Day Out With Thomas
add photos2 Reviews for Day Out With Thomas
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'11, '12
1 family found this helpful
"My kids loved it"
As other reviews noted, this is over-the-top Thomas, and not parent-geared. It is, however, geared towards children. It's big, crowded and loud with people traveling from miles around to visit Thomas. Be prepared for crowds.
Roaring Camp itself is a calm, lovely, wooded area. Duck ponds and picnic areas are lovely for families. The Thomas event features the forest train trip, about 1/2 hour of train riding for a variety of costs. Try to get on the mailing list for a discount. There is an additional charge for parking if you park in the event area. You can try parking for free in surrounding areas, but I can't vouch for safety when walking to the camp.
Even if you don't purchase train tickets, you can enter the event for free. And there are tons of Thomas-related activities for your kids, including: Bounce Houses (a favorite for my 2 kids), Hay maze, Coloring pages, Temp-Tattoos, Face painting, Puppet Shows, Bubbles, Toy trains, Showings of Thomas shows. They also have a "passport" that kids use to collect stamps from around the park, and return for a prize.
Though it's not a relaxing day for parents (except for the calm train ride) I can't honestly complain about anything. It's a yearly must-do for our family and I highly recommend it to anyone local.
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0 families found this helpful
"Tacky!"
Roaring Camp Railroad is one of the most delightful spots for train afficianados. Set in the deep, woodsy, traquil Santa Cruz Mountains, you feel like you have stepped back in time. Antique engines, an old depot, and a little duck pond add to the charm.
Tragically, each July Roaring Camp is transformed into a tasteless corporate Thomas debacle. We had the misfortune of spending an afternoon here under the mistaken impression that the Day Out would be a quaint and happy experience. Not so.
Cheap and cheesy "Thomas" posters, flags, stickers, signs, buttons and placards coated the beautiful old buildings with no effort at asthetics or visial appeal. Overpriced kitsch demanded our attention. Tinny Thomas "music" blared from speakers. The same song. Over. And Over. And Over. All. Day. Long.
The beautiful old roaring camp engine was covered with a crude Thomas face, and a bored Sir Topham Hat waddled through throngs of tantruming children.
I was about to pull my hair out by the time we boarded the train. Which, by the way, we were loaded in like cattle, with zero personal space. The train itself cost us nearly $20 pp for a 20 minute ride. A travesty of corporate greed and parental naivete considering on any other day you can ride the train all the way to Bear Mountain (a 1.5 hour trip) for $20.
My child loves Thomas, but does not need vulgar gimmicks and crappy kitsch to ruin what otherwise would have been a wonderful family outing riding a lovely steam train through the redwood trees.
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