Take the Kids: Polar Express ride along the Great Smoky Mountains Railway

Our family watches Christmas movies non-stop during the holidays. One of our favorite Christmas movies is The Polar Express, based on the 1985 novel of the same name. I just looked up when the movie came out and feel very old. It was released in 2004 when I was in college. Nearly twenty years ago!

My husband and I have talked about taking the kids on one of the various train ride experiences offered around North Carolina. We had planned to visit Asheville this winter and decided to book tickets for The Polar Express train ride with the Great Smoky Mountain Railway. We went last week and it was truly magical.

What to expect on board

I had looked at the website and knew the ride would be about an hour and feature hot chocolate and a cookie. We would travel to the North Pole and there would even be a visit from Santa on the train! When I finally read some reviews, I was a little nervous that it might not be as exciting as it sounded. But, I think the people who wrote those reviews were just part Grinch. It was great!

We booked first class tickets which were $77 per adult and $53 per child. All classes will enjoy an audio presentation of The Polar Express book, a visit and bell from Santa, as well as hot chocolate and a large cookie. The train cars and classes otherwise vary on seating arrangements, assigned seats and whether or not they have tables to set your hot chocolate on.

We also received a printed golden ticket that the conductor came by to punch for us. I can't tell from the website if that was included in all classes or not. But it was a special surprise!

Our servers really played up the story and brought the ride to life. There were a lot of jokes and just enough time for the hot chocolate to kick in on the first half of the ride for some dancing and singing on the way back.

What to wear

Go ahead and get your matching family pajamas ordered. There wasn't a place to store coats so just be ready to hang them on the back of your seat or put them under your table.

I would suggest wearing tennis shoes for the kids. It was raining the entire weekend we were in the mountains.

Parking

There is a gravel parking lot right across the street from the train depot. You can prepay for parking when you buy your tickets online.

What to eat

We were on the 5 p.m. train so our kids had some snacks in the car. There are several little shops along the main street by the depot where you can eat. We stopped in a 50's-style diner, Boxcars and Cones right next to the train museum. There is also a brewery and burger place just down the street.

Bathrooms

There are bathrooms on most if not all of the train cars. I would suggest using them over the small brick building that has about five stalls at the train depot.

What to do

The Railway suggests you arrive an hour before your train time. The train took off right at 5 p.m. We had just enough time to park, snap a few photos and get on board. We walked through the train museum after our ride and then grabbed a bite to eat. Depending on your train time, you may want to take advantage of those activities (and visit the gift shop) before your ride.

When to book

My husband booked our tickets the first week of July for our Dec. 5 train ride. At that time, we were not able to get a 4-seat booth. We had to get two two-seaters and one extra seat. Once on the train though, we were able to all fit at one small two-seater table with my three-year-old on my lap. We could put our jackets at the other table. We looked into taking the grandparents with us, but in early July, there weren't enough tickets for us to sit together on the same train car. So, if you want to have this experience next year, set a reminder on your phone to check their website in June (I'm not sure when they open up tickets for the season).

As of Dec. 14, they had a few seats left in coach if you are a group of three or less.

Tara Lynn is a former WRAL reporter and anchor. She lends her 15-plus years in journalism to tell visual stories through love-filled photography for families of all kinds. The mother of three little humans and one senior rescue dog believes in celebrating magic in the little things, the big loves, and the imperfect moments that make the most remarkable memories. Her vision is to help families celebrate and share their love through photography and curated album artwork that become timeless keepsakes connecting multiple generations...because moments often pass in the blink of an eye, and the photographs we take connect us to our memories and our great loves, forever.

You can find Tara Lynn on Instagram at @TaraLynn_andCo and TaraLynnAndCo.com. Learn more about her photography at TaraLynnAndCoPhoto.com.