My son is a huge Thomas fan. He plays with his train tracks every day, his favorite color is “Thomas” blue, and if you see us at the library we are sitting in the Thomas section or reading about trains. Given his love for trains and Thomas, hubby and I surprised him with a Day Out With Thomas through LM&M railroad in Lebanon, Ohio. I learned a valuable lesson that day, and it is to not surprise my son. He likes to be prepared. He didn’t even want to get on the train because he was scared and knew it wasn’t the *real* Thomas (because he didn’t talk or move his eyes).
When we arrived we parked at a meter. Meters were free on Sunday and if you were willing to walk a couple of blocks, you could have found a parking space fairly easily. The event was also offering parking. Literally a block down from where we parked they were charging $5/car to park. I am not a fan of paying fees for parking. I understand it is a necessary evil, but c’mon, a block up there was FREE parking! Just sayin’…
We took a short walk to where the tents were set up, and lots of people. They had a tent with picnic tables and entertainment (major 
highlight: when we were there kids’ musician Zak Morgan was playing), a tent with a couple of tables of train tables set up for kids to play, and a food cart with hot dogs and chips. THEN there was the souvenir tent, and I also call this tent “The Destroyer of a Perfectly Good Day.”
The tent was filled with shiny boxes and promises of fun to be had – but, only if mom and dad were willing to shell out big bucks for the same toys found on Amazon for 1/2 the cost. This tent caused so many tears for my kids and ME. It would have been nice if Day Out With Thomas gave patrons a discount on toys – I mean, this is a special event that has to make a mint. Also, I paid $20/ticket for a 20 minute ride on an old train that took us through – get this – a scenic route through people’s backyards, some laden with trash.
Okay, okay, I am being pretty hard on this event. I guess I just expected more magic and less “buy stuff,” and even perhaps a more scenic or longer train ride that had some Thomas-themed fun on board. Their photographers even got in the way if you tried to get a shot of your kid in front of Thomas, but I did anyhow.
My kids had a blast, though. My son was eventually excited to take the train ride, and my 5 year old girl bought into the fake Thomas as soon as she saw him. I am certain the kids didn’t see the trash, or the commercialism. We tried not to complain in front of them, and some of it I should have expected, too. And really, it was worth it to see my little ones having so much fun.
LM&M in Lebanon isn’t the only railroad that hosts the Day Out With Thomas event. If you want a more positive write-up about Day Out With Thomas (this one is up North), check out this post from Akron Mommies: Is a Day Out With Thomas Worth It?
If you plan to do an event such as Day Out With Thomas or Polar Express, here are a few tips:
- Look for a coupon code. Don’t pay full price for a ticket if you can help it.
- Plan to eat before or after the event.
- Souvenirs are expensive.
- Be prepared for port-o-potties.
- Know your kids won’t want to leave – tell them they have a set time to go or have bribery in your back pocket.
- Book tickets in advance. These events sell out.
We took our two-year-old to one in May at Cuyahoga Valley and the scenic railway there (luckily we seemed to have better scenery than you – no trash, all woods). Totally agree about the overpriced toys. We were conned into buying a few things and almost all of them were of such poor quality that they broke. Our $10 mylar balloon lasted about an hour before it popped, the cup/straw lid was too loose and the tote bag had a rip in it. Still – he loved it all. Ours had three different bouncy houses too, face painting, magician, etc. The train ride was really pretty secondary for him but we liked it (just to sit and relax for a minute). I did like how they had various adult and kid train sets set up and the kiddie ones were touchable. Not a cheap day but a fun day. We took lots of photos and we still talk about it.
I had very similar feelings about our third trip to Thomas in Lebanon this year, and not sure if we’ll be returning. It’s even gone a bit downhill since the first two years years we’ve gone. My son, sensitive to some noises, actually did not want to ride Thomas previously so we saved a lot of money and just checked out the activities (I understand probably not an option for most people, but maybe one a few parents maybe with young toddlers or babies could try to save a little money…they do not require proof of purchase for the activities and the railroad itself initially gave us the suggestion). We did eat and shop the tent those years. This year he did ask to ride the train, so we did. I was taken slightly aback when a few adults mentioned that for some reason they didn’t get a “real” ticket (only a receipt) and the staff went around the train asking people if they’d like to keep their ticket or give them up to the other parents. I’m all for helping out, but due to the price everyone paid I thought maybe there was a more appropriate solution (like getting extras at the station) than to solicit other passengers who also wanted to keep a little token of the day with their children. Not a huge deal, I know, but still. Also not a huge deal, but we got a cute little reusable tote this time and after purchase I noticed it said “I spent a day with Thomas 2010”. LOL. Well I guess we did last year also, so that’s ok. I also think Zak Morgan is an outstanding performer for children, so I was very glad they had him return this year! I appreciate your honesty with this event, C-bus Mom, and glad I’m not the only one who just didn’t think the magic was quite there. With some work, I think it could be. A bit of a drive from Columbus, but I would also like to suggest to you and your followers EnterTRAINment Junction not far from the Lebanon in West Chester. While a bit pricey also (but slightly little less than Thomas) this place is very fun for train (and even non-train) lovers and I think has some of that magic and sparkle! It’s a family favorite of ours.
Our kids loved the train ride and the bouncy houses; the adults were overwhelmed by all of the traps of disappointment (lines for nothing interesting, expensive everythings). We were at least prepared – I had stopped by the party supply store in Columbus before going and picked up all manner of fun Thomas things for super cheap. We didn’t give them to the kids until we got there so it was a win for everyone. Perhaps we should set up a cheap souvenir stand right on the border so that parents don’t have to feel bad and kids can feel magic without it being limited.
I took my son to the Day out with Thomas events in Cuyahoga and Lebanon this year. The same activities were offered at both locations, but the Cuyahoga seemed more put together and the train ride was more scenic. Both locations made it hard to avoid the gigantic toy tent.