August 15, 2007 - Grand Canyon Railway’s The Polar Express™ Tickets 48 Percent Sold
WILLIAMS, AZ. - Tickets for Grand Canyon Railway’s 2007 presentation of The Polar Express™ are going fast. As of July 31, 2007, approximately 48 percent of the available tickets for The Polar Express™ have already been sold.
This is the seventh 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 an anticipated 75,000 people traveling aboard The Polar Express™ in 2007.
“The Polar Express has become a beloved holiday tradition for many families, and we sell out earlier and earlier each year,” said W. David Chambers, president of Grand Canyon Railway. “If families are considering a trip aboard The Polar Express in 2007, we highly encourage them to book the trip now to guarantee a spot.”
At this time, weekend trips are still available, but are booking fast.
The Railway's journey closely follows The Polar Express book, and 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. After boarding the train, Santa makes his way through the historic Pullman passenger cars, greeting every child and presenting each one with a special gift – a jingle bell signifying their belief in Santa Claus.
Grand Canyon Railway’s The Polar Express™ kicks off Nov. 8, 2007 and continues select evenings through Jan. 12, 2008. The round trip journey is a little more than an hour in length. Most evenings, Grand Canyon Railway offers two trains, with one departing Williams Depot at 6:30 p.m. and a second train departing at 8 p.m.
Tickets for the 2007 season of The Polar Express™ are still available. Passengers are encouraged to book now for the best chance to secure their preferred travel dates. Tickets are $26 for adults and $14 for children. Packages start as low as $289 for two adults and two children, and include the trip The Polar Express™, one-night stay at the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel, breakfast and dinner at Max and Thelma’s Restaurant and a $10 retail gift certificate per adult (package price is based on adult double occupancy and does not include tax). Reservations can be made by calling 1-800-THE-TRAIN.
Families can also add a wintertime Grand Canyon experience aboard Grand Canyon Railway, which returns well in advance of the 6:30 p.m. The Polar Express™ train. 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 concessioner of the National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service. For more information, visit www.thetrain.com or call 1-800-THE-TRAIN (1-800-843-8724).
The Grand Canyon Railway is operated by Xanterra Parks & Resorts.
Xanterra Parks & Resorts® (consisting of Xanterra Parks & Resorts, Inc., Grand Canyon Railway, L.L.C., Grand Canyon Railway Hotel, L.L.C., and Xanterra South Rim, L.L.C.) operates lodges, restaurants and other concessions at national parks and state parks and resorts. Xanterra Parks & Resorts is the country's largest park concessioner. Xanterra operates concessions in the following locations: Yellowstone, the North Rim of Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Zion, Crater Lake, Death Valley, Rocky Mountain and Petrified Forest National Parks, and Mount Rushmore National Memorial; and at the Silverado Resort in Napa, Calif.; Gideon Putnam Resort and Spa in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. and eight Ohio State Parks. Its affiliate Xanterra South Rim, L.L.C. operates concessions at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Xanterra’s Grand Canyon Railway affiliates own and operate the Grand Canyon Railway and Hotel in Williams, Ariz.
Long committed to the preservation and protection of the environment, Ecologix, Xanterra Parks & Resorts' environmental program, includes a variety of proactive environmental stewardship programs in each location. Xanterra has been repeatedly recognized for its environmental leadership in the hospitality industry and is the recipient of many honors, including major awards from the U.S. Department of the Interior, Environmental Protection Agency, Travel Industry Association, Colorado Department of Public Health, State of Arizona, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and Utah Department of Environmental Quality.
For more information about Xanterra, links to individual properties and reservations numbers, visit www.xanterra.com.
Xanterra Parks & Resorts
6312 S. Fiddlers Green Circle
Suite 600 North
Greenwood Village, Co 80111
