Rent-a-Santa

Last week, we went to Disneyland, looking to perhaps take a photo for our Christmas card. And actually, we don't do a family photo because we figure, everybody knows what we look like, they want to see the boy. So we try to make people happy. We're all about the happy.

Two places I normally go to for Santa photos have great Santas. The beards are real, the eyebrows are real, the tummy, everything.

I thought to myself, and compared to those guys, how much better is the Santa at Disneyland going to be? I mean, it's Disney, where everything is perfect all the time. So I chortled to myself, thinking we were going to get a picture with the uber-Santa. The Santa to end all Santas.

After standing in line for over a half hour, we finally get a glimpse of the man who is supposed to provide me with THE photo.

Can you say, fake beard? Can you say, white clown makeup on the eyebrows? Can you say young guy pretending to be old Santa? Add to that, I swear he looks drunk in the photos. I'm not saying he was drunk, but he sure looks like he tossed back a few too many spiked eggnogs.

I was crushed.

Disney, who can make anything look real, gave me a fake Santa.

Comments

Maya's Granny said…
My ex-husband was a department store Santa when he was 19. He was a tall, skinny lad and the whole thing was make up. But, I have to say, he looked good to me. Of course, that man always looked good to me.
3:16 AM
Family Adventure said…
I'm totally surprised...I would have thought Disney would come up with the Santa to top all Santas.

Back to mall we go.

Heidi
5:37 AM
J said…
Does that mean the picture we took with Maya and Ariel back in 2001 WASN'T the real Ariel? ACK!
6:35 AM
Atasha said…
Oh shame on Disney!

I am with you. No Holiday photo of all of us. It's true, people want to see how big the kids have gotten not mommy and daddy!
6:44 AM
Jess T said…
The nerve! It is nice to know that even they have flaws in their fairytale world. :)
6:45 AM
Ted said…
It might just be me, but I think it's kind funny to have a pic of "drunk Santa."
7:12 AM
Patois42 said…
Darn that Disney!
8:09 AM
Steph said…
Bummer. I would have expected more from Disney, too.

And, we send pics of the kids, and sometimes the dogs, but no mommy and daddy in our holiday photo.
9:28 AM
Maddy said…
Me too! I'd have thought that Disney would go to town to make sure that they had the best Santa[s] available.
Best wishes
Something peculiar has happened to blogger comments so just for now, this is my calling card "Whittereronautism"so we can find each other.
10:55 AM
maddie said…
i agree that it might be fun to have a 'drunken santa' photo...but what a dissapointment on the disney front. sigh.
11:08 AM
Jenny, the Bloggess said…
But sometimes super-fake kitchy Santa's can rock too...in a horrible kind of way.
11:45 AM
Nance said…
The least Walt & Co. could do is make an animatronic one. That way, they could haul it out every year.
12:27 PM
Mrs. G. said…
It's always about the mouse at Disney, isn't it. Always. The. Mouse. There's always the local mall.
12:48 PM
Liz said…
Can you get them taken elsewhere? Or would that be too hard to explain to Mr. P? Sorry it didn't work out!
2:41 PM
... Paige said…
They have cutbacks even at Disney.
2:53 PM
Laura said…
Okay, that is funny. My sister in law is a lawyer for Disney and they have their Disney "family" Christmas party. My brother has commented on how lame the Santas have looked every year. Although, a picture I have of my niece when she was a baby, in front of one of the Christmas trees (with huge ornaments) is just stunning. Even after 17 years, my brother still has a hard time thinking it's Christmas in LA...what with the weather and all.
3:17 PM
Sally said…
I'm always disappointed when we get Christmas photos that only have the kids in them...I want to see the parents, too! Maybe it means more to me since we live so far away from most of our friends and family...but I still miss the entire family photos.
3:50 PM
Trixie Twatwaffle said…
Sigh....there's nothing sacred left. N.O.T.H.I.N.G.
7:02 PM
Ortizzle said…
DO post the photo. You can put black masking tape over Mr. P. to protect the innocent.
9:34 PM
Scout said…
Wow, that's surprising. I always thought Disney did everything as perfectly as possible.
4:40 AM
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