No lines, minimal tears: In Johnson County, concierge Santa is at your service
You’ve decorated the tree and mailed your list to the North Pole. But have you made your photo studio appointment with concierge Santa yet?
Waiting in line with antsy children for a photo with Santa remains a Christmas tradition at shopping centers across America. But at Town Center Plaza, in one of Kansas City’s most affluent suburbs, being photographed with Kris Kringle has become a reservation service, complete with an array of Santas to choose from.
Busy mom Alicia Huff drove 20 miles north into Johnson County from Cleveland, Missouri, with her father and three children. Addison, 10, and Alidia, 6, were dressed in green Christmas lace; Aiden, 8, wore a green sweater. They stood around Santa in his big chair.
“I love the appointments,” Huff said, watching from behind the photographer, who took at least 20 images. “They always run on time. I don’t have to stand in line. I can book it. I know what Santa I’m getting. We show up. We get in, we’re out and we’re finished.
“We’re on to gymnastics class after this.”
As for knowing which Santa she gets:
That’s because, like ordering a specialty latte, Huff chose from a menu of seven Santas, listed by the days and hours they work. Online, in advance, she had a choice of Santa Woody, Santa Jerry, Santas Brian, Ray or Gary. This year, Santa Jeff, who has a passing resemblance to Billy Bob Thornton’s “Bad Santa,” joined the stable, as did African American Santa Shunton, who is already proving popular with patrons seeking diversity. He’s been requested by a number of families that have adopted African American children.
“This demographic really appreciates it,” John Jordan, owner of Jordan Photography, said of the choice and convenience the reservation system offers.
Santa by appointment
Jordan took over the Photos With Santa operation at Town Center, 119th Street and Roe Avenue, in Leawood, in 2009.
For the first three years, he said, he ran the operation like everyone else — with kids and parents waiting in lines that stretched far and away, like some version of the mall Santa queue in the movie “A Christmas Story.” (You’ll shoot your eye out, kid! Merry Christmas. Ho. Ho. Ho!)
Then, in 2012, he went with half walk-ups and half reservations. “Everyone who had appointments loved it,” Jordan said. The next year, the photo studio implemented full reservation, with two Santas, Ray and Jerry.
But in 2016, Santa Ray — a veteran of 30 years who, now 77, long occupied Santa’s chair at Blue Ridge Mall before the wrecking ball hit it in 2005 — came down with pneumonia. Jordan knew he needed North Pole backup and put together a retinue of jolly Santas, with their bellies and white beards as authentic as Christmas cheer. One has a pedigree.
“Santa Brian is Santa Ray’s son,” Jordan said. “He came on last year.”
Santa Shunton used to be a customer. “He’s brought his family here every year for the last nine years,” Jordan said.
Most shopping centers, such as Zona Rosa in Platte County, run their photos with Santa in the traditional way. At Independence Mall, visitors can line up, or if they pay for a photo package in advance online they can make a reservation. The same holds at Oak Park Mall in Overland Park.
Jordan requires people to book their reservations with a $25 deposit, which, he said, is only charged if they do not show up. There is no obligation to buy any photos. Patrons who choose not to buy are charged nothing.
The operation runs as quickly and smoothly as Santa’s workshop, with two Santas working at any one time. They are hidden away in different studio spaces, with different waiting rooms, down different hallways, so children never see both.
Santa’s repeat customers
“The reason I really like it is we use the same Santa every year,” said Carrie Numelin of Merriam. She brought her daughters, Sofie, 5, and Fionna, 3, both with bows in their hair. Sofie wore gold shoes; Fionna wore silver.
They’ve been coming for five years, since Sofie’s first Christmas. Year after year, Santa Jerry has aged along with them.
He is their Santa.
In a matter of an hour, two dozen groups of people streamed through the studio, with appointments scheduled every five minutes: A mom with three girls dressed in pink with candy cane-striped leggings. Twelve Blue Valley Northwest High School cheerleaders, all seniors, all in uniform. Three years ago, they had taken a photo as freshmen with Santa Ray. Now they were back.
One mom came in with her toddler daughter for a so-called peek-a-boo photo. For young kids who might find Santa frightening, the photographer sets them on Santa’s chair, with Santa nowhere in sight. They’re told he had to go feed his reindeer. Santa quietly steps out from behind a Christmas tree and tiptoes to the back of the chair. No one cries, and photos are captured. Afterward, Santa is then gently introduced.
Despite Santa’s best efforts, one toddler recoiled in fear before eventually calming.
“Is it wrong that I like the one where she’s screaming? Don’t report me for bad parenting,” said her mom. She chose that and several other photos.
Sara Johnson brought her children Reece, 11, Kendall, 10, and Caden, 7.
“We’ve been coming here since they were babies,” Johnson said. An array of photo snow globes at home proves it. “That’s why we’re here today, because we didn’t have to wait in line.”
They also came so that the family’s dog, Winston, a peppy, furry white Zuchon, could also be in the photo. The photographer squeezed a squeaky toy and propped a plush rabbit on his hand to draw his attention. Pet photos with Santa were an option between Thanksgiving and Dec. 13. But after that, Jordan said, it just gets too busy.
“Winston? Winston? Winston, you want some cheese?” Johnson called to get the dog’s attention.
The Overland Park mom said she remembers the days when, with her kids younger, pushing a stroller, she’d have to wait for what seemed like forever to see Santa. She did it, of course.
“It wasn’t easy,” she said. “We’re here today because we don’t have to wait in line.”
Although the way children get to see Santa may be changing, the way they view him hasn’t.
Walking away from the studio, a cheery boy posed a question as precious as any photo.
“Was that the real Santa?”
This story was originally published December 18, 2019 at 5:00 AM.
