PNP – Portable North Pole™ Reviews

We have been using PNP for 4 years. My kids LOVE getting phone calls and videos during the month. It’s very easy to create and they have a separate Kids Corner area within PNP where all the videos go so your kids can always rewatch them. You can also have the videos emailed. My son is old enough now (12) that he asks what’s “this app” because they do use their advertising at the end of each email/video. Older kids will for sure catch on to this.

This is the best behavior management tool I use at home. Whenever my daughter is having a great day at school, I’ll have Santa call her and tell her she’s doing a good job. This also works if she’s not having a good week too. Her face lights up when she sees Santa is calling 🎅🏼

I wish they would include something with the Elf on the Shelf because my daughter knows that our Elf Sophie flies back to the North Pole every night to report to Santa... this would be cool to have Santa create new videos that mention he has spoken to the Elf and gotten their report. Just an idea for the developers!

They need to change the video if you have more than one child because otherwise they catch on pretty quick that it’s fake. When they both get the same video with just different names it cause some question. My other complaint is that you should be able to change the features of each video without having to re-record each video. For instance, if I want to change my child’s behavior from good to naughty I should be able to do that quickly and easily without having to redo and wait for the whole video to reload. The waiting for the reload is not the issue, it’s the fact that now I have two videos for the same thing (ie..carousel, attitude, big book) yet I am unsure of which is the video for when they are being sweet, or the video for when they are being mean, or the video that has different pics etc. it’s just too complicated. My child went to listen to his “big book” and accidentally played the wrong one saying he was naughty when it should’ve been the good one. Ugh. The last issue is that the recorded reaction should be on a separate page bc they suddenly disappear without notice. Other than all that it’s a cool app.

My oldest Daughter got these video’s starting at 6 years old. She couldn’t believe that Santa knew exactly who she was and that she did gymnastics and know so much about her! When she was around 8 years old, she noticed the companies name (this app) that comes up on the screen after the video’s done.
She thought it was weird and quickly figured out that I had something to do with the video. It’s more special and easier for the child to believe for a child under 8 years old.

My youngest, who is now 5 has been getting her santa video’s since she was 2 years old. She enjoyed it more and more each year.
This December when she got her video, it was obvious that she was completely amazed! Santa knew and who she was and actually said her name, knew where she lived and he knew her friends names! It’s pretty special! The company has made it more detailed and magical every year! The reaction recorder is great! Now you option to save more videos with the child’s reactions! The year her reaction was priceless!

UPDATE: A recent update has fixed a TON of issues! Audio has been corrected and they also changed the photo format so that most recent photos are showing up first. Creating videos was quick and easy, great quality and the kids LOVED them (as usual)

I also just wanted to say a quick thank you for adding my daughter’s name (Eisley) into the list of names Santa can say. He couldn’t last year so I was thrilled it was available this year even though it’s not common.

Once again, VERY happy with this service. Thank you for listening to your customers.

Previous review below:

I’ve been using this service for years with all my kids and getting high quality videos. THIS year, I don’t know who they have managing this application but it is complete and utter garbage. I paid for the premium videos and was only met with constant crashing (which erases all your progress), photos not uploading and a mind numbingly idiotic set up which pulls up pictures listed from oldest to most recent... so I get to scroll through thousands of photos just to get to the ones I need... only for them to not upload and inevitably causing PNP to crash.

When I finally was able to get a video created, the sound is so low, I can’t hear it.

Awesome. Thanks for the time wasted and useless video, this app. Hopefully my 10 dollars can assist you in hiring better programmers in 2018.

I guess the elves have been hard at work and fixed the picture bug. Thanks for working to get this corrected! PNP works like it is supposed to now and my kids love it again.

Previous review: I have used PNP for the past two years without a problem. This year however photos will not upload. The size of standard cell phone photos is apparently too large for this year’s version of PNP . This is a huge oversight by the developers! If this problem is not addressed soon it will pretty much be a useless purchase this year. Disappointing from an app my kids have really loved in the past. I hope it gets fixed so I can change this review.

Also, I have saw on some of the responses the developer telling users they can still use the website. That is true enough, but the reason we pay for an app is the convenience of not having to upload pictures to a pc. That extra step is too time consuming and is not an adequate answer to the problem in PNP.

I was first told about this website about 10 years ago now. I have shared it with so many friends, family members, even strangers at Christmas time. I’ve seen changes along the way. New videos, now birthday videos. One of the best decisions (I feel anyway) is they still offer a free video for everyone. Yes you can pay for more options which is a fantastic deal. When you see your child/ Children’s grandchildren’s faces light up, it brought the kid out in me too! My son is now 14, he asked me why I keep doing it for him. Simple son, I’m still making memories for us!
Thank you, to the Santa, Developers and all the Staff it takes to make all the videos. I have enjoyed making memories with my son over the years. Im a single father and I Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Christmas wouldn’t of been the same without you! See you in six months! Ho! Ho! Ho!🎅🏼🤶🏻

I have been using the Portable North Pole website for several years now and glad they compacted it into an app. I love the different membership levels. My daughter now 8 and still has the magic of believing loves her videos and calls from Santa every year and waits for them patiently. She is amazed how he always knows her name, how old she is, where she lives, how school is going, what she wants for Christmas and has pics of our family and her special fur baby stuffed animal friends which we make videos for too. This year I did the magic pass for all the exclusive options and already we did a regular video, a video FaceTime call, am planning a Christmas Eve call and the magic special deluxe videos and calls. Greatest creations to bring the spirit of Santa and keep it alive with your children

The whole thought of PNP is great, the videos are well made and my son loves them. 13 dollars for a few months of premium service is a bit much, I decided to buy it this year to try it out but I was very disappointed when they told me it would expire after a few months and I’d need to pay another 13 to get it again. Had it been a one time payment I wouldn’t be upset. The reaction videos take so long to process and save, I end up forgetting about the dang thing. And you can’t use the reaction cam while it’s saving another. I can see how this would be problematic if you have multiple children and want to make them each a video (as they’re aren’t multiple children video options) and save their reactions. It’s a good app, I’ve used the free version for 3 years but I don’t think I’ll buy it again.

It is the best app period. It lets you personalize every last detail for example when it “FaceTimes” the kids you can put names they are familiar with in it as well. I put in names of their cousins, and in the video they will see said cousins names and their big books on the shelves. You put a picture of your house on it and Santa will zoom in from a map. It has video messages that a personalized for them all year round such as for birthdays. And then even more detailed calls to encourage them to behave better, listen to mom and dad, pee in the potty etc as well as congratulating them on behaving well in school. If theirs a new family member, if
a family can’t be with them and the child misses them!!! So worth the money (and only under $10!)

The visuals are beautiful, as in prior years. Developers do an effective job of engaging the child with personalization of name, DOB and the child's typical day.

However, the narrative should have been written by a child development specialist....who could have helped the video to focus more on the wonder of the North-Pole-home of Santa, talk about the unique value of each child and that Christmas is a special time for us to share time and treasures with those we love. Narrative could encourage children to be persistent when solving problems with materials. Narrative could encourage children to solve problems with other children collaboratively, sharing feelings and together coming up with ideas for resolution. An early childhood specialist would omit the non-descriptive, subjective language of 'naughty' and 'nice' and remove the connection of behavior to gifts, because this leads children to believe that bribery is an acceptable adult-child interaction strategy.

I am very disappointed in the videos and will be deleting PNP from my device.

I’ve used PNP for a couple of years now and it just keeps getting better and better! The videos are great. The personalization and interactive videos really create the magic & wonder of Santa and the Christmas Season. I love that with the Magic Pass I can create even more personal videos to share with cousins, grandkids, etc. I had a volume issue due to accidentally putting it on AirPlay and I couldn’t figure out. I sent a help chat to the elves and even in the busiest time of year they answered quickly and solved my issue. They knew what to try to help me fix it and they were right! I wouldn’t have know to look there without their assistance. Great app!

The videos are really cute and amazed the kids how Santa can have so much info about them. I rate it only 3* though because I think it’s a pity that the videos are a bit redundant and can’t be built on each other. I would have loved to send several videos to my son and keep the magic alive through the holiday season. I didn’t want to tell him early December that he made it to the “nice list” because there were some things I wanted him to “work on “. However none of the videos allowed me to follow up on the progress. I wish I could send a second/third video saying that he made progress to encourage him. It’s a great deal if you want to send Santa videos for several kids but you can really use only one or 2 videos per child because behind the different story line Santa’s talk is really the same.

It’s a really good app I have a question did Santa made PNP if Santa did or the elves thanks Santa if Santa made PNP Santa I have a new update you can try my elf on the shelf elfie maybe you should mention people with elf on the shelf in the videos or calls so people knows your really Santa and maybe you should try like updates like elf on the shelf think you should make a app Called Live call from elf on the shelf Santa you should try this and then you get videos form your elf and video calls and calls you put in your phone number and then you get a call from your elf on the shelf thanks Santa or if Santa made PNP

I have used PNP for many years to create Santa videos for my grandchildren. The this app program has gotten easier to use each year and I think that the money I spent for the Premium videos and the Gold package was a bargain!! My grandchildren anticipate the arrival of the video and the joy in their eyes is unforgettable. Their parents often video them watching their message from Santa for the first time to capture that wonder. The addition of new storylines make the videos a little different each year. I love PNP and the improvements they make each year. My journey from a free video many years ago to the ones I made this year has been filled with smiles from the grandchildren!! Thank you!!

I haven’t use PNP for a couple of years and I noticed that the free videos are super generic now, just sad that now it cost money to create a little more detailed video. I use to be able to upload the image of the toy that was asked from Santa, it would let you click through and pick a phrase from Santa, like I see you haven’t been listening to your parents or I see you’re having a hard time getting homework finished or something more positive but many to pick from (things like that), then it would let them be on he good or naughty list at the end then it would be sent to your email. It’s still a cute app but can’t justify paying since most apps require more and more money every year or PNP stops working.

I’ve paid for maybe 3 apps in the past. PNP is free but has an in app purchase option to get all the premium videos and calls. Worth every penny. A direct line to Santa. Santa has helped us out even after the holiday season. Sometimes kids need a little help remembering to listen, pick up their toys or to go to bed when they are told. Santa can help encourage them to do that. Even when it’s not Christmas, kids tend to listen to Ol’ Saint Nick. I love PNP, and when it’s time to renew my premium content purchase for the upcoming holiday season, I won’t hesitate. If you need a great app that puts you in touch with Santa himself, try our this one and you’ll be good to go.

I have literally been using this service for 10 years !!! 10 years since my first daughter was 5 and is obviously now 15 but I also have a 9 year old who still waits for her video every year. The service has become a complete pain to navigate and you end up paying way more than you intended just to get the stupid video made! It’s a waste of time and money and would have never started the tradition to begin with had I known it would be run like this now ! It use to be free or 4.99 for one video , you would set it up and done . Not anymore , now you have to pay for a magic pass to unlock new videos that are just filled with wasted space of frolicking elves and if you don’t want a phone call during the video(I.e , I and probably most people do not ), you now have to pay for premium so they have you again !! It’s ridiculous

Yes very cute idea if my WiFi makes it too the North Pole!I think that review is very vulgar and rude and I think it’s made to be something else out to be for me and I am sorry that I did what I did me the application and somebody has it out for me and then it became a lot like you were having it out for me and they just became his whole hack myself job and then really hack me to death job and it’s really been annoying and I like my ID and my application I did and it actually became a whole lake world trade thing with styling stylist everywhere at stores creating stuff and I came up with an idea like this like five years ago but it’s OK I still have some thing out there and it’s mine that I created and submitted and it’s mine

I’ve used this app to get Santa’s messages for my kids for six years. But this year, they have really dropped the ball.
- PNP logged out of my account, exposing grown up features to the kids. My son launched PNP to see if Santa sent new messages, but was greeted with the login page. Unfortunately, the login page shows previews of videos to other kids that Santa hasn’t sent him yet. This completely ruined the magic, because he now knows that the videos aren’t just for him.
- New videos don’t show up right away, and are frequently just a blank screen when they do. When a parent chooses to add the video to the kids’ corner, it doesn’t show up on their device for quite a while. When it does finally show up, it is usually a blank screen and PNP needs to be killed to show the videos.
- Classic videos no longer have Santa’s verdict (whether child has made the nice list). Also, by reducing the number of videos that contain his verdict, you can no longer choose different videos for different kids.

This was an awesome app experience for my kids, but no longer. Next year, I’ll be telling my kids that the elves are too busy making toys to send their videos.

This is my fourth year using this app for my grandchildren. All were girls until this year when we got a surprise...a little boy! Now the fun begins with him!
this app has grown over the years to a fantastic interactive visit from Santa and his elves to your child’s living room, all without having to fight the crowds. With the issues going on this year, there is no worry about taking you child to see Santa as this app has boosted the videos so there is more variety to choose from.
You best way to go is to purchase the full package if you have more than one child as you can chose several video setups throughout the Christmas season, one on Christmas Eve and some for those adults in your life. Then during the year, get a special birthday video for the kiddos.
I’m a grandmother who just loves this and have trusted the makers of this app throughout the years. It’s nice to know there is an app that comes through with its promises...especially when it comes to children! Thank you this app for your many years of beautiful memories!

Grams

This concept is wonderful. I have two special needs kids and a special needs sister. They all think these videos are amazing. My sister is an adult and claps and cheers every time Santa says her name. I bought the Premium set and have really enjoyed the features from each video. One request? Please add some adult special needs activities like attending a Day Center or volunteering to help others. ‘Has a Great Smile’ is the one I have to choose, but we have low muscle tone in our family, so smiles are very weak. I’d love to see a little more diversity in the daily activities. Also, please add Candy as a requested item. All my daughter asks for every year is candy canes. I know she’s not the only child to ever ask for candy. Thank you for a great app! These only get better every year!

This is simply amazing! I was hoping for a great app but instead got the top of the line incredible. My initial search was for my brother and within minutes, less than an hour I felt as mesmerized as an eager 5 year old on Christmas morning that actually watched Santa magically coming down the chimney.
I purchased the 10 year option and that includes the ability to have more videos which include some for the adults. This is the BEST Christmas present that I could have ever gotten because not only will I see the amazement in my brothers eyes but I am able to record it for many years to come.
Thank you for this phenomenal app.
MERRY CHRISTMAS

I’ve used the this app app for the last 3 years and I’m really enjoying the new videos this year! However, the videos that I’ve created this year are not showing up in the Kids Corner, so I can’t hand my kids the phone anymore to let them watch their video from Santa...I have to pull it up for them. Also, the Kids Corner doesn’t have some of the games my kids enjoyed last year, like the Tree Shaker game. Not why I use PNP , but it was a fun little feature. Just seems like the Kids Corner got neglected this year.

Also, adding an option of creating the video for multiple kids, like siblings, would be great. I’ve done a couple of videos for each of my kids, but would be great if the same video could just mention multiple kids.