Dallas Trail of Lights — Attraction in Dallas

Disappointing Experience for Families with Young Kids

I realize this review might be unpopular given all the 5-star ratings, but I feel it’s important to share my experience as a parent visiting with a family of four, including two young children (ages 6 and 2). Unfortunately, this event did not live up to the hype, especially for families with kids.

Parking: Parking was a nightmare. If you don’t want to pay for parking, your only option is to park in areas with no security, no lighting, and on sidewalks due to how crowded it gets. We ended up paying $10 to park closer, but even then, we had to walk about a quarter mile with the kids, and there were no clear signs or directions to guide us to the entrance.

Entrance & Layout: The lights at the entrance were probably the best part of the entire event. Beyond that, the overall layout was poorly planned for families. Parents with strollers, beware! The paths were muddy, uneven, and smelled strongly of cow manure from the fertilizer used. Pushing a stroller through mud and rough terrain was exhausting and felt like a workout.

Kids’ Play Area: The kids’ play area was another big disappointment. It was overcrowded and chaotic, with no staff present to monitor behavior. I had to step in multiple times to ensure my kids were safe. It felt like a free-for-all, which made it stressful rather than enjoyable.

Overall Atmosphere: The whole place reminded me of the State Fair on a busy Sunday—overcrowded, overwhelming, and not family-friendly to me. Social media really overhyped this event. While it might be a good spot for young adults or groups of friends, it’s not ideal for families with little ones with strollers.

We won’t be returning. Between the lack of organization, poor parking, no security/staff present, it’s just not...

The venue is beautiful! HOWEVER! For this to be an attraction that would likely involve lots of children the LACK of security is ALARMING!! We experienced a lost child the night of December 14th and an OFF DUTY officer that was there was his family is the only level of security they could report this baby to. There is not a security hub. There are no officers around this event where THOUSANDS of people are attending. That’s extremely concerning to me. The parking is free but it’s crazy once the main area is full. The event holders did not place any lighting for you to see as you walk through the back part of the venue on Memorial drive to the front. You’re walking in dark. While things are beautiful, the security measures were TRASH!!!! I am even surprised Dallas is allowing such an event with this huge lack of security. Please watch your children. Please be careful...

The place is BEAUTIFUL but I do have to knock it down one star because the lines & parking was unorganized. They should probably look into hiring temp workers to direct traffic near the parking lot. The lines to get in was also very unorganized which was discouraging, but we made it in. The zip line was terrible I don’t recommend it. My boy is in a splint now due to the terrible layout of the zip line. I think I saw 5 women get hurt on that thing. From rolling their ankles, shoes falling off, falling straight on the butts and being dragged, and being chocked out from the fall (due to the straps). I’m honestly shocked they didn’t stop the ride due to the amount of injuries I saw. Besides that and the disgusting smell that follows you around throughout the whole park it was Great. Great location, great lights, great music, my kids had a fun time and that’s what...