Believe at Macy’s Santaland, NYC

All week long, all I have wanted to do was wake up Friday morning and surprise my two youngest with a visit to see Santaland in Macy’s Herald Square, an annual holiday tradition for us.

I envisioned my boys jumping up and down for joy, except I didn’t realize that Friday’s Pizza Day in school was such a big deal. So instead, I got this:

Sigh.

Eventually, as the news sunk in, the boys did get more and more excited and by the time we arrived to Macy’s on 34th street they were jumping up and down with anticipation.

I was delighted too, because unlike last year, I got there early enough to beat the crowds. Macy’s Santaland is open from 9am to 9pm on weekdays, and from 8am till 9PM on weekends till December 24th. Crowds are willing to wait outside for this, so it’s really best to get there early. The closer it gets to Christmas (16 days at the time of this post), the larger the crowds and the wait can be an hour or more…and not a lot of fun.

This year however, Macy’s added a bit more details closer to the end of the line featuring animatronics which highlight scenes from the holiday classic Miracle on 34th Street. The kids loved this as did the parents because it helped to keep them entertained.

We made our way through many of our favorites, like the holiday tree, skiing penguins, signing snow people and Santa’s sleigh.

We arrived to Santa pretty quickly, and this year was a pretty big deal because it was the first time ever that my now 6 year old had the courage to actually speak to him and tell him what he wanted and Santa took note. He took him by the hand and they spoke softly to each other. It was such a sweet and adorable moment that my holiday, Santa loving heart nearly burst with joy and my eyes teared up.

My 5 year old was a bit shy and spoke, but without really letting go of my hand. There was no rush, there was no pressure to move it along, and I was so grateful for the attention Santa gave my boys today, I just had to share the experience with you all.

So, if this is your holiday and you are a fan of Santa, I hope you can make your way to Santaland too this year. But keep in mind my tips, they make all the difference, and  make sure to go with plenty of time, patience and happy holiday spirits. Many of the same rules I talked about in my Traveling this Holiday Season post, apply while you navigate the crowds, especially in the magical Santaland.

Enjoy Macy’s Holiday Lane, where you can browse toys and other holiday gifts, as well as rest your feet with some baked goods and beverages.

Make sure to stop by Santa’s Post Office online where you can create a letter on special holiday stationary. Once you have created your letter, stop by any Macy’s letterbox to drop in your special Santa letter. For each letter received Macy’s will donate $1 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, up to $1,000,000, giving others something to Believe in as well.

Most of all just have fun. Whether young or old, big or small, Macy’s Santaland remains one of our family’s all time holiday favorites and a must-do when visiting NYC.

There is no admission fee to Macy’s Santaland. Photos with Santa can be purchased immediately after your visit with him. Macy’s Herald Square is located at 151 W 34th St New York, NY 10001. Telephone (212) 695-4400.

Our Santa visit on Flickr:

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Tags: family activities, free activities, Holidays, nyc
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