Parents with a list of questions to ask before hiring a Santa can get every answer on one call when they hire a Santa Claus for Christmas in NYC. Write the questions down so nothing is skipped. Families call from Chelsea, Bay Ridge, Long Island City, Riverdale, and Garden City with the same list in hand.
Questions to ask before hiring a Santa belong on that list before gifts and photos. The answers below are the ones that change how the visit feels in the room. None of them is about another company’s Santa.
Is his beard real? A real bearded Santa suits close-up photos; a traditional Santa in the full red suit with a full styled beard is the lower-cost choice. Ask for real bearded Santa when the pictures will be close to his face. Say the look you want so the visit matches it.
What does he need from us? Have the address, a heads-up to the doorman or super, where the tree is, how many children, and whether any child is shy. The coat by the door in the picture is only a set, not a packing list. A grown-up at the door can take labeled gifts before Santa sits.
What happens during the visit? There is a greeting, a turn for each child, gifts handed out by name, pictures, and a goodbye. There is no set number of minutes. A morning visit can even be built around breakfast with Santa at home if that is the plan you named.
Can he hand out our gifts and greet each child by name? Labeled gifts are handed to a grown-up at the door. A list of the children’s names sits next to those gifts so each hello uses the right name. Keep the tags large enough to read without slowing the line.
Can we take pictures? Yes, on your own phone, with the lamps and tree lights on. One grown-up can take pictures while another stays with the children. Turn the overheads down if they make faces look flat.
Can Mrs. Claus or elves come too? Yes, as add-ons, if you asked and the room has space. Santa still leads the visit. Helpers do not replace him.
Do you also do office, school and building parties? Yes, and those calendars are set early, so booking early helps the date you already circled. The same call can cover a family visit and a later group party if the dates are different. You can get in touch with the questions written out if you would rather type them.
Questions to ask before hiring a Santa are easier to remember when they sit on one card next to the phone. Children who are shy can stay with a grown-up until they are ready for a hello. The visit stays inside, and coats can rest on the hook by the door until the last picture is taken.
Bring the list to the call so each question gets an answer in order. If a child is shy, say that before Santa arrives so the greeting can start from a little farther away. If the tree is in a tight corner, say that too so the pictures have a clear side.
Office, school, and building parties use the same questions, with a start time and a headcount added. A family visit uses the same beard question and the same gift question. One call can cover both if you already have two dates.
Keep the card by the phone so questions to ask before hiring a Santa are not left to memory on the day of the visit. A shy child can wait with a grown-up in the next room until the greeting feels easy. Pictures wait until that child is ready, and nobody has to rush them.