Founder’s Story

Aware of the fleeting moment whilst children still believe, they wanted to treasure this precious time while they still could and challenge the trivialisation they had experienced as a family of this most important subject.

A primary school teacher with an adoration for childhood, Alison had always told her boys tales of a distant elven world at Christmas. Now these stories would come to life as Mike harnessed his creative skills to build the magical world living only in the imaginations of them and their sons.

In 2007, Mike and Alison realised their long-held dream of bringing the stories they had imagined for their own young sons at Christmas to life with the creation of LaplandUK, an immersive and authentic representation of Father Christmas’ arctic homeland right here in the UK.

To create this quality of experience, a magical world rich in storytelling was needed. A world full of elves, huskies, reindeer and stories to suspend the disbelief of Small and Big Folk alike. It was essential that the experience be believable, so they brought together a team of Hollywood set designers and West End production professionals to create a world of beauty on an unprecedented scale, a magical place where families could revel in their children’s fleeting belief in Father Christmas and the awe and wonder of childhood itself.

Fast forward 15 years, 1 million guests, a dedication from Elton John and families visiting from all over the world, it appears that Mike and Alison were not the only ones dreaming of a better Christmas for their Small Folk…