Upscale mall charging outrageous fee for kids to see Santa Claus
Put them on the naughty list.
A ritzy Los Angeles shopping mall has local moms and dads’ chestnuts roasting on an open fire this Christmas — forcing them to spend up to $165 for their kids’ obligatory visits with Santa Claus.
In the latest example of inflation-era holiday sticker shock, the tony Westfield at Century City is selling three spendy passes to their Santa’s North Pole Adventure experience, each costing as much as a nice Christmas gift would — at least, in places that aren’t on the fringes of Beverly Hills.
Parents can shell out $109 for the “Elf Pass,” $125 for the “Reindeer Express,” and a shocking $165 for the VIP pass, which allows privileged kiddies into “Santa’s Inner Circle.”
The latter includes — woo-hoo — complimentary cookies, and “elves will prioritize your group’s check-in.”
Almost as insulting as socks for a holiday gift, kids admitted on each tier only get a “dedicated” three minutes with Santa in his bungalow.
The entire shebang is advertised as a 30 to 45-minute experience at the West L.A. favorite, located just blocks from the filming location of 1988’s “Die Hard,” one of the greatest holiday films ever made.
The remaining time is filled with mulling around a Christmas village with a scavenger hunt, a postcard station, and more decorations like a train for photo ops.
Oh, and the holiday pop-up — directly across from Tiffany & Co. — doesn’t have an arranged photographer for any packages. And don’t try to bring your own either.
“No professional photography equipment allowed including camera stands or lighting equipment,” the mall writes.
Rest easy, though, “selfies encouraged!”
The exorbitant cost and stringent rules aren’t doing much to deter the masses — SFGate reported lines around the block when the attraction first opened last week. Though that could have something to do with the reduced rates for visits before Dec. 6.
The mall’s senior general manager, Louis Schillace, has called the pricey “immersive experience” a “one-of-a-kind” event for Angelenos.
Speaking to SFGate, he also noted that the 1.3 million square foot shopping center, home to Nordstrom, Bloomingdales and more than 200 upscale boutiques, was revamped to the tune of $1 billion in 2017, a move that “truly transformed the holiday experience.”
