Santa HQ at The Oaks Shopping Center

I remember when my daughter was really young & visiting Santa at the local mall was a highlight of the holiday season. Usually it involved waiting in a really long line. Then once you get to the front of the line, you meet Santa, chat with him & then take photos.

For children (and adults) who want to meet Santa, there is now an immersive experience called Santa HQ. It’s highly engaging, especially for kids who are growing up in the digital age.

Recently my daughter & I visited the Santa HQ at The Oaks Shopping Center in Thousand Oaks. After checking in, we headed to the new Elf Academy section of Santa HQ. This is where exciting & interactive technology can transform the experience of waiting for Santa into something that is fun & enjoyable.

A Santa HQ employee (or was she an elf?) helped my daughter with the Elf-Ray Vision game that you play on a tablet. You can also download the free app to your mobile device if the Santa HQ tablet is being used by other customers. The app is available to download for both iOS & Android.

The game allows your little one to explore Santa HQ. The way it works is that your child holds your mobile device up to each of the triggers. Then through the magic of augmented reality (AR) technology, you’ll be able to see something spectacular!

Afterwards we got to test out the Naughty O’ Nice Meter. Fortunately for my daughter, she reached the “nice” level. Lol…

New this year, visitors can use the workshop’s Magic Mirror to transform into one of Santa’s elves. You’ll be able to virtually change into different elf’s outfits, plus create a customized Elf Academy ID collector card!

Before we knew it, it was time to meet Santa & take our photos!

Photo packages start at $39.99. Santa HQ will be open 7 days a week, from now until December 24th. To make the experience a little easier, why not make reservations? Visit www.santa-hq.com for more information. For more information on Santa’s operating hours at The Oaks Shopping Center, please visit http://www.shoptheoaksmall.com/Events/Santa_2018.

Disclosure: No monetary compensation was received for this post. I received a complimentary photo session which facilitated this review. All images are my own unless otherwise noted. As always, my opinions are 100% my own.