With the addition of the "Frozen in Frisco" winter carnival, Radiance! in Frisco is so much more and, frankly, so much better than a drive-thru Christmas lights experience.
If you're looking for a fun Christmas activity to do with the family this holiday season, Radiance! is a really great option. Of course, since Radiance! is the biggest holiday event available in Collin County, it's popular and it'll likely be pretty busy whenever you go.
Here are some things to know as you plan your visit to Radiance! and its Christmas lights in Frisco TX.
Things to know before you go to Radiance!
Buy tickets online in advance.
Give yourself a break and buy your tickets before you get there. Tickets here.
Consider getting the VIP experience
Speaking of tickets, is it worth it to buy the VIP experience? The VIP ticket experience is an additional $14.99 and includes 1 Christmas cookie, a bottomless hot chocolate, VIP entrance to the entire experience, free event parking and a "fast-pass" lane to the trolley for the drive-thru lights experience.
While the Christmas cookie and hot chocolate was nice, the reason to buy the VIP ticket is to avoid the line to get onto the trolley for the Christmas lights drive-thru. We went on a non-peak night and we avoided a long line using our VIP pass. You can also ride the trolley multiple times which would be easy to do with the VIP pass. Of course, there are ways to avoid the line (keep reading), if a VIP pass is beyond your budget.
Don't just skip to the trolley... walk around the stadium!
This is a magical Christmas event, similar to Enchant Dallas... but there is so much more to do than just see some Christmas lights in Frisco TX! First of all, the event is set around the actual stadium with attractions in the areas behind the bleachers as well as in the parking lot. The areas around the stadium are magical, with lots of Christmas lights and things to do. You're going to want to plan to walk all the way around the stadium to enjoy all these lights.
There are restrooms!
Unlike with a traditional "drive-thru" experience where you are stuck in your car, the experience takes place in the XYZ stadium and in the parking lot. This means there are plenty of restrooms all around.
Arrive early.
Take note that Radiance Frisco opens at different times on different days and, if you can, plan to arrive right as it opens. We went on a Sunday and so arrived right at the 4pm starting time. This meant that there was no line for parking or to get in. Once inside, we went directly to the carnival area in the parking lot which is where you'll find the ice skating, carousel, Ferris wheel and snow tubing.
We were able to do snow tubing, then the Ferris wheel and the carousel (twice) all without waiting in line at all. After that we beelined directly to the ice skating where a line was starting to form. We were on the ice within a few minutes.
Do the ice skating first.
While we got lucky and got there as a line was only just beginning to form, of all the activities this is the one where you are most likely to encounter a long wait. This is a fun attraction for all ages. And if you can't skate (or are just nervous) they have these super cute bear crutches which also double as a seat for little ones. These are not free, you need to rent them for $8 each.
The rink is rather small, but it's plenty big enough for a fun skate. One thing to be aware of is that the ice can and will melt. If you choose to go on a warmer evening, they may need to stop or pause skating for this reason. Also, bring extra socks! Your socks will almost certainly be soaked after you finish skating around, so be ready for your next adventure at Radiance!
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