“We apologize for the disappointment and inconvenience our customers have caused.”
Ticket holders for a Christmas-themed experience, which is described as the “Fyre Festival of Santa Claus Events,” were disappointed after the event turned out to be far from what was originally advertised.
The Santa’s Winter Village event, hosted at the Colonnades Mall in Adelaide, South Australia, was criticized by angry parents who called the whole operation “cheap”, “sticky” and “deceptive”.
The installation was announced to run on December 12-23, but was discontinued following negative feedback on experience and costs.
In a statement on the mall’s Facebook account, a spokesman said they had contacted the relevant team to discuss “concerns” and concluded that the event did not meet expectations.
An angry mother posted today about how a “Santa’s Winter Village” event in Noarlunga, South Australia, is a scam, warning other parents. She is right. Check his photos. Looks like the Fyre Festival of Santa Claus events.
“Together with the team from The Ice Skating Edge, we arranged to close Santa’s Winter Village today, stop selling tickets to the event and arrange refunds for those who were disappointed with the event,” the message read. “We’ve listened to your feedback, and we agree that Santa’s Winter Village doesn’t live up to the expectations of our customers, the wider community, or our Colonnades team, and we apologize for the disappointment and inconvenience. caused our customers. ”
Participants were initially promised a variety of activities, all under one roof, including a huge candy band game, a special Christmas ice show and the opportunity to meet Santa Claus in the “enchanted forest”.
Instead, customers were greeted in an under-decorated warehouse with an improvised maze, cardboard attractions and several DIY pieces depicted throughout. One of the parents shared photos with the setting on Facebook.
“Looking at the photos, all you see is cheap and sticky Christmas decorations, so very disappointed,” wrote the father, who had bought tickets and was initially denied a refund.
Experience tickets start at $ 27 per person; a package for a family of four was $ 92, plus a booking fee.
Tom Tanuki, whose tweet comparing the event to the famous Fyre Festival went viral, told BuzzFeed News on Twitter that although he may have initially criticized the setup, he was actually a fan and hailed it as an embodiment of the “true Christmas spirit.” . “
“I know I said it was like a child’s Santa Fyre Festival, but I thought it was good,” he said. “I want this. Kids are fine with shit stuff. They’re having their own fun. “
He even started a petition requesting that Santa’s Winter Village resume business.
“In fact, I think the government should subsidize it so that they can take the bag and parents submit their children for free,” he said. “We hope that the petition goes so well that the government realizes the merit of this. “
Tanuki, who lives an eight-hour drive from the event car, said he would have seriously considered attending Winter Village if not for its sudden closure.
“I would have really thought about traveling away from an entire state … just to see this thing. It looked beautiful,” he said.
BuzzFeed News has contacted Colonnades Mall for further comments.