Is there a lack of characters?

[mystic_path]

Whats going on with the lack of characters? When I was there in June I went for 10 days and I rarely saw any characters besides Goofy, Pluto, Cruella, Chip and Dale and occasionally mickey.

A friend of mine just got back and she said there werent characters anywhere. She said the only time she saw one was in the parade.

I mean I know where you can find them such as the princesses are in the grotto in front of the castle etc before the parades but I didnt even see that in June.

Anyone else experience this or know whats going on?

 

[Misskitty3]

My assumption is that in order to see characters you need to be at the right place at the right time. I have never NOT seen a ton of characters by the hub on mainstreet, outside of IASW and by the ship launch/Rancho area in Adventureland.

If you spend all of your time in line at SM or Indy, you probably won't see any characters....just my .02 cents worth

 

[disneyfaninaz]

I have noticed that last few times that I have gone to DL that there seem to be less and less character sightings. Unlike WDW, where they have characters out all the time.

Yes, you have to be at the right place at the right time. If you want to see specific characters you either have to go to the Princess Faire, Critter Country or Toontown. That is where I see most of them. They will have a few on Main Street when the park opens, but after it gets really crowded they are not there.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

I actually haven't found there to be a lack of characters. The last time we were there my daughter filled 2 of the photo autograph books in the 4.5 days we were there. We did do Minnie & Friends for breakfast, so that was some of them, but the rest were just found around the park. We found most of them at the entrance to Main Street and at the Hollywood Backlot in CA. I'm sorry you didn't have the same experience.

 

[DangerMouse]

I think that PFFT is a major thing that has taken away the feel of characters roaming the parks. It used to be so magical to see princesses in front of the castle, especially Snow White by her well. It seems like DLR is trying to contain characters in specific areas instead of allowing them to have spontaneous greeting experiences around the parks.

But I also wonder if during the summer they cut down the schedules of the costumed characters because of the heat.

I believe they are still having Alice and the Mad Hatter as well as Bert and Mary Poppins lead games both in the hub area and the area just inside the turnstiles. I those kinds of moments.

I also have enjoyed running into characters in the Hollywood Backlot area of DCA (Incredibles, Cruella, JoJo, Stanley, Stitch, Buzz Lightyear -- actually physically ran into him coming off ToT. He looked as surprised and shocked as me!)

 

[mystic_path]

Hmmm yeah ok. I know where to go to find characters but even when I went there such as Mickeys house he wasnt there. I just found it odd that I was there for 10 days and didnt even see 1 princess except for in the parade. Im 24 with no kids and have no reason to head to the princess fantasy fair, or the jedi training.

For the 10 days I was there through they only had the same characters on Main Street. Mickey, once Minnie, Chip n Dale, Pluto and Cruella. Sure character meals are great and thats one way of seeing characters. I just figured I would see more walking around the park. In october I saw TONS all the time. I just figured within a 10 day period there would have been more, especially since it was going into peak season.

 

[Albort]

also allow me to remind you that they ARE standing in 90 degree heat...

They probably cant stand out longer than winter time and often go take a break...

 

[JenDisneylandlver]

When I was a kid they were EVERYWHERE, and there was never these super long lines just to see them. Or special places to see them, or special times. Even in the dead heat of summer. I've got tons of pictures as a child with them.

So for my son when he was smaller and wanted to see the characters we went to Character breakfasts. Because unless I wanted to waste a lot of time in lines we'd never get pictures and see the characters. Sometimes we were lucky to catch Mickey in the morning when entering the park. Otherwise it's a good hour to an hour and a half waiting in line at his house!

I sure miss the good old days of when I was a kid for that!

 

[Pezalicious]

They're still around, you just have to change how you see them.

Like others, when I was young, they'd just wander the parks. Now there's a long line so you can meet them and get a pic taken. The obvious disadvantages are the wait times and not seeing them wander the parks as much. But the nice part is if you, a friend, or a child has a favorite character, you can find out the location they're supposed to be in and make sure you get to greet them. It's not left up to chance anymore, so guests are less likely to be disappointed because they didn't see their favorite characters. If they didn't, it was because they didn't bother to go to where the characters are.

I admit I like the old system, but I can't say the new one is entirely flawed. There are some definite advantages.

 

[Hound 109]

Hmmm yeah ok. I know where to go to find characters but even when I went there such as Mickeys house he wasnt there. I just found it odd that I was there for 10 days and didnt even see 1 princess except for in the parade. Im 24 with no kids and have no reason to head to the princess fantasy fair, or the jedi training.

For the 10 days I was there through they only had the same characters on Main Street. Mickey, once Minnie, Chip n Dale, Pluto and Cruella. Sure character meals are great and thats one way of seeing characters. I just figured I would see more walking around the park. In october I saw TONS all the time. I just figured within a 10 day period there would have been more, especially since it was going into peak season.

I agree with mystic path. I love DLR & much prefer it over WDW (for alot of reasons), but.....I think there should be more characters wandering around. (& i believe at WDW there are many more wandering around)

We have 70 years of movies to draw from. Hundreds of characters that we'd love to meet. If I was to request ONE thing from DLR, it would be to have more characters strolling around.

hound -

 

[lilpixie]

On our trip to DL in February of 2006, we saw tons of characters in DCA Hollywood Backlot!
At the Hollywood Backlot, we met the Incredibles, Sully, JoJo, Chicken Little . . . I can't remember who else. It was fun! We did do a character meal to meet the princesses.
We did meet Sleeping Beauty at the princess storytime (now discontinued . . . grrrrr) and we met Jasmine and Aladdin at Aladdin's Oasis storytime (cute). We happened upon Mickey one early morning on Main Street and happened upon Cinderella on an EE day right by the castle (but from what I hear, the princesses don't hang out at the castle anymore, bummer). We waited 45 minute to meet Minnie in her house at ToonTown.
I kind of think they are starting to limit characters in the park so people pay the $$ to go to character meals . . . who knows, that is just my thought.
My kids are character fanatics, so hopefully we spot a bunch this October when we go!!

 

[disneegrl4eva]

also allow me to remind you that they ARE standing in 90 degree heat...

They probably cant stand out longer than winter time and often go take a break...

Albort you're right...I dont go in the summer time for anything..I did however, go this past june at the beginning of the month...I have been all different times of the year and its true, during the cooler months they are out much more than in the summer...I think if you want to see them during the warmer times of the year its best to pay for a character meal and let them come to you...this way you dont have to search, wait in a line in the heat or anything...

 

[AmericanItGirl]

Personally, I think it'd be awesome if they hired a bunch of young men to be "Newsies" and have them on Main Street just as the park was opening...

The problem is that most Disney movies are now semi-obscure and so they always have to rely on the new movies for characters and then the question is, how do we make them able to be human enough for people to dress as them? Nemo doesn't have legs, and neither does Lightening McQueen.

And as Albort said, 90 degree heat does not bode well for people in heavy costumes (I'd hate to be Pooh on a day where it's 95 and I have to stand there and be assaulted by cranky kids).

 

[fairycat]

I think some of it also has to do with crowds, with tons of kids lining up to see any character DL has to find a safe and effective spot to place the charaters, as wandering around makes traffic even worse! I believe this is why they are trying to focus on putting charetors in designated areas to avoid these problems. I also think this is why you see many more characters in DCA and WDW their open roads make things much easier for characters and the lines.

But I do want to add that I have not personally seen less characters. I don't look for them but saw Goofy, Wicked Queen, Jack Sparrow, the Rats and guy from Ratatoui, and Chip and Dale all on the streets. Again this was not even with us looking for characters.

 

[sameyeyam]

Guess you just weren't there in June when the DL Hyenas were there. There were plenty of characters at DL that week!

 

[4bugzinarug]

And as Albort said, 90 degree heat does not bode well for people in heavy costumes (I'd hate to be Pooh on a day where it's 95 and I have to stand there and be assaulted by cranky kids).

When we were at DL last year, my kids stood in line for about 1.5 hours to meet Belle and Beast in front of the castle. The line was already enormous when we stood in it ... and then just as we became 2nd in line to greet them ... Beast apparantly got heatstroke! We then had to reassure the kids (per CM) that Belle would be back shortly, and that we would meet her since Beast wasn't feeling well

It would really be the pits to have the urge to be sick while wearing a Beast costume Poor Beast!!

 

[mystic_path]

Guess you just weren't there in June when the DL Hyenas were there. There were plenty of characters at DL that week!

When was that? I was there from the 3-13th

 

[talie95]

I also think this is a "right place at the right time" sort of thing. There are sometimes when I may only see 1 or 2 characters all day and other times where everytime I turn around there's one there!

 

[BraMax]

It's funny I was thinking the same thing. We have been off season 2 times and found there were tons of Characters out. Well we went this past July and well I understand the heat and all but we hardly saw characters at all. I never seen any characters in DCA except for the parades. Thankfully my boys weren't there this time to see and meet all the characters because we had just been in Feb. But we did see some new ones like Remy and Emile and Jesse and Woody.

 

[Albort]

well, another reason is people are quitting by the dozens... and they arent hiring quick enough...

and now understand why they quit because i already want to quit...