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I want to tell you about the Christmas at the Princess event at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, including how to get a coupon to save money on tickets.
Why Christmas at the Princess?
The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess has been holding “Christmas at the Princess” since 2010. It has quickly become a cherished Phoenix area holiday tradition. It was recently the 2024 Winner for Best Christmas Lights in the Newsweek Readers’ Choice Awards. There are over 16 million shimmering lights that make the experience so magical!
But that’s not the only thing that makes this event so special. Here are other activities & festivities you can enjoy at Christmas at the Princess.
Desert Ice Skating Rink
The Desert Ice Skating Rink is a 6,000 square foot skating rink made with real ice!
Spectacular Light Displays
The Spectacular Light Displays include larger-than-life installations all around the workshop. This includes holiday displays like huge toy soldiers or 14’ polar bears. And all the palm trees on Princess Drive will be lit! Not to mention La Hacienda Plaza’s new signature tree and wreaths.
Princess Express Train Tours
The train takes you around the resort’s majestic lagoons. You can see the beautiful installations (including some that are brand new).
This includes Christmas Lands: The Toy Box, where you can see such sights as a 12-foot 3D teddy bear, 10-foot-wide drum, and a 15-foot tall rocking horse.
You’ll also pass Lagoon Cove, where you’ll see a pirate ship, mermaids, whales, dolphins, and Nessy, the Loch Ness Monster!
You’ll also go by Candy Cane Archway, Twinkle Town, and the Nativity scene.
Before or after your train ride, you can stop by Comet’s Caboose just outside the train depot and grab a drink, too!
The Village
Enjoy classic winter fun here. Sled down one hundred and twenty feet of snow on the appropriately named Snow Mountain. Snow Mountain is twenty feet tall and has 8 lanes. There are 200 feet of winter fun on Snow Mountain.
There’s also Chair Lif Ferris Wheel, which is the largest traveling Ferris Wheel in the country! You’ll go 120 feet up in the air, which gives you wonderful views of the resort and surrounding area.
Starlights: A Spark of Christmas
Starlights: An Electric Symphony uses cutting-edge technology to blend animation with holiday music in an 8-minute show. You are treated to a beautiful display of color over water. You can get great views of the show from the Princess Upper East and West Decks.
S’moresland
S’moresland is where you can roast marshmallows around a campfire, as you might expect from the name, in a Christmas tree forest. You can also meet Graham, a character who loves (you guessed it) S’mores.
Nativity Garden Narrated Light Show
The resort’s Fragrance Garden becomes a Nativity Garden during the holiday season. Here you can enjoy a narrated light and music show which tells the story of Christmas. This runs continuously throughout the evening. You can catch a show every fifteen minutes.
Enchanted Plaza Shows
There’s a seven-minute, one-of-a-kind HD video show. The show is projected against the resort’s façade. This turns the hotel into a Christmas classic! You’ll get to watch the holiday character, Cocoa the Bear, in his journey to find a Christmas star.
In addition to watching Cocoa the Bear, you can also enjoy the resort’s Christmas tree. The Princess Resort’s Christmas tree has 70,000 LED lights. See them light up in tune to eighteen classic holiday songs in the Enchanted Plaza. This is a can’t-miss part of the event!
Winterland
Want a white Christmas in Arizona? Then head to Winterland, where you’ll see snow drifting through evergreen trees. Oh – and be on the lookout for Shivers the Yeti!
There is also a new addition to Winterland this year, and that is Queen Amara of Winterland. She is the guardian of this realm.
Winterland is also home to a specialty coffee bar serving coffee from the local Press Coffee.
Twinkle Town
Here is a magical land filled with (what else?) twinkling lights! You can also enjoy light bites and drinks while you take in great views of the Princess Resort while you sit around cozy fire pits.
And there are also Christmas-themed rides here, too:
- The Santa Sleigh Ride
- Carousel
- The Ice Jet
- The Santa Train
- Frosy the Snowman Bounce Around
You can also say hi to Twinkles, Santa’s biggest Christmas light.
Photos with Santa
What’s Christmas without Santa? You’ll be able to get your photo taken with Santa.
Santa’s Mailroom
You can also head over to Santa’s Mailroom and write him a letter to know if you’ve been nice (or naughty!) this year.
Ultimate Santa Experience
You can also have the ultimate Santa Claus experience. This means you can:
- Meet Mrs. Claus
- Enjoy storytime with Santa
- Drink milk & eat specialty cookies
- Experience the Elf Academy
- Get up to ten digital photos
- Get a copy of ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas, signed by Santa Claus himself
Winter Character Appearances
Santa’s not the only famous holiday character! Santa’s gone out of his way to make your experience even better by inviting his friends from the North Pole to come visit the Fairmont Princess. This includes:
- Cocoa The Bear
- Princess Noel
- Graham
- Twinkles
- Shivers
- Queen Amara
- Peppermint Penguin
They’ll be walking throughout the resort throughout the event. They will also put on a dance performance at both 5:00 PM and 9:00 PM!
Christmas Quest Interactive Bubble Wand & Sword
Want to brighten up the night sky? You can do that yourself with a Christmas Quest Interactive Bubble Wand or Sword!
A Christmas Wish
Write down your family’s Christmas Wish on magical wish paper, then watch as the paper is lit and flutters to the stars.
Trailblazers Trek
Snowli has ten missing snowflakes spread throughout the Princess’s Hall, and now you can follow clues to help recover them! This interactive scavenger hunt costs extra, and the cost includes an RFID wristband, lanyard, and a custom limited-edition trading pin.
S’mores Chalet
S’mores Chalet is brand new this year! This experience gives guests exclusive lounge access, unlimited hot cocoa, acess to a festive s’mores bar, and a cozy semi-private shared space with first come, first serve seating.
Chateau Champagne
Chateau Champagne is a perfect activity for those ages 21 years old and older wanting to add a little romance to your holiday fun.
You follow a trail through the romantic setting of Winterland to a candlelit path. This path leads you to an ultra-luxe retreat set against a backdrop of an Alpine Chalet. There are fire pits nestled waterside under Tivoli lights and you get amazing views of Lagoon Lights and the live entertainment.
For an extra charge, you can book a semi-private fire pit. This gets you:
- an all-inclusive menu
- your own champagne bottle
- Assorted artisanal petit fours
- Shellfish tower
- Artisanal s’mores board
With each Chateau Champagne reservation, you will receive:
- VIP express wristbands to Christmas at the Princess
- Ice skating passes to enjoy at Desert Ice Skating Rink
- Exclusive access to private Chateau Champagne area & luxury bar
- Complimentary valet parking for one to two vehicles (depending upon the fire pit)
Promo Code
If you’re looking to save money on a visit to Christmas at the Princess, then you have to the right place! We can do better than a promo code – how about an automatic discount that saves you up to 20%!
There are multiple discounted ticket options.
You can get discounted general admission tickets here. This is a general admission wristband.
You can also get a discounted platinum package here. The platinum package gets you:
- Date-specific General Admission Wristbands for up to 4 People
- Date-specific Self-Parking Pass for 1 vehicle
- Festive Faves Bundle that gets you savings of:
- 20% off Trailblazers Trek: The Secret Star Search scavenger hunt
- 10% off purchase of Christmas Quest Bubble Wand
No matter which ticket option you choose, make sure you purchase your ticket ASAP because this is a very popular event that can sell out!
