Santa's Workshop

For months, I had been looking forward to taking my two year old nephew and family to Santa's Workshop at the North Pole. I had not been there since I was a kid and thought it would be a little weird if I went by myself, so my nephew's summer visit would be the perfect excuse to go.

The last time I went to an amusement park, the rides made me sick. Santa's Workshop is the perfect fit for someone that is prone to motion sickness. My nephew, Paul, is a very smart two year old and can look at gravity defying rides and know that his lunch hot dog in his tummy might not stay there. He didn't want to have anything to do with the Peppermint Swing or the mini Ferris Wheel. Even on the Christmas Carousel he decided on the fixed sleigh rather than the reindeer that went up and down. He thought the stationary reindeer was more his speed.

He wasn't completely opposed to moving rides though, we were lucky enough to board the Candy Cane Express twice!

Honestly, I never understood why families got sucked into the "boring" train ride at parks. For boys obsessed with trains and parents needing some down time, the Candy Cane Express totally rocks! The conductor blows the whistle and rings the bell several times throughout the ride, you go over bridges and even through a tunnel.

Even though Paul wanted more train, we were able to check out the other activities at Santa's Workshop. We saw Santa's Reindeer resting inside their little barn, fed the calves some milk, kept the elves busy putting Paul's name on a hat, and even witnessed them making some toys.

Paul waved to Santa's helpers in the Santa Claus Parade, had lunch from Mother Hubbard's while watching Sam and Sandy's show, and witnessed the dramatic appearance of Santa during the Christmas Capers. Paul was very excited to see Santa and said, "Hi Santa" and waved at him and he even waved back!

Paul was all ready to see Santa and tell him he wanted cake for Christmas, but when he got in there, it was a different story.

As you can see, he was a little frightened by Santa and his Mom and Dad had to join him for the photo opportunity.

I recommend a visit to Santa's Workshop for anyone and if you don't have a kid of your own or a niece or nephew to take, maybe a friend will let you borrow theirs for the day!