First off, this whole experience gets 5 stars from me. Just for the sheer fact that it's magical & I got joy out of seeing how excited my daughter was, as well as the fellow passengers & children :-) Normally I'm not a huge Christmas guy. I've always been more of a Grinch. However, when I see the joy that my daughter gets out of Christmas, it just melts the ice from around my heart. Needless to say, I was excited about my first trip to the North Pole! It started off fairly slow & we switched tracks a few times, in order to make the right connection to the magical set of tracks that whisk you away to the North Pole. Along the way, cookies & hot cocoa are passed out. Also, the Conductor reads the Polar Express story along the way. My daughter was even tasked as a bell ringer to assist in the storytelling. By the time the story was finished, we had arrived! (This portion of the review has been redacted, due to the classified & sensitive nature of our location & to protect Mr. C) After departing the North Pole, the amazing volunteer staff lead us all in chorus of Christmas carols, as well as taking requests for carols. My daughter requested her favorite, Feliz Navidad. But, sadly, our fellow carolers, to include the staff had never sung it before. Lol, so needless to say, we butchered the heck out of it. However, we had a lot of fun doing so :-D Overall, this is a really neat experience. It was well worth the 3.5 hour drive from Vegas. Granted, there could be some things done to improve the whole production. However, I realize that they do the best with what they have. These wonderful people volunteer their own time & utilize whatever donations & funds from memberships, as well as ticket sales for other attractions. There is a donation box located on the train. You have to look for it though, because they won't ask. So, do a noble thing & help preserve a little of our great history, as well as a wonderful holiday experience :-) Also, stick around & check out the town of Ely. They have some great historic buildings. I will definitely be back for another visit. read more