The Polar Express: A Christmas Tradition to Start with Your Family
Living in the desert of Arizona, it can be difficult to get in the holiday spirit. It just doesn’t feel right putting up the Christmas decorations when the AC is still on, and we’re wearing shorts and flip-flops! There’s no better way to feel the holiday spirit than heading to northern Arizona (where it’s colder!) and riding the Polar Express! This whimsical journey on the Grand Canyon Railway brings the children’s classic by Chris Van Allsburg to life and is truly magical. Take advantage of the Polar Express while your children still “Believe”!
In this post, I share with you all the reasons why you should ride the Polar Express during the holiday season, what to expect for your trip, and I throw in a few bargain chasing tips for saving money!
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The Polar Express adventure is aboard the Grand Canyon Railway which leaves from the town of Williams, Arizona. The Grand Canyon Railway has been transporting passengers to the Grand Canyon since 1901!
Visiting this town on Route 66 is like taking a step back in time which adds to the appeal.
I think riding a historic train car is a fun adventure at any time of year, but riding at night during the holiday season and getting to see the North Pole makes the trip even more memorable.
The Grand Canyon Railway station goes all out to create an experience that extends beyond the 90-minute train ride.
Prior to boarding the Polar Express, you will collect your golden tickets at the Williams Depot that is decorated with half a million holiday lights!
“The Polar Room” offers Story Time with Mrs. Claus, crafts, and writing letters to Santa. There is also an opportunity to have professional photos with Santa.
There are mailboxes in the train station where the kids can drop off their letters. The Williams Depot also has a gift shop for souvenirs and a coffee shop with treats.
Bargain Cha$ing Tip: As much as I love Christmas shopping, I recommend avoiding the gift shop to save money! Toys and gifts are, of course, sold at a premium here. The same goes for the professional Santa photos. I took as many photos and videos on the train as possible and didn’t feel like we missed anything by not buying the Santa pictures. The Lionel Polar Express train available here makes an awesome gift for kids and kids at heart!
There are multiple photo opportunities around the station with classic train cars decorated for the season.
Each family has assigned seats on the train car, and upon boarding you are greeted by the train’s enthusiastic chefs that you may remember from the book and film.
The Polar Express remains true to the children’s book rather than the 2004 film voiced by Tom Hanks. I like the film, yet it takes a lot of liberties and is rather intense.
My 7-year old was worried that some of the scary parts of the film would be replicated on the Polar Express. Not to worry—the entire Polar Express experience is family friendly and appropriate for even the youngest visitors.
Families really get into the spirit with matching pajamas! I did not wear pajamas, but I quickly realized I shouldn’t have been embarrassed to wear them. There were so many adults dressed in festive jammies! It is cold when the sun sets (at least to me since I live in Phoenix), so don’t forget flannel or fleece pajamas, warm socks, and a winter jacket.
The train ride takes you through the wilderness of Williams while the dancing chefs entertain and serve chocolate-chip cookies and hot cocoa.
At one point, a recording of the book’s author Chris Van Allsburg reading The Polar Express plays overhead while the chefs walk seat to seat with the book showing the pictures to the kids.
I bought the 30th anniversary edition of The Polar Express from Amazon that includes a Polar Express Christmas ornament!
There is an authentic train conductor who checks each passenger’s ticket and punches star shapes into the golden tickets.
The chefs provide song books for a Christmas song sing-a-long which was really fun!
The train reaches the North Pole which is lit up beautifully and complete with Santa standing by his sleigh and reindeer. As a surprise, Santa boards the train and visits each train car handing out silver Polar Express bells!
Bargain Cha$ing Tip: Save money by staying in a neighborhood hotel rather than booking the Polar Express package at the Grand Canyon Railway hotel. There are multiple hotels in Williams that are a mere 3-minute drive away from the station. The premium you pay for the Polar Express package is for the hotel stay and dinner on the railway property. I stayed at the Hampton Inn booked through Southwest Rapid Rewards which was very clean and comfortable with a free, hot breakfast. There are multiple local restaurants with Route 66 charm for lunch and dinner.The Polar Express runs every night from November 1 through December 31 with 5:30 pm and 7:30pm departures. Even with ample availability, the Polar Express sells out fast.
At the time of publishing, tickets are $70 for adults and $53 for children with a few value weekdays that are a bit cheaper while Christmas Eve is more expensive.
Bargain Cha$ing Tip: I recommend planning ahead to save up for ticket prices and booking as early as late summer or early fall to secure the dates you want. As I wrote this post in mid-November, there were still a few middle of the week nights available as well as the week after Christmas. Even as an adult, I was truly mesmerized by the Polar Express experience. The entire production was seamless—it’s clear that everyone who contributes to this experience is genuinely invested in its quality.
The chefs on our train car were so friendly, accommodating, and seemed to really enjoy putting on the show. They reminded me of people who work for Disney which is a big compliment coming from a former Disney cast member!
Several years ago, I had convinced myself that I would book the Polar Express for the first time when my daughter turned four because she would be old enough to sit through the train ride and enjoy herself.
Unfortunately, that year was 2020, and the Polar Express was canceled due to the Pandemic. I let the years slip away due to being busy with dance performances and the end of the school semester.
Finally, this year, I realized that I probably won’t have too many more Christmases where my daughter truly “believes”, so this was the year. I took my mom and my daughter, and we all had an amazing time.
There were babies and toddlers riding the train, so waiting for the perfect age isn’t really necessary.
Rereading The Polar Express and experiencing the train ride as a parent reminded me what the story really means.
At the heart of the Polar Express is the importance of believing in the magic of the season and retaining that childhood wonder even as we grow up.
The Polar Express is a classic for good reason, and the Polar Express train ride emulates the story beautifully.