Last Updated on February 23, 2021 by HodgePodgeDays
We were invited to experience the SEA LIFE Virtual Santa’s Grotto in exchange for this review. All images and opinions are our own.
What a year it’s been. I think many of us hoped for something like a normal Christmas; but as the days passed, more and more events and fun things have been cancelled. Living in a Tier 3 area, I’ve been pretty much resigned to having a smaller than usual Christmas with my family, and I’m not sure that’s necessarily a bad thing; although somewhat disappointing for a small boy who loves all the colour and fun of Christmas.
With most of the grotto experiences closed for Christmas, I was looking around for a virtual grotto to bridge that gap. Thankfully SEA LIFE knew that this year the festive season was going to be very different; so they have launched an exciting new virtual Santa experience, with Santa being zoomed straight into your own home.
The Zoom experience lasts around 10 minutes in total. It begins with Santa’s favourite elf, Binky Tinselsmith, and a flock of cheeky penguins guiding you through a magical winter wonderland before you are zoomed into Santa’s grotto to speak the man himself. You can chat with Santa in his cosy lodge and tell him all of your festive wishes, and if you’re anything like my boy, you’ll bond over a shared love of Lego.
Hats off to Santa, who managed to persuade my son to at least try some sprouts on Christmas Day and confirmed that he had made it onto the nice list this year. We were also able to find out what he might like us to leave out for him and the reindeer on Christmas Eve.
We loved it, it was ten minutes of Christmas magic beamed straight into our home. There are a lot of nice touches; including a sing-a-long session with Santa, as well as some nice graphics which made it feel extra special.
There’s always a bit of anxiety about the technology failing with these kinds of things; but there were no problems at all. I set up the laptop ready for the Zoom call and we were sat waiting when the Zoom began. It worked perfectly and we were even sent a video of our call to help us remember the experience. This is available to purchase separately.
This experience costs £30 per family (as many people can join the call as you like); and each booking receives a free child’s ticket to visit the attraction on a date and time to suit you.
You can book a visit to Santa’s virtual SEA LIFE Grotto from 5th – 24th December. For more information and to book, please visit the website.