Miami now has two competing holiday theme parks. Here’s what we think of them
In spite of all the legal drama surrounding Santa’s Enchanted Forest being replaced with a different Christmas themed attraction in Tropical Park, Miami ends up winning. Why? Because now we have not one but two holiday theme parks to choose from. The one you go to will probably depend on how much nostalgia your family has or how badly they want to try something new.
Or which is closer. Most likely that.
Santa’s Enchanted Forest has been a Miami institution for four decades. It’s iconic: the sign with Santa’s face, the rainbow tunnel entrance, the giant tree that does a choreographed show to reggaeton. Christmas isn’t Christmas until you’ve eaten some deep fried Oreos and gotten sick spinning around on the Magnum ride (that’s the one with the women in bikinis spray painted along the back).
After it lost the lease at Tropical Park in 2020, Santa’s regrouped, first in Hialeah Park. Then last year they moved into a space near Doral that had a better parking situation and more room to spread out. We learned that the enchantment of Santa’s was, in fact, portable.
The company behind Christmas Wonderland, the new attraction in Tropical Park, wanted to make their experience different.
“We had a vision of what we wanted, something more in line with such world class holiday villages you see at Hyde Park in London and Bryant Park in New York,” Tony Albelo, CEO of EngageLive!, the company that created the experience, told the Miami Herald.
At Christmas Wonderland, you can still feel Santa’s footprint, from the tunneled entrance to the giant tree in the center. But the attraction does provide an upscale experience. But if you grew up going to Santa’s at Tropical Park and remember how exciting it was to see the row of Florida pines illuminated as you drove south on the Palmetto, you might get a little teary when you see that the string lights are still hanging from those same trees.
Santa’s Enchanted Forest is like that box of Christmas decorations you pull out every year. You marvel over the ornaments you bought on trips abroad, for baby’s first Christmas, those elves with the faded faces that you got from your grandma, the handmade ones, all the memories that revive the joy of Christmases past.
Christmas Wonderland, on the other hand, is that shiny new box of decorations you just bought at Costco. They sparkle. They feel like a new beginning.
Essentially, it’s nostalgia versus novelty. And both can be fun. Here’s a quick comparison:
The Christmas photo ops
The Christmas scenes that line the Tinsel Trail at the new Christmas Wonderland are pristine installations, and most have low white picket fences protecting them. You can snap a cute pic in front of the booths dedicated to different parts of Miami-Dade. (Noticeably missing is Kendall.)
There’s a whole section of illuminated inflatables and an area that looks like the buildings from those ceramic Christmas villages we all buy at Navarro (the general store! the post office! town hall!).
Anyone who has been to Santa’s knows what we get when it comes to Christmas dioramas. We get Santa on a surfboard. We get Santa on a jet ski next to the Grinch. We get the elves at the gym. A lot of the Santa’s sets are interactive, so you can touch and feel them, and everyone in Miami does just that. The worn bits are just part of the appeal.
The vibe
The soundtrack at Santa’s Enchanted Forest is a blend of Christmas classics and whatever is playing on Power 96. Did we mention the tree that does a light show to Pitbull hits? The volume at Christmas Wonderland seems lower.
Santa’s is big with teenagers, with squads of them wandering the carnival area. The teens still have yet to descend upon Christmas Wonderland, but once they find it, we can guess they are going to head straight to the IG’loo 360-Dome, which is an immersive theater experience that takes you on a virtual roller coaster through a Christmas landscape. It seems like a good place to make out.
Christmas Wonderland also has places to buy liquor (Santa’s doesn’t). There is a bar and several kiosks selling shots, margaritas and coquito. We don’t have the institutional memory to know if Santa’s ever sold liquor, but we are sure there is a really good reason why they don’t.
Cost
Christmas Wonderland tickets start at $29 plus taxes and fees for kids 3-10, $39 plus taxes and fees for ages 11 and up if you buy online. If you buy at the door they are about $6 more. They do have deals like 2-for-Tuesdays, where you get admission for two for $49.
Tickets to Santa’s Enchanted Forest start at $36.45 plus taxes and fees for kids 3-8, $44.86 plus taxes and fees ages 9 and up. Santa’s sells season passes from $59.91-$69.15, which sounds like a real deal if you go to Santa’s every weekend. You can also buy a Santa’s Express pass for $28.04 which allows you to skip the line. But if you follow our very detailed guide on how to do Santa’s like a pro, you don’t have to worry about that.
Entertainment and food
According to the teenagers that went on our visit to Christmas Wonderland, Santa’s Enchanted Forest’s carnival rides are scarier. The rides at Christmas Wonderland, though many are similar, seem a lot more small child-friendly. But that might be by design, since they want to create a less frenetic experience. Christmas Wonderland does have its own Magnum, though. Christmas isn’t Christmas without the Magnum.
The domed theater at Christmas Wonderland is a unique experience that is also a great place to take a break. The dome is chilly, so if you need to cool off, here’s where you can do it.
Fair food in Miami has upped its game in the past years, so both of these places offer lots of vendors with great offerings, from burgers and ribs to elote and arepas. Both attractions offer an experience that is like a food truck rally, so peruse your options and take your pick.
The little elves’ rooms
Santa’s Enchanted wants you to have an enchanted experience even when you have to use the restroom, so they decorate even their port-a-potties.
Christmas Wonderland has the same portable bathrooms, but they’re less festive. They could actually use some lights because though there are plenty throughout the park, they’re hard to spot. You may end up standing in a long line if you’d walked just a little further you’d find a bathroom with no line.
The Santas
Obviously if you go to either of these places you are going to want your photo opp with the man himself. The day we went the Santa at Santa’s Enchanted Forest was in your typical fake beard with the outfit that we know must be so hot even on chilly nights.
Santa at Christmas Wonderland looked like he was hired on the spot for his facial hair. Either way, both of these guys are sweating like crazy and we feel bad for them. At least mall Santas get air conditioning.
If you go:
Santa’s Enchanted Forest,: 7400 NW 87th Ave., Miami; Tickets start at $36.45 plus taxes and fees for kids 3-8, $44.86 plus taxes and fees ages 9 and up. https://www.santasenchantedforest.com/
Christmas Wonderland: 7900 SW 40th St., Miami; Tickets start at $29 plus taxes and fees for kids 3-10, $39 plus taxes and fees for ages 11 and up. https://miamiwonderland.com/
