Christmas at The Princess // A Magical Winter Wonderland in Scottsdale, AZ
Posted on December 13, 2023
It truly is the most wonderful time of the year! We just came off of the most magical night visitng The Fairmont Scottsdale for the annual Christmas at the Princess experience. This was our 3rd year attending this magical event and has officially become our most treasured holiday tradition here in Arizona. Read on for all of the details from our time at Christmas at The Princess // A Magical Winter Wonderland in Scottsdale, AZ.
When we first moved to Arizona in July 2021, we worried how long it would take us to feel at home here. But we especially wondered how we would feel living in the desert during the holidays. While I do slightly miss a white Christmas morning, I don’t miss the cold temperature, icy roads and cabin fever.
That first holiday season, our friends and family told us we absolutely had to go to Christmas at the Princess and that the boys would be in holiday heaven.
Well, they weren’t wrong. We look forward to an evening at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess for a Christmas Adventure like no other. It is truly such a magical experience for the entire family.
The boys start asking on November 1st when we’re going for our annual visit!
Christmas at The Princess // A Magical Winter Wonderland in Scottsdale, AZ
This year, the celebration runs from November 17, 2023 – January 6, 2024. You can visit from 5-10pm during the week and from 4-11pm Friday-Sunday. *Starting December 15, daily hours are 4-11pm.
We love to get there right at 4 to be able to enjoy every last inch of magic. Plus, watching the sunset from the Ferris Wheel is pretty spectacular.
I want to bottle up these times and preserve the memories forever, so I take an obscene amount of photos! There are photo-ops everywhere you turn.
Hopefully this allows you to see just how special Christmas at the Princess is…
Christmas at the Princess showcases:
7.5 million lights
128 fire pits and igloos
2 unique Santa experiences
6 lovable Christmas characters
95 ft. tall Ferris Wheel
6,000 sq. ft. outdoor ice rink [with real ice!]
65 acress of Christmas magic
2 miles of lights strung around the 4-story Enchanted Plaza tree
1,600 sq. ft ice lounge [new this year!]
There are many different areas that make up the full experience at Christmas at the Princess and we try to make our way around to everything!
Below, I’ll share a little bit about each area and pictures to go along with.
ENCHANTED PLAZA
When you first arrive you’re able to stop and watch a seven minute, HD video show projected against the resort’s exterior. The front tree has 70,000 LED lights and twinkle and dance to 18 classic holiday songs. Make sure to stop here on your way in and out to catch the show!
PHOTOS WITH SANTA
While we didn’t visit Santa this year, we did our very first visit in 2021. I can’t get over how little the boys look just 2 years ago!
A package includes up to 8 peope per reservation, the Elf Academy [this was really cute] Mrs. Claus’ Christmas Carols and reindeer sightings. You also get one digital file of the kids or your family in the sleigh with Santa.
DESERT ICE
A classic winter tradition! 6,000 square foot skating rink in the desert! The boys always love this, but usually take some spills! The lights glowing above is so pretty! An ice pass is a separate fee per person. We usually do our iceskating at the Alpine Skate Trail over in the Village. More on this area to come!
Fire & Ice is also in this area filled with luxury fire pits with flickering flames everywhere you turn. This is such a gorgeous setting!
TWINKLE TOWN
This is such a cute area geared towards the little ones! But my 11 and 9 year old love Twinkle Town just as much as the Village. You only have to be 36″ to ride the rides here.
Lolli Swings, Ice Jet, Reindeer carousel ride, Frost the Snowman bounce house and more!
THE VILLAGE
This area includes S’Moresland, Snow Mountain Ice Slide, The Chair Lift Ferris Wheel, Alpin Skate Trail and Nordic 9 Mini Golf.
We always spend the most time here! There are firepits everywhere, igloos, lights, a bar and lots of hustle and bustle with hyped up kids enjoying the sights and sounds!
We usually do the ferris wheel a couple of times each visit. It has 26 gondolas and the view is incredible.
The boys truly can’t get enough of the ice slide when we’re here. I think they go down 3-4 times each!
The skate trail is a 400 ft ice skating trail and you basically get to do laps around Snow Mountain under the glow of the cafe lights strung above!
S’moresland is a must! You can purchase a super cute goodie bag of smores supplies and then sit by the fireit to roast marshmallows and stay warm!
WINTERLAND FEATURING THE AURORA ICE LOUNGE & CHILL [NEW!]
This was definitely a highlight of our night this year! This one-of-a-kind game and lounge experience is made of real ice! They give you a cozy faux-fur parka to wear inside the 20 degree glacier lounge.
Each adult gets a craft cocktail and the kids get a gourmet hot chocolate with a take-home cup from the ice bar on your way in!
There are games inside – zamboni races, shuffleboard, tic tac toe and more! Plus, hand-chiseled ice sculptures, benches, chairs and several other awesome displays.
They tried to recreate the of glow reminiscent of the Aurora Borealis, aka the Northern Lights. STUNNING!
This attraction requires a seprate ticket with a reservation time so they can accomodate your family for a private ice lounge experience. I highly recommend this one!! It was extremely cool and unique!
The dazzling all-white lights make The Winterland area one of my favorites. Its absolutely stunning!
THE LODGE
We always stop our evening mid-way through to sit down at the Lodge for a yummy dinner and drink. Sometimes we eat outside by the firepits or nestled right in the lodge.
It truly feels like you’re in a log cabin on a winter’s night. So good! There are 3 other dining options at the resort – Bourbon Steak, La Hacienda and Toro – all of which we want to try eventually. The menus look so enticing, but we’ve opted for the casual spot that gets us in and out to get back out and enjoy the magic 😉
PRINCESS EXPRESS TRAIN & LAGOON LIGHTS
Before our end-of-the-night train ride, we always stop at the Princess Nut Roasting Co. stand and get the hot, cinnamon glazed nuts to take on-board with us.
Both the almond and cashew options are delicious. We take the warm bags and climb up on the Princess Express to finish out the night!
After a night of wondering around and exploring the grounds, you get to sit on a 15 minute train ride to enjoy 7.5 million lights in the resort’s magestic lagoons.
You get to experience the light displays on the water, including 7 singing reindeer and more.
We also pass the Chateau Champagne which I have yet to make a stop at…there’s always next year!
Once we exit the train, we make our way back towards the Enchanted Plaza to make our exit to the parking lot. We always stop to see the tree and light show again because its just so good.
One last hop aboard Santa’s sleigh to complete our magical evening!
Pictures just don’t do Christmas at the Princess justice, but I hope you can tell how much fun we had. There are twinkling lights everywhere you turn, Christmas music fills the air and the glow of the fire pits illuminate the dark sky.
If you’ve ever thought about visiting, I can’t recommend this experience enough. It is absolutely worth the time and the expense. Christmas at the Princess is a treasured holiday tradition for our family and so many other families out there. People visit from all over, so we’re truly the lucky ones to be able to have it right here in the Valley.
I hope you find a night to attend this year or next and that you experience the same magic and awe we all do. This magical Winter Wonderland will be a core memory we’ll cherish for a lifetime.
