Last Updated on 29 December 2023 by Colette
This post features gifted experiences
Almost every year since Chloe was born, we’ve taken the kids to see Father Christmas in the same place – I’ve always been keen to stick to the tradition, to keep the magic alive by only seeing him once a year and as such I’ve turned down lots of opportunities to review different grottos and Father Christmas experiences in Manchester – but last year, for a number of reasons including the spiralling costs of our usual Father Christmas adventure, we decided we wouldn’t be going there again.
I hadn’t actually planned to take the kids to see Santa at all this year (being as how only one of them is actually still “on board” . . . but Amy told me she still wanted to see Father Christmas somewhere so when we were invited to check out The Grotto at The Trafford Centre, I accepted!
And of course if means I get to share all the details of this year’s Trafford Centre Father Christmas experience with you!
What we thought of The Grotto at The Trafford Centre this year:
We have always been keen to stick to visit Father Christmas at the same place each year so we’ve not visited Santa at The Trafford Centre before now but from my research I know that the experience changes year on year – for example last year it had a Paddington Bear theme and I think the year before that might have been Peter Rabbit – this year though, it is just full on Father Christmas in a winter wonderland – which is exactly what I would choose for it to be.
The Grotto itself is set up past M&S and opposite Boots near the Dolphin Fountain – you can’t actually see anything of The Grotto before you go in but there’s a number of “huts” outside offering face painting, festive treats and drinks for you to enjoy while you wait.
You are asked to arrive around 15 minutes before your allotted slot – which we duly did but thanks to some teething problems with it being the first night, we actually ended up waiting for 45 minutes before it was our turn to enter The Grotto. I’m confident they will get this sorted but it’s worth bearing in mind.
As we reached the front of the queue we were greeted by an elf who directed us to the Box Office where our tickets were scanned and the girls were given their special letters for Father Christmas before we were welcomed into a magical winter wonderland.
The first thing that I noticed was that the floor was covered in the softest, fluffiest carpet so that it felt like you were really stepping into a snowy wonderland – what I quickly realised was that it wasn’t actually a fluffy carpet at all but masses and masses of fake snow! Candy Cane Lane is beautifully decorated with Christmas trees, enormous candy canes and masses of fairy lights.
There are tables for the children to sit at and write their letters to Santa – Amy’s requests included “surprises, red lipstick and LEGO” before she randomly added “a motorbike” to the end of her list . . . never before has she mentioned a desire for a motorbike and this was quickly squashed with the reminder that Father Christmas couldn’t possibly bring her a motorbike when she isn’t old enough to ride one!
Once the girls had written their letters, they enjoyed posting for photos and playing in the snow – which involved throwing it at each other and making snow angels! They both came home with snow stuck in their hair and there was quite a bit in Dave’s car – whoops.
Once the girls had had enough time playing in Candy Cane Lane, they joined a short queue to enter The Enchanted Forest where they met an elf named Sparkle – this slightly bonkers and very enthusiastic elf had the job of teaching the girls some magic to help them to open to door to Santa. Thanks to his enthusiasm and silliness, the girls were totally on board with joining in with his singing and dancing which kept them entertained and excited! Once the magic had worked, Sparkle sent them through the door into Santa’s Merry Mailroom.
In Santa’s Merry Mailroom we were greeted by another elf who was struggling to keep all the letters under control and in the right place – she asked for the girls to help her find some missing letters and also asked them to post their own letters to Santa into her special mail box. (If I’m honest this was probably my least favourite part of the experience – it felt like our elf wasn’t quite in the flow of her role yet.)
Finally it was time to meet Santa in his cosy cabin – and what a cosy cabin it was. It was beautifully decorated with a roaring fire (not real of course!) and there was plenty of room for everyone to be able to sit and chat with the Big Man himself. Of course being so magical, Santa knew exactly what the girls had asked for on their lists and I loved that he made a point of telling Chloe that Nike socks were hard to get hold of at this time of year and that she wasn’t to be disappointed if he couldn’t get her any.
I must admit that I didn’t really know what to expect from Father Christmas but he looked very impressive and was lovely to chat to – two things which I think are really important when it comes to visiting Santa with your little ones! We didn’t feel at all rushed in our conversation either.
The girls were both given a gift which of course they opened straight away – Amy got a yoyo which she hasn’t stopped playing with (Ben said it was a good one and he was quite envious!) and Chloe got a Rubik’s cube style puzzle. Both were happy with their presents.
All in, we had a lovely visit and the girls really enjoyed themselves – The Grotto definitely exceeded my expectations in terms of the magic and experience that it offered.
Where can I find The Grotto at The Trafford Centre?
The Grotto at The Trafford Centre is situated on Lower Peel Avenue next to the Dolphin Fountain (you know the one that sprays water into the air?) opposite Boots. (This means that the nearest toilets are upstairs near Boots and Starbucks)
When can I see Father Christmas at The Trafford Centre?
This year, The Grotto at The Trafford Centre is open from Saturday 18th November to Sunday 24th December 2023.
How much does it cost to see Santa at The Trafford Centre?
Tickets to see Santa at The Trafford Centre cost £25 per child and £7.50 per adult – tickets are non-refundable.
Book your tickets for The Grotto.
What does the Trafford Centre Father Christmas experience include?
As detailed above, a visit to The Grotto at The Trafford Centre includes a journey through Candy Cane Land and the Enchanted Forest before entering Santa’s Merry Mailroom and then on to see Santa in his cosy cabin. Our experience took around half an hour – this included a short queue to move from Candy Cane Land to the Enchanted Forest. You can take as long as you like in Candy Cane Land but your time in the Enchanted Forest and Santa’s Merry Mailroom is managed by the elves as of course they do need to keep everything moving!
It’s worth noting that The Grotto are hosting “Whispering Winter Sessions” for children who might find the full Grotto experience more challenging. You get more details about that here: SEN Friendly Father Christmas experiences in Manchester
Anything else I need to know about visiting Father Christmas at The Trafford Centre?
Something that I think is worth mentioning is that there’s a choice of two doors your elf can send you through – and it is quite possible that you might hear another group shouting for Santa in the other room . . . Amy noticed that the people behind us in the line happened to come out of the experience at the same time as us, which of course couldn’t be possible as we’d just been with Santa ourselves . . . Amy is 10 and would notice something like that – younger children might not but she’s aware that Santa has a lot of helpers who work in grottos because he couldn’t possibly be everywhere at once so she nicely explained that one away for herself . . .
Have a read of these posts next:
Christmas things to do in Manchester
Free Christmas things to do in Manchester
New Year’s Eve things to do with the kids in Manchester
Where to go ice skating in Manchester this Christmas
If you have enjoyed this post and found it helpful, here are a few ways you can say thanks and support We’re going on an adventure:
Click here to buy me a virtual coffee – it’s like a little tip jar but with caffeine!
I’d love for you to tag me in any photos of your adventures on Social Media if one of my posts has inspired you to visit
Click here to leave We’re going on an adventure a Google Review
Share this post with your friends – you’ll be helping me and them!
Follow We’re going on an adventure on Facebook or Instagram
