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The top of The Rooftop Pier 17 at South Street Seaport in New York City claims to be a dreamy winter wonderland linked to Disney’s Santa movies. complete with skating rink, large slide and treats.
Some visitors say it’s a nightmare.
“I wanted to like it, but I didn’t,” Christina Cestaro, 27, told DailyMail.com of visiting the experience with her boyfriend Mike Beringer, 32.
Typical tickets cost up to $65 for the House of Mouse-inspired experience dubbed “the most magical holiday attraction of the season in New York City.” But some parents and families are taking to social media to lament the state of the attractions and the lack of cleanliness in the park.
‘It seemed like no one was working there. He was dirty. There were cups of hot chocolate everywhere,” Cestaro said. ‘The hot chocolate was horrible. How can you spoil hot chocolate? We took a sip and threw ours away.
Disney’s Santa’s Winter Wonderland in New York is considered a top Christmas attraction, but some visitors say it was a disappointment.
Large black marks can be seen on the New York park’s slide as some have labeled the rides “dangerous.”
Christina Cestaro, 27, (left), and Mike Beringer, 32, (right), a party planner from Long Island, were trying to skate on the synthetic ice skating rink, but all he could do was “stomp “, said.
Disney’s Santa’s Winter Wonderland opened Nov. 22 and runs through Jan. 7, according to the ticketing website.
‘Experience the magic of the North Pole without leaving the city! A dedicated team of elves have been working tirelessly to transform The Rooftop at Pier 17, into Santa’s enchanting headquarters, inspired by Disney’s The Santa Clause,’ the website reads.
Tickets are just $15 for general admission, but that’s only for a couple of specific days this holiday season. Most ticket prices are between $19 and $65 for the experience, depending on the date and time, but the skate pass can cost $20 on top of the entrance fee.
There are also VIP experiences including skating and a Santa Claus, among other gifts.
The experience includes a Hot Cocoa-inspired cafe, Santa’s living room, a visit from the jolly man (but only on weekends) skating, a mini slide, and a place to write letters to Santa.
But some visitors say the experience was hastily thrown together and disappointing.
The Pier 17 experience includes a Hot Cocoa-inspired cafe, Santa’s living room, a visit from the jolly man (but only on weekends) skating, a mini slide, and a place to write letters to Santa.
Promotional photos show a happy and festive winter wonderland. But some visitors say it doesn’t live up to expectations.
A mini slide is one of the main attractions of Wonderland. Promotional photos show a clean area, but videos on social media show large marks on the course.
One woman on Facebook who went over the weekend used the experience to kick off her family’s holiday season.
“Kick off the holiday season by visiting the winter wonderland of Disney’s The Santa Clauses at Pier 17,” he said. ‘I don’t recommend going there. Waste of my money and time.’
One woman admitted spending too much to make the experience “special” for the children in her family.
‘We got there and my stomach dropped. It wasn’t magical or even organized. It was cheap and rushed, hectic and inauthentic. “Several of us cried,” the woman posted on Facebook.
“Santa Claus was very kind and Luca smiled at him, but the whole experience left a bad taste in our mouths.”
On Tuesday, several visitors to the attraction spoke to DailyMail.com about their disappointment.
Jessica Roman, 35, came to Wonderland to meet Santa with her husband, Robert, and their four children (ages 3, 5, 11 and 15) and to celebrate her daughter’s birthday. She spent $109 for her family, only to find out Kris Kringle wasn’t there that day.
‘My daughter went to take her list to Santa Claus, but we were told that he is only here from Friday to Saturday and Sunday. “She’s upset,” Roman said as his daughter pouted on the floor.
Roman’s 11-year-old son was not a fan of hot chocolate and said it tasted “worse.” Children were also injured on the slide, before staff closed it to guests.
“I should have stayed home,” the 15-year-old said.
While fellow mom Gal Zohar brought her 4-year-old daughter Alex to the event. Tuesday’s tickets for her were free, but she wouldn’t have spent more than $3 on them after seeing the attraction.
“At least have something: Santa wasn’t here, the slide was broken, the ice is fake,” Zohar said.
Photos posted online show fallen trees and a lack of landscaping — and few Disney icons — throughout the rooftop event.
Those going down the slide say it is marked and staff tell people to avoid some parts
‘The hot chocolate was horrible. How can you spoil hot chocolate? We took a sip and threw ours away,’ Cestaro said.
Cestaro said he decided to attend after seeing ads on social media and thought it would be a fun way to get into the Christmas spirit.
When they went to the fake ice skating rink, she said the skates “smelled bad and were falling apart.” Once she got to the track she described as “small” (clue), the drama escalated.
“I was aware that it wasn’t real ice, but we couldn’t even slide on it, we were just trampling,” Cestaro recalled. “We were trying to make the best of the situation, but everyone else, the children with their families, seemed miserable.”
When it was time to go to the slide, he noticed sneaker marks or what looked like black tar in the middle of the slide. A guard told her to slide to the side of the slide to avoid the middle, as he might slow her down.
‘I didn’t expect to be comfortable, but it wasn’t a smooth ride. I can see how someone could get hurt.’
Cestaro knew it was after 9pm and that Santa wouldn’t be ‘ho…ho…ho…ing since visiting hours had ended when she arrived, but what she did see was an area where the children go – to write letters to Santa. That was in complete disarray.
“There was no paper or pens anymore,” he said. “And all the letters to Santa were scattered all over the floor and the table.”
Temperatures Friday night were near freezing near the water, so when she and her boyfriend decided to stop in the VIP room to warm up, they suddenly changed their minds.
“When we saw how unhappy the people inside looked… we left.”