Comments on: Disney World tells man to stop looking so much like Santa Claus

By: Fábio Emilio Costa

Fábio Emilio Costa — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 17:02:00 +0000

Next mission…

Try to run a Quidditch match in Cinderella’s Castle.

By: Fábio Emilio Costa

Fábio Emilio Costa — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 16:58:00 +0000

I would understand your arguments, Brad Shur, if we were talking about a, eg, Minnie Mouse Crossplayer. But… It’s a Santa Claus lookalike, and even that without a costume. They will try to fuck the fun of every 60+ gramps that try some safe fun with Mickey or Goofy. THIS is 1984.

PS: I replied on Jake0748 cause the Reply button wasn’t available for comment. Maybe it’s a software bug.

By: Sasha@librtee

Sasha@librtee — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 10:11:00 +0000

I once got kicked out of a mall for looking like Jesus.

I was just sitting around at a mall in Chicago, dressed and groomed pretty much like Jesus. A week before Christmas! And I got kicked out for doing nothing but sitting there.

True story.

By: Ipo

Ipo — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 20:19:00 +0000

I kid, I kid!

By: graou

graou — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 18:00:00 +0000

Nope.
http://www.snopes.com/holidays/christmas/santa/cocacola.asp

By: Kimmo

Kimmo — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 12:42:00 +0000

Hah! Then where’s the demarcation issue?

By: Brad Shur

Brad Shur — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 09:18:00 +0000

You mean Mousewitz?

By: Brad Shur

Brad Shur — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 09:16:00 +0000

The parks are private property.

Their official character performers are known as “Cast members” and are rigorously trained.

If someone is running around the park in costume, signing autographs and posing for pictures, people can easily assume that they work for the park. A business generally doesn’t want random strangers representing them.

If Disney is aware of his actions and does nothing, then they become liable if, perhaps, Santa decides to grope a kid’s privates, or drops a kid who was on his lap.

Invoking 1984 for a company limiting their liability and protecting their brand on their own property is like invoking the Nazis because Taco bell didn’t give you enough hot sauce. Ludicrous and insulting to real concerns.

By: noah django

noah django — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 08:55:00 +0000

it’s the corollary of “simon says.”

By: CH

CH — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 07:00:00 +0000

As what? Santa Claus isn’t a Disney character.

By: shivas

shivas — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 06:25:00 +0000

In France, due to the strict dress and appearance guidelines at Eurodisney the locals called it Mousewich

By: Jake0748

Jake0748 — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 05:50:00 +0000

“the rest of his point is valid as many other posters have said.”

Nope. Not.

“For very good reasons, Disney doesn’t allow guests to wear costumes in their theme parks. Sometimes the way someone dresses verges too close to a costume, and they ask them to change.”

What the hell kind of 1984, Big Brother bullshit is this? What are the VERY GOOD REASONS? I am so sick of corporate, copyright, big money, asshole “arguments” like this.

By: Kimmo

Kimmo — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 03:19:00 +0000

Fuckwits. Why didn’t they offer him a job instead?

By: Culturedropout

Culturedropout — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 02:46:00 +0000

Careful with the Jesus thing – they’ll be after _you_ next!

By: Brad Shur

Brad Shur — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 01:33:00 +0000

Whether or not “Everyone relax” is effective rhetoric, the rest of his point is valid as many other posters have said.

By: Brad Shur

Brad Shur — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 01:32:00 +0000

Coca Cola, actually.

By: kP

kP — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 00:17:00 +0000

This helps only if you show us your palms while saying it. Jazz hands are frowned upon.

By: Ipo

Ipo — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 23:50:00 +0000

It calmed me down enormously.

By: Ipo

Ipo — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 23:46:00 +0000

Walt Disney created him. Right?

By: John Vance

John Vance — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 23:36:00 +0000

If looking like Michael McDonald in bad need of a trim is wrong, I don’t want to be right.

By: Antinous / Moderator

Antinous / Moderator — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 22:52:00 +0000

I can tell you that it’s never worked very well as a moderatorial tool.

By: Qat

Qat — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 22:03:00 +0000

It’s not about owning Santa. It’s about creating a safe (and totally artificial) amusement park, and not wanting rogue characters having contact with the rest of the public.

For once, I understand them…

By: Joseph Francis

Joseph Francis — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 21:53:00 +0000

I’d like to see him dressed like Green Arrow.

By: Joseph Francis

Joseph Francis — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 21:50:00 +0000

Although you are not to actually do it unless it is preceded by ‘Frankie say’

By: s2redux

s2redux — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 21:34:00 +0000

I'm not a big fan of Disney's operations, but I can see their point here. This guy is a professional Santa, who'd already been in the park the previous two days, posing for pix and signing autographs. It's cute when Fred Gwenn does it in B&W, but IRL? (According to Tolbert, "Then they said to tell people, 'I'm not who you think I am. I'm on vacation and you need to leave me alone.' I told them Santa would never tell people that.")

By: Mark_Frauenfelder

Mark_Frauenfelder — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 21:32:00 +0000

Do you find that commanding people to relax usually works for you?

By: Jorpho

Jorpho — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 21:07:00 +0000

Oh, heck, I’ll step up to the challenge.

Behold, December 2006! Darn near the same story, but a Mr. James Worley. History repeats.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6189521.stm

By: wysinwyg

wysinwyg — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 21:01:00 +0000

There’s wisdom in your reaction. That woman is trying too hard. I’m not sure this guy is trying at all.

By: Nathan Hornby

Nathan Hornby — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 20:33:00 +0000

Santa’s always crept me out. Old guy inviting kids to sit on his lap in exchange for presents? My parents taught me to watch out for that kind of thing.

By: Bob Brinkman

Bob Brinkman — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 20:26:00 +0000

Scott, it has nothing to do with a copyrighted character and everything to do with a guy portraying a character posing for pictures and signing autographs in the park. I’ve run afoul of this rule at the Magic Kingdom myself (in costume prior to the Halloween Party) and was politely approached and told NOT to pose for photos with people.

That’s what happened here. They didn’t boot him out or the like, they asked him to act like a guest of the park and not like a cast member of the park.