Best value Santa in Dublin 2008

Feoras

Where's best value Santa in Dublin this year? I have 5 young kids and it cost me 12 euro for one kid in the Mill Shopping Centre and it was just a Santa in a box. It would be nice to have some kind of display. I'm not necessarily looking for the cheapest, just good value for my money.

Merry Christmas!

ch750536

Go find a free santa or err

Hmm

You know. Improvise with friends.

Thats what we are doing.

Santa loves Bulmers.

There are some real ripoffs around. One crowd here charging €20per kid and €10 per adult. I refuse to pay for me so told them my opinion.

andrew1977

I know its not in Dublin but i brought my lad to the Santa in Scotch Hall Drogheda last year, think it was 8 year and that included a photo.Santa was very friendly, had loads of time for my son and the present he got was excellent, he got an Shrek Monopoly game, he still plays with it.

TarfHead

My local GAA club does a great Santa each year. He arrives by horse-drawn carriage, or in a fire engine if one is available. The kids get to see the fire engine up close and can get 'spins' around the car park in the carriage.

Inside the clubhouse, there is a kids disco in the bar where families can wait. They're called down to visit Santa in batches of 10.

Can't remember the cost - it's about €10 but it would still be great value at twice the price.

biebiebie

Can't remember the price, but last year we went to Stephens Green SC. It doesn't look like much from the outside, and the queue was slow moving.

However it was well worth the wait. The Santa there is the most realistic one I have ever seen. Real white beard and all. Think he might be a Canadian Santa! Apparently he's there year after year (hopefully this year too).

He's a very friendly Santa and showed genuine interest in talking with the kids. Gave a nice message too about the meaning of Christmas. No real rush out the back door either. A most genuine experience IMHO, well recommended.

Christmas Lover

Hi I am new to this but I picked up a brochure for Santa in Tullyboy Farm between Boyle and Carrick on Shannon which is close to me. It sounds great there are 10 different stages with elves, Mrs Claus and it is based on a traditional christmas, stirring the pudding and making a wish, santas workshop, santas bedroom, slide down into Santas parlour, bethlehem trail etc.. There is also hot chocolate with marshmallows for kids and mulled juices for adults. From what I can tell it lasts 1 anda half or two hours and there seems to be lots to do. I have often brought the kids to this farm in the Summer and they love it, I usually have to drag them away. The farmer is great fun and a lovely man, great with kids. I am going to try it this year so I will let you know how I get on.

YourName

Nice little plug there ! ! !

freida

I went to santa in the mill before, not impressed he was about sixteen and covered in tatoos. I also went to donade wood before which was meant to be the biz but it wasn't cheap and we were over two hours in a queue in the rain, just before my turn with my little boy the two people behind me started having a row which nearly ended in blows (not the organisers fault I know) but it soured the whole experience for me.
I would recommend Arrnotts. I've been told that you can bring your own wrapped gift (so your not paying for something crappy) into santa in arrnotts and just pay for the photo, you could get them all in the one photo too it'd be lovely. There are queues but if you got in early or went around 5 it probably wouldn't be too bad. Give them a ring, I bet they can tell you the times it is least crowded, hth's f

maryjane007

i used to take my kids to the santa in arnotts and he was free to visit you just paid if you wanted a photo. he gave the kids some sweets and he was a great santa we went back every year until a couple of years ago (theyre too old now). some one here might know if he is still free

Dandoline

Christmas Lover wrote: »

Hi I am new to this but I picked up a brochure for Santa in Tullyboy Farm between Boyle and Carrick on Shannon which is close to me. It sounds great there are 10 different stages with elves, Mrs Claus and it is based on a traditional christmas, stirring the pudding and making a wish, santas workshop, santas bedroom, slide down into Santas parlour, bethlehem trail etc.. There is also hot chocolate with marshmallows for kids and mulled juices for adults. From what I can tell it lasts 1 anda half or two hours and there seems to be lots to do. I have often brought the kids to this farm in the Summer and they love it, I usually have to drag them away. The farmer is great fun and a lovely man, great with kids. I am going to try it this year so I will let you know how I get on.

How much is it?? Sounds lovely...

deirdrem

We do a Santa Experience which sounds very like the one you mention at Tullyboy Farm ... In fact it sounds so like it I am wondering if you meant Causey Farm. I don't want to use the forum as a plug but just to say we follow a trail to Bethlehem and look for a place to stay for the night - of course there is no room and we come on the stable with a live Mary and Joseph, and sheep and lambs, cow and calf and a donkey. We go to Christmas Cottage where we tell some of the traditions of Irish Christmasses (sp?) gone by, and all the children stir the pudding and make a wish. In Santa's house Mrs Claus is busy packing Santa's bag for the big journey and the children all help by putting something in the case and then they slide into the elves workshop and "help" there before going through a little door to Santa's parlour where the big man himself comes down the chimney. There are a couple of more parts to the "Causey Christmas Experience" but it is nice to keep a surprise in store! This costs €18 per child and €12 per adult and lasts about an hour and a half. It is pretty magical - RTE's Mooney Show did say it was more enjoyable than a trip to Lapland. We are near Kells, Co Meath.

Jesus Wept

TarfHead wrote: »

My local GAA club does a great Santa each year. He arrives by horse-drawn carriage, or in a fire engine if one is available.

How confusing.

Evely016

Try Kia Ora Mini Farm in Gorey, Wexford www.kiaoraminifarm.com - we really enjoyed it