Adults without kids - why do you visit characters?

[hbisioulis]

Because they are the entertainment offered at Disney World, and great entertainment at that. Come on, it's DISNEY WORLD, everyone acts like a kid there. And what? That's not the real Peter Pan I met in April? Psh next thing you'll be telling me is the Easter Bunny isn't real!

 

[DeaverTex]

No Santa Claus?! No Easter Bunny? What kind of insanity is this?

Everybody knows that Walt delivers the Disney magic, the Easter Bunny delivers the chocolate, and Santa delivers the Christmas magic. I mean... EVERYBODY knows that. Duh!

I think I said it earlier, but it bears repeating. We aren't going out of our way to meet characters this trip, but we're sure not going to turn down unexpected opportunities, and you'd better believe that we're going to take our turn at the Tusker House breakfast buffet! I mean, it's Goofy, for Pete's sake! The real Goofy, my lifetime hero.

 

[Oshawott501]

I see the characters because it makes the trip that much more fun plus I am a kid at heart.

 

[andysomma1]

I'm 38 and are you just now telling me that that's NOT REALLY Mickey Mouse I've been standing in line to see every time I visit MK? My whole life has been a lie.

 

[Talking Hands]

because at 64 I am still a child at heart and enjoy the characters and getting a picture or 2 with them. And now I get to take my grandsons to meet the characters.

 

[DebbieB]

Because I want to and I paid just as much as you to get in. I have great pictures of me and my friends with characters. When my mom died, the funeral director asked for a picture to give to the stylist for her hair & makeup for the viewing. I gave him a picture of her and Dale, she looked really happy in that picture.

 

[Gorechick]

I take pics with the characters because they are part of the Disney magic and it makes great memories. This year I get to clog the M+G lines with my 2 kids for the first time and get autographs and multiple pics of my family with the characters.

 

[CalicoSky]

I'm another of the didn't-go-as-a-kid group. My first trip was at age 40 and I unashamedly hugged Mickey and posed with his pals, and though we didn't do a lot of character meets I was thrilled every time we spotted them throughout the parks.

Yes, of course I know the characters aren't "real." But I also know that Expedition Everest's tracks were deliberately built to look torn up, that the Yeti isn't real, that I'm not really helping Buzz fight Zurg, that my hitchhiker at the mansion is a special effect, and that our country's presidents are not really assembled on that Hall of Presidents stage. It's all a show, and you can choose to either be an observer or throw yourself into it. Nothing wrong with either approach, but I think there's more opportunity for magic when you do the latter.

My two favorite moments from my first trip were from "for kids" moments. The first one was on Dumbo...I wanted to ride because it's a Disney classic, and my Disney veteran friend humored me. Well, she hadn't ridden it in years and remembered the "flight" option as having a very sluggish response. We're in our Dumbo, the ride starts, she moves the switch up and ZZZZIP! Up we went! She was so startled she screamed then we spent the entire ride at the top altitude because we were laughing too hard to run the control again.

Second moment was sitting at the UK Pavilion in Epcot watching British Invasion. Space was at a premium and we ended up sitting on a curb near the band but facing away from them. We realized we were facing Pooh and Tigger's greeting area when we saw first Pooh and later Tigger peeking out the window at the crowd. Most had their backs to them, but I waved to Tigger and got a thumbs up and a Tigger bounce in return! It was a tiny little interaction that my inner child was thrilled by.

 

[Cee]

Because some of us couldn't visit when we were children.....and if I want a photo with Mickey at 31 then why not? Disney is for kids of all ages

I couldn't agree more. When I took my elderly parents(80's), my Dad's first order of business was to have his picture taken with a Disney Princess. The first one we encountered was JASMINE.

 

[MinnieLee]

Because it's fun.
Because I like it.
Because I want to.

Ditto! Ditto! Double Ditto!

Because Disney always brings out the child in all of us! And why not!

 

[scoolover]

I guess that I always thought that it's just what you do. You go to Disney, ride rides, eat mickey premium bars, watch parades and get pictures with characters.

At this point my picture getting is down to characters that I don't have a picture with already. That really cuts it down to obscure characters that I see during the marathon/half marathon.

 

[Andtototoo]

I think it's one of those, "You either get it or you don't" situations.

If you find adults visiting characters odd, how about CMs? My family friend was in the CP this year and she and her friends spent hours visiting and having their picture taken with characters. One CM friend spent three hours waiting in line to meet Flynn Rider.

So if it's still magical for CMs to meet the characters, it's even more magical for guests to do so.

 

[PrincessCastMember]

If you find adults visiting characters odd, how about CMs? My family friend was in the CP this year and she and her friends spent hours visiting and having their picture taken with characters. One CM friend spent three hours waiting in line to meet Flynn Rider.

So if it's still magical for CMs to meet the characters, it's even more magical for guests to do so.

I am a former CM and CP Alumni and I will absolutely visit with the characters! I have been known to wait in line to meet with Captain Jack Sparrow... I also love love love Donald Duck when he's dressed in his Three Caballeros outfit at EPCOT. I always get a picture with him.

For me, it's just fun! It makes me feel like a kid and shoot...I think it's part of me being a Disney Lover!

 

[MoonFaerie]

Because it's fun! We still saw a bunch of characters on on kid free trip just because we wanted to.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Because some of us couldn't visit when we were children.....and if I want a photo with Mickey at 31 then why not? Disney is for kids of all ages

Or at fifty-something.

Granted, ANY guest in a character line should be considerate of the other guests waiting - but Walt Disney World, and DisneyLand (and all the other parks) and all the attractions, shows, and features, are for ALL the guests.

We all are or were somebody's kid, after all.

 

[prfctlyximprfct]

Disney brings out the kid in all of us.

 

[DVC-Don]

I visit with the characters cause it's fun. Period.

 

[Bethpremier]

Didnt take the time to read everyone's response but my husband and I do it simply because it makes great pictures and funny conversations with friends and family. Posing silly with the characters makes me actually feel like Im on vacation. Does that make sense?

 

[KeroKero]

I've been visiting WDW my entire life, and at 32 I still get my photo taken with characters and get autographs from characters whose autographs I've never gotten. Doing so is fun and they make for amazing photographs and conversation pieces (I would never take more than 2 photos at a time, that's just being rude to others in line).

 

[kerplop]

I paid the same amount of money to be there as anyone else. If I want to stop and get in line to take pictures with characters, then I'm gonna! I never got to WDW as a kid because we were poor, so you better bet as an adult I'm going to try to do everything I do have some consideration for the kids, don't get me wrong, but I'm there to have fun! I happen to think posing with characters for pictures is pretty fun. Ergo, you will see me in line to meet them and I'll probably be almost as excited as the little kids!

I'll never forget my DP's face when we saw Donald roaming around in Frontierland, since he's her favorite. It was like Christmas, Easter, Halloween, and a promotion at work all happened at the same time! For as long as we were in line, posing, and walking away both of us seemingly forgot it was a person in a costume. We were 32 years old and we were beside ourselves with excitement because we'd just met Donald Duck.