Pictures with Santa

[disneychrista]

I just read about our town having "pictures with Santa" at a local strip mall. They are charging $3 to take a picture with your own cell phone. Is that normal these days? To charge to take your own photo?

They will also take a photo & mail it to you for $5.

 

[spiders]

I don’t think I’ve seen that before but it makes sense to me. That’s a pretty minor charge and these people don’t work for free.

 

[kdonnel]

I see that as an improvement. Around here you have to pay to get your picture with Santa. You get physical prints and it is in the $25 to $50 range depending on how many prints you buy.

You are allowed to take a pic with your camera for free but only because you are already committed to a $25 minimum.

 

[disneychrista]

I see that as an improvement. Around here you have to pay to get your picture with Santa. You get physical prints and it is in the $25 to $50 range depending on how many prints you buy.

You are allowed to take a pic with your camera for free but only because you are already committed to a $25 minimum.

This is far from the professional photo packages at the mall. This is likely a simple 3x5 photo.

Are you required to buy the photos? When I was growing up we’d visit Santa every time we went to the mall. Mom never bought pictures.

 

[kdonnel]

This is far from the professional photo packages at the mall. This is likely a simple 3x5 photo.

Are you required to buy the photos? When I was growing up we’d visit Santa every time we went to the mall. Mom never bought pictures.

Generally if you sit on Santas lap you have commited to buying at least the minimum package.

They also have bookings that can be made for private hour long photo events or bring your pet photo events.

This year you do get to sit on Santa's lap rather than on a bench while he stands behind a plexiglass barrier.

 

[mom2rtk]

It's been the case here for a long time. Once cell phones started having decent cameras (and everyone had one in their pocket) they added the stipulation that you had to purchase something to take one.

 

[mom2rtk]

This is far from the professional photo packages at the mall. This is likely a simple 3x5 photo.

Are you required to buy the photos? When I was growing up we’d visit Santa every time we went to the mall. Mom never bought pictures.

Back then people having a camera in their pocket was the exception and not the rule.

 

[sam_gordon]

I remember when my kids were growing up, to sit on Santa's lap at the mall, you had to purchase a photo. This doesn't surprise me in the slightest.

 

[mjkacmom]

I think at our tree lighting they don’t charge you for taking a picture with Santa, but various organizations have pancake breakfasts with the easter bunny and I think they charge because it’s a fundraiser.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

I’d actually prefer to this to the packages they sell. My pics often turn out better than theirs and I’m not interested in a package, but often have to because that’s their requirement.

 

[Kitty 34]

I guess you gotta pay Santa somehow.

 

[prairie_girl]

It's only $3. I'd say that's a great deal.

 

[Julie's Haircut]

Photos with Santa were free on the Ocean City, NJ boardwalk yesterday.

 

[disneychrista]

It's only $3. I'd say that's a great deal.

I haven’t had kids “Santa” age since pre-cell phones. It just took me by surprise that they’d charge for that. I never bought a photo package on the rare occasion we went to the mall during Santa Season but my kids always were able to visit Santa for free.

Hope Disney doesn’t get wind of this or next thing we know we will be paying $10 to take a photo with Mickey.

 

[Julie's Haircut]

I have absolutely no photos of myself with Santa from when I was a kid. My mother insisted she took me to see Santa, but I guess she was too cheap to buy the photo package. She didn't even use her own camera.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I'll admit it's been a number of years since I took kids to see Santa, but when we went, the kids could sit on Santa's knee and they'd take a picture. I was also allowed to take my own pictures with my own camera. I could purchase the package they offered (the picture they took), or not, as I wanted. And no charge to see Santa was imposed by default.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

I just read about our town having "pictures with Santa" at a local strip mall. They are charging $3 to take a picture with your own cell phone. Is that normal these days? To charge to take your own photo?

They will also take a photo & mail it to you for $5.

Here you either buy one of the packages or you don't get photos. It's one sheet for $x, 3 sheets for $2x. A sheet can be an 8 by 10, two 5 by 7s, or four 3 by 5s. They won't let you take one with your phone.

 

[Kittyblue]

I haven’t heard of that but it’s been years since we’ve done Santa pics. I like the idea though. Our Santa let anyone visit, you didn’t have to buy a photo package. I’d pay a few bucks to get a pic on my phone.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

I worked as a Santa's Helper back in high school and college. This was way before cell phones came out. We didn't require anyone to purchase a photo. Kids could sit on Santa's lap without taking a photo. Parents could take photos with their own cameras for no charge. The idea was to increase mall traffic by having Santa there. No purchase was necessary and everyone left with a candy cane!

 

[Mysterian]

I remember the mall Santas didn’t charge. I think Luv Bunnies is right, the mall just wanted to lure shoppers, and even the guy that sells pretzels can be Santa for four hours.

Parents, listen. The times are changing, Omnicron strains, Dollar Tree price hikes on the horizon. I‘ve received your letters, and I’ve got solutions.

Take a photo of your kids in their best sweaters, sitting on the couch or a haystack. Then photoshop Santa with them. Tell your kids Santa is always watching, and how Christmas magic allows his image to appear in photography. Something like that.

They should just make an app for this.