Tips For Visit's with Santa

Here are some suggestions to help your visit from Santa go smoothly:

PLEASE NOTE THAT YOU ARE GETTING A PREMIUM AND AUTHENTIC SANTA EXPERIENCE WITH AN ORIGINAL CUSTOM MADE SANTA SUIT AND REAL BEARD. THIS PRICELESS CHRISTMAS EXPERIENCE IS TAKEN VERY SERIOUSLY BY SANTA SO THAT YOU GET THE MOST OUT OF HIS VERY MEMORABLE VISIT.

PLEASE REFRAIN FROM SITTING ON SANTA WITH ANY KIND OF FOOD OR DRINKS AS SPILLAGE MAY OCCUR WHICH YOU WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR FINANCIALLY.

SANTAS RATES ARE SET EACH YEAR AND MAY BE DIFFERENT FROM LAST YEARS RATES YOU HAD. ALL RATES ARE NON NEGOTIABLE AS THIS IS A PRICELESS CHRISTMAS EXPERIENCE ENJOYED BY FAMILIES WORLD WIDE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING.

Photos:
Have your cameras ready! Be sure to have all the film or digital storage devices, videotape and batteries necessary to take the photos you want or need to get. Be sure to recharge your camera batteries.

Think about photos you'll want! Santa is happy to get all the photos you want. Kids of all ages like to have their pictures made with Santa, so be sure to include grandma, grandpa and the teenagers. Family group pictures are good also and make great Christmas cards!

Parking:
If parking is tight, please reserve a special parking place for Santa, close to where he will enter the party. This is especially important on inclement days or nights! Don't forget… Santa is a senior citizen, so he will appreciate this very much.

Gifts:
Have your gifts ready! If Santa is to bring presents for children or guests, they should be well labeled, have the gifts near his chair or under the Christmas Tree before he arrives. Gifts should be securely wrapped and the recipient's name should be on a gift tag which is securely attached to the gift or the name should be written on the gift wrapping with a black marker…something easy for Santa to read in low light! Don't forget that your handwriting may be recognized, so make the effort to get someone else to write the names. Please note that Santa cannot bring in gifts from outside your home as with varying packages and different weights of the gifts they are generally to heavy to lift and gifts can lose their tags or get damaged in Santa's sack. Tell the children that one of the elves dropped them off earlier in the day that's why they are under your tree early. **PLEASE HAVE A FRIEND OR FAMILY HELPER TO ASSIST SANTA WITH THE GIFTS BY HANDING THEM TO HIM ONE AT A TIME**.

Organize:
Get everyone together, before Santa enters. Timing is everything. Santa may only be there for a set amount of time and if everyone is scattered around the house, office, restaurant, country club (you get the idea) you lose valuable time. Santa and you can coordinate. Have someone meet Santa just before he comes into your event. If Santa is to bring in presents, the person meeting him can help fill Santa's bag. Then, at the right moment, Santa can pop in and join everyone. If you have a large group of children to see Santa, you should assign someone to be Santa's helper and coordinate the order of children as they each visit Santa. Please have the assistant say each child’s name as it’s their turn to visit with Santa

Accommodate:
Have a sturdy chair for Santa to sit in. Folding chairs are not good. Santa usually likes a chair that is sturdy and stable & comfortable. He should be able to sit comfortably and have a child on each knee.

Setting:
Place the chair near your Christmas tree or maybe in front of a fireplace, with stockings hanging, or any festive type of backdrop. Your photos will have more impact when the background has a festive look. Place a wreath, a few Christmas cards or your children's drawings on the mantle or wall to make a wonderful difference. Leave a couple of feet between the chair and the tree or wall. This will allow room for other to gather around and behind Santa's chair for group photos. If Santa's chair is near the fireplace, please don't have a fire… it'll be much too hot!

Temperature:
We suggest the room temperature be set at 70 degrees or lower. Even in winter a room full of people will get very hot in a short time. If you have an electric fan please put it beside Santa's chair to keep him cool during the visit. Even on a low setting it provides great comfort to Santa. This will make sense to everyone in attendance as Santa does come from a cold climate.

Discretion:
Please note this is a professional premium service and a non refundable cash only deposit for services will be required from everyone to hold your spot upon booking (No deposit... no booking will be recorded), please place the remainder of the payment in cash inside a Christmas card or envelope for Santa's big arrival. It never looks appropriate when someone gives cash to Santa openly. So, as Santa is departing, hand him the envelope and say, "Thank you Santa and here is a Christmas card from all of us." If you cancel a booking for any reason after making deposit you forfeit that deposit money. If you cancel your booking within 1 week of the date of service the whole amount will be due and owing in cash no exceptions.

Time:
Santa has many corporate and residential visits to attend all through the year and the time you book when making the initial contact with us must be adhered to and no "extra" time is available unless booked ahead of time. This means that unfortunately when the time of your booking is over Santa must go to be on time for his next visit so this requires the event organizer to control the event and to book enough time to make sure no one is left out. Your attention to this is so important.

Parking:
If parking is tight, please reserve a special parking place for Santa, close to where he will enter the party. This is especially important on inclement days or nights! Don't forget… Santa is a senior citizen, so he will appreciate this very much.

Behaviour or Disruptions:
If there are children who are disruptive during Santa's visit or question out loud whether he "is the real Santa" in front of the other children please have an adult present & ready to take the child aside and talk with them. Santa cannot be the disciplinarian during his visit. These types of disruptions cause precious time to be lost during the short Santa visit and affect the magic of the occasion.

The Magic:
Santa will tell the children as they visit with him magical tales about times he remembers with their Mom, Dad,Grandma or Grandpa etc. These stories are meant to entertain the children and are not based in fact (most times). Please be prepared to play along and have fun as magical memories are created.

Details, Details:
If you are providing ahead of time certain small details about a child's life, behaviour or family experience to assist Santa in making the visit more authentic please keep in mind that Santa will use his discretion as to what to include or leave out when speaking to the child. Less is more remember !

Santa will refer to some adults in general in the room as Daddy or Mommy during his visit even if the child on his knee is not theirs. For instance if there is a delay in getting a gift out of his bag or from under the tree he may take that opportunity to look around the room and say 'Hello Mommy or Daddy' randomly to someone who is waiting & watching in the audience. Please don't rush to correct Santa or become flustered because the child on his knee is not yours. He is simply saying hello to you in his own special way. Grand parents remember you ARE a mommy or daddy to your kids regardless of how old they are.

Remember this very special experience is all about the children. Santa ensures everyone has fun and enjoy's themselves. Please be aware of projecting adult expectations onto a child's experience.

Santa's Helper:
Santa asks that you do not refer to him during your visit as "one of Santa's Helpers" as this destroys your child's experience. All children want to see "The Real Santa" not a look a like helper. Let them for a few precious moments believe. Don't let your adult mind intrude on a child's imagination.