Looking for a good Santa trip recommendation

ncmc

Hi folks, I am looking for a good Santa visit for my 2.5 year old daughter. We have previously done Fota and Leahy’s farm so would like to try somewhere new. Since she is so young, there isn’t really a need for the whole ‘experience’ that leaves your wallet €60 lighter! Just a decent Santa and a good gift will suffice, but would prefer a bit more to it than a Santa in a shopping centre at the same time. I am doing the Dunnes Santa with friends, and am looking for one to go to with family, so that’s why I haven’t included Dunnes. My short list is
Griffins garden centre Dripsey
Blarney Woolen Mills
Cork Outpost Experience Cobh
Waterford and Suir Railway Santa

The last two are the most expensive options (and I do realise that the last one isn’t in Cork!) But I am just wondering if anyone has been to any of the above or could suggest any other good ones?

.red.

Last year we went to griffins garden centre out in dripsey and will probably go back this year. The shop was lit up beautifully and they had people dressed as elves running round. They also had animals for the kids to look at while we were waiting.
Can't remember the price but we were shocked at how cheap it was considering how much the kids loved it(6/3)
The previous years we went to Rumleys and the North Pole Express but they really expensive and although you spend a bit more time at the "Santa experience", it really wasn't worth the extra €25/30 or whatever it was.

pwurple

Avoid fota house anyway, last time I went there I was 8 month pregnant, bringing a toddler and a 4 year old in a wheelchair, it was the worst storms of the year and they wouldn't so much as let us set down by the house. 1k walk from the carpark in lashing rain and lightning. We were soaked and miserable. And their lighting is completely blinding on the route from car to house. It doesn't light the path, it just lights up your eyeballs.

For a 2.5 year old, i think the santa on top of dunnes in patrick street will be the best one.

The cuskinny court cobh one is great craic, but it is for older kids, it will be way over the head of a 2.5 year old.

I've been to the dripsey garden center one too, and maybe it was the time we went, but it was just a whole lot of queueing.

-Toppy-

+1 Cuskinny court - it will blow any kids mind

.red.

-Toppy- wrote: »

+1 Cuskinny court - it will blow any kids mind

It will also blow your wallet,
1 child and an adult is €36, a second adult comes to €50 which is scandalous.
Griffins in €13 for 2 adults and a child.
I'm not sure the extra €37 is justified for a 2.5yo.

ncmc

.red. wrote: »

It will also blow your wallet,
1 child and an adult is €36, a second adult comes to €50 which is scandalous.
Griffins in €13 for 2 adults and a child.
I'm not sure the extra €37 is justified for a 2.5yo.

That's kind of the way I'm thinking at the moment, we did Fota when she was 6 months old (excited new parents, it was definitely more for us than her) and Leahy's last year. They were both good, but she is still too young for them really. I might do one of the cheaper ones this year and go for one of the dearer ones next year when she can appreciate it more.

Truckermal

We went to Fota today and it was pretty poor given the price allthough I was in Lapland last week and that was unbelievable!

TheDriver

Patrick St Dunnes is indeed good, not very long but well done. Grenagh farm is also good, lots to see and do there

ncmc

Truckermal wrote: »

We went to Fota today and it was pretty poor given the price allthough I was in Lapland last week and that was unbelievable!

One of my friends last year complained to Fota because the Santa was terrible, there were a few complaints I think about that particular Santa.

We have booked Griffins Garden Centre in Dripsey, to be honest, we left it late to book and there was very little choice left. We're going on Sunday so I will let you know how it goes

pwurple

Truckermal wrote: »

We went to Fota today and it was pretty poor given the price allthough I was in Lapland last week and that was unbelievable!

Is that fota house (the one in the entrance to the wildlife park), or fota hotel?

Truckermal

pwurple wrote: »

Is that fota house (the one in the entrance to the wildlife park), or fota hotel?

No the Hotel...... LOL I LMAO later in the day thinking about the particular Santy as he was a pure city boy as in "How are things boy" :D:D:D:D

tuisginideach

From my experience (limited as it is) a child of 2.5 will have no recollection of the visit anyway so the .5euro santa is as good as the 500 euro one.

run_Forrest_run

Truckermal wrote: »

No the Hotel...... LOL I LMAO later in the day thinking about the particular Santy as he was a pure city boy as in "How are things boy" :D:D:D:D

think we got the same Santa, he was terrible. He got his information on the kids all mixed up etc. The funniest being as you said, the accent on him, never mind him being from the North Pole, he was from the Northside

Mr Bloat

Has anyone been to Santa at the Guide Dogs HQ on Model Farm Road? I saw a sign advertising Santa there but don't know anyone who has been.

run_Forrest_run

Mr Bloat wrote: »

Has anyone been to Santa at the Guide Dogs HQ on Model Farm Road? I saw a sign advertising Santa there but don't know anyone who has been.

considered it this year but reckon it would only put extra pressure on me from the kids to get a dog

fifib

ncmc wrote: »

Truckermal wrote: »

We went to Fota today and it was pretty poor given the price allthough I was in Lapland last week and that was unbelievable!

One of my friends last year complained to Fota because the Santa was terrible, there were a few complaints I think about that particular Santa.

We have booked Griffins Garden Centre in Dripsey, to be honest, we left it late to book and there was very little choice left. We're going on Sunday so I will let you know how it goes

how was the garden center?

ncmc

I'm going on Sunday fifib so will report back!

-Toppy-

Went to Cuskinny Court on Friday 8 of us (3 kids 5 adults) cost was 136 euro

Was magic, the whole thing took about a 90 mins Everybody loved it

We were allowed to use our own cameras throughout as well

ncmc

So we went to Griffins Garden Centre yesterday. I had never been there before, it's a nice spot. The Santa was pretty good, as someone mentioned earlier in the thread, it did feel like there was a lot of hanging around waiting. I'd say we were in with Santa less than 90 seconds, but that's probably because my daughter is so young, she wasn't speaking to him that much, other families seemed to be in there longer. They advertise as having animals and there was alpaca, sheep, goats, donkeys, chickens etc but they were in very small pens, so I wasn't that keen on that element of it. There was a Minnie and Mickey mouse wandering around which my daughter absolutely loved. I think the reason it felt long is that when we booked it, we were told to be there a half an hour before our time, when in reality, there was no need whatsoever to be there so early.

Overall, I would rate it ok value for money, my daughter enjoyed it and was delighted with her present of a book, but that might not go down well with older kids!

Rhinohippo

Cuskinny (near Cobh) was great. My guys were delighted with it. Best Santa ever.

Roger Hassenforder

spectacularly underwhelmed with 'Discovery' at Fota
very poor value for the coin with teaspoon of sickly sweet "hot chocolate" for the adults.
Santa couldn't even get the names right on kids.
Would not recommend it.

Truckermal

Roger Hassenforder wrote: »

spectacularly underwhelmed with 'Discovery' at Fota
very poor value for the coin with teaspoon of sickly sweet "hot chocolate" for the adults.
Santa couldn't even get the names right on kids.
Would not recommend it.

I emailed them about it but they didn't give a toss...

Rhinohippo

Have been to Fota in previous years but heard a lot of so so reports this year. They probably need to revamp it for next year and make more of an effort.

Roger Hassenforder

Rhinohippo wrote: »

Have been to Fota in previous years but heard a lot of so so reports this year. They probably need to revamp it for next year and make more of an effort.

some of the elves couldnt give a toss.
you couldn't hear a thing with the plywood partitions between the sections.

Rhinohippo

Roger Hassenforder wrote: »

some of the elves couldnt give a toss.
you couldn't hear a thing with the plywood partitions between the sections.

That's really disappointing. A good friend of mine went this year with her kids and was particularly disappointed.

Roger Hassenforder

Rhinohippo wrote: »

That's really disappointing. A good friend of mine went this year with her kids and was particularly disappointed.

heard today a friend went and one of the kids wasnt even in the feckin foto!:D
Had to go back and get them done again

Rhinohippo

Roger Hassenforder wrote: »

heard today a friend went and one of the kids wasnt even in the feckin foto!:D
Had to go back and get them done again

I reckon they must have been inundated with complaints. I haven't heard any positive feedback this year, after rave reviews in previous years. It's going to take a lot of work to undo this damage.

Roger Hassenforder

Rhinohippo wrote: »

I reckon they must have been inundated with complaints. I haven't heard any positive feedback this year, after rave reviews in previous years. It's going to take a lot of work to undo this damage.

Sent in a complaint via email. Got a stock copy and pasted reply, that had nothing to do with my 'issues'

#wontbeback

mik_da_man

That's disappointing.
I went there years ago and it was very good, pity it's gone downhill.

We went to Cushkinny in Cobh this year, our second time.
This year wasn't as good as last, they had issues with the Elf train so had a regular bus from the Car-park to the House, not a huge deal, but took away from the experience.

Also this year felt a bit more rushed than previous time, but overall it was very good.
The Santa is gas, has some words of advice for the parents on parenting and importance of family time and holding hands! Odd but nice.

I'll go again

-Toppy-

Yeah had a good time at Cuskinny,
We didnt seem that rushed compared to other years but it might have been the time we went etc

Santa was gas alright, one of my nephews was trying to figure out how he came out the chimney so Santa and him went back in for a look

mik_da_man

Ah we weren't very rushed, just had a "Head Elf" popping into the rooms to ensure we moved along in time for the next bunch. Maybe our group was going a bit slow