We took my 3 year old niece and she had a blast. She and the other kids on the train were geeking out with excitement when we got to the North Pole.
The guy playing Santa had a real white beard and did a phenomenal job. He worked the entire train car and made sure to stop at every group.
The bells Santa hands out are higher quality than I expected, I'm keeping mine and looked around the train when we left hoping to find a discarded one, no luck.
The gift shop was cheaper than expected too. We got two large polar express coffee mugs for $6 each. I'm drinking out of one right now.
Based on other reviews I'm glad we got the cheap tickets. Just get the cheapest tickets and enjoy.
We went at night: this seems to be key as well. I had driven past the 'North Pole' set up several times during the day. From the road in daylight it looks small but from the train (closer than the road) at night it looked pretty magical. Well lit up, and happy elves jumping around and waving at the train.
Someone else had complained the North Pole is not real and there was no snow. Obviously it's not real; maybe it's time to tell your 6yr old the truth. It would have been more fun with snow but people can't control the weather and I wouldn't want them littering a marshy area with styrofoam or batting or whatever one would use to make fake snow.
Also if you have not been on a train before note: it's not possible to seat large groups all together on a standard passenger train. We were a group of 7 and for two seating areas across from each other. This was fine and expected.
I agree the story over the loud speakers could be louder. I could barely hear it. But we all know if it was louder someone else would be complaining that it was too loud and messed with grandpas hearing aid.
I agree the ticket area is pretty chaotic and crowded, but it's a bunch of people and their kids. When your crowded in a room with other people's kids it's going to be a little annoying. Your not in there for long though.
Would I do it again, well no, because our family only has the one kid and we took her, but it was well worth doing and an enjoyable night.
It did remind me how awesome it would have been if Wisconsin had accepted the federal grant money to build the train connecting Madison to Milwaukee and Chicago; it would have been running now.