion rings and pizza. It got the job done, but nothing special about it. We did stop and get a few sweet treats along the way as well. There is a wine and beer spot right when you walk in if you want a little extra holiday cheer. We thought the prices were pretty fair compared to other gimmicky spots like this. When it got dark, Santa's Wonderland came to life. We were first in line for the hay ride which I think is their big draw. It waits to start till it is nice and dark. I thought this was going to be a quick ride, but it was extensive and super impressive. It was the highlight of my night. There are all kinds of other activities like tubing, ice skating, a walkable trail, a snow hill and so on and so on. Some charge extra, some are included in the price. There is definitely something for everyone there. We did all the included things and thought it was a good value for the discounted price we paid. I can see how it can get pretty spendy if you try and do all the extras. I wouldn't make this a yearly thing, but I do see myself coming back every so often. read more

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TL;DR: This place is like a Christmas amusement park sans roller coasters. Go during the week to avoid the crowds. Up until a few weeks ago, I had never even heard of Santa's Wonderland and I had never even been to College Station because I had no reason to visit. That all changed when my Yelp BFF (Justin T.) invited me and another Yelp friend (Sara I.) for a day trip to see the Christmas lights. We made a point to go on a Monday which was nice. It was still pretty busy, but the lines weren't terrible and we were able to get around the park without bumping into people. If you purchase tickets online, it is a little bit cheaper. We did the "early bird" tickets on what we thought was the last day (Nov 30th), but a few days later found out that they extended the early bird pricing to mid December. It seems they wanted to create a sense of urgency to purchase tickets and it worked. If you purchase early bird tickets, you can only use them on certain days so be sure to read the fine print. I enjoyed the giant red rocking chairs in the main square. They had a fire pit with live country music. It was nice to just sit and enjoy the ambiance. The main reason for visiting was to check out the lights. We managed to be one of the first ones in line for the hayride. They didn't start running it until nightfall so we had to wait a bit. The hay ride was nice and actually lasted a good amount of time. If I had to guess, I would say it was about 20-30 minutes. The lights were so pretty. You can do a private horse carriage ride for an extra cost. They have a fast pass option for an extra fee and I suspect that would be a good use of money on a weekend when it's more crowded. We stood near the snow pit and people watched for a moment. It was pretty surreal standing at the edge of a snow pit in 70 degree weather, but that's TX for you. We didn't do the snow tubing, but if you've never done it before it is a lot of fun (I've done it in CO). They have tons of shops, souvenirs, and of course food for purchase. I had a cheese pizza and it was alright. They do serve beer and wine but we did not partake. You can also take the kids to meet Santa and Mrs. Claus. This property is massive so be sure to grab a map at the main entrance! They also have photo ops. We took a photo in front of the flag, but decided not to purchase. We opted for free parking at the mall. They do have a mobile restroom that is very nice and clean at the shuttle line. The mall is 8 miles from the park. If you want to park onsite, you can purchase discounted tickets online or pay at the gate. I have to admit, I had a nice time. I enjoyed myself more than I thought I would, though I think that was more so because of the company I was with. It was definitely a nice way to spend a Monday afternoon. read more

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If you have kids or are just a fan of Christmas this is the place to visit. Every years they improve the facilities and make it a special place for kids and kids at heart. From the tubing to the free for all in the snow pit it's awesome. There is a lot to do and plenary to keep the kids busy. They even have beer and wine for the adults. Lol A surprise win for the foodie is that the food is pretty solid. The wings, funnel cakes and hot chocolate are all really good. This year was especially cool for us since Mrs. Claus came up to our kids and sat down and chatted with them for about 10 mins and they absolutely loved it. Do's. Get there early especially on the weekend Bring a change of clothes for the kids Yes you can take a backpack in For the Little's take a wagon if you have on. Wear comfortable shoes Don't Be impatient ( yes ppl suck and forget their manners) Wear uncomfortable boots, shoes its a lot of walking Have a great time if you. Merry Christmas Y'all read more

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I heard about this place through social media and just had to bring my kid here so we could have some holiday cheer! I was excited to hear that they were only about an hour outside of Houston, so the drive wasn't bad at all! We got our tickets online, which I would highly recommend because it will save you a ton of time. Same for parking, you can reserve your time slot online which makes getting in that much easier. My only recommendation is when you get to the location, depending on which lot you've reserved, don't wait in the long car line for the first lot, use the left lane to get to the correct line to enter in the lots. When we got parked, we whisked our way over to the entrance. There's only one entrance and everyone must go through, bc it is the security check. It was a little confusing at first because we weren't sure if we were waiting in a ticket line or what. But it's for security purposes, so just know you'll need to wait! Once you get in, it's truly a magical place, even when you approach the location, you can see all the lights and it is beautiful. There's lots to do for all the kiddos, and I must say, the adults too, bc being a kid is fun. They've got tons of places to pick from for food, so make sure you go hungry! They've got everything from sweets and treats to bbq to pizza and more, and you can't forget the funnel cakes! We got hot chocolate and I believe they sell beer and some other drinks also. We got to slide down the ice in tubes, do a walk through the lights, you can take a picture in a snow globe and a hayride. They hayride line was long so another tip would be to get there early or purchase the ticket that you can jump the line. All in all the kids and adults had a spectacular time, and will most certainly be coming back next year! read more

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Beautiful place to see. I recommend the Horse and Carriage ride. Lovely. The people here put a lot of thought and labor in making this a magical place since 1998. 150 acres of beautiful lights, hay ride, train ride, snow and petting zoo. The Manger has live Camel, Donkey and Sheep. Of course, Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus. A large selection of gifts and food. Hot Cocoa is a must. The night we went the weather was perfect. The grandbaby had a great time as did we. read more

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This place is great! But you need to plan it out. First check the calendar to see when it's slow days vs blizzards really packed days! I suggest the slower days! Get their early there's way too much to do. If you do go on a busier day get a fast pass. Definitely get a parking pass if you have children ! If not free parking is at the mall and you can use a shuttle. Funnel cakes are popular so I suggest getting your hands on one first before you do anything . Enjoying the live band and open fire pit Then after head to the hayride about 20 mins before sunset . Gives you enough time to go through the line without having to wait hours. I would also do all your souvenir shopping upfront to avoid it at the end. Ice skating is cheaper if you buy it online I would meet Santa when you first get there and feed the animals but do this after the hayride. read more

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It's quite expensive but worth checking out once to see if you like it. * The lines get super long so it's best if you go on a weekday or off peak day if you can. * The hay ride is cool but the line is looooong. Some reviewers said they waited 2 hours in line for the hay ride. So I'd recommend getting in line early if you can- we waited about 45 min in line. * buy a fast pass if you can afford it - gets you to the front of the line for the hay ride and for other rides too * Pay for one of the paid parking lots! The free parking is a ways away & you have to wait for the shuttle to take you from free parking area to Santa's Wonderland Bottom line: lots of fun for kids but the lines are LONG so go early, pre-pay for parking (the time slots for parking do sell out!), and buy fast passes if you can. read more

Santa's Wonderland - Snow tubing - Amusement Parks Near Me - College Station, Texas

Ho ho Ho oh no no no ....... Is the best way to describe this place . Here's the thing it's great that the places can do all of this and set it up but beautiful things have problems alot of em . First off getting into this place is a nightmare that ya wanna night Cracker someone in the face also the prices here don't pay em it's a scam cause basically everything ya can do here ya can do close to your home or at home . Also you will be freezing your jingle bells off and there's absolutely 0 place to get warm and the places to get warm are the over packed shops with people that have naughty list personality's . And the staff here are definitely pretending to be in the holiday spirit even though we both know you're only doing this for your $5 pay check and your dignity . Overall this place is a huge mess worse than Ice getting all the peeps that aren't supposed to be here . Save yourself the time and money and don't ever ever come here . read more

We came here one month ago at the beginning of December 2021 when it was open. Overall the experience would be more like 4/5 stars because it was a lot of fun, but there were several issues which detracted from the experience. 1st, the line from the parking lot to the entrance was almost 2 hours long. We arrived at the parking lot at 3 pm and it was almost 5 pm by the time we were able to step foot inside the park. 2nd, inside, the lines for many of the attractions were quite long, especially the hayride. To avoid waiting in the excessively long lines, we paid an extra $20 a person for the express pass, which brought the ticket prices to almost $80 a person. Overall, we still had a good time. The highlights include the peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream on top, and cooking hot dogs and s'mores over the fire pits. I would come back again next year, but would recommend coming on a week day Mon-Thurs. Also, just prepare your wallet financially to shell out $60-$100 a person to pay for the price of your ticket, the price of parking, and for the express pass if you don't want to waste time waiting in lines. read more

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Wow, I don't know why this place is rated so poorly here. We were so amazed! We truly underestimated this place. We were expecting some rundown farm with Christmas decorations and lights. But it's not! It's true what they say - it's like Disneyland but everything is Christmasy! I appreciate how well thought out this place is. It's super family friendly, as it should be. There are so many different things people of all ages can do. The park is so large that it may take you more than 5 hours to get through everything. We arrived at 3pm and stayed until 10pm, and we still hadn't gotten through the entire park. But then again, we did a lot of eating and relaxing. It's worth reserving parking. If it's your first time, it may be worth purchasing a fast-track ticket for Santa's hayride. The line for that can be over an hour, unless it's past 9pm when people start going home. The staff are friendly and helpful. The live music is great. The food is a bit pricey but good. Even when it's crowded, it still feels like there's a lot of space. The lights are amazing. With how big this place is, it's really impressive how they keep it clean, including the bathrooms! We bought tickets at early bird pricing for about $30-$35 per person. There were 7 of us "paid" guests and 1 "free" kid for about $280 total. I thought it was worth every penny. It was a magical experience, and we are so happy with the memories we made here. We are going to make visiting Santa's Wonderland a yearly tradition! It's so much fun. read more

Way over crowded and over priced for what you get. Constant standing in lines. The eateries ran out of food over an hour before closing. Not worth the trip. Never again!!! read more

Well it's a tourist attraction so be ready to fork out the money. They make it seem bigger than it really is especially for the cost imo. We have grown kids so we only came for the lights. The food was good, the walking path of lights was okay, the better lights are definitely on the hay ride in the back. Laughter from small kids easily entertained and having a blast was awesome hearing. Overall we drove up from San Antonio and there are multiple drive through light places on the way that were more cost efficient. Plan ahead, check pricing on all you that you want to do. We didn't do much and it was roughly $700 so plan ahead, go early and beat the long lines or pay extra to bypass the wait times. read more

Santa's Wonderland - Amusement Parks Near Me - College Station, Texas

Merry TEXAS Christmas, y'all!! Think "Texas Christmas Disney World on steroids" vibes on a cold and windy Saturday in December. PARKING: **ALL on-site parking requires a reservation. *For convenience or you've a medical condition, splurge for the Rudolph or Prancer lot. You walk straight into the venue. *For balling on a budget or you don't mind walking down the hilly gravel scenic route (like us haha), go for the Blitzen lot (which is $19.95). It's the last on-site parking sign on the road, so skip the long car lines and drive straight until you see the Blitzen sign. Note that the road is only 1 way. *FREE parking is available at the Post Oak Mall. It's first come first serve and comes with a free shuttle service. TICKETING / EXPRESS PASSES: **Highly recommend buying the additional $9.95 Hayride Express Pass! We were only in line for 12 minutes on a busy Saturday for a 9:00-9:30 pm reservation!! We skipped a super long line! **BUY ONLINE! Save time and about $10 cheaper prices! If you've iPhone, save your passes on Apple Wallet for easy access through security since the wifi can be spotty. *General admission is $52.92 and it includes basically all of the advertised activities from the website EXCEPT FOR the ice skating, petting zoo, pony rides, and the horse and carriage tour. Those are additional costs if you're interested. *We mostly came for the venue's lights and overall first time experience, so we didn't purchase anything additional. ARRIVAL / LEAVING: **Try to arrive as soon as the park opens! Our parking reservation was at 2:30 pm, so we were in the car line by 2:02 pm and in line for security around 2:32 pm. The park opened at 3 pm and there was already a line to get in!!! Easy entrance and the line wasn't terrible. ** I recommend leaving around 10ish pm before midnight (whenever the park closes). No exit traffic and easy access to the freeway. VENUE / ENTERTAINMENT: ** 10/10 Hayride Tour (about 20-30 minutes) - Lights were exceptional and well-thought out. Ample amount of seating that still allowed space for selfies. The route to the general admission line is also NOT wheelchair or stroller friendly since it's a gravel and uphill walk. (We got lost by following the GIANT SIGN and trekked uphill only to discover that the Express line is near the Pizzeria building.) ** 10/10 Trail of Lights (paved path at the Candy Cane Forest) + a beautiful Nativity scene with a live camel and donkey! ** 10/10 Music at Jingle Bell Square with giant rocking chairs and a fire pit ** 10/10 Photo opportunities! It's best to have a night mode camera option (The iPhone 13 photo quality wasn't top-tier in the nighttime but my boyfriend's phone's night capture mode was excellent!) ** 8/10 Retail stores - I deducted 2 points, because I loved the Christmas-themed and Texas-themed items but the staff, who we encountered, seemed to not know where anything was or they didn't look like they wanted to be there (especially the people working the Photo Booth and trading post). Overall, most of the staff was friendly. *0/10 We were too big for the jumping pillows (basically a flat bounce house), inflatable obstacle course, and pirate ship. Bummer haha. CONS: - Inflated $24.95 per 5x7 photo price tag - Inflated pricing for all Christmas items in the stores (but there are high-quality snow globes and nutcrackers!) - Expect long lines and crowds everywhere! - Pathways aren't very wheelchair-friendly since it's mostly gravel RESTROOMS: *Women - Expect long lines for the building restrooms (The Davy Crockett Hotel specifically has an insanely long line since it's by Jingle Bell Square, but it's the most well-maintained due to the high foot traffic.) *Men - Expect lack of toilet paper in the urinals *Trailer restrooms are also available but the cleanliness is a gamble in each stall. Quite rarely was there a line for the trailer restrooms and easy access to them everywhere. ATTIRE: *Walkable shoes are a MUST! (Especially on the mostly gravel pathways) *Cold weather essentials - gloves, parkas (account for the wind chill), scarves, blankets, fleece leggings underneath your jeans (highly recommend this for women), base layer clothing, winter socks, earmuffs, beanies *Christmasy headbands - I wore reindeer antlers with jingle bells! *Your jolly Christmas spirit! FOOD / DRINKS: *Expect hefty prices! **TEXAS-SIZED proportions!** Very shareable! *Note that NO outside food or drink are allowed inside the venue. *I saw a sign that said "if it isn't fried, is it even food?" and that pretty much sums up the cuisine. There were still plenty of food options after 9:30 pm. ** Highly recommend the Spiced Cider! We watched Elf while drinking our cider near Santa's Reindeer Barn (where inside you can see a large train set, write letters to Santa, and take photos with Mr. and Mrs. Claus). read more

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For $60 this is what I have to deal with! Long lines, watery mud come on man!! Let's do better!!! read more

We went to Santa's Wonderland during a sale, and it was absolutely worth it! The Christmas town is beautiful--such a magical place to take the kids and enjoy the festive atmosphere and nice weather. The food was pricey, like at the rodeo, but it was really good. That said, I'm not sure I'd pay $50+ per person without the sale. It was disappointing that the hayride, which is essential to see all the lights, costs an extra $30+ per person. For such an important part of the experience, it feels unfair to charge so much on top of the entrance fee. They should either lower the admission price or include the hayride. We went on a Sunday, so my daughter got to enjoy the petting zoo while it was still bright outside, but that also came with an extra cost. On weekdays, you pay a lot and might miss out on seeing all the lights unless you're ready to spend $70+ per person for the full experience. The lines were crazy, but despite the extra costs, I'd love to make this a family tradition. The atmosphere is magical, but I really hope they adjust the pricing to make it more family-friendly. read more

This was our first time visiting this joint and unfortunately it was a disappointment. Upon arriving, parking and actually getting into the park it took an 1 hour to 1.5 hours. The amount of people is beyond crazy, your are basically shoulder to shoulder during the whole time your trying to get around the park. Then there are not many activities so when choosing one you are waiting for hours again unless you pay more money so you can skip the longer lines. This we did for the hayride and it was beautiful, but worth the large price tag, that's questionable. The food was decent despite other reviews, however all these places closed by 8pm which was pretty ridiculous because after waiting for one thing you have to rush to eat before everything closes so we didn't even get to explore our options. The food we did get was from the mac shack. Unfortunately everything else was just shops to spend more money. This was definitely a one and done. read more

Absolutely mesmerizing! An unforgettable experience that's worth every penny! We went totally VIP and got premium parking and express pass hay riding and it made the whole thing easy. Next year I might even spring for the carriage ride if you don't have to rent the whole thing. We had so much fun and there is so much to do! Snow play, sledding, bouncy house, ice skating, walk through light show, hayride, s'mores and hot dog roasting, live music, restaurants, shopping, petting zoo, train and pony rides and even more! Lots of things are included in your ticket. It's all outside and it was so nice to enjoy the holiday season without pressure from anyone to wear a mask. If you're scared of COVID then stay home and let the rest of us assess our own risk and enjoy guilt free Christmas festivities. There are hand sanitizing stations everywhere and I was thankful for that though! The lights blow anything else I've seen (which is a lot) away! They are larger than life and everything has tons and tons of lights on it. Super impressed. Five stars also for super duper clean restrooms which for a setting like this I was not expecting and wonderful friendly and helpful staff! So happy with this place and it really was a lovely perfect fun start to my son's Christmas vacation! Highly recommend! read more

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It was fantastic. We went on opening day (a weekday) and the only lines were the entrance security line (took like 30 min and we showed up right when it opened, ouch) and the hayride & train (both 5-10 min). We went to the hayride first because that's the most popular thing to do. It was incredible - so many lights to see. The snow stuff was unique, and my kids thoroughly enjoyed it. We loved roasting marshmallows and hotdogs, too! That was a great touch. And I LOVE how they kept to the original Christian theme of Christmas. It was also very patriotic. We just so happened to drive by the next day (weekend) 45 minutes before it opened, and there were a ton of people in line already. I read other reviews about weekends being overwhelmingly crowded. And I sure saw the evidence. I would definitely avoid weekends. Buy tickets during the Christmas in July sale. Ya save $20 PER PERSON online. It's the time to get the cheapest tickets. read more

We took our Granddaughters and they loved it. The biggest ding I would give them is on the prices of their souvenirs. Very high on some what of lower quality Items. Pay the extra for the parking it's worth the shorter walk. Also go as early as possible smaller crowds and shorter lines. There is way more to see a do than time will permit. The biggest and best part is the hay rack ride to see the Christmas lights. No exaggerating at all when I say there are millions and millions of lights here. The ride last about 20 to 30 minutes. Plenty of food options as well. We will be back read more

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