When you’re choosing things to do for Christmas with visiting family, plan one outing and two quieter evenings together. Start at Santa’s Magical Kingdom in Eureka, then bring the visit home with a keepsake night and personalized Santa letters.
The decisions to settle first are practical: how many vehicles you’ll bring, who wants to ride, and what the evening will cost. Once those are clear, you can send the plan to the family group chat.
Things to Do for Christmas Across Three Family Nights
Quick answer: Spend night one at Santa’s Magical Kingdom, night two sharing photos and ornaments at home, and night three reading Santa letters where the grandchildren are staying. Choose vehicles and any ride reservations before the visit; arrange letter delivery in advance if you want it for the final evening.
| Night | Family plan | What the host settles ahead of time |
| One | SMK lights, with an optional wagon ride | Vehicles, admission budget, ride availability |
| Two | Photos and ornaments at home | Who receives the photo and keepsakes |
| Three | Santa letters at the grandparents’ house | Personal details, delivery format, destination |
Night One: See St. Louis Christmas Lights Together
For a mixed-age household, the drive-through gives everyone a shared outing without walking the display route. Grandparents can see the lights from the car, and families who want an open-air view can book a ride separately.
If you’re comparing Christmas events St. Louis offers during your relatives’ stay, start with what your group can comfortably do together. A full day of sightseeing doesn’t have to end with another outing on foot.
Our season runs nightly from November 20, 2026, through January 3, 2027. Before settling on a date, check our current hours and admission, especially if guests arrive close to Christmas.
Compare One Car, Two Cars, and a Family Van
Vehicle admission depends on the vehicle category and day, rather than the number of passengers. These published prices include tax; the two-car totals below are simple examples.
| Vehicle setup | Sunday through Friday | Saturday |
| One family vehicle | $35 | $40 |
| Two family vehicles | $70 | $80 |
| One 12- to 15-passenger van | $60 | $60 |
A qualifying van costs $10 less than two family vehicles Sunday through Friday, or $20 less on Saturday. That comparison covers admission only. If you’d need to rent a van, include that expense before deciding it saves money.
Count usable seats before choosing vehicles. Keeping everyone together is convenient, but two cars may fit your family’s departure times better.
Bring cash for vehicle admission, which you pay as you exit. Kringle’s General Store has an ATM. Vehicles must fit within the maximum dimensions of 12 feet high and 30 feet long.
Booking a train or wagon ride for two or more people waives your vehicle admission fee. If your family arrives in multiple vehicles, call 636-938-5925 to confirm how the waiver applies before budgeting for the group.
Choose the Ride Around the Relatives Who Want It
Our Old Fashioned Holiday Wagon costs $18 per person and offers an open-air view of the lights. We provide blankets, and children age 2 and under ride free on an adult’s lap.
Ask who actually wants to ride before buying tickets. A grandparent who prefers the car doesn’t need to join the wagon just because the cousins do. If some relatives will skip the ride, ask our team how to coordinate the split before finalizing your plan.
Public wagons depart every half hour until 10 p.m. on operating dates, but the first departure varies. Shared and private wagons also have different blackout dates, so check the train and wagon schedules for your exact evening.
The Santa Express Train is another option for early-season visits. It costs $18 per person and runs Monday through Thursday, November 23 through December 10, at 5:30 and 6 p.m.
What Does a Private Wagon Cost for 12 People?
A Private Wagon seats 12 and costs $75 for the first two people, plus $18 for each additional person. For a group of 12 paying riders:
- Shared wagon tickets total $216: 12 × $18.
- A Private Wagon totals $255: $75 + 10 × $18.
- The difference is $39 for a wagon reserved for your group.
Choose the shared wagon if price matters most. Choose the private option if having only your family aboard matters enough to pay the difference. Confirm the final checkout total before purchasing.
Check wagon availability for your family’s night before building the rest of the visit around it.
Give Everyone the Correct Check-In Time
Ride reservations need a firmer plan than an evening spent entirely in your car. Send relatives the arrival time as well as the departure time.
- Arrive 30 minutes before your ride. The exception is a 5:30 p.m. departure: arrive at 5:15 p.m.
- Enter through the light show. Drive in as though you’re touring in your vehicle.
- Stop at the Gingerbread House after the first tunnel. Tell the team member you have a ride reservation.
- Follow directions to parking. Check in at the desk inside Kringle’s General Store.
We can’t hold departures for late passengers, and a later ride may not have space for your group. Call if you’re running late.
Rides run rain or shine. Once purchased, tickets don’t allow cancellations or refunds unless Santa’s Magical Kingdom cancels because of snow, icy conditions, or other unforeseen circumstances. Review that policy before booking around a relative’s uncertain arrival.
Leave Room for a Photo, an Ornament, or Cocoa
The outing doesn’t need every available extra. Decide what matters to your family, then budget for those choices separately from admission or ride tickets.
Share the Santa photo with relatives back home.
Santa visits inside Kringle’s General Store nightly from November 20 through December 23. We text professional photos to your phone, so you can forward them to relatives who couldn’t travel.
We provide digital photos only, without printed copies. Outside cameras and cell phone photography aren’t permitted during the Santa visit. Check our Santa photo information before making it part of the plan.
Pick an ornament with the visit’s year.
Handwritten personalized ornaments cost $18.95 each at Kringle’s General Store. Choose from hundreds of styles, including family ornaments.
For relatives heading home after Christmas, a name and the visit’s year give the ornament a specific connection to the trip. Ask about wording before leaving home so everyone isn’t deciding at the counter.
Use the Snack Shack for a short break.
The Snack Shack serves freshly baked chocolate chip cookies, hot cocoa, coffee, pretzels, popcorn, and hot dogs. A cocoa stop can be enough after dinner; a family arriving hungry may want to eat before the outing.
Night Two: Share the Photos and Hang the Ornaments
Keep the second evening at home so relatives can spend time together without another departure deadline. Share the Santa photo with the family group chat, including grandparents or cousins who couldn’t travel.
Let each person show the ornament they chose and explain the name or year on it. Hang the visiting family’s ornaments temporarily, then put them with their belongings before departure.
Make this the evening for an unhurried family dinner. Children can ask grandparents about Christmas visits they remember, while adults catch up without watching the clock for a reservation.
Your other St. Louis Christmas activities don’t need to fill every available evening. This gives the family a chance to talk about the outing while the children still remember their favorite displays.
Night Three: Read Santa Letters at the Grandparents’ House
A personalized Letter from Santa can be the final evening’s activity, whether the grandchildren are sleeping at your house or their grandparents’ home. Gather the details before the visit and choose email delivery or a printed, mailed letter.
For a mailed letter, use the house where the child will actually be staying and check delivery timing before ordering. If the visit is close, review the email option rather than assuming postal delivery will fit.
Add the child’s name, interests, and an achievement from the year. Coordinate with their parent so the details are right, then create a personalized Letter from Santa.
Read the letters together after dinner or at bedtime. Cousins back home can receive their own letters, giving them a part in the tradition even when they couldn’t make the trip.
Questions Hosts Ask Before the Family Arrives
What Is a Three-Night Christmas Plan for Visiting Family?
A three-night plan combines one family outing with two evenings at home. Hosts can organize the visit without booking an activity every night.
What Are Good Things to Do for Christmas With Relatives?
Combine Christmas lights with activities that continue the visit at home. Share photos, hang keepsake ornaments, and read personalized Santa letters together.
Can One Plan Work for Grandparents and Young Children?
A drive-through lets relatives see the displays without walking the route. Keep outdoor rides optional and confirm everyone’s preferences before buying tickets.
When Should the Host Confirm the Plan?
Confirm the outing once everyone’s travel dates are firm. Check ride availability before announcing departure times, and arrange mailed letters ahead of the visit.
Who Should Coordinate the Family’s Reservations?
Choose one adult to collect the headcount and share reservations. Parents should approve their children’s Santa letter details and delivery destination before ordering.
What Details Affect the Family’s Budget?
Compare vehicle category, visit day, and paid rider count first. Add ornaments, food, and photos to the budget only if your family wants them.
What if a Relative’s Arrival Is Uncertain?
Wait until that relative’s plans are reliable before buying their ride ticket. SMK can’t hold departures, and later seats aren’t guaranteed.
Does One Ride Booking Automatically Cover Two Cars?
SMK’s published admission waiver doesn’t explain multi-car allocation. Confirm your vehicle arrangement with the team before assuming both cars qualify for waived admission.
How Do Shared and Private Wagons Differ?
Shared wagons carry multiple parties; a Private Wagon reserves seating for your group of up to 12. Compare privacy against cost and availability.
How Much Is Admission for a Family Car?
SMK charges $35 per family vehicle Sunday through Friday or $40 on Saturday, including tax. Budget additional vehicles separately unless SMK confirms a waiver.
Can Santa Letters Go to the Grandparents’ House?
Use the grandparents’ address for mailed letters if the children will stay there. Check delivery timing before ordering; email is another available format.
How Do We Finalize Our SMK Family Night?
Review the ride calendar and book your family’s chosen option. Confirm multiple-vehicle or mixed rider arrangements with SMK before purchasing tickets.
Book the Family’s Ride, Then Share One Clear Plan
Settle the headcount and vehicles before sending everyone a confirmed departure time. Families have left us more than 1,000 five-star reviews, and our published prices let you compare the options before committing.
Reserve your family’s shared or private wagon ride once your date is firm. For help coordinating multiple cars or relatives with different plans, call 636-938-5925 or send us your group visit questions.