Santa's Wonderland Review

We visited on Sunday 12/15. The shuttle parking was great! We parked at the Comet parking lot, which was well lit and there were attendees directing where to park. We walked to the shuttle pickup/drop off and immediately the shuttle pulled up. That was great experience.
As for our overall experience, it was horrible. It was full which was expected but definitely not worth your $30. As soon as you come in, the crowds are dumped into the main area which is tiny for all the traffic that goes through there. There is also a big fire pit that takes up so much room and it doesn t have a barrier.

We lined up for the hayride at 4:50 in which we boarded the trailers at 6:00; we took off as soon as it got dark. The trailers are nice and roomy, as for the attractions...the reindeers need to be repainted, they look like they ve seen a few Christmas. They ride was about 25minutes.

Do not take your kids to the snow. It s a tiny place attraction, that needs a lot of supervision. I witnessed many teenagers just tossing snowballs at other guests and it s unfortunate. Perhaps investing in a lifeguard tower to over see all the broken rules .

Petting zoo is $4 per person, pony rides are $7 per kid. Don t worry if you do not have cash, they accept debit/credit across the park.

Also, there are zero park attendees walking around, they offer you a map and set you on your way. You will need to stop at a concession stand and ask for directions, in hopes you get them correctly. I asked someone for directions to the petting zoo and was basically told to go through the train line, in which we literally ended up on the course. The train attendant was so rude and belittling, she was just telling us to get off the track. I was trying to explain to her that we were told to go through there and her response, well whomever told you, told your wrong . Sounds like someone needs to go to a customer service training. Would sounded better if it was like I apologize you were directed this way....
Restrooms near the drop off of the hay ride are a nightmare, baskets were overflowing, and extremely long lines. There was a diaper changing station that could have used a good wipe.

I have to give a huge thumbs up to the marketing team. The promos and advertising really gets you to go there. Well done! As for experience, I m sure we will not be back.

This is a definite place to visit it you're a Christmas lover! The entry price is steep, and I was a little disappointed at what it excluded and also how much upselling is offered through out the park. We had 3 kids here, ranging from 2 years old to 9 years old and all had fun and enjoyed what we did. The best part was playing in the snow! Food/drinks are reasonably priced as well.

We loved it!!! My husband got us the fast pass and it was so worth it for the tubes and hayride. Lines were moving pretty fast even without the fast pass. It was such fun for the whole family. Just FYI if the kids want to play in the snow and they will bring extra clothes and shoes just in case. My some was fine but my littler one didn't care if her foot was completely covered in snow so her feet were soaked by the time we left. All in all it was still a great experience.

Love, love, LOVE Santa's Wonderland. Most fun place to take the kids for Christmas

Should be called Santa Standland because that's all you are going to do. stand in line. Negative stars.

Really cool place. Food was really good. You have to do the hayride or carriage ride for sure!

Staff was very nice and helpful and it was very clean and easy to get around

If you want get covid 19 this is the place! I say 75% of the people weren't wearing mask at all.

Me and my family we visit this place and is the best we love it.

It is very good for children and adults a true family show, I recommend it.

Had an amazing time with my family there! Not many activities to do though. Mostly food & some shopping. But it was still lots of fun with the music & lights!

Amazing place, so much to do and see. They have Santa, hay rides, Christmas lights, great restaurants, snow, smores, train rides, mechanical bull rides, kettle corn, live music, wine tasting. Everyone is very loving and hospitable.

What a lovely place we have been every year for the past ten years they just keep getting better

Price is high but all that is included and how much effort goes into it, I completely understand and it is justified.
Had a great time and created awesome memories.

Not cheap but a great experience for family and friends. Lights were incredible. The village was amazing. Live band, hay ride, snow play area. By the way...they don't sell beer. They do offer wine by the glass but no suds. I was a little disappointed about that but it's all good.

Daughter loved this place! Really awesome experience worth the drive from Austin!

First time I've been in many years. Was pretty disappointed at how commercialized it's become. I get it. Its the beauty of capitalism, really: If people will pay it, you can charge it. Still... Everything here costs. And costs. A single 8x10 photo with Santa costs $25. The entrance tickets are overpriced: you're spending money largely for the privilege to go inside to spend more money. Seriously, imagine if malls charged entrance fees of $40 per person.

A family of 4 can expect to spend $200 at a minimum, assuming no one wants souvenirs or real food. For that, you'll have to budget another $75

The expense soured me a bit. Nonetheless, I did have a wonderful time with my girlfriend. 3.5 hours of good memory-making. Maybe that's worth the expense, in the end. I did come out with video evidence of her riding a mechanical bull!

This was my third time coming in from Florida, hyped it up to my friends for last 6 months about how both times had great experiences with my mom there and this time we just about had an hour because we had car trouble on the way. The woman at the gate wouldn t let us park in the main parking lot though everyone was already leaving and there were only five or so cars there. She sent us to a parking lot on the other side of the highway to take the shuttle bus back. Since we had been traveling from Dallas to get there we asked if my mom and I could at least be dropped off at the main gate to go to the bathroom and she didn t allow that. This place used to have really friendly service, but I suppose since it has grown from popularity, it doesn t matter if people are friendly at the gate. Still bought stuff from the store though so my friend could have a good time for their first experience, and we were willing to pay full price just to basically do the hayride at 10:30pm but the place did not meet expectations for service.

Santas Wonderland has changed a lot!
For me it had been 5 years since I had visit and I have to say that it has improved in every aspect. Yes the price is a little higher but believe me when I say you get your moneys worth.
There's lots of new activities like train ride, mechanical bull riding, real snow play area, petting zoo and much more as well lots of new places to eat with a wide variety of food to choose from. I know I didn't get to see everything but for what I got to see there was pizza, calzone, burgers & fries, tacos, burritos, BBQ, funnel cakes, cookies with lots of toppings, hot cocoa, coffee, wine and lots more. One of the big and really fun activities that we really likes was the snow play area, my son and nephew had a blast running around and throwing snow balls at each other. I recommend it and also recommend to get there early so that you can have a chance to visit all the activities.
My family and I are looking forward to visit next year.

This is a terrible experience. Lines and more lines and now they wont let us walk to our car threatening to take us to jail for walking to the parking lot. Wish i could rate it negative stars. Total mis-management and if visitors could see the lines before purchasing tickets this place would not be in business

Very merry and entertaining! The wait for the hayride was a bit long, but it was definitely worth it! Great food too.

FUN!!! Very family, kid, and adult friendly. LOTS of things to do. Some you pay for some you dont so read up on it before hand. It isn't Christmas without a trip to Santa's Wonderland!! All this and more! (The pictures are of the Kids area, and food sections)

I had fun and stuff. But my only really issue was that the petting zoo animals were treated poorly. I have pictures of this one momma goat whos horn was way over grown and literally inside her head. Sorry for the graphic but It had stabbed in deep. I felt so sorry for her. She looked so in pain and literally begged for love. And the piglet was banging its head on the cage and bowl starving!!

If you ever get a chance to go here, please do so! Not only did the kids have fun but my husband and I enjoyed ourselves as well! The lights were beautiful, live music, snow the kids could play in and tubing. You could take a horse carriage ride, or they have a hay ride you can do, just so much to see and do, well worth the drive!

we went on a slower night and had a wonderful time! ! it was magical

Terrible waste of money, we basically paid to wait in 2 lines for 5 hours. $200.00 for two adults and a child. 5 hours later only one train ride completed. Unless you want to pay to stand in line, stay home.

This is an amazing place to take the family for some good Texas Christmas fun! This is the second time we have been, and they have made several improvements to make the experience more enjoyable. The hayride light show is truly amazing. Definitely worth the price of admission. We purchased the early bird arrival and it was worth every penny. You get to enter the park 2 hours before it officially opens. Lots of things for the family to do to have a good time and create memories!

Last year we missed out on this joyful place. This year we made sure to be there with plenty of time. The light settings were a beauty to see in the sleigh ride. The town even thou is small but not tiny is a true wonderland. The band singing christmas songs next to a warm fire and then from behind us sending down some snow top it off. For Santa and Ms Santa to be there for the kids was awesome. The little shops have so much stuff you will not see anywhere else. So do stop and check them out. Almost forgot about the bull ride, the snow tubbing, the make your own smores ( not to crazy about it thou ) and sooooo much more.

Great pace to go with the family. Just pay the little extra for reservations and parking or you will be fighting massive lines.

This place is great for a Texas Christmas but be prepared to wait in long lines. The best time to go is when it's raining.

Had the pleasure of attending Santa's Wonderland last year for first time. We had a great time. This year decided on a return trip and sister in law was all in as well.

As we did last year we were in total amazement as soon as we walked through the gates. Place is really magical. Little bit of everything! Mechanical bulls, snow ball fights, sledding, music, food, shopping, but the hay ride light show is the star of show.

The line is long and kids may get antsy, but all is well once you get on.

Already planning a trip for next year!!

Tooooo many lines- not enough cash registers. Felt like our time was being wasted standing in line. Loved the atmosphere of the park. Great place for the kids. This staff were great!!! They were very friendly and helpful.

VIP parking is worth it. Hand sanitizer was readily available and it was a jolly good time!

Would have been 5 stars but they took away the legal right to carry a firearm. Do not feel as safe now with metal detectors as we did previous visit. Sad for A Texas based company to do that. Other than that it's a awesome place. Enjoy it every time so far. Probably will be nervously returning next year.

Besides the constant septic smell, the lines are incredibly long. I'm talking wrapping around the place long and I'm here on a Sunday. Wouldn't hurt to have more than one hot Chocolate stand either.

My 2nd time at Santa's Wonderland! The lights were spectacular. Keeps getting better every year. Great family fun. The line for the hayride was long but the staff worked as quickly as possible to keep the line going. Love everything about this place.

Our very first year experiencing Santa s Wonderland and will not be our last!! Feels like you re just in a little town, away from home. We loved the atmosphere and feel of Christmas. Lots to do, for the little ones and the lights were beautiful. Hot cocoa was the best! Staff were friendly and welcoming. Definitely worth the value, as we had a great time!!

Such a cool venue! They've thought of everything. The wait times weren't terrible and there was food and drinks in convenient place that made the waits less annoying.

I m writing this to save another parent from frustration! We waited one hour for a one minute and 40 minute the train ride (yes we time it) and then waited another two hours for a 23 minute light show. I have a 3 and 1 year old and the wait was painful. Paying 70 dollars to get in the door and then waiting the night away was just terrible. Never again. Do not waste your time or money. They pack everyone in like sardines. You can t even walk through the area because there are so many people.

Be ready to wait in LONG lines for the hay ride if you do not pre buy the horse and carriage and parking in advance. We went on a Saturday and we waited 1 hour for the shuttle, 30 minutes for tickets, 3 hours for the hay ride, and 1 hour for the shuttle back. Lights were okay, but not worth the 5 hours of wait time.

Lots of folks love this winter time tradition, it wasn't my cup of tea. Too crowded (Sat night) & expensive, and the focus seemed to be on shops.

Great experience! Boyfriend and I got there pretty late but enjoyed the little bit we got to do.

Expensive. You can save money if you buy tickets online. Also of you want to park near the entrance you have to setup and pay for a parking reservation well in advance. But if you want to save money they have a reserve parking lot a half mile away and free metro bus service that rolls out every five minutes. They food is ok but a little spendy. Hay train light show ride is a must see. Then take pictures in the scenic polar bear pavilion full of lights. Followed by a snow are where you can have a snow ball fight then get in line to slide down a snow loop on an inner tube.
Move your feet to live music. If you want to skip the food line order online. It's a must see, must experience fun time. Kids adults and teens will love this.

Wonderful place to visit. Friendliest staff in the world. Hayride is great fun. It was a great time to visit with a rare night of lots of snow. Dress warm. Will definitely visit again.

Nice place to take the kids, lots of lights probable millions of lights.

Expensive ...nice lights....waited almost an he for a hamburger

It is worth a trip. Buy tickets online for almost 50% savings.

The atmosphere was fun at the beginning, the burgers delicious, but after more than a two hour wait in the queue for the hayride to see the light show, enthusiasm died a slow, painful death. The light show was nice, but not worth the two hour wait or the steep ticket price.

I love the lights and atmosphere. It is a little pricey

Extremely expensive for what it offers. $49 admission per person. I paid $10 for a slice of Pizza and a coke. That is Disney expensive. I am never going back.

All I can say is WOW !! It's an awesome place to take your family . Every building it's so beautiful decorated and the rides are great . You really feel like a kid again .

Best place to take your entire family!! Staff is very friendly and they interact with you!! So much to see and do! We come every year and this year is no different!

The lights were spectacular, however it was not worth literally waiting for 4-5 hrs in line just to see a 20 minute hayride. Every line from parking to buying popcorn to hayride takes at least an hour wait each. It was a complete disappointment! The price is expensive. I will not be coming back. This was
my first and my last. I would rather go to Magical Winter lights in La Marque. Its much worth it. Doesn t have to wait for parking and getting inside and buying foods.

We had a good time overall. The hayride to see the lights were neat and the food was pretty good. However, the tickets were overpriced for what you get to experience. We called to see if they offered Military/first responders discount and were VERY disappointed they only offered discounts to military/first responders the first week that they are open for the season. Which not every first responder has off of work during this time. Probably won t go back because of how expensive Santa s Wonderland is.

Love this place! So much cheistmas spirit and energy!

Espectacular place, the crew so nice, anyone you ask they help you and answer your questions. Hayride is a most you have to take. Variety of food and high prices as usual in this.kind of places but worth it. Really a great experience for kids and family in general. Very recommended.

I love going to this place so nice and festive so much to do pretty lights

Both of my kids (2 and 5 years old) had a great time. Get there early to give yourselves plenty of time, as you will spend time waiting in lines. We spent about an hour and 20 minutes wating to see Santa.

I LOVE LOVE CHRISTMAS AND I LOVE THIS PLACE AND ALL THAT IT BRINGS OUT IN A FAMILY. IT ALWAYS MAKES YOU COME IN WITH A SMILE AND LEAVE WITH A EVEN BIGGER SMILE.

We love this place. We go every year. We love all the new upgrades. The kids always have so much fun. We are so thankful they honor first responders.

Wow!!! Hats off to the Extremely wonderful and amazing staff. From the second you drive into the park your greeted with smiles and Merry Christmas. Parking was extremely efficient very nice and polite attendant. Once your in line it moves extremely quick. But you will judge it before hand and have your doubts " I had huge ones". Dont judge the line lol. Once you get into the park the food is absolutely delicious and cheap. You get more than a good quality. You can tell it's all extremely fresh products. Once again the staff is Amazing. Even when there's lots of ppl everywhere it still moves quickly and efficiently. Who ever owns this place needs to be very proud of there success and there staff. If all Parks could run this efficient then ppl would get out and have a better time. The City of College Station should be grateful for the owners of this place. I'd imagine they employ alot of college kids. For the younger kids who do work there they are super polite and cheerful. None of it's fake. I've been in service for well over 20 years, and my hats off to these folks. The experience you have here is worth every penny. The lights on the hayride are Extremely detailed. Thank You for a amazing time!!

Pretty cool for a tourist trap amusement park thing. I'd reccomend getting the Express pass if you you want to ride the hayride... or wait till later in the evening. Don't forget to get parking pass online.

BUY THE TIKETS ONLINE!!! it will save you $20. Parking is +$13, there is free parking out side the premise with free buses to transfer you too and from. Because the hayride is included the line is long (It took us around 1hour) but it's was worth it. My family and I had a nice time but everything had a big line and there wasn't much to do.

For sure a winter wonderland. Lots of things to see and do. Best to do multiple trips because there is too much to take in in just one visit.