Where did the Christmas spirit go?? Long.

[LBIJim]

We like taking our kids to Story Book Land to see Santa. The ones at the malls are no fun. At SBL, Santa and Mrs. Claus are awesome! You can take your own pictures or you can pay a small fee for theirs. Plus you get so much more at SBL. There are thousands of lights, rides, a fake snow machine, animals and more!

I loved Story Book Land as a kid, and my kids did too. But I don't think they opened for the Christmas season until maybe 5 or 10 years ago. It was strictly a May to September thing.

Not sure how old you are, but do you remember a place called Adventure Villiage a few miles west of SBL on the same side of the Black Horse Pike? It was a similar type kids amusement park with a western theme. It probably closed down by the early 1970s. Anyway, I had completely forgotten about it until a few years ago. They started clearing the trees to put up the AutoLenders and suddenly all those buildings magically reappeared. Kinda dilapidated but still standing. The forest grew to cover the view from the BHP
after all those years.

Jim

 

[Suellen]

We go to a church fair (lots of them and lots of different denominations too) free pictures with Santa and a whole lot more fun things to do!

 

[LBIJim]

I'm going to show my age here so, here it goes. As a child growing up in the late 60's early 70's I can remember living in a small town right outside of Philly and could not wait for the day after Thanksgiving. I was so excited knowing my parents would take me along with my brothers and sister downtown to watch the Christmas parade and the best part waiting for the arrival of Santa and not knowing how he would arrive? Once was by fire truck, once was by helicopter and once he needed to be rescued by the fire department ladder truck it was such an exciting time.
We would make trips to center city Philly to Wanamakers to see the Christmas light show and see Santa and tell him everything we wanted. When I became an adult and married my first wife I now could give my son and daughter the same excitement about seeing Santa and having a picture taken with him.
:

There are still plently of places to get free photos with Santa: the library, VFW halls, some garden centers, etc.

As far as I remember, even back in the 1960s, Wanamakers, Strawbridge & Clothier, etc. charged to have photos taken with Santa and "discouraged" parents from taking their own pictures.

Loved visiting John Wanamaker department store in Philly. My mom would take my brother and I every year during Christmas vacation. The light show was awesome, but the toy department was nirvana for a kid. They had a carousel and a monorail ride high above the toy department. Then lunch in the hoity-toity Crystal Tea Room. Had to be on our best behavior there.

I never saw the Philly Christmas parade in person, but I think from watching on TV that Santa would arrive by firetruck and then climb the fire ladder to the 4th or 5th floor of Gimbels toy department.

Jim

 

[bicker]

I don't recall my parents ever having to pay for a picture with Santa - nor did I with my own kids.. We weren't mall people though.. We were usually attending a Christmas party (free of charge) at a VFW; school; church; firehouse; etc..

So the Santa was effectively paid-for, either through membership dues/donations of the members who invited you into their institution, or (as offensive as it may be to some) through taxes when Santas were provided at public institutions. And that goes hand-in-glove, of course, with how some stores use providing a (free) Santa as a means of redirecting business away from their competitors.