Santa Kicked Out of WDW

[Airtime&Gravity]

When James Worley paid a visit to Disney World in Florida his portly frame and white beard soon had kids asking: "Are you Santa Claus?"

 

Not wanting to disappoint, Mr Worley, 60, played along with some "ho-ho-hos".

 

But Disney officials descended, telling him to stop the impersonation or get out of the park. They said they wanted to preserve the magic of Santa.

 

Mr Worley took off his red hat and red shirt but said: "I look this way 24/7, 365 days a year. This is me."

 

'Confusing'

 

Even after bowing to the request to alter his appearance, Mr Worley, from Tampa, said children continued to ask if he was Santa.

 

"How do you tell a little kid, 'No, go away, little kid'," Mr Worley told local television.

 

He said Disney had told him "Santa was considered a Disney character".

 

Officials at Disney World's Epcot park said they had had complaints from "several guests who were very upset".

 

Disney said it had its own Santa at Epcot and Mr Worley was "confusing" the children.

 

Mr Worley said he had played a jolly elf at charity events for a number of years, while his wife sometimes dressed up as Mrs Claus.

 

Mr Worley said he still loved Disney and Christmas.

 

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/6189521.stm

 

Santa is not owned by Disney, and they overreacted by getting upset with a man who was making some children happy.

[JT3000]

Yep, this story is absurd. And someone in the Disney company should be smacked upside the head for claiming Santa is "considered a Disney character."

[thefitness]

I can see why this would upset some people,including Disney,but the guy can't really do much (except for surgery) to make himeself look different.Although I do think it's more than an innocent look-a-like if he was wearing a red hat and red shirt.

[the sound]

^ The only reson he looked like Santa was because of his Beard, and Red Clothes. He wouldn't have to have surgery to remove either of them.

 

While i don't think it was fair of the park to kick him out, or at least to try to, he definitely shouldn't of played along claiming he was Santa. He could of said, "No, Santa's up at the North Pole getting ready to bring you and your family wonderful gifts".

[Erik Johnson]

I wonder if its the same Santa I saw on the first Expedition Everest passholder day.

Santa loves Expedition Everest.

[the sound]

^ Wow. He does look like Santa!

[Wes]

I want some dude to dress up like Santa and go to a park, and when a kid asks "Are you Santa" he'd respond "No, Santa isn't real, you dumbass. It's just your parents. Seriously, are you fucking retarded?". And then he'd punch the kid in the face.

[Ryan King]

Hey...Ill be willing to do that for another Twenty bucks Wes!

[RRollergod]

The santa at EE passholder day is in the Bigfoot mystery pose!

[arrowfanman]

I don't think Disney was being too unreasonable to ask him to stop impersonating Santa. Perhaps asking him to change his attire was a wee bit much but still, somewhat understandable.

 

And nowhere does Disney say that they own Santa. But they do have their own "Santa Claus" character, for both the parade and according to this article, in Epcot. Disney's concerns were for that of the children and not for themselves--as they aren't making any money off Santa*. Their motive was the children. No shame in that.

 

-Jahan

 

*well, directly.

[Ccron10]

The war on Christmas continues on.

So what if a few people get offended by him dressing up and (or) looking like Santa Claus. To me, I think those few people have nothing better to do. The guy wasn't creating any violence, he was just at the park trying to enjoy his visit.

-Chris "I hate this war on Christmas" Cronrath-

[the sound]

It would be funny if that guy who looked like Santa was Jewish.

[arrowfanman]

^^ Get over it Bill O'Reilly...this isn't about the war on Christmas!

 

This is simply about trying not to confuse kids with TWO Santa's! So no need to 'victimize' Christmas-celebrators any further.

 

*sigh*

 

-Jahan

[DerekRx]

I can see where Disney is coming from. They're employing a Santa, they don't need someone who may look like him volunteering for the job too. Same way you wouldn't see an old Mickey Mouse costumed freak being allowed entry into the park. He may not be on the payroll, but if he's mistaken for a Disney employee, Disney is responsible for his actions. If nothing else, the guy should have just said "no, I'm not Santa Claus, but he may be around here somewhere"

[Ccron10]

Whoops! I forgot it mentioning that! Sorry!

 

But, Derek is right. He could've said, "I'm his brother, (or something like that) but he's around here."

[kenshinmac]

I dunno this is kinda one of those classic problems with the commercialization of everything these days... Plus the whole fact that these companies reserve the right to kick you out no matter what.

 

I can see that Disney is kinda trying to protect their own image... I dunno what I really think of them leaning on a guy because he looks like the image that most associate with Santa and chooses to wear red... I mean do we really know the guy wasn't wearing some red plaid or something?

 

I personally kinda have a problem with them leaning on him quite so hard. Beyond that whoever said that they consider Santa a Disney character should have a boot inserted up their sideways. Thats just a load...

 

 

BTW... This was just making me thing what do the people who have had roles in some of the rides have to do if they want to come to the park? I mean say Rick Moranis wants to come... Oh but won't the kids confuse him with the character he plays in Honey I Shrunk the Audience? Also what of poor Eric Idle who plays the same character in 2 rides... Oh poor guy must not be allowed in the parks. I know it is being silly but seriously does anyone know if Disney actually allows people featured in attractions to visit the park normally?

[Wes]

^ Are you fucking kidding?

[kenshinmac]

^ Are you fudging kidding?

Sorta... But isn't it kinda the same idea?

 

I mean wouldn't those people who play the characters walking around the park confuse kids? I'm just kinda wondering what Disney does to ensure that the illusion is preserved. Do they just not let the actors go around the parks or what?

 

I mean wouldn't it be roughly equivalent to a character actor walking around without the character's head on?

[Wes]

I don't see any correlation at all. A guy who looks like Santa, dresses up in a RED HAT and a RED SHIRT, is a little different than a celebrity who would go to the park not looking to attract attention. Rick Moranis doesn't intentionally walk around in a lab coat, Eric Idle probably doesn't roam around and ask where Figment is. Infact, I highly doubt a child would be even recognize them in public if they were acting normal, in normal attire, etc. They just look like regular guys.

 

Iconic characters with easily idenitfiable traits such as Santa, Mickey, etc. are different.

 

This guy obviously went out of his way to put on a red hat and a red shirt, and then complains when Disney asks him to change.

 

What if Disney's Santa just happened to roam into the area where fake Santa is? How do the parents explain the two santas? Disney does an excellent job of spacing its characters so two of the same are never ever ever in the same area, and they were obviously trying to keep that up when they asked him to change.

[Jew]

Disney did this for the same reason you can't wear costumes to any "Haunt" events: they don't want the guests confusing the other guest as an official park character. Doesn't seem far-fetched to me...

[kenshinmac]

Disney did this for the same reason you can't wear costumes to any "Haunt" events: they don't want the guests confusing the other guest as an official park character. Doesn't seem far-fetched to me...

Ok but then why didn't the guy get stopped at the gate? I mean it seems like a this could have easily been avoided. Or do they just not have trouble with people with white beards wearing red often?

 

I guess it just seems like this was poorly handled in all sorts of ways...

[Soarin_G]

He didn't get stopped at the gate for the same reason that little girls can dress up as princesses and wander around the park. The issue was not with his dress but with his actions. There was a case a couple of months back where a parent dressed her child up in a Tinkerbell costume and paraded her around the park claiming she really was Tinkerbell. Again... Totally acceptable to dress in a costume that doesn't obscure the face and doesn't contain an offensive material. Not acceptable to IMPERSONATE the character.

 

Although Disney does not own the rights to Santa, they do represent the real Santa in costume.

 

The Santa dude is dumb anyway. He says he looks like that 365 days a year... That's nice, but you're not friggin' Santa, so quit saying you are.

 

The really nifty thing about Amusement Parks is that they are private property and they get to make silly rules that you have to follow. I LOVE it!!! I wish they'd enforce things like this MORE often!

[BeemerBoy]

Disney's concerns were for that of the children and not for themselves--as they aren't making any money off Santa*. Their motive was the children. No shame in that.

 

Actually, the same applies to that gentleman when you think about it.

 

And I'd just like to have clarification on his attire. The article was somewhat vague. A red hat and red shirt can mean many different things. While I understand Disney's position on this one, I was thinking what Derek stated.....just ask the man to say something clever like "no, I'm not, but I hear the 'real' Santa is around here somewhere." Case closed.

 

Scott "I guess I should tell my big-eyed redheaded friend to leave her mermaid costume at home next time she visits" B.

[Soarin_G]

^ See and that's just it. The news report I saw on TV the other night stated that Disney asked that he please not tell people that he was Santa. His response was that he couldn't deny children the pleasure of telling them he really WAS Santa. And only then was when he was asked to leave.

[Primogen18]

The Santa dude is dumb anyway. He says he looks like that 365 days a year... That's nice, but you're not friggin' Santa, so quit saying you are.

 

Sorry, I find this kinda funny, since ANYONE who dresses up as Santa saying they're Santa isn't really Santa lol. Whats wrong with him making a few kids happy saying hes Santa Clause liek the millions of other costumed Santas world over? (btw this isn't about what he did in the park, I agree he should have not been acting as Santa telling kids and such then because of confusion etc, I just mean in general)