_Mall unveils Santa plans

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

The Mall of Louisiana is revamping the department store Santa experience this Christmas with "Santastic", a new interactive holiday wonderland coming to Center Court Nov. 16. The brainchild of Doug Johnson, a student of Walt Disney, Santastic features a hand-on activities for children while they wait to meet that jolly old elf. The Santastic sets are currently being designed and built by Chicago Scenic, which has done work for Disney and Nickelodeon. It will require 35 employees to operate Santastic. Baton Rouge is one of only three General Growth Properties sites in the country, along with Park Place Mall in Tucson and Mall in Columbia in Baltimore, to host the display. The three properties will serve as test sites and Brent A. Sims, marketing director for Mall of Louisiana, says the goal of GGP is to roll out 25 more at mall sites across the country next year.

Sarah Young copyright owner. Further reproduction or distribution is prohibited without permission.