All Is Not Merry at Santa Landing

Santa Claus and four elves arrived at Anaheim Town Square shopping center on schedule Friday morning, but not without a protest.

More than 350 shoppers held placards that read “Let Santa Land,” in reference to a federal restriction that prevented the Christmas crew from parachuting out of a plane, as they had done for years. So Santa and his helpers used a hot-air balloon instead.

From the mid-1990s until 2002, Santa parachuted into the center to herald the start of the Christmas season. But because of a 2002 federal law that prohibits aircraft from traveling within a 3-mile radius of Disneyland unless they are emergency vehicles, Santa’s plane was grounded. The shopping center is 2.9 miles from Disneyland.

Last year, mall officials learned about the restriction so late that they had no choice but to have Santa arrive on a firetruck.

This year, however, they figured a way around the ban. The hot-air balloon complies with the law because it is no more than 50 feet from the ground and because it’s always tethered, said Ryan Williams, the mall’s promotions director. Mall officials asked those waiting to see Santa Claus to sign a petition to end the restriction and to hold placards made for the event.

The petition is expected to be sent to Sen. Richard C. Shelby (R-Ala.), who proposed the flight ban.

“We are going to shoot for it next year,” Williams said. Shoppers “want Santa landing by parachute.”