Holiday Lights Trolley, Chicago, IL This was not the great time they marketed. The meeting place was disorganized and we got almost no information. Matilda in Chicago had no heat. There were space heaters all around and the bathroom had 2 going. It felt like using a portable potty. The windows on the trolley were all fogged up and we couldn't see a thing. The Chriskringle market was so crowded, we just went back to the trolley. Our hostess was too busy catering to one crowd with the music which was off putting. We sat in traffic for so long we only had about 30min in the zoo. We were told to meet our trolley in one place but it was somewhere else. The goodie bag was some dollar store bs. For the amount we paid, it was a rip off! I will never participate in this again! read more

BYOB Holiday Trolley- Boston Poorly run, little communication during tour, Trolley left without us from last stop...apparently someone else on the trip said we were grabbing an Uber, false! There were 2 of us and we spoke to no one about alternate plans. Luckily able to grab another Trolley back to bar and was told to ask bar manager for our belongings. As we entered the bar, another patron from my trolley said, "oh, they took your stuff in...meaning the host and driver". Checked with bar manager, Trolley supervisor and waitresses...my stuff disappeared!! Ultimately filed police report because clearly I was robbed. Not worth the money my friends. Stay away!!! read more

Our trolley was an hour late. We paid $200 for 3 hour trolley ride instead of a 4 hour trolley ride that was advertised. Due to our trolley being late. The locations they dropped us off at were closing or closed. Also, the last location they wouldn't allow us to get off the trolley because we ran out of time. I work hard for my money. It's really upsetting that companies like this feel that they can rip you off. Especially around the holidays. I would highly recommend not to use this company. read more

We have done the Christmas Lights tour twice with them and it is an absolute BLAST! They took us two a few different locations and we were able to get off the trolley and walk around to see the lights downtown and at the zoo. Our group had fun bringing our own holiday "cheer". The trivia, singing and special gifts were all a nice touch. Will be going again next year! read more

I did the Christmas Market tour tonight. It was absolutely fantastic. A lot of fun meeting people but the highlight was our tour guide: Christian! Christian was funny and engaging throughout. He had facts about Chicago, did fun Christmas trivia and ensured the group was having a good time. I would absolutely do this tour again or any other they provide. It's well run and very professional. Highly recommended! O read more

Events with BeneFitz - Ready for the trolley! - Party & Event Planning Near Me

On Valentine's Day, I did the Brunch, Bloodys + Breweries tour with my boyfriend at the time. The tour started at Flagship Tavern then went to Revolution and Lagunitas Breweries. I had been to both breweries before and they are truly two of the top spots in Chicago so I thought they were perfect choices for the tour. We arrived at Flagship for brunch at 10am and were happily met by the staff. Both people I interacted with from the BeneFitz staff were just lovely - friendly people and helpful. Our company was all other couples which made sense since...ya know...it was Cupid's day. I actually had a good time comparing brewery and beer notes with another couple who recently had moved from Denver. The atmosphere of the entire day allowed us to have our one on one team, but also interact with some like-minded people. Brunch for me was eggs benedict - Poached egg, Black Forest ham, Hollandaise sauce, buttermilk biscuit w/breakfast potatoes. I really enjoyed the benedict, but my ex wasn't sold on his hash. We each got one bloody mary with our brunch so that was a nice touch to get our day of drinking started. Then the trolley came and picked us up for our trip to Lagunitas. We got some samples of beers then ventured on our own & sat at the bar to drink it up. Following Lagunitas we went to Revolution and did the tour. I've been on a million tours including the Rev tour before but I still caught a few new tidbits. My ex had never done a brewery tour so I think it was pretty interesting for him. Revolution's tap room is one of my top spots in the entire city so I then had a great time chilling out there. I even ended up buying a super comfy hoodie! I think we had about an hour at each spot to hang, chill, drink, whatever your hear desired. Once we got back to Flagship Tavern, they had specials on some beers on taps from the breweries we went to which was a nice touch. Events with BeneFitz puts on a good event and has a great staff. I just have a hard time justifying the cost ($90 each...or you can find a groupon to cut the cost but evenso) since at Revolution the beer included with the tour is always free, and the samples at Lagunitas are also free, but I suppose the fees are for worry free transportation and the brunch. We ended up drinking quite a lot because we bought beers on our own but had we not it would have been really nothing in terms of liqs. read more

This was my third year doing the BYOB Holiday Lights Trolley in Chicago. I reserve an entire trolley (fits up to 34!) and fill it with friends. It has become a Christmas tradition for many of us - gathering together, having some drinks (and sharing drinks!), stopping at the Christkindlmarket for some cinnamon roasted nuts, mulled wine, and ornaments from around the world; stopping at Lincoln Park Zoo to see the Christmas Lights, ice sculptors (and a bathroom break!); driving down the Magnificent Mile and seeing all of the holiday lights while trying to answer trivia questions about the city's history! read more

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Our staff had a wonderful time on the BYOB Holiday Lights Trolley Tour through Boston! From the initial planning with Molly to the actual tour adventure with Sam as our Trolley host- it truly was a party on wheels. If you are looking for a creative, interactive and memorable holiday outing planned with and by a wonderful staff, Events with BeneFitz tours are the perfect way to go. Thanks again! read more

Not happy with your organization and the scams that you promote. Please change the name of the BYOB Christmas Lights event to Bring your own food, fun, and expectations. I'm short $70 for $5 worth of clam chowder and a lame ride around Boston. read more

I did not think the Holiday Lights Trolley Tour in Cleveland was worth it and I expressed that in my original review along with a detailed description of the event and what you could get for the same price. I am updating my review because I was recently contacted by "Nick the Experience Coordinator" and I find it appalling that any business would allow its employees to harass its customers by sending them hateful messages. Part of owning a business and managing it well is knowing that not everyone is going to be pleased with what you offer. The best businesses take reviews and respond to them in a polite and professional manner then take the information and use it to improve their business, or they just act like mature adults and disregard a review if they feel they need not reply to it. The below message from Nick just shows that Events with Benefitz is unprofessional by personally attacking its customers when they have a bad experience. "Hi Sheena, As a part-time employee of Events with Benefitz that has overseen over 300 people on this trip in Chicago, it's disappointing to see such a negative review for our company on yelp because you were unhappy with your purchase, which was plainly laid out for you prior to your purchase. Buyer's remorse is one thing. Crafting a lengthy, malicious review for the world to see is another. We're a small business trying to make an impact by providing unique and memorable experiences for people in Chicago and Cleveland. Your extreme negativity on yelp has real implications and I feel your intent may be a bit misguided, not to mention disingenuous - after all, you DID edit it to be more in line with Molly's kind reply to your initial diatribe. It does comfort me, however, to know that you are literally the only customer (out of ~1,600) to complain about the trolley, publicly or in private. And I also take comfort in the fact that in a year or two, when our yelp page is filled with 4 and 5 star ratings, that your review will stick out like the spiteful, sore thumb that it is. Happy holidays, Nick S. Experience Coordinator @ Events with Benefitz" I am sure the Chicago Holiday Lights Trolley Tour is great, but the tour wasn't great in Cleveland. The whole point of Yelp is to write about your experience with a purchase you made at a business; an honest detailed experience, and mine just happened to be a negative one. What they advertised sounded great but in reality I was disappointed. I'd say the same thing about a meal that tasted bad. I did edit my review the next day to add that there was a protest on one of the roads, that the pierogies were regular sized, that the food was tasty, and I gave a breakdown of what you could get for the same amount of money. But my review was in no way malicious, disingenuous, misguided, spiteful, nor did I put anyone down, so the response from Nick was way out of line; his vindictiveness is making Events with Benefitz look worse than anything I said. read more

Driver and conductor were very engaging and fun. We toured the metro-Detroit area and enjoyed the sites of the holiday season. There were so many opportunities for Christmas light site seeing. The Detroit Zoo Christmas lights were the best part. read more

Last night we did the holiday trolley in Boston!! This was so much fun! We rented the entire trolley and did a private tour for a work Christmas get together, and we could not have been more pleased! Jackie was out tour director and she was great and so much fun! The tour made several stops to take pictures with lights and they even adjusted the tour to meet our needs. We already can t wait for next year!!! read more

This is the email I sent to this company about the horrific trolley ride I went on December 20th. The woman I wrote to (Molly Fitzpatrick) responded with a list of excuses and reasons. She did not give a full refund as I requested even though I was completely dissatisfied and felt unsafe on the trolley. I am shocked and appalled. They have certainly lost my business as well as several of my friends who also were unhappy with their experience. AVOID THIS PLACE!!!! I wanted to write you a message expressing my complete and total disappointment in the trolley ride this year. I attended last year and loved it so much that I decided to go again this year. What a mistake. This year was bad on many fronts. First, the chili at the bar was horrible. It smelled really smoky and tasted bad. Then when we got on the trolley, everything was unpleasant. The two guys leading the trolley wouldn't stop talking in the microphone initially...giving useless facts that no one wanted to hear. We were there to hear Christmas music and not these two dullards talking incessantly. Then, in between their own talking, they blasted the Christmas music to unnaturally high volume levels making it impossible to enjoy. I didn't want to go on a trolley ride to have my ears assaulted by the guys talking or excessively loud music. Speaking of music, the entire way back to the bar, the guys running the trolley played hideously loud euro dance music. I DID NOT pay as much as I did to listen to that. I wanted a Christmas experience. It was a gross disappointment. In addition, several women on the trolley got so exceedingly drunk and belligerent that it made the entire experience extremely uncomfortable. Women were falling over and climbing on the railings. Also, women were trying to force others on the trolley to drink directly from a bottle and on occasion made sexual advances toward a number of women not in their party. The guys running the trolley said and did nothing. One was dancing and singing along to the ridiculously loud dance music and the other spent the entire ride back texting. I did not enjoy any part of the experience and in fact didn't feel safe on this trolley. I am requesting a full refund for the trolley ride. I know what the trolley Christmas light experience is supposed to be like and this wasn't it. This was disgraceful and extremely unpleasant. I hope there is a way for you to bring this trolley back to its original state because initially it was wonderful and this year, it was absolutely awful. read more

Another horrific trolley ride on 12/27/15 in Cleveland. Terrible experience. I have to agree with everything Yvonne M. stated in her review. More than 1/2 of the people on tour were beyond drunk, loud and obnoxious. I will never purchase another adventure with this firm and will encourage anyone who asks me about this event to do the same. Bad experience, never again. Cathy P. read more

I took my team on the BYOB trolley in Cleveland for the holiday lights tour and we had THE BEST time. The driver and guide were both extremely nice and did trivia and played songs we all loved. The stops were great and the whole experience was easy and fun. Thank you for having us! read more

What a great time we had on the BYOB holiday light tour! Our guide and driver were great and even delivered us to a final location where our party continued. It was definitely something worth doing. I hope my family does it again next year! read more

Went on Boston's BYOB Christmas Lights Trolley Tour! What a fun experience! Boarded at Towne Spirits and traveled through Somerville, to Faneuil Hall, to Lansdowne Street and then back to The Pru. Trolley was beautiful and clean. Kevin and Laura were fun and excellent hosts. Light necklaces were a hit. Clam chowder at Towne was delicious!! Music needed to be planned better. Eager to do this again. Thank you for a fun start to the holiday season. read more

Events with BeneFitz is AMAZING. Molly was my wedding coordinator and I couldn't recommend her more highly. I want to shout it from the rooftops! We decided to go with the "day-of" coordination, and all of the preparation she put into that one day - well, two in the end, as we asked her to come and run our rehearsal the night before as well - was above and beyond. I'm sure you can't find another day-of coordinator who is willing and wants to meet with you once or twice before the day so that she's as prepared to run the show as possible. And run the show she did! Having Molly manage the rehearsal was a weight off my shoulders, as that was definitely my most stressed out day and moment as a bride. She was able to get everyone organized so that we had a plan for the ceremony (it was a bit non-traditional) and gathered all the details she needed to make sure it ran smoothly the next day. Without her assistance, I'm sure it would have been a chaotic mess. Instead it was exactly the ceremony we had hoped for. As for the rest of the wedding day, Molly handled EVERYTHING. It started with her dropping breakfast and mimosas at the hair salon in the morning, to meeting the groom to get cash for vendor tips, to meeting our florist and handling all the flowers, and went on from there. When we arrived at the reception, she was there to greet the wedding party and make sure our bus driver was taken care of and the bus was cleared off. Our tables ended up being slightly different than we had planned to arrange them, but that was because Molly knew the head table placement needed to be altered for the microphone for speeches to work. And it was the absolute perfect way to set things up. We left Molly in charge of decorating for both the ceremony and rehearsal, with some direction but not a ton, and everything was absolutely beautiful. I'm sure there were hiccups and fixes that happened throughout the afternoon and evening, but she handled them all and I only heard about the ones that needed my input, which was appreciated. She then cleaned up at the end of the night and took all our gifts back with her, dropping them off the next morning before heading out of town (did I mention this was a wedding located in Madison, WI?). All in all, I would recommend Molly and Events with BeneFitz to everyone planning a wedding or private event (or who wants to attend one of their preplanned events, like kayaking on the Chicago River, which is also an awesome time!). If you think you don't need a day-of coordinator at the very least, you're wrong. The ability to be able to enjoy your day completely without worrying about a single thing and knowing there is someone there you trust to make decisions as necessary was one of the best parts of the day! read more

The ladies from Events with BeneFitz planned an ideal send off from Chicago that I will not soon forget. They went above and beyond to personalize the evening and it was simply perfect. They were detail oriented, creative, smart, fun, and ultimately - I give my vote to event planners that I'd actually want to hang out with in real life. read more

Let me start by saying that MOLLY IS AMAZING!!!! Now that I've gotten that out of the way... Events with Benefitz was hired to provide my Day-Of-Coordinator Wedding service. There is no way, and I mean NO WAY, I could even imagine how our wedding would have gone had we not had Molly on our team. I consider myself to be Type-A, detail oriented -- but Molly was so efficient, organized and thorough that it completely put my mind at ease being able to fully trust her ability to handle any situation that presented itself. I would suggest that if you are considering a Day-Of-Coodinator to please hold off on hiring anyone until you speak with Molly. Her prices are totally reasonable for Chicago, her professionalism and organization is unmatched, and she is a joy to have on your team! Also, it is important to note that Molly now owns the company -- thus please take the previous negative reviews from before 2016 with a grain of salt as her leadership and direction has undoubtedly placed a favorable spin on the company and services provided. read more

Events with BeneFitz was awesome! They planned a trolley bar crawl for a going away party and they went above and beyond and exceeded my expectations. I love all the surprises they had in store with food and free drinks I didn't know were coming. Everything was done on time and we didn't have to worry about anything except having fun. I would recommend Events with BeneFitz to anyone looking to celebrate and who needs event planning! read more

The BYOB Holiday Trolley Tour was amazing! We had such a great time! Molly was so nice and organized! The whole night was so relaxing and fun! The lights through the city are absolutely beautiful! This is my first time ever leaving a review on Yelp. But I definitely felt the need to share how great of an experience this was! I will definitely be doing this again! Thank you Events With Benifitz! read more

The kayak on the north portion of the Chicago River with food truck food and smores/bonfire was fantastic! Great training, great pace, and good company. Energetic and friendly guides too! It was a great workout and the food was good too (although not a huge meal). Highly recommend it when visiting Chicago! read more

This was the perfect way for our family to begin Holiday fun! We booked as a group, began with a chili bar, rode down Michigan Ave past the tree in it's new location at Millenium Park, stopped at the Christkindel Market, and ended at Zoo Lights. The trolley brought us back to where we started. It was the perfect way to see everything without driving and parking. Paul, our driver, made the trip more interesting with little side stories about Chicago, the neighborhoods, and the architecture. We all received Santa hats, souvenir drink cups, and had fun taking selfies with the Holiday-themed props that were provided on the trolley. We enjoyed the whole experience and are already looking forward to next year--we'd like to do this as an annual family outing. read more

We had an amazing time. The tour guide was very personable and made the ride enjoyable. Our group is definitely going to plan another BYOB trolley next holiday season. read more

So fun! Highly recommend the Holiday Trolley to get into the holiday spirit. Very organized and friendly. Will definitely do it again next year! read more