Grand Canyon Railway’s Polar Express SOLD OUT: Now Accepting Reservations for the 2006 Polar Express
FLAGSTAFF, ARIZ. - Grand Canyon Railway's 2005 presentation of The Polar Express has sold out - selling approximately 65,000 tickets. Grand Canyon Railway is accepting advance reservations for the 2006 Polar Express season and highly encourages reservations now, as some weekends in 2006 are already filling up! This is the fifth year that Grand Canyon Railway will bring the magic of the classic children's book by Chris Van Allsburg to life. What began as a weekend adventure with 5,600 people has grown into one of Arizona's most treasured holiday traditions with approximately 65,000 people traveling aboard Polar Express in 2005. "We add something new each year to enhance the experience," said Robert LaCivita, Polar Express committee chair and executive vice president of Grand Canyon Railway. "This year, we've expanded our holiday decorations at the Grand Canyon Railway campus and are further enhancing our North Pole with an Aurora Borealis effect. It's going to be the most incredible season yet." The Railway's journey is a nighttime trip from Williams through the starlit wilderness to the "North Pole." Along the way, passengers are treated to a special reading of The Polar Express while enjoying hot chocolate and chocolate chip cookies. Once at the "North Pole" - a Christmas light village featuring an Aurora Borealis - Santa Claus and his reindeer welcome passengers before boarding the Polar Express for the return trip to Williams. Once on board, Santa makes his way through the train, greeting every child and presenting each one with a special gift - a jingle bell signifying their belief in Santa Claus. Grand Canyon Railway's 2005 Polar Express kicked off Nov. 10 and continues select evenings through Jan. 7. The round trip journey is approximately an hour in length. Most evenings, Grand Canyon Railway offers two Polar Express trains, with one departing Williams Depot at 6:30 p.m. and a second at 8 p.m. Grand Canyon Railway is booking advance reservations for the 2006 season. With the flexibility of changing travel dates through March 2006, now is the perfect time to secure seats for the 2006 Polar Express. Reservations can be made by calling 1-800-THE-TRAIN. Families still interested in a wintertime experience aboard Grand Canyon Railway should consider traveling this January and February. Book any Grand Canyon Railway package and receive 50% off the cost of a train upgrade. Recreating the historic trip by rail to the South Rim, Grand Canyon Railway covers 65 miles of classic Old West territory, including high desert plains with endless vistas, small arroyos and portions of the world's largest ponderosa pine forest. Grand Canyon Railway operates daily train service between Williams, Ariz. and the Grand Canyon. The Railway offers five distinct classes of service, as well as money-saving packages featuring the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel in Williams. Overnight stays at the Grand Canyon also can be included in the packages. Grand Canyon Railway is an authorized concessionaire of the National Park Service and the Kaibab National Forest. For more information on The Polar Express and Grand Canyon Railway, visit www.TheTrain.com or call 1-800-THE-TRAIN (1-800-843-8724).
