Step into a cosy winter wonderland at Daniel of Windsor, where Santa's Grotto awaits. At Daniel Department Store, we believe in making the festive season truly special and our Santa's Grotto is the perfect place to create cherished memories with your loved ones. Meet Santa's friendly elf, share your Christmas wishes, and enjoy a heart-warming chat with Santa himself.
Every child will receive a gift and you'll also capture the magic with a professional photo included in your visit.
The event is now SOLD OUT, however we are receiving returns daily, so please do keep an eye on the calendar for any returned tickets if you are still interested in last-minute availability.
WALK-IN TICKETS will also be
available Monday to Thursday until 12th December 2024 (inclusive), until spaces last.
Interpreter (British Sign Language) available on 10th December 2024 from 2pm to 5.15pm. Please only book these times if an interpreter is required.
How do the Interpreter Slots on Tuesday 10th December PM work? How will these differ from the other Santa Slots?
The Interpreter Slots are
specifically for families with Deaf Children, we have organised an Interpreter
who will also attend and sign the booked session, speaking in British Sign
Language. The Interpreter in these sessions will be dressed as an Elf. The team
involved in these booked sessions are: Santa, an Elf and an Interpreter Elf
(British Sign Language). Please contact: windsor.tic@rbwm.gov.uk
if you would like any more information.
Can I get a refund on or exchange my Santa's Grotto ticket?
All tickets are Non-Amendable and Non-Refundable. Please note that the UK General Law for all ticketing applies: you are able to amend your ticket booking within 24 hours of making your initial booking.
How many children can I book for?
You are able to book up to 4 children in a row within the same time slot period, e.g. If you have 4 children attending, it will be 5 minutes with Santa per child, meaning 20 minutes in total for your group booking.
Do parents and grandparents need tickets?
Parents and grandparents do not need their own tickets, but they will need to enter the grotto at the same time as you within your same booking slot. Please note that space within the Grotto itself is limited (it is a cosy Grotto), so we ideally wouldn't recommend having more than 6 people plus Santa in the photo to ensure that everyone fits comfortably in the photo frame.
What is included with the ticket?
Each ticket includes a welcome from Santa's friendly Elf, entry to Santa's Grotto (found on the First Floor at Daniel Department Store), a chat with Santa to share your Christmas wishes, a gift from Santa and a professional photograph with Santa.
Is it possible to purchase multiple pictures on the day?
You are entitled to 1 professional printed photo (as well as the digital version) per 5-minute booking slot. You are then welcome to print more elsewhere in various formats using the digital version provided.
To clarify: if you are a family with 3 children booking 3 consecutive grotto slots totalling 15 minutes together, you will be entitled to 3 physical photo printouts on the day, should you wish. You will also be able to instantly download and share digital photos by scanning a QR code on your photo card, using in-house QR technology.
My child is between the ages of 0-3, do I have to buy a ticket? And is Santa's Grotto appropriate for ages 0-3?
Please note that Babies and Newborns will be charged £15 for entry to Santa's Grotto, there are gifts provided for the Birth age category 0-1 year olds. Babies are able to enter, however, we tend to recommend Santa's Grotto for children over the age of 1 year.
Is there a maximum age limit?
The Santa's Grotto experience is recommended for the majority of children up to the age of 12, there are gifts provided for children between ages 9-12. Please note: we are not exclusionary and we would not prohibit any child on the basis of them being over 12 years of age.
What kind of gift will my child receive?
We do our best for gifts to be age appropriate. Our gifts are all unisex and are provided for children in the age brackets from 0-12 years old.
Can I choose the gift for my child?
Unfortunately, customers and children will not be able to choose their gifts - they are already pre-wrapped up in Christmas gift wrap and it is luck of the draw which gift your child is given on the day.
Can I exchange or return my gift from Santa?
Please note that due to the quantity of Grotto attendees: Santa's Gifts are non-exchangeable and non-refundable.
How long does the Santa's Grotto experience last?
Please note that the Santa's Grotto experience lasts for 5 minutes per child, per ticket - this is to ensure that all children have a fair amount of time with Santa during their visit. Inevitably, some visits may be slightly shorter or longer but our team on the day try to ensure there is a fair and reasonable amount of time spend with Santa per child / family - to ensure all guests have a good experience.
Will you have COVID Restrictions in place?
We will not have the Perspex screen in place that we have had in previous years during the COVID Pandemic. We will also not have children "sat on Santa's lap" in the traditional sense.
Social-distancing will be in place to a certain degree, for instance: there will be a desk positioned in between Santa himself and the visiting children (distance of circa 1 meter between Santa and Children). And there are stools in front of Santa's desk for visiting children to sit on.
What happens if I am late to my booking?
If you are late to your booking timeslot, then unfortunately we cannot guarantee entry because of the back-to-back nature of the Santa's Grotto bookings and because this event is always very oversubscribed. Our Elf & Assistants on the day will do the best they can to fit you in - but due to Santa's tight schedule, entry will not be guaranteed if you are late for your booking.
What time should I arrive for my booking?
It is recommended that you arrive 10 minutes before your booking time slot to ensure you have found Santa's Grotto area and to ensure that you do not miss your booking time slot. Please do your best to arrive early - this also facilitates a more pleasant and smooth Grotto experience for the visiting children.
Do you have any Walk-In appointments?
No, there are no Walk-In appointments this year - Santa's Grotto is Bookings Only.
Due to the popularity of Santa's Grotto and to reduce lengthy queues and long wait times, the most efficient system for Santa's Grotto is bookings only.
If you would like to book a ticket to Santa's Grotto please endeavour to book early, in order to avoid any disappointment. There are unfortunately a limited number of slots available with Santa.
Are dogs allowed in Santa's Grotto?
Daniel Department Store is a dog friendly business and this includes the Santa's Grotto Experience.
Due to the popularity of Santa's Grotto and to reduce lengthy queues and long wait times, the most efficient system for Santa's Grotto is bookings only.
Where is Santa's Grotto?
The location of Santa's Grotto at Daniel of Windsor is on the 1st Floor at Daniel Department Store based in Windsor, Berkshire. The Grotto can be found on the 1st Floor next to the Toy Department and next to the Sports Department, the Grotto is where YO! Sushi used to be located. Please feel free to ask a member of Staff for directions when you arrive.
Thank you for your interest in Santa's Grotto! We wish you a Merry Christmas and we hope you have a magical experience ??????
Discover more on the Daniel Department Store website: www.danielstores.co.uk
If you have any ticket enquiries, please contact: windsor.tic@rbwm.gov.uk