Adults in Line to meet Characters

[PrincessAurora]

At least there ARE lines at WDW. My DW and I went to Disneyland in California this July and chaos reined there. Everyone was massing around the characters and handlers in large semi-circles of pushing & jostling. The aggressive and rude got their photos & autographes while the polite and timid got walked over, stepped on and pushed aside. It was very ugly. I asked the CM about it (the lack of lines) and he replied that lines were incompatible with the culture of many guests. So to improve "guest relations" they were eliminated. I replied that this policy is unbelievable and undisney. I filed a complaint at City Hall. <sigh> I just don't understand this thinking. Am I wrong about this?

You are not wrong. I was just in LA this weekend and went to Disneyland for my belated birthday before my belated UnBirthday trip to The World in Feb. (My birthday was in October). We were walking past Thunder Mnt towards Fantasyland. There is an open space there where the BBQ usually is and we found a HERD of characters. They must have just come out. There were 4 penguins from Mary Poppins, Tigger, Eeyore, Baloo and Chip & Dale. We played with the penguins (and got penguin kisses), tried to cheer up Eeyore but when I saw Chip & Dale - that was it. I yelled "It's CHUCK & DAVE!" (Dels Wifes phrase has now come to the West Coast). Myself and my girlfriend went to get a hug and now here come the walls of people.

There were about 3 families trying to take pictures to the front, more people on the sides and people around back. At the time, I figured it wasn' worth my time to wait (we were only there for a few hours - I didn't even get to ride the new Space Mountain because FP was so late). The problem was a couldn't even get past anyone because the crowds had us blocked in. I didn't want to ruin someones picture by stepping in front of their shot but my other pet peeve here - people that take FOREVER to take the darn picture!!!! JUST TAKE IT ALREADY!!! After 2 minutes of waiting for the button to click I finally said "screw this" and walked in front of the camera because we had to get out of there.

Being from So Cal, it never occured to me that the scrum that is Disneyland character meets are so horrid. It's what I've always done. The So Cal resorts dont have the number of character breakfasts or set character meet places that WDW has due to space.

You were right to complain. It would make things much better if they had a que. Sometimes people will form a line on their own if there is room but the "room" factor is the problem. I've even experienced this when I would take pictures with kids dressed as Sleeping Beauty for MNSSHP when they use to have it at Dland. Its madness and I have no handler.

 

[DisneyJen0504]

Characters are for all of us!

 

[aubriee]

I too am one of the people who didn't get to go to WDW until this past January when I was in my mid-40's. I made up for it this year though by getting an AP. I'll be making five trips this year: Jan 9th-15th, May 13th-22nd, Sept 17th-24th, Dec 9th-18th, and Jan 2nd-8th. I took my elder son and GD in Jan (he loved taking pictures with the characters), went solo in May, took my younger son and D-I-L in Sept, am taking my 73 y/o mom for her first ever trip in Dec, and then taking my GD back two weeks later in Jan. I've enjoyed the characters as much as any of the kids and love the pictures I've had taken with them. When we went in Sept my D-I-L's main goal was to get a picture of herself dancing with the Beast, (which we did). She also had her picture taken with all the other characters she saw. We waited patiently in line and thankfully never heard a comment about the characters not being for adults. I'm taking my 73 y/o mom in Dec and the only thing she is really interested in, is seeing the Christmas stuff and having her picture made with "all the characters we can find". Consequently I have ADRs for nine character meals and we will also be standing in line (if she wants to) to get her picture taken. No one better say a word about that 73 y/o 'big kid' being wrong to want a picture of herself with the characters or they'll have me to deal with. I have no probelm politely telling someone we are in line, if they try to cut, but if they make comments that would hurt my mom's feelings politeness will go out the window. She has as much a right to be in that line as any kid.

 

[dandee00]

I too am one of the people who didn't get to go to WDW until this past January when I was in my mid-40's. I made up for it this year though by getting an AP. I'll be making five trips this year: Jan 9th-15th, May 13th-22nd, Sept 17th-24th, Dec 9th-18th, and Jan 2nd-8th. I took my elder son and GD in Jan (he loved taking pictures with the characters), went solo in May, took my younger son and D-I-L in Sept, am taking my 73 y/o mom for her first ever trip in Dec, and then taking my GD back two weeks later in Jan. I've enjoyed the characters as much as any of the kids and love the pictures I've had taken with them. When we went in Sept my D-I-L's main goal was to get a picture of herself dancing with the Beast, (which we did). She also had her picture taken with all the other characters she saw. We waited patiently in line and thankfully never heard a comment about the characters not being for adults. I'm taking my 73 y/o mom in Dec and the only thing she is really interested in, is seeing the Christmas stuff and having her picture made with "all the characters we can find". Consequently I have ADRs for nine character meals and we will also be standing in line (if she wants to) to get her picture taken. No one better say a word about that 73 y/o 'big kid' being wrong to want a picture of herself with the characters or they'll have me to deal with. I have no probelm politely telling someone we are in line, if they try to cut, but if they make comments that would hurt my mom's feelings politeness will go out the window. She has as much a right to be in that line as any kid.

I hope you and your mother have a wonderful and magical time!! Please post pictures. I'm sure we would love to see them.