PosExpress

We had an incredible ride on The PosExpress. This is what Braxton calls it. I think we went at the absolute best time too. He was SO into the whole thing.
We arrived to pick up our tickets and there were already about 200 people there waiting and mingling around. The lady told me that our car was full and that it was first come, first serve seating on our car so if we wanted to sit together we needed to be in line early. I hate things like that. I get so anxious. Your whole experience depends on your seat and who your sitting with. The train began boarding at 4:45 but people began lining up before then. The confusing thing we figured out REAL quick was that we couldn't load at our car. We had to get on 2 cars away. So dad and Allyson went one way and the boys and I went another. So there we stood for 45 minutes waiting to get on! Braxton was so good. He held on to his ticket, which he was so proud of, and kept pointing to the train. When we began to load all four of us met back up about the same time and picked out a perfect table. Our car was "first class" so it was all decorated for Christmas and it had seats with tables in the middle just like on the movie. I sat across the aisle from the others because the table had only enough room for four. But it worked out great because when we got to the North Pole Braxton was able to come to my side and see "HO HO" and the lights.
They played the soundtrack from the movie and read the book and really entertained us the whole time. Braxton bobbed his head and danced. When they delivered his hot chocolate he got so excited. He stirred it for almost the entire trip and only took one sip! But if you ask him to tell about his Polar Express ride this will be the first thing he tells you! The conductor came around and asked for all the kids tickets and punched a hole in it. It was so cute!
One of the highlights of the ride was when Santa walked onto our car. He walked up to each child and asked what they wanted for Christmas and gave them a silver bell. Braxton pouted when he left him and said " My Ho Ho!". We pulled back into the train station and it looked like there were 500 people already lined up waiting for the next ride.
I'm pretty sure we won't go again for a couple of years. I think we timed it perfect with him this year. He loves the movie so much and is so into trains that it was fun. The songs were familiar to him and he was still young enough that nothing about the ride was "corny". Everything was exciting to him. The look on his face was adorable. Every dime we spent was worth it.
When we left we went and grabbed a bite to eat and then went back to our hotel and swam for an hour. Braxton swore he saw a witch in the pool!! So he stayed on the step, down at the shallow end! He still hasn't forgotten about the witch at Halloween. Later in the night he woke up 4 times dreaming. 3 of the 4 times he woke up talking about "Hot chocolate". The other time he said something about an"itch".
When we were just about home he was playing with his bell and we were watching The Polar Express movie, of course. He held the bell up to his ear and said " I believe!"