Yes Virginia, Santa Claus is a lying douchebag

[Judge Smails]

A newly-opened "winter wonderland" Lapland-style theme park has been described as a "joke" and a "scam" by hundreds of angry visitors. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/dorset/7758112.stm)


Many people have demanded a refund of the £25 they paid to enter the Lapland New Forest, at Matchams Leisure Park on the Hampshire-Dorset border.

Several visitors have contacted the BBC saying the standard is extremely poor and does not resemble marketing photos.

Organiser Henry Mears said: "We don't believe we ripped anyone off." <!-- E SF -->

He blamed "a few groups of professional troublemakers" for the allegations over the attraction which opened on Friday.


HERE (http://laplandnewforest.co.uk/)is the official website of the place and here are some photos from the site:

http://laplandnewforest.co.uk/img/cabins_2.jpg
http://laplandnewforest.co.uk/img/candyshop.jpg


And here is the reality:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/08/uk_lapland_new_forest/img/3.jpg
http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/08/uk_lapland_new_forest/img/4.jpg
http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/08/uk_lapland_new_forest/img/9.jpg

[HBox]

For some reason I picture this guy running the place:

http://www.guy-ritchie.net/snatch_-_schweine_und_diamanten.jpg

[Slumbag]

In defense of these people (who I'm sure are awful humans), the pictures are in nighttime.
You get those lights going, I can kind of see the woods looking like they do in the picture.

[Fez4PrezN2008]

He blamed "a few groups of professional troublemakers"

I've never seen that posted on Monster.com or Careerbuilder.com but you've got my attention. What kind of degree do you need?

"third" degree?

[Badinia]

Har! They've got a plug-in reindeer, what else do they want?

[Mullenax]

At least the "market stalls" were exactly as I imagined.

[Judge Smails]

Here's some more photos:

First, the website:

http://laplandnewforest.co.uk/img/tunnel1.jpg


And, reality:

The Baby Jesus' holy field of mud.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/08/uk_lapland_new_forest/img/1.jpg

Can you spot the magical elf?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/08/uk_lapland_new_forest/img/11.jpg

Santa's enchanted junkyard dogs.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/08/uk_lapland_new_forest/img/12.jpg

[Misteriosa]

http://cache.deadspin.com/assets/resources/2008/02/bad_santa.jpg

I said, "Next," goddamn it! This is not the DMV!

[MisterSmith]

The place is so awful that it's hysterical! Clearly deceptive, and the gall of the owners claiming that there isn't anything wrong with the place is unbelievable.

[~Katja~]

PaulO could learn a lesson from them as far as picture staging.... making a dump look a million bucks just with lighting and great angles

[King Hippos Bandaid]

Hannukah Harry wouldnt do this to us Jews


There probably was a disclaimer saying the photos were not actually the place

but none reads the fine print, cept Hannukah Harry

[Fezticle98]

Still better than the Lapland that my uncle Paulie invited me to when I was a kid.

[Mullenax]

Still better than the Lapland that my uncle Paulie invited me to when I was a kid.:ohmy:<p>
It's wayyy worse than the lapland Candy invited me to for $40; same lighting though.

[torker]

http://images.chron.com/blogs/beltwayconfidential/oreillyno.jpg

[Judge Smails]

Looks like the place has shut down. That's why the website is no longer up and the links to the pics in my original post are no longer working.

Lapland theme park closes down (http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/Lapland-theme-park-closes-down.4763715.jp)


A sign hanging on the front gates of Matchams Leisure Park, Dorset, says the park has been closed for good even though it was booked up until Christmas Eve.

Since it opened last Friday the disastrous winter wonderland has attracted more than 2,000 complaints to Consumer Direct, the government consumer hotline.

Now, after intense pressure from furious customers wanting their money back, the promoters behind the scheme, brothers Henry and Vic Mears, have shut up shop.

It remains to be seen whether any of the 50,000 who bought tickets costing at least £25 per person will get their money back. It is estimated that ticket sales were worth at least £2m.


HERE (http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=37736264631) is the Facebook site where people have been posting their complaints and photos of the place.

I've become obsessed with this place. If I spent money and took my kids here I think I'd wind up killing the fuckers.

[The Jays]

Today families were arriving to find the entrance coned off. A woman from the park shouted through the fence: “Santa's gone home, Santa's f*****g dead.”

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article5288734.ece

[tele7]

Beautiful Lapland......where all you have to bring is everything

[The Jays]

Ho Ho Ho! Get ready for part II of Lapland!

http://www.laplandwestmidlands.co.uk/index.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1092216/Second-Winter-Blunderland-theme-park-exposed-10-tents-muddy-field.html

[The Jays]

Too late. Lapland West Midlands has already been closed before it could even open because of bad publicity.

[OneEyeJack]

if you think the photos of Christmas happiness in that place are deceptive, wait till the pics from the Ron and Fez Xmas party are posted..