Day out with Thomas???

[alansrock]

So Thomas the Train is coming to OKC and DH & I were thinking of taking the boys. Did your kids love it?? My twin boys are 4-yrs old! That aren't huge Thomas fans but know who he is and they love trains.

[Darcy Baldwin]

My boys aren't Thomas fans, either, but they would love to see it in person and play on the trains, etc. I bet they'd love it!

[bderby]

oh my goodness, my twin boys are 2 1/2 and we live in Tulsa (actually Owasso) and they LOVE Thomas!!! When is he coming? I would love to hear what everyone's response is!

[Nikki Epperson]

My youngest would love that and he's almost 5!!! And what fun to know you girls are in OK!!! I'm in Bixby -- right off of Tulsa! :)

[alansrock]

Here is the link with the info:
http://www.oklahomarailwaymuseum.org/Thomas/dowt_main.html

I am actually in WFalls, TX but it's only 1 1/2hr drive!!!!

[Nikki Epperson]

LOL, that's good that it's not a long drive! :) I'd love to take Colton - but we went to Go Diego Go Live so our next outing should be for all the kiddos! :)

[maryinaz]

Hey if any of you own any of the Thomas books, my BIL does the illustrations for them - Richard Courtney. AND, he's from OK!! LOL

[Nikki Epperson]

That is awesome! :) My kiddo doesn't watch the show but loves the toys and books!

Apparently we have great talent from OK! :) LOL

[Jennifer]

My kids (DS 5 and DD 2) LOVE Day out w/ Thomas. We've been the last two years and they just adore it. :wub:

[meems]

We've gone twice in Union, Illinois.

I thought my son would love it more but he merely enjoyed it LOL. However, he has been talking about it so I think he secretly wants to go again but won't admit b/c he is 7. He thinks that Day Out With Thomas is the holiday for August LOL.

Last time we went was a couple years ago but maybe this will help.

In Union, the event is at a train museum so there are bunches of cool trains to look at and they run a couple of other trains for unlimited riding, which is included in the DOWT ticket. Ticket is needed for actual ride on Thomas. Thomas ride pretty short, basically back and forth on track. Here the track curves so it's better to be in the last car so that you can see Thomas going around the curve (make sense?). People seem to want to get into the car closest to Thomas but for pics the back is better IF on a CURVED track. Kids got some sort of certificate when ride was done.

You might want to check to see if the venue requires tickets for all or if you just need to buy a ticket for the Thomas train ride and can enjoy rest of stuff w/o ticket. Last time I think I kinda wished that I had skipped the train ride and instead just tried to take pics of DS on the train.

Bring your own food if possible. There were lots of food vendors but the lines were LONG!

We would buy tickets for the 1st ride of the day. Then we'd check out other stuff. Eat lunch and then get out of there before it got really crowded and hot.

There are opportunities for getting pics with Thomas and Sir Topham Hatt. Can use own camera and can purchase pics.

Beware of the BIG tent overflowing with Thomas merchandise, conveniently positioned to be last stop before you leave.

[jsikardi]

My (now) 4 yr old LOVES it! We've gone the past 2 years and plan to try out a new town (in a new state) this time around. Call the place and check to see if they have any other trains running that day besides the thomas "ride". Thomas is normally at places like Rail Road museums - so there will probably be at least other trains to look at - but bonus for your (fairly expensive for a kids day - imo) $$!!

[jsikardi]

haha Mimi - we obviously have been to the same place at the same time (well, at least the same weekend ;))
Just this year I rec'd some frineds go out to Union with their little boy!

[meems]

haha Mimi - we obviously have been to the same place at the same time (well, at least the same weekend ;))
Just this year I rec'd some frineds go out to Union with their little boy!
LOL! did you use to live in Illinois?

[DawnMarch]

I've never been, but I've heard mixed things about the one here in AZ. The lines are apparently long, and the ride short. Here are some more mixed reviews:

http://www.epinions.com/Day_Out_with_Thomas/display_~reviews

It sounds like it might depend on where you go and what you are expecting.

[pewtertm]

So Thomas the Train is coming to OKC and DH & I were thinking of taking the boys. Did your kids love it?? My twin boys are 4-yrs old! That aren't huge Thomas fans but know who he is and they love trains.


Yay, another OKC scrapper! We're planning to take Rachel, but haven't bought tickets yet. I wish we'd done it last year when she woudl have been free, but oh well!

[Misty Cato]

We took Jamin last year (he was 2.5 at the time) and he loved it. As others have said, the train ride was short, but he thought it was great anyway and really after 20 minutes on the train with a very excited, squirly boy, I was glad it was short. There were kiddie musicians performing on a main stage all day, tents full of train sets to play with, photo ops with Thomas and Sir Topham and the food was reasonable in our town (mostly local vendors) and of course the tent of merchandise. We picked up Thomas undies to jump start the potty training process, lol. Here is my page from the day :)

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m240/mistycato/DayOutwithThomas_7-21-07web-1.jpg

[nikkiARNGwife]

They never have one close enough to us but DS lives and breathes Thomas so I know he'd love it. He'd probably faint dead away if he saw a life sized Thomos lol :)

[Traci Reed]

We did Day Out with Thomas!

http://www.digishoptalk.com/gallery/data/1495/man-of-the-hour.jpg

It was fun!

[**Holly**]

OH I wonder when this is coming to AZ Kaden would LOVE this. He is a Thomas freak! haha

[meems]

Misty, I love the pic of Jamin and Sir Topham Hatt! Sooo cute!

[Tracie Stroud]

We would LOVE to go to one! I wish they were coming somewhere near here! :(

[Stacey42]

We took the kids to the one in Baltimore this year. It was at the train museum & the boys loved seeing all the trains and seeing Thomas. They enjoyed the train ride itself sort of. Thomas didn't 'talk' to them, which was a disappointment to them and the carriages were not Annie & Clarabell. Then there was the scenery..... the train museum is in a not so great part of Baltimore, so the kids got to see urban blight for the first time - lots of gang graffiti and a scrap metal yard. Oh yeah and the prostitute picking up a customer on the corner while we waited for the train to head back to the yard.

The ride itself was a bit of a let down but the overall experience was a good one.

[jsikardi]

Here's the link for those who wanted to see if Thomas was near them -
http://www.ticketweb.com/thomas.html

And yeah, Mimi - we did live in IL :) We lived in Chicago proper for about 3 years (well, my DH was there close to 15 years) - then western IL for 2 - now we are in Iowa (insert jokes here).

[pewtertm]

the prostitute picking up a customer on the corner while we waited for the train to head back to the yard.

:blink: Wow, what an eye-opening experience that must have been. Wonder if anybody on the train recognized him...would have been an interesting pic to send in to the local newspaper!

[alexandra]

ooooh, wooow
my little son loves thomas
http://www.diegluecksburger.de/blog/archives/389

but unfortunately there aren't any events here in Nothern Germany.
My older son loves Cars, but also this event was unfortunately only in Southern Germany.

[arenee]

We did the one in Durangeo, Co. It was on the small size but it blew my son away. He was overwhelmed by the size of the train. They had all kinds of activities that kept him busy for a couple of hours.

For me, it was great for photo taking. I used Dani's Cabana Boy brag book.
It made such a great brag book for the parents.
:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

[beaucat]

We did that when DS was 2 and really into trains. Strangely, he was only so/so on the excitement level.... :confused:

Angela

[newfiemountiewife]

I wish they would come here, my kids would FREAK.

[rach3975]

We did the one in CT a few years ago, just before DS1 turned 3. I agree with what other people have said--the day itself was a lot of fun and DS had a great time in the tent and other attractions, but the ride itself was only okay. He liked seeing the huge Thomas, but being in the train didn't feel like being in Thomas, if that makes sense. They did a sing-a-long or something like that on the ride, IIRC. Here's my old LO from when we went.

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e320/craftystitches/Digiscrapping%20LOs/Thomas_rach3975.jpg

[Sharon Kay]

So Thomas the Train is coming to OKC and DH & I were thinking of taking the boys. Did your kids love it?? My twin boys are 4-yrs old! That aren't huge Thomas fans but know who he is and they love trains.

YES YES YES YES my boys loved it. Course you aren't riding inside Thomas but another train behind him. at least that is the way it was here...but the boys loved it...and had fun playing with the wooden train sets while they waited.

[Rebecca Lynn]

We went a couple of years back and the boys didn't like it at all!! They really thought they would be more then it what it was.

[cynthia1900]

We did it when my daughter was about 4 and she loved it. I agree with avoid the tent or make a rule before you enter about what you will buy. It was fun but crowded so make sure they are ready to wait in some lines if you want to do everything.