Is Dream Glow Festival worth it for families with little kids? I took my 2-year-old and 4-year-old to the very first year of this glowing light experience at Wild Rivers Water Park in Irvine, and they were totally obsessed.
This is not your typical Christmas light walk. Dream Glow Festival is a walk-through, sensory art event with glowing dragons, dancing lights, fog machines, and even fake snow. It’s immersive, spacious, and toddler-friendly in the best way.
Held inside Wild Rivers Water Park (which usually only opens in summer), this transformed space becomes a fantasy world during the holidays — complete with themed zones like Under the Sea and Winter Wonderland.
In this post, I’m sharing everything I wish I knew before we went: what it is, what to expect, what my kids loved, and if the ticket price is really worth it.
What Is Dream Glow Festival?
Dream Glow Festival is a walk-through sensory experience filled with immersive light art, fog effects, and music. It feels like stepping into a glowing fantasy world where each zone is its own mini adventure.
This is the first year they’ve ever hosted it, and it takes place at Wild Rivers Water Park in Irvine. Normally, Wild Rivers is only open during the summer and is geared more toward older kids and adults. But for the holidays, they completely reimagined the space to create something little-kid-friendly and magical.
There’s no water play involved. Instead, the water slides and pools of Wild River Water Park are the backdrop to glowing dragons, sea creatures, fake snow, stepping lights, and even an infinity mirror room. It’s artsy, colorful, and full of sensory wonder that toddlers and preschoolers can actually enjoy without getting overwhelmed.
It’s not a super Christmassy event, though there is a Winter Wonderland area with Christmas trees, snow, and festive decorations, and another section near the entrance with a few more Christmas-themed structures like a giant stocking, Santa, reindeer, and more. Overall, it leans more fantasy than holiday, which honestly made it feel even more unique.
Disclosure: We were provided complimentary admission to Dream Glow Festival, but this review is based on our family’s real experience and honest opinions.
Things to See at Dream Glow Festival
The festival is laid out as a one-way walking path through several themed zones. Each area is packed with glowing sculptures, fog, lights, and sound to match the vibe. My kids loved exploring each one and had clear favorites they wanted to loop back to.
Here’s a peek at the main zones you’ll walk through:
Christmas Structures at the Entrance
Before you even start the main walk-through, you’ll pass by a small area with classic Christmas displays. Think a giant stocking, Santa in his sleigh with glowing reindeer, and a big lit-up Christmas tree. It’s a great spot for photos and helps set a festive tone before heading into the more fantasy-focused sections.
Under the Sea
Giant glowing jellyfish and blue lights hang from above while sea animals light up all around you. Everything is bathed in blue and purple, and the whole area feels peaceful and dreamy. My kids loved this area the most, and asked to revisit this area after we had toured the whole place. They liked all the sea creatures here and loved running around the lights and shapes projected on the floor.
Endless Sea
This one felt like a sensory playground. Light-up stepping pads change color as you walk across them. There’s also a huge purple octopus sitting amidst the colorful glowing orbs and the fog on top pushes it over to mystical. The Infinity Mirror Room is also in this area.
Realm of the Dragon
Massive glowing dragons fill the path breathing fire of all sorts of colors and sizes. One dragon was animated and even roars (my 2-year old said “scary”). This section feels bold and epic, but still toddler-friendly. My son was obsessed and slightly concerned about the knight statue with a sword in his chest (every time we passed by this knight, he said “broken”).
Winter Wonderland
White glowing Christmas trees with dazzling snowflakes, penguins, polar bears, and light blue dragons make this feel more like a holiday zone. It even started “snowing” with fake snow while we were there ordering our food.
Infinity Mirror Room (Costs Extra)
Inside this mirror room, you’ll find huge orb balls, hanging jellyfish, and reflections in every direction. It’s short and small but visually stunning, and both of my kids were totally mesmerized. My 4-year old was literally yelling, “this is the best day ever” from inside this room.
This infinity mirror room is one of the most popular features, but it’s important to know that it’s not included with general admission. You’ll need to either:
- Buy a premium ticket, which includes access to the Infinity Mirror Room
- Or pay $5 extra per person as an add-on when purchasing regular tickets
Strollers need to be parked right outside before you enter. Also, adults put on booties here to keep the floor of the room clean-ish, which I can appreciate!
Budget tip: Use promo code HOLIDAY20 to save 20% on your Dream Glow Festival tickets.
My Review of Dream Glow Festival in Irvine With 2 Little Kids
If you’ve been hopping around to see Christmas lights with your kids every weekend (been there), and you’re looking for something next-level… Dream Glow Festival at Wild Rivers in Irvine might just be it.
My husband and I took our two kids, Serena (4) and Huntington (2), and let me tell you… they were obsessed! We’ve done the usual neighborhood holiday light spots like Brea Lights, Naples Canal, and Candy Cane Lane.
But Dream Glow? It was something else entirely.
Think fantasy land with glowing dragons, fake snow, and music and lights surrounding you. It felt magical and enchanting!
There’s an Under the Sea area with giant jellyfish and mermaids. A Realm of the Dragon with roaring, glowing dragons. A Winter Wonderland with snow and Christmas trees. And an Infinity Mirror Room filled with glowing balls and reflections everywhere.
My daughter literally shouted, “This is the best day ever!” while running amidst the balls in the Infinity Mirror Room. When we hit the one-hour mark, she flat-out refused to leave. That never happens.
Usually around 45 minutes into a neighborhood Christmas light display, she’s already saying, “I want to go home now.” Not this time.
It felt like walking through a giant piece of art, with lights and fog and smoke and colors everywhere. And somehow, it wasn’t crowded at all when we arrived right at 5 PM, but got much busier when we left around 6:30 (but still not crowded because the place is so spacious).
Most families spend about an hour walking through everything. It isn’t timed, so you can stay as long as you want. We ended up staying around 90 minutes because my kids wanted to loop back to their favorite area (Under the Sea), run through the light tunnel, play tag on the projected floor lights, and chase the laser beams and fog overhead.
Would I go again? Absolutely. Especially while my kids are still in that stage where lights and music feel like a theme park and pure magic. Honestly, it still feels like magic to me too.
Pros and Cons of Dream Glow Festival
✅ Pros:
- Really magical for little kids
- Beautiful sensory experience with fog, music, lights, and even snow
- Free parking (yes please)
- Open walking paths and space to run
- Beer and food available inside
- Kids under 3 are free
❌ Cons:
- The food was just okay
- Less focused on Christmas than some might expect
- The infinity room was fun (my kids loved it), but it was pretty small and not essential if you’re skipping upgrades
Grab your tickets here and use promo code HOLIDAY20 at checkout to save 20%.
Visiting Dream Glow Festival: What To Expect
Here’s everything you need to know before you go, from ticket options to food and parking.
🎟 Ticket Prices
Standard Tickets
- Adults: $37
- Kids (ages 4–12): $25
- Kids 3 and under: Free
Premium Tickets
- Adults: $53
- Kids (ages 4–12): $41
Premium tickets include:
- Expedited entry
- Access to the Infinity Mirror Room (normally $5 extra)
- A small gift (like a tote bag, hat, or glowing stick)
In my opinion, standard ticket is good enough. You can also add the Infinity Mirror Room to a regular ticket for $5 per person if you want to see it. Use discount code HOLIDAY20 online for 20% off all ticket types.
Premium tickets don’t seem worth it to me. You really don’t need the expedited entry since the lines are not that long and go pretty fast (though I did go on a Wednesday night at 5pm as the doors opened).
The Infinity Mirror Room was pretty small. My kids had fun, but I don’t think we would go in again. There was so much cooler and more impressive stuff outside of that room..
🕔 Dates & Hours
- Open November 14 through December 31, 2025 (extended until Jan 10, 2026)
- Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday: 5:00 to 9:30 PM (last entry at 8:30 PM)
- Friday & Saturday: 5:00 to 10:00 PM
📍 Location
Wild Rivers Water Park
10000 Great Park Blvd
Irvine, CA 92618
🚗 Parking
Parking is free and super easy. The lot is right next to the entrance and had plenty of open spaces when we arrived at 5 PM.
🍴 Food and Drinks
There’s food inside too: snacks, rice bowls, pretzels, churros, and yes, beer. My husband got the orange chicken and kept saying it was better than he expected and ate the whole thing. I thought it was mid, decent for a theme park I suppose but not great for a restaurant. The pretzel was a little too hard, but the cheese dip was flavorful. And the churro? My kids inhaled it so fast I didn’t even get a bite, so I can’t say for sure!
It’s definitely good to know that if you didn’t plan in advance like us and just swooped your kids up after school and went there straight that you could get food there. Though next time, I think I would prefer to pick up food I like and then come in.
👶 Stroller Friendly?
Yes! The entire path is stroller-accessible except for the Infinity Mirror Room. You can leave your stroller outside the room entrance and pick it back up after.
Tips for Visiting Dream Glow Festival With Toddlers and Little Kids
- Arrive right at 5 PM when it opens to enjoy low crowds and easy parking. It got noticeably busier by the time we left around 6:30pm.
- Bring jackets or layers. It can get chilly after dark.
- Charge your phone before you come or bring a portable charger. You’ll want to take a ton of photos and videos.
- Have your tickets at the entrance for a smoother check-in.
- Use the HOLIDAY20 promo code online to save 20% on tickets.
- Let your kids take the lead. This place isn’t somewhere you have to rush though, and there’s plenty of room to run, dance, and wander.
- Strollers are easy here along the spacious path. I saw many strollers that night.
- Bring a payment method (cash or card) if you plan to buy food, drinks, or light-up merch inside.
- Make it a playdate or family night. The experience is spacious and easy to enjoy with a group.
FAQs About Dream Glow Festival Irvine, CA
Final Thoughts: Is Dream Glow Festival Worth It?
If you’ve got little kids who light up around lights, music, and a little bit of magic, yes, Dream Glow Festival is absolutely worth it.
It’s not just another Christmas light walk. It’s interactive, artistic, and full of sensory wonder that even toddlers can enjoy without getting overwhelmed. There’s room to run, plenty to see, and enough wow-factor to keep kids happy for a full hour (or more).
The fact that parking is free and you can grab food and beer inside? Even better. This is one of those rare kid-friendly holiday events that actually feels good for grown-ups too.
