We have a Day out with Thomas the Train and Sir Topham Hatt in
November in Perris CA. Has anyone been to it? It is $16 plus fees and
a bit of a drive for us. Would like to know what you thought of it.
Son will be 23 months old then.

Hi Lorettaw,

  The short answer is YES! Take your son, especially if he is a Thomas
the Tank Engine fan!

  We took my 29 month old grandaughter in June, to the Durango,
Colorado visit of Thomas. When my granddaughter set syes on Thomas,
she danced up and down and trembled from excitement. Inside, the cars
are simply adorned with ballons and streamers. The conductor from the
book/show walks along the train,car to car, and the Thomas theme music
is piped into the train during part of the ride.

  Durango is such a gorgeous place anyway, and the 20 minute, ride was
pleasant, with all the windows open.  People were lined up along the
train crossings and waved, which my granddaughter just loved.  The
length of the train ride is just the right amount of time for a
toddler. After the ride, your son can have his picture taken in front
of the Thomas the Tanker Engine, for a fee, I believe of $7.

  After the ride, Sir Topam Hatt is available for the kids to pat and
chat with, even reading a story from a large Thomas book. The only
drawback was the shortage of souvenirs for purchase. My granddaughter
really wanted a Thomas engineer cap, but they were sold out. We did
get a tee shirt though. I found it to be a very pleasant experience
all around. We spent about 3 hours there, waiting for the train,
seeing the characters and having ice cream.

  My granddaughter loved it so much, my daughter plans to take her
again, to the Golden, Colorado visit!

  If your son is a huge Thomas fan, I recommend the trip. If finds
watching a Thomas video or show entertaining, I feel the ride is well
worth the money. If you feel you son may be a bit too young, and money
is tight, perhaps waiting a while would be best. That is your call!

You may already have the schedule, but here is a link:
http://exclusivelythomas.com/Day%20Out%20with%20Thomas.html

FAQs(For Perris, CA)
http://www.oerm.org/pages/Thomas%202004%20faq.html

Enjoy the ride!

Sincerely, Crabcakes

Search Terms
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Thomas the Tank Engine
Personal experience

Hello lorettaw-ga,

Here's an article by the parent of a child about the age of yours.  It
seems his child really enjoyed it.


Foster's Online
No hi-tech wizardry or CGI effects, a day out with Thomas is fun family adventure
http://www.citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050828/SPNEWS05/108260139/-1/CITIZEN
"So when my wife, Mary, and I learned in May that the cheeky little
train's "Day Out With Thomas" celebration tour was scheduled to pull
into the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad last weekend, we couldn't click
the mouse fast enough on the Web site to reserve our tickets. After
all, our son, Patrick, now almost 2 years old, is one of Thomas' most
loyal fans."

---

"All of Thomas' new junior engineers received a certificate of
completion after disembarking from the train. Patrick's laughter and
happy squeals translated into mission accomplished for his parents."


Googlenut

When my son was 3 we booked tickets to this in the Oregon area and
didn't tell him.  We drove out to Hood RIver (where the event was) and
as we went over a bridge he saw Thomas at the RR station.  His eyes
became like saucers, He wanted to ride on Thomas.  We told him we
were.  He loved it.  he got to get his picture with Thomas, meet Sir
Topham Hatt etc.  he loved it.  If your child is into Thomas go for
it.  Buy tickets quickly, they don't last long.  We found the event
well organized.