Santa and The Ice Cream Bunny/Headscratchers


 * Has anybody found any information on just who or what the hell this "Ice Cream Bunny" character is? The movie seems to imply that, at the very least, someone in the audience would recognize him, but they never say just why. Was he a character at Pirates World? Was he meant to be in other movies? Why isn't Google giving me any answers?!
 * I don't know, but I assume he was a mascot for Pirates' World (perhaps he sold ice cream there?), and they put him in the film to try to promote the park. I can't find any evidence to support the idea, though.
 * Maybe it was originally the Easter Bunny but they couldn't because of copyrights?