Santa's Village

Inspired by some pictures shared on the Stuff From the Park blog, I thought I would share a couple of the photos I took during the last two weekends of Santa's Village in Lake Arrowhead. We had a late snow season, which made the trip more fun, but made taking photos more difficult. The Magic Train Ride was covered in so much snow that one could barely see the Little Miss Muffet statue, or the three men in a tub. The last weekend the park was open, early March 1998, had slightly better visibility. This photo shows the side of Santa's Toy Shop. Nice, simple details made this typically themed building so nice to look at. A close up of the elf here is an example of such a detail. I like how this guy's job is to keep Santa's toy shop's wheel spinning. Does anyone know just what is left? I live pretty far from Sky Forest and I would not want to take such a long drive to find out there is absolutely no ruins left to see. I know the props and rides were sold off, but I thought the buildings might have survived. Isn't there a Santa's Village amphitheater there now or something? I remember seeing a movie on the Family Channel later that year that was filmed at Santa's Village. It stared Gary Coleman and Harry Hamlin. It was called Like Father, Like Santa.

This photo is a perfect example of just how far Santa's Village fell. No more clean cut happy little elfs willing to help you onto Santa's lap. Instead we have some creepy carny looking fellow taking a drag off his (hopefully) cigarette. You wouldn't ever see this at Disneyland. Although if they ever did have a cast member smoking while working policy they could pull the same "Walt had one" cop out they used when they changed their mustache policy. I should go around Disneyland offering cigarettes to cast members, and when they decline it, I'll just say "Come on, Walt had one" (Actually he had many). Anyway, doesn't this guy just ooze Christmas spirit! I went on the Bumblebee Monorail. I went on the Carousel. I went on the Bobsleds. I was too afraid to go on this Ferris Wheel!


View information on all of the Santa's Village theme parks here.

Tags: Santa Claus Santa's Village Architecture Sky Forest