With only 24 sleeps until Santa brings presents to all the good boys and girls, Melbourne’s Christmas Wonderland should be on your list of must do festive family activities this Summer.
Located at Caulfield Racecourse (conveniently across the road from Caulfield train station) and presented by SmoothFM 91.5, Melbourne’s Christmas Wonderland is an immersive, walk-through experience brought back by popular demand after previous successful runs.
Walking into the Grand Big Top tent, I was immediately taken aback by the sheer scope and size of the lit-up decorations spanning up into the sky. I marveled at how much thought and care had gone into creating something visually breathtaking and with a photo opportunity around every corner – including a snowman-shaped love seat, telephone booth, lit-up hot-air balloon, candy cane bike and more.
The downside is that it did feel crowded and claustrophobic during busy times and waiting in lines was expected. The rollerskating rink for example has a twenty people max limit so I imagine the carousel, teacup ride, miniature train and jumping castles have similar limitations. But with the generous three-hour allocated timeslot, it should be more than enough time to experience everything.
Additionally, there’s a VIP pass available for those wanting priority access. It also comes with a VIP lanyard, VIP seating at the show, front of line priority at each event zone, food voucher and complimentary VIP gift bag from the merchandise shop.
Ideally suited for families with children 10 years and under, there’s a plethora of fun festive activities to see and do including decorating a foam gingerbread house decoration in The Factory, decorating a Christmas stocking at the Christmas Craft Village, painting a plaster Christmas tree ornament at the Care Bears Village, writing letters to Santa at the North Pole Post Office and more.
Mrs. Claus, Santa’s elves, Rudolph, and various Carebears also roam around to say hello and stop for selfies and there’s designated spots for photos with the Grinch and Santa (extra fees apply).
Other highlights include an incredible merchandise shop and fun carnival games where every child wins a prize, all topped off by a live show. Running for about 30 minutes, Carebears Christmas Spectacular tells the story of a young Australian girl and what she wishes for this Christmas. Two happy elves, Santa and Mrs. Claus, and three Carebears are joined by jugglers, a clown and incredible aerial silk and hoop performers, as they dance and sing to favourite holiday classics.
While Melbourne’s Christmas Wonderland is splendidly tailored towards children, there’s not much to attract childless Christmas-loving adults. Left to my own devices, there was little for me to do after thirty minutes. While it does feel like a missed opportunity, I particularly enjoyed the live show, many photo ops, decorations and carnival themed snacks. I grabbed myself a slushie in a reindeer keeper cup (a Santa cup was also available), along with a bucket of fairy floss.
Brought to life by The Event Touring Company (creators of the award-winning Sesame Street Circus Spectacular and Jurassic Creatures), Melbourne’s Christmas Wonderland is the perfect way to kick off the holiday season and fill young children with Christmas cheer!
4/5 STARS
Melbourne’s Christmas Wonderland runs to 24 December at Caulfield Racecourse.
More information and tickets via melbourneschristmaswonderland.com.au
TINSEL and TAP SHOES 