Frequently asked questions
How long does my online visit with Santa last?
Each video call will last for approximately 10 minutes.
Is my booking private or a group call with multiple families?
Your video call is private to your family. You will receive a personal link and password to allow you to log in and gain access to your call with Santa at your booked time.
What can I expect during my video call with Santa?
Santa will greet your child/children and ask them a series of open-ended questions to engage them in conversation. Depending on time, Santa may sing a song and/or read a Christmas story.
How many children can take part in my video call with Santa?
To keep your booking personal, we would recommend a maximum of 3-4 children per video call. Obviously, the more children taking part will mean less time per child talking with Santa, and the 10 minutes will fly by very quickly.
If you would like to make a booking with 4+ children, we would recommend booking two slots back to back to give Santa more time to make the call personal to everyone.
If you wish to book two slots for a larger family, please make sure the second booking follows on directly from the first - you can book on the hour and half past each hour, so for example if booking two slots you will need to book 11am & 11.30am / 12pm & 12.30pm / 2pm & 2.30pm, etc.
If two slots have been booked, we will run them back to back so that there are no interruptions in between. A double booking running back to back will last for approximately 20 minutes.
If you have made a double booking to run back to back please email
elf-workshop@visitsantaonline.co.uk to confirm, please include the date and times of your bookings.
Can I personalise my video call?
Yes, please do!
We would love you to provide as much detail as possible before your call so that we can make it a truly magical experience.
Please let us know your child's/children's name(s), age(s), hobbies, recent achievements, etc. at the time of booking. You can also email us (elf-workshop@visitsantaonline.co.uk) with any details or special requests before your booking (please give us as much notice as possible to prepare for this).
Shall we sign in earlier than our video call is due to start?
Your video call will begin promptly at the time you have booked, please sign in up to 5 minutes before your scheduled start time to avoid any delays. Santa will accept your sign in and will appear on screen at the time of your booking.
If you are late to the start of your call we will still need to finish at the scheduled time as we will have other families waiting, so you will unfortunately have a shorter experience. No refunds - full or partial - will be given if you arrive late to your booking.
What if I miss my video call with Santa or need to reschedule?
Please give us at least 24 hour's notice if you need to reschedule your booking, we will do our very best to offer you an alternative date/time that suits, but this depends on our availability.
Cancellations with less than 24 hours notice, and missed sessions (no shows) will be subject to the full fee and will not be refunded. As you know, this is a very busy time of year for Santa and he has set the time aside to see you.
From what age are the Christmas Eve boxes suitable for?
Due to some small parts, our Christmas Eve boxes are suitable for children who still believe aged 3 and up.
Can family members from different households join in on the same call?
Yes! Family members from other households are more than welcome to join your call so that you can all experience the magic together!
You will need to share the log in information that we email to you with anyone you would like to join.
Please notify us at the time of booking, or via email (elf-workshop@visitsantaonline.co.uk), if you have invited other households to join you. We will need to know how many devices will be requesting access to your video call so that Santa can grant them access to the session once they've logged in.