The train ride will last approximately one hour and will include dancing and singing characters from the Polar Express movie. When the closing credits roll and you think "I want to watch that movie again!" you know you've just seen something special. That's the case with The Polar Express: it's a polished little gem of a film that tells its story exactly right and leaves you feeling charmed and delighted... just like the protagonist, the little boy who falls asleep on Christmas Eve wondering if Santa Claus really exists, only to be woken up by the thunderous arrival of the Polar Express to take him on a trip to the North Pole to meet the great man himself. The story seems to be a fairly linear one, but only in retrospect. As the film develops, there are constantly hints that the story could go in this, that, or another direction, so we never really know what to expect next... and as a result, we're in exactly the right mindset to be open to whatever wonderful or delightful surprise is around the next corner. In terms of the story arc, the journey is the destination: except for the scene at the heart of the film, the child characters are always moving forward literally as well as figuratively. That's no coincidence; the film takes on the metaphor of life as a journey so completely that it ceases to be a metaphor and becomes a magical reality. There's a sense that the train ride for the characters is exactly as long as it needs to be, and that the figures of the conductor and the hobo are much more powerful than they seem to be at first glance. If you happen to be visiting the US this year, we also have a complete guide to the US Polar Express train rides– there are 34 of them!

The Polar Express train rides are perfect for families with children of all ages. Everyone will be entertained. Children aged 4+ will probably get the most out of the experience. Do I have to watch the Polar Express film to enjoy the experience? Meeting your favourite Polar Express characters on this magical journey to the North Pole will be a truly memorable experience. Duration: The Staffordshire Polar Express Train Ride lasts about an hour with the whole experience lasting about 2 hours. I am compelled to note that the menus for The Polar Express are highly annoying, as they are extremely lengthy and unskippable. I did discover later that when the anti-piracy screen is playing, if you press "menu" repeatedly you'll finally jump to the static menu screen.

Do I have to book Polar Express tickets in advance?

Duration: The Scottish Polar Express Train ride lasts about 30 minutes each way but allow 2 hours for the whole experience. On arrival at the ‘North Pole’ you will see festive lights and Santa will board the train giving out gifts. Visually, The Polar Express is a treat. Here we can see computer graphics coming to maturity in film; the technology is used here to create a picture-book world with a soft, magical feel to it that not only is faithful to the look of the original picture book by Chris Van Allsburg, but is also perfectly matched to the tone of the film. Technology also makes it possible to create some simply amazing shots, and entire scenes, that would have been impossible otherwise. The "dancing waiters" sequence is eye-poppingly clever and engaging, for instance, but then again, the entire film is filled with one scene after another that offers breathtaking images and amazing visual flights of fancy (sometimes literally so). One of the hardest things for a fantasy-flavored film or story to do is to retain its atmosphere of awe and magic even after the characters have interacted with the magical world and plumbed its secrets, so the fact that The Polar Express never sheds that atmosphere is very impressive indeed. For one thing, The Polar Express leaves some aspects of the story mysterious, never explaining who or what the hobo is; the result is that the train (and the experience as a whole) retains its magical aura even at the very end of the film. There's also the brilliant choice of never telling us the names of the characters. I've always held that one mark of a good film is that you don't need to remember names to fully engage with the story, and The Polar Express meets that standard completely, as all of the characters (except for Santa) are kept nameless in a totally natural manner: there's never any moment during the film in which we would need to know their names. It's an indication of polished storytelling, but it's also something more. By keeping the child characters without names, especially the protagonist, The Polar Express underlines the idea that this is a magical experience that could happen to any child, anywhere, at any time. The boy protagonist has his own personality, to be sure, but it's kept low-key enough that he can be an Everyboy, for any viewer (adult or child) to imagine as himself or herself. Selected items are only available for delivery via the Royal Mail 48® service and other items are available for delivery using this service for a charge.

Everyone receives a silver sleigh bell gifts and when the train ride is over, there are festive activities to enjoy. Birmingham is one of the best cities in the UK to visit at Christmas with kids and your visit would not be complete without a ride on the Polar Express. If you and your little ones love the Polar Express Movie, you are bound to love this Polar Express experience. Want the ultimate Polar Experience? Here’s how to book a DIY Lapland trip on a budget. During the journey, you will meet characters from the film, most notably the Polar Express conductor and, of course, Santa. There will be singing and dancing and each passenger will receive a gift. What age is best for the Polar Express train ride? Telford Polar Express is a lovely Christmas experience with the re-telling of the story whilst drinking hot chocolate and eating a cookie. The Polar Express characters entertain the carriage which is decorated festively.Location: Churnet Valley Railway, Kingsley and Froghall Station, Froghall, Staffordshire, ST10 2HA.