The Polar Express (live)

Starring: N/A
Directed by: N/A
Music & Lyrics by: N/A
Genre: Live Experience
2024

Times Experienced:
Tim: 1

Summary: Kids board a real-life train for a magical Polar Express experience.

Review:

Tim: I'm not entirely sure why I'm writing this review. I do think there is a place for live experiences- I think we'll see more and more of these in the future. It's a way to connect to popular media, but also to create a memorable, actual experience.

I recently took my kids (9 and 6) to the live Polar Express experience. We went to the one run by the Cape Cod Central Railroad. In preparation, we watched the first half of the movie (and finished it afterwards). Going to this experience was definitely more exciting for kids than adults. You're supposed to wear pajamas (something my wife and I neglected to do, which was commented upon by an elf). You walk in and there's a small gift shop- most of it is junk, but exciting for kids. Both my kids picked out a blanket and my wife bought my daughter the pocket watch from the movie as a Christmas gift. Eventually, your railroad car is called and you enter the train. We got a nice seat near the back of the train. Side note- it was close to the bathroom, but the bathroom was closed because someone clogged the toilet. Christmas miracle indeed.

The train ride itself is a bit underwhelming, although they do try. There's several elves in each car and they put on a number of musical numbers. They play the actual music from the movie, so it's familiar. Their dances were average, about what you could do in the aisle of a train. I would say the young people acting as elves tried, but they were regional, uninspired actors. At a certain point, they bring you a couple of shortbread cookies and a cup of hot chocolate. The idea is better than the actual quality of the food. We went on a 30 minute or so train ride, to the "North Pole", which is a small location set up with lights. It was kind of cool for the kids to see it. Santa and Mrs. Claus are there, and Santa boards the train and spends a minute or so with each of the kids. The guy playing Santa did a solid job. The elves tried to engage all the kids individually, but they got mixed results. The whole thing is a bit hokey, but I'm not sure what anyone else would have expected. It was a perfectly fine evening and my kids had a decent time.

The one thing I liked most about this is that it didn't involve screens. It was an actual, live experience that connected back to the now-classic Christmas movie. We might not have been sliding across train tracks, but it was a memory that my family now has. It's pricey and you don't get good value for your money, but it was worth it to create a memory. It did make me appreciate the movie even more, and we got to be a small part of that experience. I also enjoyed learning a bit more about this- there's 43 locations in the United States. I'm guessing we didn't hit one of the better ones, but it's a brilliant idea to bring money in for railroads. Why else would families go on a train ride in December? It's a cool idea to build on established IP. Although it wasn't a magical experience, it was something different to do with my kids- and there's a win there.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: N/A



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