The first 6 images are samples of Santa Bob, our SWFL Santa.  The rest is of past experiences with our Santas in Pennsylvania. It really is so much fun!  And,  yes, all of these were taken during the 3 minute visits. Let me know if you have any questions. 

Beginning to end

OVERVIEW:

Welcome to Danielle Foster Creations' Holiday Experience. I am going to overload you with so much information so please, feel free to contact me with any questions.  We have been doing our Holiday Experience for 10 years now and I take pride in the "well-oiled machine" (as our clients like to refer to it as) it has become.  

So, we see 2 families every 10 minutes (so when you make your appointment, you may still see that time available).  Your appointment time is 3 minutes in length.  Yes it seems so fast but when we first researched this: it is at least 3 times longer than the average visit with Santa in the Mall and you will be so surprised how much we get done in that time.  

Below is how your experience will go from signing up for your appointment all the way to receiving your photographs.  I know it's a lot but please take the time. 

 MAKING YOUR APPOINTMENT: 

• Select which Santa you would like to visit (right now there is only one :) 
• Select the Date (December 9th) and time you would like.
• Fill out the form. Be sure to Include your cell number that you will have on you at your appointment when filling in your phone information, we will be texting you when it's your turn to come in. 
• CHECK YOUR SPELLING - otherwise you will miss your confirmation and reminder emails and miss your arrival texts.
• ****IMPORTANT**** - Make sure you see the confirmation page upon making your appointment and take a screenshot of it!! If you don't see this page, your appt most likely did not go through. Not everyone receives the confirmation email due to some email settings, but if you do not get to that confirmation screen, your appointment did not go through. 

IF YOU MAKE AN APPOINTMENT FOR THE SAME DAY

• We are not notified when clients cancel appointments. When we are in the studio with holiday visits and you pick up a cancelled appointment for the same day, we may not catch the change.
• Once you make your appointment, please call the studio to let us know so we don’t miss texting you for your appointment. 
• If you do not receive your text within 10 minutes of your appointment, please call the studio to verify. 

PRIOR TO YOUR APPOINTMENT

• You will receive at least 2 reminder emails and 1 text regarding your visit. It will review everything you agreed to at the time of booking and guide you to these links for all of the details about ALL THINGS HOLIDAY in SWFL.

ARRIVAL

• Please arrive camera-ready.
• You will wait in your car and we will text you when you are next and when it's time to come in. 
• Be prepared to come in at the time you receive your text. 

YOUR VISIT

• Your visit will be approximately 3 minutes in length. 
• We will touch extensively about preparing yourself to "embrace the cry" (our motto for families with children up to the age of 4 and sometimes beyond). 

GROUP SHOTS

• We are allowing 8 or less people in one group shot. Not all adults will be able to come in and watch. 
• You do NOT need to make a separate appointment for a group shot if you have individual appointments for the families involved. We will do the group shot between appointments.
• No dressing changes are permitted between appointments. Please match your individual family and group shot accordingly if you desire.
• Your group image will be uploaded to each family's gallery.
• You MUST predetermine who is buying the image(s) or you can purchase on your own. There is no way to accommodate group viewing unless you decide to be together for your calls.
• We do not allow group shots for Santa Paws nights. 

CALLBACK TIME TO VIEW & ORDER YOUR IMAGES

• Before you leave your visit, you will be given a time for your callback to view your images.
• All viewing and ordering is done online and over the phone with our studio reps.
  • Your studio rep is based in PA and with thousands of families that need to order, we cannot let clients order at their leisure.
  • In the past, clients saw their images right away and we need to replicate this the best we can. Clients will be given a few options for a callback time.  
    • For example: If you visit in the morning, you select a time, that very morning, 
    • Of course we will always accommodate those that travel a far distance.
• It is best to plan your appointment to include your availability for this call (and whoever else will be part of the ordering process) to avoid possible a convenience fee (see below).
• Please make sure you have any unknown caller block options turned off on your phone so you can receive our call.
• CONVENIENCE FEE:
  • PLAN FOR YOUR CALLBACK TIME when selecting your appointment time.
  • If you wish for a later call back for photo viewing additional staff has to be added, therefore a $10 convenience fee will be added to your final bill.
  • There will be a $10 convenience fee applied for those that miss/ignore the call after 2 attempts are made. So again, please select your appointment in accordance to the callback time you need as well. 
  • Please understand, this is not a penalty, we are staffed for each client accordingly based on appointment times and if we have to bring on additional staff, they need to be covered for their time.
  • Again, please plan your appointment to include your availability (and whoever else will be part of the ordering process) to order your photos to avoid these fees.

ORDERING

• Upon arrival please scan our QR Code to view our pricing located throughout the studio.
• You will order your images/package at the time of your phone call. 
• Images will be watermarked. We have had an issue with screenshots and stolen images in the past, so we cannot make any exceptions to removed them.
• When viewing your images, we STRONGLY recommend that you view your images from a PC or laptop computer so you can see all the details of your images. Viewing from a phone is not suggested for this exact reason. Upon checking out, you will have a check box that your agree that your order is correct.
  PLEASE NOTE: CHECK YOUR BEFORE DOWNLOADING if you purchase digital images. This will also be in your email when your download is ready. Once you download any purchased digital images, we cannot replace them if they are not up to standard or incorrect. 
• Any printed orders will be shipped to your home within 48-72 hours from the time of your order and is $6 for shipping and handling.

ADDING TO AN EXISTING ORDER - BUYER'S REMORSE

• If you regret not purchasing images at the time of your original order
  • We remove all galleries from our website every evening.  Therefore:
    • *If you order additional photos the same day, you CAN order prints and/or digital images at our regular prices.
    • *If you order the following day and beyond, only digital images are available at the full price of $49 each or any digital image packages - regardless of your original order.

SHIPPING/DIGITAL IMAGES

• Any printed orders will be shipped to your home within 48-72 hours from the time of your order and is $6 for shipping and handling.
• Shipping is sent through USPS. We are not responsible for any delays with the postal service. 
• Digital images are available within 48 hours. You can check your order status on your account on the DFC site. 

When can I make an appointment?
The sign up will go live on Saturday, September 23, 2024 at 9am.

Where is the Holiday Experience being held?
We are holding our first ever Holiday Experience at Studio 1646 in Fort Myers.
The studio is on the second floor and unfortunately there is no elevator. If you have any handicap needs, please contact me prior to booking to discuss our alternative option.
As we grow, we will be looking for a more permanent home for DFC.

How much time is our visit with Santa or the Easter Bunny
Your visit will be approximately 3 minutes in length. We do not want to mislead anyone into thinking it is longer.

Should I arrive early for my appointment?
There is no need to arrive more than 5 minutes early. This location is new to us so we do not know how the flow will be.

Is there parking?
Yes there is a parking lot at this location.

How long will I be in the studio?
Your time in the studio will be approximately 10 minutes.

What if my child(ren) cry?
If you have a child between the ages of 6 months and 4 years, you will hear the phrase "Embrace the cry." at the studio. Learn it, love it, live it. Although we as parents want the perfect shot, chances are, at this age range, you will probably get tears. We truly try to make lemonade out of lemons and as parents ourselves, we know it's a rite of passage to get the crying pic for a couple of years so please arrive with a sense of humor! We do have some tricks that sometimes work depending on their age but even those tricks fail when a child has made up their mind :) However, our assistants will chat with you about it when you come in and you can decide what you would like to do.

Crying Continued: (can you tell this is a big topic?)
There is a HUGE difference between a crying child that will just sit and cry on Santa's lap and a child who is genuinely frightened. My crew and Santa are trained to know the difference and will advocate for that child. We will absolutely not push through an entire 3 minutes with a child that is trembling in terror. There is a time that it's not funny and we will not continue the session even if there are only 3 images to choose from. The intent is for them not to have a fear of Santa into their teens.
We will not accept requests to reshoot a family due to a crying child.

Can other relatives come and watch?
Do to the size of the shooting room, no more than 3 adults can come in.

Are Group Shots allowed?
Please click Your Experience from Beginning to End for full details

Can I bring my pet?
No pets are allowed at this time. As the holiday experience grows, we will have dog night in future seasons to come.

Can I take pictures?
Please refrain from taking photos of your session. It's our job to capture the moment, it's your job to be present in your own memories.

How do I order my pictures?
Please click Your Experience from Beginning to End for full details

What is the best way to view my pictures?
We STRONGLY recommend that you view your images from a PC, laptop, or large tablet so you can see the details of your images. We do not recommend viewing your images from your phone since details can easily be missed due to the small display.

What if I must cancel my appointment?
If you do not intend on keeping your upcoming appointment, please cancel asap.

Can I switch my appointment with someone?
Yes. Since we are only doing one day in Florida, to switch appointments, you must call the studio.

I know when we get there we have to wait in the car until it's our turn, but how do we check in? Do we have to call?
One of our crew members will be doing down the list of appointments in time order. You will get about 2 texts: 
(1) To confirm you have arrived ---(2) To let you know when to come in the waiting room
There is no need to come early. We will not take you ahead of your turn. 5 minutes early is enough. Coming too early will crowd the parking lot for those that are supposed to be in those spots. 

What if I want to add additional images after my order is complete?
We call this Buyer's Remorse and it happens all the time
We remove all galleries from our website every evening.  

Therefore:
• If you order additional photos the same day, you CAN order prints and/or digital images at our regular prices.
• If you order past the day of your visit, only digital images are available at the full price of $49 each or any digital image packages only - regardless of your original order.

How do I know if my order is ready?
You will receive an email to let you know when it is ready. You can also go into your order on the website and check the status of your order (on the left side).

How will I get my photos?
Printed photos will be emailed via USPS within 72 hours of your order.
Digital images will be downloadable from my website and you will receive an email once it is available.

Do I need to fill out a waiver?

No, we are no longer requiring a waiver. However, upon completion of your signup, you will be asked if you have read and understand everything from the ALL THINGS HOLIDAY IN SW FLORIDA link.