Thomas the Tank Engine - Tips on Attending A Day Out With Thomas Live Event

By Jay Eichler

For parents with young children who love Thomas the Tank Engine, attending a "Day Out with Thomas" event is a must. Day Out with Thomas events in the United States and Canada are held at various tourist railroads and railroad museums around the country and are held on certain weekends. The organization that licenses Thomas & Friends in the United States, HIT Entertainment, has created full-scale replica Thomas the Tank Engines, which are brought to the location for the weekend. You and your family can then ride behind Thomas the Tank Engine as the train travels through the countryside. This is the 16th year of Day Out with Thomas events, and Thomas is scheduled to visit 45 cities throughout the United States and Canada.

Each year, a new theme to the event is created. For 2011, the theme is Leader of the Track Tour 2011. There are also other child-themed activities at the event site which are held throughout the weekend, each event being a little different. Some other activities include face painting, pony rides, amusement park rides, picture taking with Thomas and Sir Topham Hatt, petting zoos, bounce houses and magic shows.

Getting Ready for the Event

The Day Out with Thomas Events have become wildly successful, and as such are well attended. Many times, the train ride tickets are sold in advance online, so it is strongly recommended that you go to their website and purchase tickets many days before the event to ensure that you are not shut out. Depending upon the location, Thomas may run hourly or half-hourly. If for some reason you are shut out, at some locations the host railroad may be running their regular excursion schedule with their own locomotives, and you may be able to ride on that train. (Be advised though that your child may not like this option!)

Another thing to consider is to purchase the "Thomas gear" for your child to wear and/or bring to the event. Most kids love to go to the event wearing a Thomas T-Shirt, engineer cap or sweatshirt.

These items can easily be purchased online in advance of the event, so your child may wear or bring these with them while they attend. There is also good reason to do so, as explained below.

A word of warning - these items and many other Thomas items are usually available for sale during the event. Depending upon the location, there will either be a special tent set up as a gift shop, or they will have a special "Thomas section" inside the gift shop. Generally, the items available there will be marked up considerably for the event. A T-Shirt that might normally sell elsewhere for $12.00 may be listed for sale at the event for $25.00. Your best bet is generally to order merchandise beforehand, and maybe just purchase a small souvenir at the tent for your child.

Overall, A Day Out with Thomas is a great event that your child or children will always remember. For more information on Thomas & Friends products for your child, please be sure to visit us at http://www.ultimatethomas.com