Put them on the naughty list.
A ritzy Los Angeles shopping center has local mothers and dads’ chestnuts roasting on an open fire this Christmas — forcing them to spend as much as $165 for his or her kids’ obligatory visits with Santa Claus.
In the newest example of inflation-era holiday sticker shock, the tony Westfield at Century City is selling three spendy, timed-entry passes to their Santa’s North Pole Adventure experience, each costing as much as a pleasant Christmas gift would — no less than, in places that aren’t on the fringes of Beverly Hills.
Parents are urged to order ahead — slots are filling up quickly, particularly on weekends — to the tune of $109 for the “Elf Pass,” $125 for the “Reindeer Express,” and $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 vacation gift, kids admitted on each tier only get a “dedicated” three minutes with Santa in his bungalow.
The whole shebang is advertised as a 30 to 45-minute experience on the West L.A. favorite, positioned just blocks from the filming location of 1988’s “Die Hard,” one in all the best holiday movies ever made.
The remaining time is stuffed 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 vacation pop-up — directly across from Tiffany & Co. — doesn’t have an arranged photographer for any packages. And don’t attempt to bring your individual either.
“No skilled 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 discourage the masses — SFGate reported lines across the block when the attraction first opened last week. Though that might 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.
Talking to SFGate, he also noted that the 1.3 million square foot shopping mall, home to Nordstrom, Bloomingdales and greater than 200 upscale boutiques, was revamped to the tune of $1 billion in 2017, a move that “truly transformed the vacation experience.”
