It’s 5 p.m. on Thursday in Tropical Park and hundreds of families are crowding a blue neon sign welcoming them to the opening of “Christmas Wonderland.” Multiple LED screens show scenes of snowmen and festive lights. “Santa Baby” and “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” blare through speakers.
Familiar scents of food such as funnel cake, fried Oreos, and cotton candy fill the air as 38-year-old Edward Gonzalez squeezes through with his wife Karina Perez and their baby girl.
“What I’m most interested in is the lights, the decorations and to see what type of food they got, really,” said Gonzalez. *anything more
Christmas Wonderland, which opened Thursday night and will remain until January 5, 2025, drew a huge crowd on its first night and satisfied most with rides, carnival games, and sometimes greasy but decidedly wonderful treats. On the same site where Sanmta’s Enchanted Forest delighted families for decades, the attraction is overseen by Wynwood genius Tony Albelo, who is pushing to build on one of the area’s most long-lived and loved holiday traditions.
Everything wasn’t candy canes and merry-go-rounds, though. Standstill traffic and the huge crowds forced Albelo and his team to close the place when it reached maximum capacity.
“In an abundance of caution, we made the decision to close the Park when it reached capacity as the safety of our guests and staff is the top priority,” management wrote in a statement published on its Instagram. “Our team is committed to delivering an optimal and safe holiday experience for the community,”
Santa’s Enchanted Forest originally started back in 1983 with just a few rides. The next year that changed with the addition of more rides. Even more were added over time, including a giant ferris wheel, to keep guests and families entertained.
The park grew over the years both in popularity and number of rides until 2020, when Miami-Dade decided not to renew its lease. Officials aimed to replace what some thought was a tired tradition.
Lawsuits followed and Santa’s Enchanted Forest reopened at Hialeah Park in 2021, then in Medley the next year.
Meanwhile, Albelo who had created the once-popular Wynwood Life Festival and Wynwood Marketplace, decided to focus on a new restart for the Christmas celebration.
“We thought that we can do something like that in Tropical Park, that was maybe a little bit more Miami with rides but also heavy on the holiday side,” he said.
Christmas Wonderland opened its doors on November 17, 2023. Hundreds of people had arrived to see the new replacement for Santa’s Enchanted Forest with it being a success upon walking into the festive world.
It took over this year as Santa’s Enchanted Forest decided to not reopen.
Christmas Wonderland offers a variety of rides, games, shows, seasonal displays, as well as traditional photos with Santa Claus. There’s a lineup of captivating shows, from elf-themed acrobatics to shooting Santa Claus out of a stunt cannon.
Albelo who has two 14-year-old daughters, has tried to create a park that is safe for them to meet their friends and have a fun time.
While planning the attraction, he says, “I would say ‘Hey, would my daughters come to this?’” Albelo mentioned. “We would then re-center the vision going forward.”
On Thursday, approaching the entrance of the park, some of the guests shared their expectations and past feelings going forward.
Claudia Prado, 39, loved the attraction but made the transition.
“I used to be in Santa’s Enchanted Forest like three years ago and it was really nice when it was in Tropical Park, but for now we love this place, Christmas Wonderland,” Prado said.
Edward Gonzalez, 38, had loved a few things around the attraction that had made his experience special.
“The food choices were great and I enjoyed the plenty of activities for the kids.” Gonzalez said.
When discussing plans for fixing the apparent parking issue that occurred on opening night, Tony Albelo mentioned a plan to deal with it.
“We make sure to have an abundance of participants such as the police to make sure they get can into the park easier,” Albelo said.
The park will be open from November 14 to January 5. The hours of operation are 5 to 11 p.m. on Mondays through Thursdays, 5 p.m. to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, and 3 to 10 p.m. on Sundays.
Prices range from $39 for adults and children from 11 years old and $29 for ages 10 and under.
“We’ve been talking about adding more interactive elements.” Albelo said when discussing future installments to the park’s longevity. “Integrating technology throughout the park that is personalized, and how we can use technology that way.”
Tickets and FAQs can be viewed on Christmas Wonderland’s website.
