Santa’s Wonderland at Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s has been an annual tradition for our family since we had kids. You can’t beat a free picture with Santa, and we love all of the extra free activities like the shooting games, toys, crafts, and candy canes!
Over the years we have visited both Bass Pro Shop in Cary and Cabela’s in Garner. They are now owned by the same company and both participate in Santa’s Wonderland. However, some of the activities may be a little different between the two, so heads up that this review is based on the Cabela’s location in Garner.
This year is a little bit different than what we’ve experienced before, but our visit was just as magical. In fact, I daresay the lack of crowds and lines made it even better! Read on to hear more about our visit with pandemic Santa! 😂
Reserve your spot in advance
The biggest change this year is that you must reserve your time with Santa online in advance. No waiting in long lines for hours to see the big man in red! This is by far the most welcome change, because in years past you never knew how long you would have to wait.
One downside of the reservation system is that it only lets you book a week out. You can’t reserve further than 6 days in advance, so I was counting down the days to reserve the time I wanted. The good news is that if you are looking to visit earlier in the month, you’ll probably be fine. But the closer you get to Christmas the more likely the time slots are going to fill up.
Free activities
Santa’s wonderland is a lot smaller this year, with only a few activities. Gone are the remote control trucks, ball pit, and lincoln logs. All you’ll find this year is the electronic shooting range and archery duck game (Cabela’s location).
At the electronic shooting range an attendant was cleaning the guns between use. You’ll have a few minutes to try and shoot as many targets as you can.
Over at the archery station there wasn’t an attendant, but there were disinfecting wipes available for personal use. You can use the suction cup arrows to shoot at duck cutouts that will fall over when hit. My 6 year old did much better with the archery than the gun, and I think we might have to purchase one for some backyard play!
On our way out they did have a bucket of candy canes and a craft pack to take home. It’s up to you to grab it and there’s not really a sign or anything, so make sure you don’t miss it!
Safety precautions
Before you are allowed to enter the Santa area, you must check in with the attendant and have your temperature taken. Masks are required for those age 5 and up, but may be removed for your Santa pictures.
Santa is located behind a sheet of plexiglass and is wearing a face shield. They ask that you first sit on the step in front of Santa to take your picture, and then afterwards you can step to the side to actually speak to him. The kids had a longer time than usual to visit with Santa and tell him what they wanted for Christmas. It felt much less rushed than normal!
New this year since there are no crowds, the attendant took lots of pictures and let us pick which one we wanted! It was much appreciated since my 4 year old didn’t actually smile until the last photo.
Explore the store
After your visit with Santa, make sure to visit the rest of the store! Our favorite spots are the large fish tank and the interactive taxidermy display. You can press buttons to learn about the animals shown, and hear what sounds they make. We also make sure to take a pit stop at the clearance section where we always find some great deals!
The front of the store is also fully decked out for Christmas, and you can enjoy sitting by the fireplace in the comfy chairs.
Stop by Carolina Ale House for Kids meal deals on Tuesdays!
One of the most exciting finds of the night was kids night at Carolina Ale House, which is in the same parking lot as Cabela’s! We just happened to be there on a Tuesday when kids meals are only 99¢! The portion sizes are huge, so it actually fed our kids the next day too! It’s such a great deal if you have hungry kids!
If you’re looking for more holiday fun, make sure to book a time slot to drive through Fieldstream farm festival of lights! It’s only about 15 minutes from Cabela’s and is a great light display with all of your favorite characters lit up in lights!