World of Illumination Reindeer Road Review

Reindeer Road is a merrily magical journey through a winter wonderland on your way to Santa’s Workshop. Check out my review of World of Illumination Reindeer Road here.

A special thanks to World of Illumination for hosting us on opening night of Reindeer Road in Marietta. As always, all opinions are my own.

Take a drive through this musical holiday light show for a prancing’ start to the season! My review will tell you everything you need to know about visiting the World of Illumination Reindeer Road light show.

What is World of Illumination?

World of Illumination is billed as the world’s largest drive-through animated light show. They create uniquely themed drive-through light displays for an unforgettable experience.

They started in 2019 with only two light displays in Arizona. This year, they have 6 different shows in 6 locations including Georgia, Arizona, Nevada, Illinois and Utah.

Each year, they rotate the displays so you can have a new experience. They have themes like Rockin’ Christmas, Cosmic Sleighride, Arctic Adventure, Candy Rush, and Enchanted Safari.

Reindeer Road Animated Light Show

World of Illumination‘s Reindeer Road is a mile-long trek through snowy mountain scenes, a glacial wonderland, and northern ice caves as you make your way to the heart of the North Pole — Santa’s Workshop.

Tickets and Getting There

Tickets cost $39.99 per car on Tuesdays-Thursdays and $49.99 per car on Fridays-Sundays and holidays. You can purchase tickets online and at the gate. Use promo code WOI2023 for 15% off weekday tickets from November 15, 2023 through December 14, 2023!

The gates don’t open until 6 p.m. So if you arrive early for your 6 p.m. ticket, you’ll have to sit outside the gates.

From there, you’ll drive through a long lane before coming to a split between ticket holders and those who still need to purchase tickets. For those with tickets, you’ll be directed to one of many lanes to have your ticket scanned for entry.

What You’ll See During Reindeer Road

Once you’ve scanned your ticket, you’ll tune your radio to the specified station, turn off your headlights, and drive at 3 mph through the world’s largest drive-thru animated light show.

Reindeer Road is like a journey to the North Pole. You’ll drive through various winter scenes, like a mountain terrain, ice caves, and forests, and pass reindeer, snowmen, and elves on your way to Santa’s Workshop. Once you’ve reached the Workshop, the displays will change to toys and presents.

All the lights are synchronized to the music on the radio. And the music playing is cool music that the kids will love.

There are only a few songs, so you’ll likely hear them multiple times on your trip through. When the show resets, the lights and music go dark for a few seconds before starting over at the beginning again.

On select nights, Santa sits in a comfy chair in the middle by the giant Christmas trees. He waves and “Ho ho ho’s” while you drive past. Sometimes elves will be there to take his place if Santa is busy in the workshop that night — this is a busy time for him, after all.

Depending on how fast or slow you drive, or how crowded it is when you visit, it can take anywhere from 15-30 minutes to go through the light show. It took us about 30 minutes this year.

Tips for Visiting Reindeer Road

• Weekends and holidays are the busiest times. During the busy season, you can expect longer wait times. Pre-Thanksgiving on a weeknight is probably the best time to go for no wait. (It’s also cheaper!)
• If you really don’t want to wait, book a 6 p.m. ticket. We had only 3 cars in front of us right at 6 p.m.
• There is a bathroom pull-off just before you scan your tickets.
• Since tickets are priced per car, feel free to (safely) pack your car with friends and family and split the cost.
• Please don’t stop in the middle; the slow speed limit gives you plenty of time to enjoy the lights. When you stop, you’re causing the people who haven’t gone through yet to wait even longer.

More Festive Holiday Events

Get into the holiday spirit with these top festive events.

• License to Chill Snow Island at Margaritaville is Full of Winter Fun
• 22 Magical Holiday Events in Georgia This Season
• 14 Incredible Holiday Light Displays in Georgia
• Where to Go Outdoor Ice Skating in Atlanta, Georgia

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Ready to take a vacation? Plan your trip with these tips.

• Find cheap accommodation: Use my tips for finding cheap accommodation for travel every time.
• Book your flight: Find the cheapest flights using Skyscanner, my favorite flight search engine.
• Pack for your vacation: Make sure you’ve packed everything you need by checking out my packing list resources.

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Cheers!

Paige

Have you experienced World of Illumination Reindeer Road? Let me know what you thought of this drive-thru animated light show in the comments!