Character meet and greet- Florida or Paris?

[lorraine31]

Been to Florida for the last 5 years and just back from my first time in Paris and I was surprised about different the character meet and greet was.

In Florida it is very controlled and the characters are all scheduled to appear and you know where to find them, queue up and get your own private moment with them.

In Paris you don't have a clue where the characters are going to be or when and when they do appear it is chaos with a crowd all pushing and shoving to get to the front. Some guests seem to want to queue and wait their turn, but then others puch past you and the characters at times will just ignore people who have been waiting ages and go to people who have just pushed in. At times we just gave up because we were fed up of being ignored. Then again seeing Cinderella and prince Charming wandering about Fantasyland and Wendy and Peter Pan skipping and dancing about makes for some special moments and the characters put on more of a show and interact more, also there is a bigger variety of characters than Florida and they stay out for longer because it's not as hot.

In some ways I prefer the control of a queue but do like the performance and spontaneity of Disneyland Paris.

What is everyone else's thoughts?

 

[GaGaMitchell]

I have mixed feelings about this subject, I enjoy seeing characters pop up every now and again unexpectedly yet I also like knowing where and when a character will appear so that if I'm looking for a special photo with someone in particular I know when and where to go. I think it's about getting the balance right, which at the moment neither park/resort is doing very well. Although with the introduction of the Magical Moments Festival in Paris we are seeing more scheduled character appearances, if they could just re-train the CMs to organize queues and control crowds.

 

[cap'njack.]

if they could just re-train the CMs to organize queues and control crowds.

I think on the whole the CM's do a wonderful job of trying to control people, however not all cultures actually queue...it's just how they are.
I much prefer the spontaneity of bumping into characters and this has led to some of our most magical moments at DLP. I think queues everywhere for characters feels to 'clinical' and un-magical. I do think that Mickey, the Princesses and maybe Tigger need their own queued, controlled meet and greet though.

 

[Vala]

I think on the whole the CM's do a wonderful job of trying to control people

Erm.... not my experience at all.
Control? Total lack of control is rather my experience.

During all the scrums I've seen lately CMs were at the very best standing close to the character and asking people to "give character some space" every 5 minutes. And even that was an exception. Remy almost got pushed over near Plaza Inn one morning because he couldn't defend himself alone.

Most of the CMs were standing in significant distance, couldn't have cared less and at one appearance of the Character Express I even saw the "handlers" of Smee and the Sheriff of Nottingham smoking whilst chatting at the opposite end of the walkway.

That is far from even "trying to control" in my book.

I do not believe this is a cultural thing at all. Would the CMs actually try to form queues or get some sort of organisation in people would eventually learn and adapt.

I often attend sci fi conventions, both in Germany and in the UK. In Germany the shows don't try to organise lines, saying "Germans don't know how to queue." In the UK, when someone actually makes an effort to get some control over the situation? Oddly enough all Germans behave and things work quite well then. Forming a line? Not a problem.

I have had some of my best interaction with spontaneous appearances too.

But planned stuff (like the Character Express or the princesses) really needs some sort of organisation in my eyes. I am not even demanding lines. Even better trained Cast Members would help.

Overall I prefer Florida/Anaheim. With two exceptions (and those even were in the Disneyland Hotel and not in the park) I even had way more spontaneous and Magical Moment there, although some things may seem overorganised to some.

 

[Carrie_Cat]

During all the scrums I've seen lately CMs were at the very best standing close to the character and asking people to "give character some space" every 5 minutes.

Most of the CMs were standing in significant distance, couldn't have cared less

That is far from even "trying to control" in my book.

I do not believe this is a cultural thing at all. Would the CMs actually try to form queues or get some sort of organisation in people would eventually learn and adapt.

That was my experience too last Saturday.

I'll be honest and say I've never really taken much interest in the characters and there meets and greets/wanderings around the park as I have no desire to take photos with or of them or get an autograph but there were loads of them out and about in the Studios and you couldn't help but notice the behaviour

hs on - Vala I saw Remy et Emile out together but not at the "stand" seen on the plan..It's a cut out looking like a lump of cheese with holes for heads near the restaurant. Don't know if R+E stand over there as well - hs off

 

[lucie]

[QUOTE
In Florida it is very controlled and the characters are all scheduled to appear and you know where to find them, queue up and get your own private moment with them.[/QUOTe]

[

i had forgot about this cant wait till DD is a little older and we can go back to usa :cheer2

 

[GaGaMitchell]

I think on the whole the CM's do a wonderful job of trying to control people

In all my trips to Dlp I have never seen a CM trying to help the character, form a queue or manage the crowd. Personally I just think queues are the best way around this problem, would you rather wait 5-10 minutes to have time with the character to take photos and hug or have to push and shove in a crowd, with a chance you don't meet them and if you the meeting being short and the crowd in your photo with you?

however not all cultures actually queue...it's just how they are.

I don't agree, I feel the culture card is used as an excuse too often within the disney fan community, like Vala said: If a queue is organised everyone, no matter which culture or country of origin, will join.

 

[DLPdaft]

But you see, thats why I don't like joining the queued meet n greets - because its never 5 or 10 minutes you're waiting, even if you're at the front of the queue - you'll have had to be queueing for at least 20 minutes (on a quiet day) before the character turns up, to have a chance at waiting a further 5 or 10 minutes to meet them.

This is my DLP experience only, as I haven't been to WDW for over 15 years, and I don't remember meeting any characters there apart from at the evening barbeque.

 

[hildasmuriel]

I consider there is an even balance of both sorts of MnG at DLP.

For those who don't mind queuing there are organised queues for Mickey, Pooh, a Princess or two and (depending on time of year) sometimes Goofy, Tiana, Mary Poppins and Minnie as well in the main park. In Studios one can queue for Mickey, Donald, Sully, Buzz and one or two others. If you want to pay there are character meals at Auberge du Cendrillon, Cafe Mickey, Steakhouse (Sundays) Inventions, and Lucky Nugget/Plaza Gardens/Pizza Planet. There are characters in each of the hotels each morning which have formal queues. These are free and you don't have to stay in that hotel.

For those who don't mind a scrum there are unexpected MnGs during the day, or semi-formal ones (Aladdin, Capt Jack etc). This park is situated on mainland Europe where queuing is not the norm. It seems fair their tastes should be catered for too. To impose our norms could be seen as a bit imperialistic.
It seems right that DLP caters to both sorts of guests - those who queue and those who don't.

JMO, YMMV.

 

[DLPaddict]

I would like to add that even with random characters popping out it does not take much for a CM to take some order and stop the pushing and shoving. One day someone will end up getting seriously hurt all because no form of order was used.

I also agree too many people use the culture card to often, its not hard to be civilised is it?

It seems they have started "using" this in a way to stop the pushing etc yet funnily enough it wasn't used.

Photo from Characters Photo Blog

 

[Ware Bears]

It seems they have started "using" this in a way to stop the pushing etc yet funnily enough it wasn't used.

I gather the character is meant to be stood within the white lines? Poor characters - looks like they got mobbed before they got chance to make it there.