The Lights of Christmas — Local services in Washington

Absolutely hated this experience last year and swore we would never return. It was awful because we felt we were held hostage for over 2 hours with a 30 minute wait just to get into the entrance from the road. People who hadn't gotten tickets online were able to pay once in the line (making the "tickets required" when I purchased online pointless) so the line was way longer than it should have been. The tickets should be scanned at the entrance, not such a long ways past the entrance with no way to exit if you don't actually have tickets While the tickets are still the same this year, scanned quite a ways past the entrance, it was not busy And so it was not a problem this time and that made All the Difference! I was promised a better experience by my sister who came yesterday and so I gave this drivethru experience another shot and she didn't lie - it is very nice and enjoyable when its not such a long, long wait. There are 2 stops that were very nice for my kids to walk around. The photo ops were great. The people working were friendly. The light displays were beautiful. I wrote this long review because I don't know if the "ticket required but not really" will end up affecting lines like it did for us last year or if we just got lucky since its a Sunday or if it's just too early in the season but if you were disappointed last year because they crammed us in like sardines and held us hostage - it is Much more enjoyable when it's not packed + the 2 walk throughs were great and so I suggest getting there in the next 2 weeks to try and avoid what I assume will end up being a terribly busy & lousy experience. *Unless they stop letting people in on sold out nights who didn't buy tickets and...

Really nice place to be for Christmas. I do recommend it but there are things the visitor needs to be aware of. If it is rainy, it gets quite muddy. Even though the groundskeepers do a good job of rolling covers along the path, there is a lot not covered and at least when I went, it was downright muddy. Large groups who rent the multi-bed places will enjoy the on-grounds accommodations. If you are just a couple, or a couple with kids, I'd consider staying off the grounds rather than the Deer Lodge. The rooms are small and cramped for $169 a night and the bathrooms are shared. Although the housekeepers had the bathrooms spotless when we arrived, like I said, it was muddy outside and the bathroom floors were filthy by 10 pm. I would not stay there again. If you do stay there, bring footwear for the showers and bathroom. The park itself is spot on, fantastic. Tons of creative light sculptures, lots of music, lots of shopping and food everywhere you turn. Great activities for kids. I will definitely go back. I'll just make it a day trip or find another...

This has been a family tradition for going on 10 years now! I absolutely love the light set up here. The staff are all so friendly and kind! We used to walk through, but it was changed to a drive-through. It is convenient for many people, but it took us about half an hour longer to get in and go through because there were so many cars packed in. You have to purchase tickets for a certain time and day, so I'm mot sure why there were that many other people showing up at the same time, I feel like they oversold for the time and space they have. Once we were in, though, we moved at a pretty good pace. We had enough opportunity to see everything that was placed. They had a chance for people to stop for bathrooms, snacks, and souvenirs.

The one thing I would love is if there was a chance to walk through again! When we did walk through, we could spend as long as we wanted, and there were so many fun activities available for people of all ages. I'm hoping that is a future possibility, even if they split the nights and have some drive...