Santa’s Flight Academy, which opened in mid-November at Fair Oaks Mall, is a brand-new holiday experience that lets children save Christmas day and ensure all presents safely arrive to their destinations.
The experience, which is free, begins with registering each child into the Academy. Registration is available at the mall or online, but because lines could be long, parents may want to preregister online to speed up the process.
Several of Santa’s on-site helpers will guide children through the whole experience, which begins with the child receiving an official flight crew badge with his or her name and a virtual flight suit. Then they inspect Santa’s sleigh for takeoff and perform other checks to make sure that all of the presents get delivered. Santa’s Flight Academy concludes with a snowfall dance party inside a 22-foot-tall sleigh before the kids get to meet Santa himself, who will thank them for saving the day. Various photo packages will be available for purchase.
“It is so rewarding seeing kids go through, and at the end, their faces light up because they’ve now saved Christmas, they’ve helped Santa with his sleigh, and now they get to see Santa,” says Teresa Truong-Chea, Fair Oaks Mall’s marketing and sponsorship director.
Fair Oaks Mall hopes the interactive experience will be featured for years to come. “We really hope it takes off,” says Truong-Chea.
Santa’s Flight Academy joins Fair Oaks’ other annual holiday-themed events, including the pet-friendly Santa Paws and the Sensory Santa event geared toward children with autism.
Santa’s Flight Academy is open at Fair Oaks Mall until Dec. 24.
