We already had our discount tickets so we gathered inside the entrance. We were at the back of the Toy Shop, which was the park exit. In front of us were two large colorful nutcrackers that acted as the sentinels through which we passed into the park proper, which reminded me of Knoebels. There was no formal midway. It was basically a forest with paths winding through it. Some of the paths were lined with pavers, but many were simply crushed stone. The park felt very organic. Popular Christmas tunes were playing quietly in the background.

In front of us was the park's small fiberglass carousel. It was quite pretty. The building was framed with heavy rough-hewn wood. Wood benches were integrated into the structure. To the right of it was the Elf School where kids could take classes in how to be an elf and receive a certificate of accomplishment. To the left was Mrs. Claus' Bakeshop which sported a giant Christmas tree cookie next to it. We checked out the bakeshop and it featured many delectable looking homemade treats, including butter tarts.

Naturally, the ride we were most interested was Yeti Trek, so we headed over to the entrance. The coaster's station resembled a Swiss chalet and the coaster track arched through the roof of the building. While waiting in the station, the train blasting through made for quite a thrilling sight. The station was nearly empty so Karen and I queued up for the front seat. The trains were unexpectedly spacious and comfortable. The friendly staff swiftly dispatched us up the lift hill, which seemed extremely tall for a "family" coaster. We rolled down the first drop. The ride was very smooth. We flew through the station so quickly, I hardly noticed it. The bulk of the course was in a forest grove next to the station, constantly twisting through many overbanked turns. There were even several strong pops of airtime. It was a really fun ride. When we arrived back in the station, the crew sent us back up the lift hill for a second ride. We all returned to the station applauding. The park had built a really fun roller coaster that was perfect for their guests. Karen and I got our photo from the ride. Strangely, it looked like we were riding it at night.

We explored the park a bit more. It encompassed about 60 acres, but there were several areas (like the Elf Sky Challenge playground and the Spray and Play waterpark) that weren't open. Around the corner from Yeti Trek was Jolly Trolley, a little food stand in a trolley car. Next to that was the dock for Santa's Summer Sleigh Riverboat Cruise, a pontoon boat that wasn't operating yet. Next to that was the whimsically themed Christmas Ball Ferris Wheel. That took us to the far west end of the park abutting the Muskoka River. We headed back eastward, passing by the Riverside Restaurant and Beaver Tails eateries. That brought us to a little plaza with a giant Christmas tree in the middle. The tree had an opening and inside were places to sit. Behind the tree was the Candycane Express, the park's miniature railroad. We queued up for that. The conductor (who looked a bit like Santa) was very outgoing and funny. The leisurely trip took us around the perimeter of the park.

After we got back to the station, we noticed Santa's House nearby. So we paid it a visit. Santa was sitting in his big chair with Mrs. Claus nearby. They were very friendly and talkative. I suspect that would be the highlight of the park for many children. We continued along the path at the north end of the park. Santa's reindeer were behind a chainlink fence that had little holes cut into it so children could feed them. There was a sign stating that the reindeer weren't permanently trapped there; they had a large area in which they roamed when the park wasn't open. Next to that was the Village Stage, a little amphitheater. And next to that was a currently muddy path that lead up a hill and to the Enchanted Forest, which was a hiking trail. They also had Ralphie's Bow & Arrow arena (possibly named after the character in A Christmas Story, although if that were true if would have been more appropriate to have a shooting gallery). To the right of that was Santa's Chapel. All throughout the park there was whimsical statuary. Some of them had holes cut out of their faces so that kids could place their heads in them. I had seen many such displays made out of plywood, but never before had I seen them fully sculpted out of fiberglass.

The precipitation finally stopped so I took that opportunity to make a walk-thru of the park. When I finished, it was already noon. So we decided to get something to eat. We opted for Kringle's Kitchen, which served veggie burgers. The staff there was still being trained and it took quite a while for us to get our order. We then joined the other club members in the Yule Lodge, the park's large rustic indoor eatery that served sandwiches and wraps. Our veggie burgers came with French fries and a soft drink. Karen also got onion rings. It was all really tasty.

The park offered a free miniature golf course that looked like fun, but the course was still a bit too damp. We instead went next door to the Yule Lodge to a ride I had been wanting to try for years: Moose on the Loose. There was one of these rare rides at Darien Lake, but I never did try it there. Basically, you sat on a moose that rode around on a monorail track. The moose bucked the entire way. It had an onboard sound system that played a catchy "There's a moose on the loose" song. There was sort of a story to it, something about a moose being chased by a bear. So there was one bear vehicle that could chase the moose. There were plaques posted along the route with silly jokes on them. The ride put a big smile on my face.

We then went to the nearby Santa's Farm Tractor Ride. It was an antique car ride, with the cars designed to look like tractors. What was interesting about them was that they had a single small seat behind the steering wheel that only a child could access. Adults had a bigger bench in the back that they could sit on. The ride didn't require the child to depress a pedal; it was all automatic (much like the ride at Canada's Wonderland). The station was designed to look like a red barn. Inside on one of the walls were mounted three reindeer heads labeled Larry, Curly and Moe. They were animatronic and would periodically start singing Christmas songs in the style of a barbershop quartet. It was quite amusing. The ride itself was perfect for kids. The cars traveled slowly past lots of silly statuary such as corn stalks with big smiling faces.

Some of the WNYCC members wanted to try Fly Fishin', a standard Flying Scooters ride that was well themed with a bait bucket at the base and each car painted as a different type of fish. They had a good time on it. Next to Fly Fishin' was Falcon's Nest, an unusual sort of drop tower where riders hoisted themselves to the top by pulling on cables and then let themselves glide back to the ground.

The group then took a few more rides on Yeti Trek. I stopped in to Mrs. Claus' Bakeshop and got a butter tart. It was delicious. Then we all visited the Toy Shop. I bought a few souvenirs, and then we parted ways.

This was a delightful park, and I'm really glad John Reaume arranged for us to go there. Yeti Trek was a really enjoyable coaster. The train ride was fun. Moose on the Loose was a blast. The food was great. The employees were wonderful. I wish the weather had been a bit more cooperative, but at least the rain eventually stopped. And it didn't really affect the amount of fun we had. Ontario was fortunate to have Canada's Wonderland and Santa's Village near each other. They were very different parks with different purposes, but each fulfilled their mission very well. I wish I had visited them sooner, and hopefully it won't be too long before I return.