New Jersey Mall Drops $35 To $50 Fee To See Santa
CHERRY HILL, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- A New Jersey mall is trying to get back on Santa's nice list.
Social media backlash forced the Cherry Hill Mall on Monday to eliminate a requirement that parents pay $35 to $50 to get into a Santa exhibit.
Angry customers slammed the mall on its Facebook page before it reversed its policies.
"You are horrible! Who charges a family to see Santa? I will never shop at your mall again. So sad because I grew up going there. I even worked there. You're disgusting," one customer wrote.
"I was going to go to the mall tomorrow, but then I heard about the Santa scam. This stunt has assured that I will never go to the Cherry Hill Mall again. You've lost a customer of 28 years, plus all my kids (and their kids) who grew up going there," another customer wrote.
The mall said it was lifting the fee for Adventure to Santa because it wanted to keep things festive in the spirit of the holiday season.
"This time of year, this holiday season it should really just be about all things positive and all things festive," marketing manager Ashlyn Delson told WCBS 880's Marla Diamond. "We're not trying to create a negative story."
The mall's North Pole exhibit features a large enclosure with digital panels for walls that block views of jolly old Saint Nick. The display features characters from the Shrek movies as well as a virtual sleigh ride, a concert performed by elves, and various games.
Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust, which manages the mall, said the exhibit is one of only 12 Adventure to Santa attractions across the country.
The mall initially justified the fee, saying the village was an interactive exhibit where children can go on a simulated ride to the North Pole. Parents who want photo or video of their children will still have to pay a fee.
Last week, the Westchester and Roosevelt Field malls whitewashed Santa's workshop with a new display featuring space-like glaciers before facing backlash from shoppers and caving to demands to bring back the traditional Santa set.
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