Customer Reviews

Thomas Kinkade Wonderland Express Animated Tabletop Christmas Tree With Train by Hawthorne Village

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The item is intricate, having villagers and lighted villages placed throughout the tree, Santa in his sleigh is pulled by the eight reindeers around the tree's Star topper, and 3 trains circle within. I was concerned about its shipping, and found it very carefully packed. I haven't counted the number of songs the music box unwinds, but there are many, and the music is delightfully complex. The tree can be `on' with lights, music and motion or without the music box. You can choose to power it with either the adapter or 3 AAA batteries... instructions advise to not have the batteries installed when using the adapter. The unit turns itself off after an hour. I found that my new AAA batteries provided operation for only 2 or 3 plays (hours). The battery cover is held by a very small screw and with the tree being so very intricate, I am cautious when turning it over to unscrew the cover to remove/install new batteries - and hate to disturb the snowflake glitter. I've decided that for centering the tree on a table for company viewing on all sides, I'll use the batteries. Otherwise, for its viewing on a side table, I'll use the adapter. Empty nesting, holiday decorating is no longer enjoyable, but this lovely and more sophisticated décor gave back the pleasure.

Being a fan of Thomas Kinkade I purchases this item thinking it would be a magical addition to the Xmas decor. Alas it has failed. Although the item is quite pretty, the lighting is extremely poor and I have seen better lighting in much cheaper models. The noise from the mechanism is shocking, a constant whir that can be audibly discerend above the TV! Not very nice when settled down in front of the fire on a cold winters afternoon anticipating the simple observation of all the Xmas lights, only to be annoyed by the din of this model.

The lights are poor, the sound is terrible, the music is ok but annoying after a while, it looks cheap sounds cheap and if you value your money dont purchase this item. I have never been so dissapointed, the Bradford Exchange should hang their heads in shame at such a shoddy, expensive item. It will be going back, Dept 56 have much nicer models at half the price.

I love this Christmas tree with the 3 trains going around it and the lights on in the windows. This is a wonderful product to give as a gift, or to keep. The music is clear and sounds great. It is easy to operate this tree.

Turn it on , three trains rotate and Santa flies round the tree. Looks rather good, as long as you don't look too closely. An hour later, everything stops! So, I emailed Bradford Exchange customer support about this and got the following answer - "We are always pleased to hear from our clients and appreciate you giving us the opportunity to be of assistance. We apologize for any misunderstanding in this matter. It appears as though this is a safety feature to help to prevent overheating and a possible fire hazard. Unfortunately, this cannot be adjusted."
This to me was a deal breaker and I sent it back.

Incidentally, you might wonder, as I did how the trains work. The answer is they are attached by metal brackets to a rotating disk. See my picture above. Could be worse I suppose, at least the railway track itself does not rotate. On the other hand the fit is not that good and the train tends to "levitate" above the track by about 3/16th to ¼ inch. Overall rather disappointing.

I purchased 5 different Kinkade pieces for gifts and this one was my favorite! The wood base is "classy" and the tree itself has a wistful elegance. The craftmanship and color are very appealing. The trains will entertain all ages as they make their way around the sparkling snow tipped tree. The sleigh on top is a nice touch. Besides its beauty, I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the sound and variety of holiday tunes. I am buying more!

I purchased the Thomas Kinkade Animated Christmas Tree with Train because of his reputation for excellence. With only the two of us home now & grand children,we felt this was a perfect Christmas tree for us. The detail is amazing. The only disappointment is that the trains don't actually run on a track and after about 45 minutes,it will shut down. This requires starting again every 45 minutes you want the piece to be on. The other animated pieces we have don't do this so it is aggravating to have to turn it on again & again.

This is a wonderfully detailed decoration! With 4 animated parts (3 trains in alternating directions, plus Santa sleigh at top), it is fun to watch, and the lighting in the buildings adds a lot of interest. I really appreciated the tiny people at each level, and the detail on the buildings (like separated porch posts & rails, sign posts, and bridges). Painted detail is very nice, considering the tiny scale of some of the features. The music is music-box like (intentionally), but enhanced with other instruments. I was quite happy with the selection of traditional Christmas tunes and the quality of the sound. Though there is a little whirring noise from the mechanism if you listen closely in a quiet room, I had never even noticed it before listening critically for this review - hardly noticeable with the music turned on. True, the trains don't actually run on the track (rather, they are attached to disks at the center of the tree), but it is still a reasonable effect when viewed from slightly above. This was given to me as a Christmas gift, and I thoroughly enjoy it!

This is just what I expected - my husband is a model railroad buff and I bought it for him - he loves it!

I received the Wonderland Express tabletop tree in perfect condition. Shipped very well. It was given to our boss at our annual Christmas party and she was thrilled with it. Everyone loved the sound of the music, the lights and the overall workmanship. I would definitely order another theme for next year.

I received the Wonderland Express Christmas Tree but it did not work. I returned it following the instructions for an exchange. I have yet to hear from them or receive the replacement.