Thomas the Tank Engine
25 Plain Road, Essex, CT
April 26 & 27 and May 3 & 4, rain or shine
830AM-4PM
http://www.essexsteamtrain.com
My family and I were able to experience A Day Out with Thomas this weekend at the Essex Steam Train in Essex, CT. It was a beautiful day. Perfect for a road trip to meet Thomas the Tank Engine Train.
We arrived approximately an hour early so we had time to park the car (free) and take the few minute shuttle train over to the event venue. Upon arriving at the site a staff member handed out a map which told us where everything was located and included a game for the children. Visit each listed location, receive a stamp and collect a prize. This was a fun for the children and should a parent forget to remind their child to get all the stamps the prize was still given at the exit gate. (The Prize we received at the exit gate was a wheel with pictures of Thomas and all his friends. You can guess all of there names and turn the inside wheel to see if you were correct. Excellent prize for every Thomas Fan. They also included a Buddy Fruit which is a blended fruit pouch.) We started off at the Imagination Station. There we found craft tables, face painting, train tables for the kids to play and a section for temporary tattoos. Everything was Thomas & his friends related. It was great! There were so many different activities that it was hard for my 3 year old son to focus on one activity at a time. Next we proceeded over to the boarding tent where we had a short wait for our 11:15 train. Before we knew it we were sitting in a vintage train car and Thomas the Tank Engine was taking us for a 25 minute ride on the rails. My children loved it! During our ride staff told stories of Thomas through a speaker system which was very entertaining. Since our visit was over Easter Weekend the Easter Bunny sent some of friends onboard the train with us. It was an unexpected treat. They handed out Easter themed rubber ducks and allowed pictures with the children.
The whole event was extremely "kid friendly". Staff was amicable, efficient and stayed on theme. Throughout the day there were Magic Shows, Music Shows, and Storytelling/Video Shows so it does not matter what time your Thomas ride is scheduled for you have the opportunity to see it all. There was a Thomas Photo area that you could take a picture with Thomas the Train while he was waiting for new passengers to board his cars. They even had several carnival style kiddy rides that were perfect for my children. Deep River Engine 3 was also there and allowed the children dress up in a child sized fire jacket and hat pretend to drive the fire truck.There were snack tents (drinks, chips and other snacks) or if you wanted something more substantial there were food tents that served hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken nuggets, fries and more for a reasonable price. As a parent to a 2 and 3 year old easy access to a bathroom is a priority. When you have a child so absorbed in all the fun and exciting activities your lucky if you are given a 1 minute "potty warning". Port-a-Potties were at convenient locations with a wash station near-by with soap, water and paper towels. In a central location "regular" bathroom were provided.
EVERYTHING was included in the price of our ticket. Everything with the exception of food costs and purchases made at the gift shop. My family had a fantastic day with Thomas. Before falling asleep during the car ride home my son told us he wanted to go to the Island of Sodor next to visit Thomas & his friends there.
