What’s the difference between Christmas Train, Santa’s Village, and Train of Lights?
Christmas Train, Santa’s Village, and Train of Lights are three events with distinct information regarding tickets. Please read below for brief summaries on Christmas Train, Santa’s Village, and Train of Lights.
Christmas Train
The Christmas Train operates November 24th – December 23rd, 2023. Advanced tickets are required to ride the Christmas Train. Christmas Train tickets are available starting Monday, November 6th, 2023 at 10:00 AM online only at www.irvineparkrailroad.com. The pre-queue for Christmas Train tickets opens at 9:00 AM.
With a reservation, guests will depart from the train station on the Christmas Train and will be dropped off at the North Pole. Children can visit with Santa and have their photo taken. Guests will then board the train again to return to Santa’s Village near the train station. Reservations are required to ride the Christmas Train and to visit with Santa. Tickets for the Christmas Train will sell out.
Santa’s Village
Santa’s Village operates from November 24th through December 30th, 2023 (closed December 24th and 25th). Families can enjoy festive activities such as ice fishing, cookie decorating, mini diggers, photo opportunities, and much more.
No reservations are required for Santa’s Village. Santa’s Village is located behind the train station. Activity tickets may be purchased to enjoy the activities in Santa’s Village upon arrival for $7.00 each of a book of 15 tickets for $90.00 (save $15.00).
Train of Lights
The Train of Lights operates December 26th through December 30th, 2023. Advanced tickets are required to ride the Train of Lights. Train of Lights tickets are available starting Monday, December 4th, 2023 at 10:00 AM online only at www.irvineparkrailroad.com.
With a reservation, guests will board the train at the train station and ride through thousands of enchanting lights throughout the 1-mile loop. The Train of Lights does not make any additional stops during its route. After the ride, guests will then drop passengers back off at Santa’s Village near the train station. Reservations are required for the Train of Lights. Tickets for the Train of Lights will sell out. Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus are not present during the Train of Lights.