LaplandUK: The Family-run, Berkshire-based Business Built on Christmas Magic
LaplandUK’s purpose is to honour childhood by allowing imagination to run wild, and creating memories that will last a lifetime. It is an immersive reinvention of the Father Christmas story, bringing families into the Elven world and fusing spectacular with film set. Since it began, fifteen years ago, family-run, Berkshire-based, LaplandUK has become Britain’s most popular and successful Father Christmas experience. And the business only opens its doors to the public for 43 days each year!
Mike and Alison Battle created the immersive magical world of LaplandUK for their own four sons, three of whom now work for the business. With an initial investment budget of £1million, and risking their own home, they were determined to create something truly inspirational, to capture the hearts and minds of children and adults alike.
Their determination (and Christmas spirit) paid off. And whilst LaplandUK is a firm favourite with Royals and A-listers, regardless of title, every child who visits is treated the same, and every child leaves smiling; full of awe and wonder.
Each year, the LaplandUK site, which includes a secret portal to the arctic world, the toy factory, Elven village, ice rink, post office, Mother Christmas’ kitchen, and - of course - Father Christmas’ house, is built from scratch by Hollywood film set builders, and then the pine woodland setting is restored back to its original state at the end of the festive season.
“Our reality theatre is all about the attention to detail,” explain Mike and Alison Battle “, everything is carefully considered, sourced or crafted. You won’t find any plastic or resin on our site. We add moss to the roof, we source genuine children’s letters to Father Christmas, and we go antiquing to find the perfect accessories and furnishing items for the set - it all has to be as authentic as possible . LaplandUK is completely reimagining and reinventing what a visit to see Father Christmas for a child of believing age could be. The scale and quality of the production reflects the value the couple place in a child’s fleeting belief in Father Christmas”.
LaplandUK employs over 700 staff throughout their working season (June-December), and through 2020/21 seasons, many of these have been former West End performers, whose work was curtailed by pandemic closures. The immersive experience of LaplandUK is word-perfect, and children know and recognise the characters of the cast.
Mike and Alison Battle explain: “The 2020 lockdown and its effect on our business was biblical, we faced challenges at every twist and turn. We vowed to do everything to keep our experience alive and we pulled out all the stops to put on one last show safely before restrictions hit us last year. We feel that we have a responsibility to preserve the precious relationship between Father Christmas and the children who visit LaplandUK, and this has always been the business vision, regardless of a global pandemic. The challenges of 2020 pushed us to come back stronger, more resilient and more determined in 2021, and the entire team is spurred on by the impact that we make on the lives of children and families.”
LaplandUK also has a commitment to children with additional needs, and their Superstar Days allow them to extend complimentary invitations from Father Christmas to children in hospital, or those with physical or mental challenges.
ENDS