Where were all the characters??

[lara123]

We went first time on Friday last, 18 March, for a day trip. Apart from the parade and brief shows om Main St, where were all the characters around the park? We had an enjoyable time but expected there would have been characters throughout the park.

 

[Rachie B]

we felt the same when we went in feb

bit of a shock as we are used to going @ Halloween, when there are tonnes of characters and pumpkin men / women around and loads of meet n greets etc

not a huge problem as my kids are older and the rides are their main concern ! and we have done character meals etc before, but it made the trip feel a little flat

 

[leeredwood]

We went at a similar time in 2009 - the park was dead quiet and not just because of the lack of guests, there were hardly any advertised meet and greets at all.

The advertised meets on the programme all ended at 12midday, and there was nothing on in the afternoons - no shows, nothing. What annoyed me the most is that every now and then you'd come across a group of characters randomly on the park who were just going backstage after a meet and greet session - if they had been advertised we could have got there to see them.

The icing on the cake was when we were walking down Main Street USA and caught the last minute of a Mary Poppins 'happening' outside City Hall - again not advertised. When the cast had finished the show, they did a meet and greet session and when we asked 'Bert' when the next show would be, he said that he didn't know because they only decided about this show 20 minutes before it happened so there might be another one later but only the management knew!!! Again - if this had been advertised, more people could have made the effort to see it and then would have been more satisfied with the amount of Entertainment on the park.

I do understand that it was between seasons when we went, but having paid the same amount of money as if we had gone the following week (when the new season had started) made me slightly annoyed.

Saying that, we're going back 9th-13th May and cannot WAIT!!!

 

[davewasbaloo]

Funny, the complaints that Leeredwood made is exactly the kid of experience I want at the parks.

Growing up as a child at Disneyland in Ca, the most memorably encounters with the characters were the surprise ones, not ones where you waited in line like for Santa Claus. frankly the focus on characters in the parks over the last 10 years I think has ruined the Disney theme park experience, especially when Main Street rarely has it's vehicles because of the stupid toon train yet again.

 

[Isila]

I felt the same. If not the morning parades, we wouldn't have met characters. All the time it was Mickey next to City Hall and Winnie at Casey's corner. There were meet'n'greet in our hotel but it was Mickey again

 

[DLPdaft]

we got back early this morning - and found quite by accident that on Sunday there were loads of characters out at 5pm when the parade was on, near the fantasy festival stage in fantasyland. We also found characters just after the parade near Colonel Hathis in Adventureland on Saturday, and yesterday after Cars n Stars Cruella and Gaston were out and about near Hollywood Boulevard for about an hour. On Saturday from around 12noon for about an hour the stars of Cars n Stars were alternating in the Studios around the main stage, Hollywood Boulevard, Animagique and Flying Carpets, but we didn't see any on Friday or Sunday at the same time.

I, like Davewasbaloo, do prefer the surprise element of meeting characters and we rarely do the queued ones. Having said that, until yesterday (our 5th day) we did think we'd seen less characters around the park - but we caught the good morning character thingy and there were loads of characters in the vehicles (I'm counting in my head now ........ 15 that we saw).

My niece counted her autographs over the 5 days we were there - she got 39 (this included about 12 from our 2 character meals).

 

[Vala]

we got back early this morning - and found quite by accident that on Sunday there were loads of characters out at 5pm when the parade was on, near the fantasy festival stage in fantasyland.

This is probably going to sound really stupid, so I apologize in advance.

Which Fantasyland Festival Stage do you mean? The actual area in Fantasyland with the building that has the sign "Fantasyland Festival Stage", or the area with the stage in front of the castle with the benches?

The reason why I am asking is because when we were there at the beginning of March we were looking for the Princess Meet and Greet. Which is advertised as taking place at the "Fantasyland Festival Stage." A cast member told us it was the castle area, only for us to find out that it was in Fantasyland. To add to the confusion the Meet and Greet then moved to the castle area for Saturday and Sunday!

Having said that, until yesterday (our 5th day) we did think we'd seen less characters around the park - but we caught the good morning character thingy and there were loads of characters in the vehicles (I'm counting in my head now ........ 15 that we saw).

It was the same for us first week of March. Besides the organised meet and greets, Stars N Cars and the cavalcade thing with the cars we never saw any characters roaming around.

I like the surprise element too. But at least some general idea like "characters appearing on Main Street from 11 AM to 2 PM" or something would be nice. I am a huge character nut and if it had not been for some of the hotels meet and greets I would have been thoroughly disappointed.

 

[DLPdaft]

Which Fantasyland Festival Stage do you mean? The actual area in Fantasyland with the building that has the sign "Fantasyland Festival Stage", or the area with the stage in front of the castle with the benches?

The reason why I am asking is because when we were there at the beginning of March we were looking for the Princess Meet and Greet. Which is advertised as taking place at the "Fantasyland Festival Stage." A cast member told us it was the castle area, only for us to find out that it was in Fantasyland. To add to the confusion the Meet and Greet then moved to the castle area for Saturday and Sunday!

Your first thought - the area in Fantasyland in front of the Fantasyland Festival Stage building. Thats where we saw the Princesses on Monday afternoon too (wasn't looking for them at the weekend so I don't know if they were moved on these days this week).

 

[Vala]

Thank you. I really didn't fancy being in the wrong place again.

We stumbled on the princesses by pure chance on the weekend too. My friend wanted to sit down and we remembered the benches. Cue two surprised faces: "Why's Cinderella on the stage now?"

 

[Vala]

we got back early this morning - and found quite by accident that on Sunday there were loads of characters out at 5pm when the parade was on, near the fantasy festival stage in fantasyland.

I checked and unfortunately this did not happen last Sunday.

However, I can report that Sunday at around 11.30 AM Mickey, Goofy, Pluto and Woody were out near the Cowboy Cookout Barbecue.

 

[DLPdaft]

Good reminder Vala - each afternoon at around 4pm when the character tea party started at 4.30 we found the characters from the tea party in front of the Cowboy Cookout, until it was time for them to go into the tea party .

 

[Vala]

Yeah, I thought they may have done something similiar there.

I think it was mentioned that the Lucky Nugget Character meal was moving to Cowboy Cookout? I was wondering maybe they're doing the same thing for that meal now like they do for the Tea Party. But I wasn't sure when the switch was taking place. I thought I had read early April, but my memory is rubbish sometimes.

 

[lorraine31]

At first we found the same, but at the stars and cars parade you get the chance to get autographs and in fantasyland throughout the day different characters pop up like princesse, alice in wonderland characters and some others.