WATCH: See the display claiming to be the greatest Santa experience in the country
Santa #Santa
DALLAS – An immersive Christmas pop-up in Dallas called Santaland claims to be “the BEST Santa experience in the United States.”
Check out Fox News’ footage of the holiday spectacular and decide for yourself if Santaland’s claim lives up to the hype.
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The limited event runs through Jan. 8 at Dallas’s Galleria shopping center and offers families a quiet and personalized alternative to the typical Santa meet-and-greet.
Kelly Hunter, a spokeswoman representing Santaland, described the holiday experience as uniquely “intimate” in an email to Fox News. She said it takes place inside a mock chalet.
“The only other person in the space is your professional photographer,” Hunter wrote. “Because of the proprietary technology used by Santa’s elves, Santa already knows your child’s name and what he or she might want for Christmas, perfect for starting a conversation with a tentative child.”
To arrive at Santa’s Arctic home, families first board “the Santaland Express, a magical train which virtually transports guests to the North Pole,” Hunter’s said in the email. “The train’s conductor sets the stage for the visit, sharing the magic of the Christmas spirit and a little behind the scenes view as the North Pole experience rushes past your windows.”
Santaland recreates an enchanted winter forest as part of its immersive experience. (JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images)
Guests disembark the Santaland Express and traverse an enchanted forest path before they are welcomed into Saint Nick’s cozy cabin, according to Santaland’s website.
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Santaland was created by a team of theatrical set builders and visual artists, including Scot Redman, a fashion photographer and business owner who said this season’s pop-up was years in the making.
Santaland invites guests on an interactive train journey to St. Nick’s North Pole home. (Ben Hasty/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images)
“This is a project that we’ve been working on for four years and have been tremendously excited about it,” Redman told Fox News.
“[We] really dedicate most days to working on it all year long,” he said. “So, when it ends on Jan. 8 … we’ll probably start working on it again on Jan. 9.”
Redman described the Christmas experience as a passion project for its entire team.
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“It’s really a labor of love for all of us,” he told Fox News.
To watch more of Santaland’s immersive offerings, click here.