HO HO HO! Now Get out! (Merry Christmas Y'all)

[LittleDollClaudia]

I saw this on MSNBC.com and just had to share. Happy reading!

Dec. 21, 2006 | 11:01 a.m. ET

Santa kicked out of Disney World
(Kellyanne Dignan, "Scarborough Country" producer)

‘Tis the holiday season and everywhere from Scarborough Country to Hollyweird things are merry and bright. So imagine my surprise when I came upon the headline "Santa kicked out of Disney World." I thought the story had to be a mistake of some kind; perhaps a sensational headline or some kind of commentary on the so-called "War on Christmas."

Nope, it’s the real thing. Apparently a Florida man who bears a striking resemblance to jolly St. Nick was asked to leave the theme park because he was telling children he was Santa Claus. James Worley, the big man in red’s look alike, says it was all in the spirit of the holidays. Disney managers claim he was confusing the kids.

My theory: Mickey just didn’t want to share his house with someone more famous. Back in October I wrote about ‘The 101 Most Influential People Who Never Lived.’ Santa came in at No. 4; Mickey Mouse at No. 19.

Apparently Sherlock Holmes, Romeo and Juliet, Oedipus and The Marlboro Man are all more important than the world’s favorite mouse. For the record, Robin Hood and Ebenezer Scrooge have both made Disney cameo appearances despite coming in higher on the list at 12 and 16 respectively.

According to Mr. Worley, Disney officials told him "Santa was considered a Disney character." Maybe Disney movie makers should consider a new Christmas classic. They could cast Mr. Worley as "Disney character" St. Nick and themselves as Ebenezer Scrooge.


That final part just cracks me up! Did anyone else know that Santa was a Disney character? That's news to me..

[leftcoaster]

This another "let's give Disney a bad rap" story. Also add in the man himself: "I look like this 24/7."

Really? Do you wear a "Santa look-alike" jacket and a red hat with a cotton ball on it 24/7?

I don't think it is anything about Santa being a Disney character, although Santa does tell the Santa story at the AA pavilion in Epcot. I think it's more about confusing the kids. And since he is not a CM, if some accusation should happen, like he was fondling kids, who would more likely be sued, him or Disney ?

[WLStephanie]

This another "let's give Disney a bad rap" story. Also add in the man himself: "I look like this 24/7."

Really? Do you wear a "Santa look-alike" jacket and a red hat with a cotton ball on it 24/7?

I don't think it is anything about Santa being a Disney character, although Santa does tell the Santa story at the AA pavilion in Epcot. I think it's more about confusing the kids. And since he is not a CM, if some accusation should happen, like he was fondling kids, who would more likely be sued, him or Disney ?

You are out in left field on this one, Left. I've waited on this man and spoken to him several times. He's eccentric, but completely harmless and my bet would be that it had to do with some nutjob guest who complained since the guy has been around WDW for years. He's a regular at my location, and minus the red hat, he does look like that 24/7. There is no red jacket. He does always wear a red button down shirt. Something must've gotten smoothed over, though, since he was in the restaurant on Tuesday of last week. The CMs at my location were talking about how he's always around the week before this was an issue, so I'm confident that he's not anything new. Honestly, Disney should offer the guy a job. He's more authentic looking than their Santa in DTD.

[leftcoaster]

You are out in left field on this one, Left. I've waited on this man and spoken to him several times. He's eccentric, but completely harmless and my bet would be that it had to do with some nutjob guest who complained since the guy has been around WDW for years. He's a regular at my location, and minus the red hat, he does look like that 24/7. There is no red jacket. He does always wear a red button down shirt. Something must've gotten smoothed over, though, since he was in the restaurant on Tuesday of last week. The CMs at my location were talking about how he's always around the week before this was an issue, so I'm confident that he's not anything new. Honestly, Disney should offer the guy a job. He's more authentic looking than their Santa in DTD.

Well, I have not seen the guy in person, but here is the whole story:

Disney World Tells Santa Lookalike to Hit the Road!

The happiest place on Earth just said 'no' to the jolliest man on Earth: Santa Claus.

Walt Disney World resort gave an ultimatum to a Santa lookalike who was visiting the park Sunday, warning him to ditch his festive gear or get out.

J.D. Worley, 60, is used to being mistaken for Santa Claus. But it had always been something that brought him joy, until a recent visit to Disney World.

Worley, who has a long white beard and bears a striking resemblance to St. Nick, was followed around by many an awed youngster during his recent visit to the park.

"Adults and children alike came up to me and asked to take pictures with me. I even had my picture taken with groups of cast members and store managers," Worley said.

Several of the tiny tots asked if he was Santa Claus, to which he responded, 'yes, I am.'


But is Worley really Kris Kringle? He admits he is not.

"Christmas is supposed to be about kids, and how do you tell a kid that comes up to you and grabs your leg and calls you 'Santa,' how do I say, 'get away from me kid, I'm not Santa?'" said Worley.

Worley does, however, have some experience as Santa Claus.

"J.D. has been playing Santa for a long time," says his wife, Darlene. "He plays Santa and I play Mrs. Claus. We do it for charity, and we march in parades. We’ve done it for the troops in our local National Guard, and for disabled vets at the local VA hospital."

Disney, however, would prefer that the park's official Santa Claus remain the one and only.

"They told me I either needed to alter my appearance or I needed to leave the park because I was impersonating Santa Claus. They told us that Santa was considered a Disney character,' said Worley.

Darlene thinks the park was overreacting.

"Almost everyone there wears Santa hats and dresses in red and green during the holidays. The kids thought it was wonderful that Santa was actually a real person in the park," Darlene said.

Jacob DiPietre, a spokesman for Walt Disney World, said Worley was never banned from the park, only asked to stop impersonating the jolly man.

"We're very committed to protecting the magic of Santa Claus for all our guests, especially children. We asked him to stop presenting himself as Santa Claus and he agreed," said DiPietre.

Darlene says Christmas has lost some of its luster this year, in part, thanks to what happened at Disney World.

But Worley is working to keep his spirit alive.

"I'm still angry with Disney, I'm still hurt," said Worley, "but I'm not going to let it ruin my Christmas. I'm not going to let it stop me from going to Disney, if they let me in. I still look like Santa, and I'm not going to shave my beard off."

-------------------------

Ok, I do not what this turning into nasty thread. :) But let us look at what his comments are in the original story:

He admitted to impersonating Santa Claus, in the park, to kids. BTW, Christmas is for everyone, not just kids.

Why did the Disney representative say that he was not banned from the park? He must have told the reporter that he was "banned" from the park, which is a lie.

So, I'll ask you....if you had kids, and you were at some local strip mall in August, and some strange man was telling kids, including your own, that he was Santa Claus, what would you do ? Remember, "he is harmless."

[WLStephanie]

So, I'll ask you....if you had kids, and you were at some local strip mall in August, and some strange man was telling kids, including your own, that he was Santa Claus, what would you do ? Remember, "he is harmless."

I'm here at the World, Left, the whole story was on the local news more than a week ago. Based on when the story aired, my bet is that it was the same night I saw him in the restaurant with his family a few weeks ago. He wasn't in my section, but I went up to him and bantered with him as if he were Santa. Santa has to eat, too. Maybe he had a craving for grilled turkey.

I'm telling you, Left, if it was this man, I'd laugh and tell my kids they'd better be good 'cuz he's everywhere. And yes, I have kids. Ages 2, 4, and 10. I wouldn't let them go home with him. I probably wouldn't let my kids sit on his lap, but I might even appreciate him going along with it a bit if my kids asked if he were Santa.

And he didn't say he was banned, he said that he was asked to leave.

Plus, he's not just some random guest, he's well known by CM's and management alike. He's eaten in my location twice in the last 3 weeks.

This is being made bigger than it really was, I'm sure. Santa probably overreacted. It's not unheard of for a manager to overreact, though, is it?

[BirdMom]

You know last weekend, we saw an elderly man - heavyset with a white beard, rolling around on a red electric scooter in DCA. He was wearing a Santa hat, and since our 9-year-old still believes (yes, she's a little naive, but it's charming) it was fun to say "hi Santa!" I told him he needed a wreath on his handlbar basket so he could say it was his sleigh and he just laughed. No one stopped him in DCA that I know of. But he didn't carry on as if he were the real deal either. He just smiled, said hello and winked at Andrea.

[TinkerBelleRoo]

I read this too on another Disney forum and it got me thinking, what happens if there's a guest that just happens to resemble a face character unintentionally. In other words, maybe coincidentally wearing a color associated with the character but in no way a costume.

For argument's sake, someone could look like Belle and be wearing a yellow tee shirt. She might resemble her more than the hired Belle. Kids might assume she is Belle. I chose Belle as an example simply because a woman with brown hair in a low ponytail isn't exactly an odd occurance. It could easily be Alice with a blonde and a black headband.

Will Disney tell her to alter her appearance? Even if she never says she's Belle?

Just curious where the line would be drawn to something like this.

[Wizard69]

I wonder if it's the same guy I always see at DL. I think he is an AP and really looks like Santa. The first time I saw him years ago , he was sitting on a bench in Town Square wearing a red shirt but no santa cap. I had to do a double take. I have seen him around eating at various restaurants inside DL. Around christmas time, he always wears a santa hat and red shirt or sweatshirt so he REALLY looks like santa then.

[LittleDollClaudia]

All I want to know is who changed my title? Thanks, boys! Merry Christmas to y'all too! :p:

But really, my reason for posting this was the reason he was asked to leave, not if he tells kids he's Santa. That's his thing, so what? If I looked like a celebrity and someone drew attention to it, yeah sure I'd be flattered. It is all in the spirit of fun and the season anyway. Hell, around this time of year, even store Santas give me that fuzzy feeling. Don't worry, it won't last.

My point was and is that someone said that Santa is a Disney character. I'm sorry but I have a problem with that scenario, okay? Old St. Nick has been around for hundreds of years. He wasn't some drawing imagined by the Nine Old Men. The day that I accept that Santa is owned by Disney, I may as well lay down whatever shreds of Christmas spirit I have and truly become a Grinch.

That's my two cents for the season. Have a Merry and remember Santa is watching you!

[CBeilby]

It's probably some idiot in Team Dumbass Florida who decided that. I swear to god that those people don't know anything :mad: