Santa Story

[jbuey22]

It was 2003, Mid september,...me the wife and our 2 kids were at a Character Breakfast in the AK. Donalds Restaurantosaurus. As we are eating and enjoying Donald, Goofy, Mickey and Minnie, a long white bearded elderly man sat down with a plate full of buffet food. He wasnt quite dressed like santa. He had Jeans suspenders and a white tee shirt, no other costume. But if this wasnt the spitting image of the coca-cola santa in semi-plain clothes. As we ate I noticed that he was alone, with no other family. I found this odd and it made me assume that he is a prop character. So after eating and while the Characters were in a different room I convinced my son who was 8 at the time to go get his autograph. (the kids had their character autograph books with them) He went up to the gentleman and asked politely for his autograph. Sure enough he returned with a large signature that just said SANTA. We stopped on our way out and talked to him, he said he was taking a small vacation before the big season, gave my daughter a autograph and we left. But before we did kids just started lining up behind us all with autograph books and camera's.

Has anybody encountered anything like this? Was this just an ordinary man who happen to look like Santa? Please reply if you have seen this man.
I think I have a picture somewhere I will post it if I find it.

 

[loriandmatt]

i am sure it isn't the same guy (well it could be, but doubtful) but there is a man who lives near me who my husband knows. he is a highly sought after department store santa. he even tries to have shorts, tropical shirts, suspenders, ties....that have a christmas theme that he wears all year long when out doing every day things. (i have seen him at the local dinner and at the grocery store)

he is very proud to be SANTA and does not mind at all that his young adoring fans give him waves or ask for hugs or pictures

 

[jsilvers]

As we are eating and enjoying Donald, Goofy, Mickey and Minnie, a long white bearded elderly man sat down with a plate full of buffet food. He wasnt quite dressed like santa. He had Jeans suspenders and a white tee shirt, no other costume. But if this wasnt the spitting image of the coca-cola santa in semi-plain clothes.

This sounds like it could have been the man Disney evicted from a park in 2006 (http://www.wesh.com/news/10552033/detail.html) - but I imagine it could by any number of Florida retirees?...

 

[goofy4tink]

Have to agree that it's similar to the above news story. Disney does not want anyone who could be mistaken for any character, Disney or not, in the parks. Way too much liability for them. Can you just imagine if a man looked like Santa and then did himself up to resemble Santa even more so...then headed to the parks with the intent to trap little ones? Nope, Disney just can't be too careful.
I'm sure that gentleman in the OP wasn't doing anything devious, but I'm sure that if and when Disney realized what was happening the 'Santa' would have been asked to leave. I can understand the poor man that looked like Santa...he probably cultivated his 'look' so he could be hired for that all important seasonal work. And it's nice that he had a comeback for why he was there, rather than at the North Pole. But he shouldn't have been giving out autographs...that's a sure way to incur Disney's wrath.

 

[smallfri1112]

I went to Disney back in November 2005 and found this gentleman hanging out right on main street. He was happy to take a picture with me!!

http://family.webshots.com/photo/2726143050041152154jSRZOD?vhost=family

 

[ARC]

It was 2003, Mid september,...me the wife and our 2 kids were at a Character Breakfast in the AK. Donalds Restaurantosaurus. As we are eating and enjoying Donald, Goofy, Mickey and Minnie, a long white bearded elderly man sat down with a plate full of buffet food. He wasnt quite dressed like santa. He had Jeans suspenders and a white tee shirt, no other costume. But if this wasnt the spitting image of the coca-cola santa in semi-plain clothes. As we ate I noticed that he was alone, with no other family. I found this odd and it made me assume that he is a prop character. So after eating and while the Characters were in a different room I convinced my son who was 8 at the time to go get his autograph. (the kids had their character autograph books with them) He went up to the gentleman and asked politely for his autograph. Sure enough he returned with a large signature that just said SANTA. We stopped on our way out and talked to him, he said he was taking a small vacation before the big season, gave my daughter a autograph and we left. But before we did kids just started lining up behind us all with autograph books and camera's.

Has anybody encountered anything like this? Was this just an ordinary man who happen to look like Santa? Please reply if you have seen this man.
I think I have a picture somewhere I will post it if I find it.

hmmm....interesting story. Sounds like it was magical for your kids at least! By the way we are almost neighbors! I am in Shorewoood! Nice to know there is a MICKEY fan close by!!

 

[Princess Brittany]

I am from Morris,IL!! Not very far from you guys!!

 

[CanadianGuy]

This sounds like it could have been the man Disney evicted from a park in 2006 (http://www.wesh.com/news/10552033/detail.html) - but I imagine it could by any number of Florida retirees?...

From another thread earlier today...

Just to set the record straight, his name is J.D. Worley and he was not kicked out of the park. Disney officials did originally ask him to leave, but finally agreed to let him stay. And he was not asked to leave because he just happened to look like Santa. He was posing for pictures and telling little children that he WAS Santa. Disney asked him to stop, and to take off his red shirt and hat. He agreed and was allowed to stay in the park. Many news outlets--in their never-ending quest to paint Disney as an "evil empire"--chose to emphasize the "asked to leave" part and ignored the "allowed to stay" part of the story.

 

[LisaInNc]

We saw a man last summer white hair full white beard a ringer for Santa. He was wearing a tee shirt and shorts. I grabbed my DD and said.....look even Santa goes to Disney! She loved it she wanted to go talk to him but I told her that he was on vacation and we needed to respect that. She also got a kick out of seeing Santa in his regular clothes.

Magic can be anywhere you want to find it!

 

[ARC]

I am from Morris,IL!! Not very far from you guys!!

Hi! I am glad to hear of another DIS fan near by!