Our Commitment to Families
At Santa Max, we believe that a magical Santa experience should also be a safe, comfortable, and respectful experience for every child and family. The policies described on this page reflect our standard operating procedures and goals; they are not intended to create contractual obligations or legal rights beyond those set forth in the Parent/Guardian Consent, Safety & Liability Acknowledgment signed at booking.
Because we work with children, we have established procedures designed to protect children, parents, Santa, and our entire Santa Max team.
Our goal is simple: Create magical memories while maintaining a safe, transparent, and professional environment for every family.
A Parent or Legal Guardian Is Always Present
A parent or legal guardian is required to remain with their child throughout the entire Santa Max Experience.
Santa will never be alone with a child.
Parents and guardians are encouraged to remain engaged in the experience and to communicate with Santa Max staff if their child has any special needs, concerns, or boundaries that we should know about.
Two Additional Santa Max Employees Are Present
For every Santa Max Experience, at least two additional Santa Max employees are present in the room with Santa and the family.
This provides additional supervision and helps us maintain a safe and professional environment for everyone.
Our Private Rooms
The Santa Max Experience takes place in a private room reserved exclusively for each family.
Our private rooms are designed to give families a personal, uninterrupted Santa experience without other customers watching or waiting in the same room.
Private does not mean unsupervised.
The parent or legal guardian remains present, two additional Santa Max employees are present, and video surveillance is used during the experience.
Respect for Personal Boundaries
Every child is different.
Some children enthusiastically run to Santa for a hug. Others prefer a high-five, a handshake, sitting nearby, or simply talking to Santa from a comfortable distance.
We respect those differences.
Santa and our employees are expected to respect a child's verbal and nonverbal indications of discomfort and to avoid unnecessary physical contact.
Children are never required to hug, sit on Santa's lap, hold hands, or participate in any physical interaction.
Video Surveillance
For the safety and protection of our families, children, Santa, and Santa Max employees, our Santa Experience rooms are monitored by video surveillance.
Video recordings provide an objective record of interactions occurring during the Santa Max Experience.
Recordings may be used for legitimate safety, security, quality-control, business, insurance, legal, or investigative purposes, including the investigation of a complaint or allegation concerning an appointment.
Video recordings are maintained securely and are not intended for public distribution.
Santa Max does not use video surveillance as a substitute for parental supervision. Parents and legal guardians remain responsible for supervising their children throughout the experience.
Photography
Photography is an important part of the Santa Max Experience. Our team may photograph Santa interacting with your family and children so that you can preserve your Christmas memories.
Our photography procedures are designed to capture the magic of the experience while respecting the comfort and boundaries of each child.
If You Have a Concern
We want parents to feel comfortable speaking with us.
If you have a concern about anything that occurs during your Santa Max Experience, please tell a Santa Max manager or team member as soon as possible.
We take concerns seriously and will document and investigate them appropriately.
When reviewing a concern, Santa Max may consider available information including:
- The parent's or guardian's account;
- The child's account, when appropriate;
- Statements from Santa Max employees who were present;
- Photographs taken during the experience;
- Video surveillance;
- Other relevant information.
Our goal is to address concerns fairly, professionally, and promptly.
Professional Standards for Santa Max Employees
All Santa Max employees are expected to maintain professional boundaries when interacting with children and families.
Employees are expected to:
- Treat every child with dignity and respect.
- Respect personal boundaries.
- Avoid unnecessary physical contact.
- Never isolate a child from their parent or guardian.
- Never ask a child to keep a secret from a parent or guardian.
- Immediately respect a child's indication that they do not want physical contact.
- Follow all Santa Max safety and operating procedures.
- Report safety concerns or allegations to management promptly.
- Cooperate with appropriate investigations of complaints or concerns.
Our Promise to Families
We understand that parents are entrusting us with one of the most important parts of their children's Christmas memories.
We take that responsibility seriously.
Our private family rooms, required parent/guardian presence, two-employee policy, professional standards, and video surveillance are all designed to provide a magical experience while maintaining a safe, transparent, and accountable environment.
At Santa Max, we want families to leave with wonderful Christmas memories, and confidence that their children were treated with care, respect, and professionalism.
