Magical Express Yankee Trails is a transportation service that operates between Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and Albany, New York. This service allows passengers to travel conveniently and comfortably between these two destinations. The main highlight of the Magical Express Yankee Trails service is its utmost convenience for travelers. Passengers can simply book their tickets online or through a travel agent and then arrive at the designated pick-up location to board the luxury motorcoach. The service offers various amenities to make the journey enjoyable. The plush seating and ample legroom ensure a comfortable ride, while the climate control system keeps the temperature just right.

Santa's Magical Express presented by Yankee Trails

Finding twenty dollars in your washing machine feels a little like Christmas and can cause ear-to-ear grins, much like the look that will be squarely placed on your child’s face when you cash in on this great deal good for 2 tickets to Santa’s Magical Express presented by Yankee Trails™ (Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday), a $88 value, yours for only $44!

Rediscover the wonder and enchantment of the holiday as you watch your little one witness a production that’s sure to leave all filled with the spirit of the season. Santa’s Magical Express will keep your child thoroughly entertained from start to finish with holiday treats, decorating their very own Santa hat to keep, having a free photo taken AND personally delivering their letter to the white-bearded fellow himself. Any Christmas tale wouldn’t be complete without appearances by Ebenezer Scrooge and Frosty the Snowman, plus participants will learn where the precocious Jack Frost spirited Santa’s Magical Hat off to. All of this, part of their 90-minute holiday experience unlike anything you've ever seen! And, if they’re lucky, they just might discover the true meaning of Christmas.

Fine Print

Valid during the 2018 season through 12/23/18. All shows subject to availability. Offer not valid with online reservations. Reservations by phone (518-286-2400) or in person at their Rensselaer office. Merchant will abide by gift certificate state laws. No cash or credit back. Each certificate must be used in one visit. Not valid on tax or gratuity. Limit one certificate per visit. Certificate cannot be used in conjunction with any other certificate, coupon, special or promotion.

All aboard Santa's Magical Express! It's the show of the holiday season

Yankee Trails makes it easy for you to find tickets for Santa's Magical Express that are perfect for your family.

Are you looking for a fun family activity this holiday season? Join Santa, Mrs. Claus, and their elves on Santa's Magical Express by Yankee Trails for a quest to save Christmas!

Santa's Magical Express starts as soon as you arrive at Yankee Trails. Cheerful elves are in the vestibule of the building waiting to greet you and help you check in. Once your family is checked in, you'll carry your ticket out to the double decker trolley, which will take you down to Santa's Magical Workshop. On the way down to the Magical Workshop, you'll pass through a whimsical light display full of your favorite Christmas characters.

Once you reach Santa's Magical Workshop, you are transported to a land far away, one where Santa is there to greet you and meet with all the best kids. In the Magical Workshop, kids and adults alike have the chance to decorate their magic Santa hats, write their Christmas list and send it off to the North Pole, and meet Santa and take a photo with him. Once everyone has had the chance to do that, the show kicks off and things get even more fun!

While on Santa's Magical Express, you'll meet some of Santa's best friends, including Mrs. Claus, Winky the Elf, Ebenezer Scrooge, and Frosty the Snowman. You might be on a race to save Christmas, but that doesn't mean there isn't some fun and singing involved too! We don't want to spoil all the magic, so the ending is a surprise. Get your tickets and see the show to find out what happens!

Santa's Magical Express is truly a fun holiday experience for the young and young at heart, and you will leave full of Christmas cheer, milk, and cookies! It's the perfect holiday tradition for families to start this year and is perfect for kids as young as 3 years old. Over the 10 years that the show has been running, the cast and crew have worked hard to add new and surprising effects to the show.

This year, even more magic has been added, and there are new interactive animations involved in the show as well. The show runs right after Thanksgiving and ends right before Christmas. There are departures from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday through Sunday from Yankee Trails in Rensselaer. There's also an option to get tickets for Santa's Magical Express on Tour, where you can depart from Colonie Center. Yankee Trails makes it easy for you to find tickets that are perfect for your family.

To learn more about ticket options, visit the Santa's Magical Express section of their website for details.

Spreading Christmas cheer at Santa’s Magical Express

RENSSAELER, N.Y. — Santa’s Magical Express departed from Yankee Trails on Tuesday for its final dress rehearsal.

The show, which takes place both on and off a Yankee Trails bus, is on its 12th season and runs from Black Friday till Christmas Eve.

“It is my favorite thing to do at Christmas time,” said Elf Candy Cane, (also known as Connie Reuhauser) who runs the front desk and designs all the costumes. “We love what we do especially this night… (we’re) excited to get the year started.”

The show recruits “Elves in Training” to Santa’s Workshop at Yankee Trails where they can meet Santa and write their Christmas letters. But Jack Frost — who caused quite the late November storm Tuesday night — is up to some hijinks that send the new Elves in Training on a quest to save Christmas.

Sprinkle, Santa and Mrs. Claus. (Erica Bouska – MediaNews Group)

The show, Yankee Trails President Stephen Tobin said, started after his sister Erin wrote a book about Christmas that they wanted to bring to life. After its kickoff in 2012, Tobin said they’ve had around 75,000 guests in the past 12 years.

“We kind of combined the Yankee Trails vehicles with her story,” he said. “It’s awesome.”

Several businesses and organizations in the community sponsor and provide lights (or locations) for the show including Market 32, Price Chopper, Garelick Farms and more. Some of them even provide a little treat during the 100-minute show.

Even though Tuesday was a dress rehearsal that was not without its small kinks, the workers and actors (all with their own elf names and backstories) were quick on their feet, adaptable and engaged throughout the show. And from music choices—like Scrooge’s ‘Ice, Ice Baby’ parody—to some winking references—the head elf used to work in the sanitation department—the show never ignores the adults in the room.

The final dress rehearsal is not empty buses either. The seats were filled with families from the Albany Children’s Medical Center and Bus Stop Club—a local charity that supports children who have siblings with special needs or chronic illness

Bus Stop Club Executive Director Angela Tobin said Santa’s Magical Express has donated tickets to them since the show started. Since some events can be too much for some of the children’s siblings, Tobin said this is one that is a safe environment for all.

“No one’s nervous about going on it,” she said. “Our families, most of them probably wouldn’t be able to do something like this, and it’s just an incredible night, and they look forward to it every single year.”

This year also features a new addition to the magical fleet, a 60-minute “On Tour” version of the show that leaves from Crossgates Mall. This shorter version only has four showtimes: 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. on both Dec. 9 and 16.

Elf Pickles (Fallon) and Elf Juniper (Marlena) in Santa’s Workshop. (Erica Bouska – MediaNews Group)

The whole experience, from driving into the lit-up parking lot to singing “Frosty the Snowman” on the bus, is made to encourage the Christmas spirit. Even the special magic words that Santa teaches the Elves in Training are “spread Christmas cheer, throughout the year” (just don’t tell Jack Frost).

The operation has expanded greatly since it started, said Reuhauser, increasing from five workers in 2012 to about 55 this year. She’s been part of the operation since it started after a friend asked her to make the costumes. The next year she became Candy Cane and has done it ever since.

Talking to several people there, the connection and feeling of an elf family is apparent. Snuggles joined this year because her husband auditioned for Santa Claus. Tinsel, 107 years old and Santa’s top decorator, is in her third year and started because she got a text from Renhauser asking what she was doing that afternoon. Even Candy Cane’s grandaughter, Juniper, is helping this year.

“It’s just so much fun,” said Tinsel. “We all get to make our own backstory, and the kids eat it right up.”

Several of the people are actors from the Capital District, like Snuggles, Scrooge and the Claus’, but some like Tinsel are just there because they enjoy telling silly stories and spreading Christmas cheer to the children and families that come by.

Snuggles and Candy Cane checking in guests. (Erica Bouska – MediaNews Group)

“We really enjoy it,” said Renhauser.

The showtimes start from 5 p.m. to 7:40 p.m. on weekdays and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends with both regular and discounted shows almost every night. Tickets can be bought at santasmagicalexpress.com.

But if you’re looking to ride the express you have to be able to answer all three of Candy Cane’s Christmas questions:

“Do you like cookies?”

“Do you like to sing songs?”

“Are you on the nice list this year?”

Magical express yankee trails

WE WANT YOU, and here is your chance to truly spread holiday magic.

Yankee Trails will host auditions for the premier holiday show in this area; Santa’s Magical Express!

Yankee Trails will host Auditions for Santa’s Magical Express, Wednesday and Thursday, October 4 and 5 at the Yankee Trails main office 569 3rd Avenue Extension, Rensselaer, NY 12144. This successful holiday production is now celebrating its 12 th year of entertaining thousands of children and their families in a multimedia and live holiday production that offers a unique holiday entertainment experience for the Capital Region.

We are looking for actors to fill various roles. Males and actors of ethnicity are strongly encouraged to audition. All auditioners must be 18 years old or older. There are a variety of roles in this production.

There will be an option to work anywhere from 1 to 4 nights per week. We operate — every Friday, Saturday and Sunday and Thursday 12/14 and 21 – beginning November 24 and ending December 23. All actors must have their own transportation to the performance venues in East Greenbush. Actors will be under contract and will be compensated upon successful completion of their contracted term.

Who should audition?

All genders and ethnicities are strongly encouraged to audition, as we are looking to fill a large cast of characters with great holiday spirit! All auditioners must be at least 18 years or older, and should have dependable transportation to the location in East Greenbush!

What to expect?

All actors will have the option to work anywhere from 1 to 4 nights per week (usually Thursday – Sunday, except for the week of Christmas), beginning November 24th, and ending December 23rd. Actors will be under contract and will be compensated upon successful completion of their contracted term (all hired actors will have to sign and comply with a code of conduct and work contract).

When are rehearsals?

Rehearsals will begin in October, with a few spaced out in November before our start date of November 22nd (full dress) and November 24th (first show). A full schedule will be available at auditions and some conflicts will be accepted.

What is Santa’s Magical Express?

It is a Highly interactive experience for both the actors and audience.
The opportunity to create a child’s Christmas memory that will last a lifetime is always available.
You will receive compensation for your time and effort.
No show is ever the same. You will be working with different casts and a live audience, which keeps every day exciting.
While the script is important to keep the story moving forward, improvisation and personalization is encouraged and necessary.

Where do I go for auditions?

Auditions will be held at the Yankee Trails main office 569 3rd Avenue Extension, Rensselaer, NY 12144, Wednesday October 4 and 5, with a sign-in at 6:00pm and auditions running from 6:30 to 8pm. Please just come to the main office for sign-in. For questions, please email the producer at [email protected] or send a text to him at (518)669-5414.

What should I expect at auditions?

Everyone will be welcomed with an overview of what Santa’s Magical Express is, including stipends, schedule and attendance requirements.

The auditions process will consist of:

Individual interview (simple conversational questions)
Side readings (provided at auditions)
Improv (we are looking for fun, festive, and creative individuals)
Please bring a list of all conflicts for October, November and December

Available Roles:

Santa; Adult Male; Beard, wig and costume provided. Strong knowledge of Christmas Folklore, current childrens’ fads/toys, improv. Must have a fun personality to carry the persona of the big man himself.

Elves; Male and Female (Holiday Spirit Runs Deep) Should be energetic and able to work well with children, good at improv as well as keeping the story moving forward. They are also good at time management as this will keep all actors on task.

Scrooge; Adult Male (able to be aged); After his visit from the Christmas Ghosts, changes his way and leaves the Banking business to pursue his career as a stand-up comedian. Great Comedic Timing, ability to improv, rapping required. Please prepare a little snippet of Ice Ice Baby by Vanilla Ice.

Winky; Head Elf of the North Pole, Energetic actor with good comedic skills. Will sing along with a track, singing ability is not required. Physically able to entertain the crowd on a moving bus.

Axl; Enjoying Stranger Things? So does Axl, a mullet sporting member of the “Chestnut Fire Club”, he is a new elf trying to find where he belongs in the workshop. While on his journey of exploration, he loses his way and the E.I.T.’s help him find where he belongs! Improv is important for this character and is open for many interpretations.

Frosty/Crystal; A non- speaking role, this person will need to be covered in full costume, they are animated and loved by all, think “Disney Character” at a theme park. They have to use movement to express emotions.

Here is your chance to truly spread holiday magic.

Reviews for "Magical Express: A Magical Experience with Yankee Trails"

1. Mike - 2/5 - I was really disappointed with Magical Express Yankee Trails. The service was subpar and the staff seemed disinterested. The buses were also overcrowded and uncomfortable. Overall, it was not the magical experience I was expecting.

2. Sarah - 1/5 - I had a terrible experience with Magical Express Yankee Trails. The buses were always late, which caused us to miss out on some of the attractions. Additionally, the staff was rude and unhelpful. It felt like they were just trying to get through the day and didn't care about providing a positive experience for the guests. I would not recommend this service to anyone.

3. John - 2/5 - I was really disappointed with the Magical Express Yankee Trails service. The bus we were on was dirty and in need of maintenance. The seats were uncomfortable and there was no legroom. The overall experience was far from magical and I wouldn't choose this service again.

4. Lisa - 3/5 - I had mixed feelings about Magical Express Yankee Trails. While the bus was clean and the drivers were friendly, the wait times were excessive and inconvenient. The scheduling seemed disorganized and it caused a lot of frustration among the passengers. It's a shame because with better planning, it could have been a much better experience.

5. Mark - 2/5 - I wasn't impressed with Magical Express Yankee Trails. The buses were always overcrowded and it felt like we were being herded like cattle. The staff was indifferent and didn't seem to care about providing a positive experience. It definitely didn't live up to the magical image they advertise.

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