Character Greetings Lines

[Torgue]

We just returned from our first trip to WDW and had a wonderful time. We never had more than a 10 min wait for any ride at all 4 parks. The character greetings were a different story. In many of the character lines it seemed to be more adults than kids waiting to meet the characters . Some of the adults did not even take pictures . They just wanted to meet the characters. I heard adults say to the characters "I have always wanted to meet you" in every line and then proceed to chat with the character. Two ladies spoke with Alice in Epcot for 20 min. I am just wondering if anyone else thinks this is crazy. The characters are made up of college interns and actors. My DD5 is of course nuts about meeting the characters but could someone please explain why an adult who knows they are not really the characters would be so interested in just meeting the characters?

 

[Mecha Figment]

it's because these are the people who understand what it's all about. the magic. not somebody preoccupied with labels outside world. When you see Alice it's alice and nobody else. suspend your disbelief.

 

[silverarrowknits]

I am 26 and I like meeting the characters. I usually have my autograph book and camera with me when I meet them. I normally focus on the fur character, since I never know what to talk about with the face characters like Alice and the princesses. With that said, I go to WDW with the suspension of disbelief. When I meet Mickey or Alice, I am meeting Mickey or Alice not an intern or a college student. Meeting beloved characters is just part of the WDW fun for me. One of my favorite pictures from WDW is me with Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable in an action pose. I love the early episodes of Kim Possible and was giddy as a school girl to meet her and get her autograph. Meeting Kim and Ron was great, because unlike meeting an actor who may be nothing like his/her character in a movie/tv show, Kim and Ron were exactly how I imagined them. I also love getting a hug or high five from Mickey, Winnie the Pooh, or any of the other fur characters. It is so comforting sometimes. For me, there is just something magical about interacting with the characters.

I should say that I wouldn't take up 20 minutes of a character's time. I try to be respectful of the other people waiting in line. We all paid the same amount to get into the park, so we should all be able to get the opportunity to see our favorite Disney character if at all possible.

 

[HugsForEeyore]

I'm an adult who loves to meet characters! But I have a character website, so that would make sense!

I enjoy meeting certain characters, and I do know they are just normal people in those costumes! But I very much appreciate their role-playing and acting abilities - the ladies playing Cinderella's Stepsisters and her Stepmother are incredible! And when you meet a character, you can ask them questions that you always wondered about them. I asked Snow White's Queen, "What ever happened to Snow White's Dad?" (the movie never really addresses the issue) - The Queen waves her hand and says in a perfect evil tone - "I can't tell you in front of the children!" (great answer to avoid actually answering!). I think it's just fun to see good actors in action. I also once asked Max (Goofy's son) - "Who is your mother?" (the movie never addresses that either) - and he put up his arms in a huge shurg saying "I DON"T KNOW!"

It's just fun to see them so "in character"!

 

[saquin]

I agree about meeting characters being fun for adults too but does anyone else but me hate this whole new "waiting in line" and autograph-getting procedure? I'd feel funny as an adult waiting in a designated line to meet a character. I remember the "old days" when you would just randomly bump into characters around the parks and say hi, get a hug or snap a picture. Does anyone know when all this organization started, with set times and lines, etc? Just doesn't seem as magic to me.

 

[brightspark]

Hey there... another adult here who loves to meet the characters... dh and I (32years at the time) got the autographs of over 60 characters on one trip to WDW, and had so much fun. We also get photos with them! In the beginning I felt a bit daft waiting in line, but I'm on holiday, no-one knows me, or will ever see me again, so why worry what they might think of me?
Having said that... 20 mins is a long time, and I think the CM should have hurried them along!

 

[fizz13]

Another adult who adores the characters, has an autograph book and gets very excited about them. I have paid the same park admission, I have waited in the same line and i am entitled to meet them as much as a child. having said that, i would never hold up a character for 20 minutes and I always get a photo and autograph, I'm not waiting in line just to chat, so i do understand your frustration. however disneyworld is not just for children, it is for the child inside however old you are, and i hope i never stop believing because i am a happier person for it.

 

[Brad Bishop]

I liked it better when there were official greeting places. That takes the fun out of it for me. I always thought it was way cooler to just spot one and then the kids would go, "Hey! There's Goofy!" and run over to him.

I never have got the whole idea behind the autograph books. I thought they were kind of dumb when I was a kid but my sister loved them. Now both of my daughters keep talking about getting more autographs then the other.

 

[I'mNoPrince]

I agree about meeting characters being fun for adults too but does anyone else but me hate this whole new "waiting in line" and autograph-getting procedure? I'd feel funny as an adult waiting in a designated line to meet a character. I remember the "old days" when you would just randomly bump into characters around the parks and say hi, get a hug or snap a picture. Does anyone know when all this organization started, with set times and lines, etc? Just doesn't seem as magic to me.

The problem was the Characters were getting mugged and no one could get a shot of them without a few more kids running up and jumping in. It's sad really that they had to create these lines because people wouldn't just be curtious and wait their turn.

I also like the the inside M&G I think they flow a bit better. I'm not big into the Characters but DD is sometimes on trips and I do have a few Favorites i will get into the picture with her when we run across them. Alice is one and MaryPoppins is another.

 

[the_princess]

I know what you mean about adults talking to characters for a long time, when the line is getting longer and longer, that's annoying! But I do love the fact that so many adults are in the lines. I love meeting characters and I would hate being the only adult there...

 

[mountdew1]

Not a huge fan of more lines myself, but I understand why they created set meeting places. I have plenty of pictures from before they started set meeting places, where the character is hugging my sister and myself, and then some random other kid who ran up and grabbed them. A great way to ruin a good picture. Mickey doesn't know that one of these things is not like the other. I got much better pictures this time around when waiting in lines with my DF without having to worry about kids running in.
Also, the interaction between the guests and the characters seems to be much better. They now have a chance to "play" with them, even if only for a few moments and I'm sure that makes some great memories. Not to mention seeing "Super Pooh" and "Mummy Eeyore" playing tag in the old boat dock as AK was fun.
I did also see the chaos of a "non" official meeting place. Goofy walked out over near Chester & Hesters in AK, and was suddenly swarmed with people from all sides. It took his handlers a few minutes to get the line formed before anyone could actually meet Goofy 1 on 1. Yeah, it does take a lot of the spontaneity out of meeting them, but if your little one has their heart set on meeting Pooh, I'm fairly certain you would rather wait 10 mins for a great shot, then 2 mins for a so-so pic with 5 other kids.

Just my 2 cents

 

[Amy_Callaghan]

My children and I love to meet the characters, it really is magical to see them interact with their favorites!!!

 

[laluna]

Following this with interest! We had our first visit to Disneyland paris in the summer which resulted in my writing a letter of complaint! There were a few dissatisfying aspects of the trip but the character interactions were horrendous and all of the British guests kept saying 'this would never happen in America!' All but two of the meet and greets in the Paris parks are a free for all and it is awful. The cast member with the character does nothing to establish order and on a couple of occasions my daughter was pushed to the ground (she is 5). Unfortunately much is documented on the DLP board of the DIS debating the conduct of the European guests but it was awful.

The organised meet and greets are for Mickey and the Princesses. The system for the latter was such a farce and so badly organised that DD never got to meet one princess - she was very upset. One princess and her prince stood on a stage for about 20 mins and each interaction took about 5 mins, mainly because the official photographer took so long. Then the characters swapped and another pair came so those waiting in line didn't know who they would see. We waitied for 45 mins on two days and moved about a foot in line. It was so disappointing. Again we were reflecting back favourably to our WWD days; at least I know that if I queue for an hour in toontown I will see three princesses! We are looking forward to returning to WWD in March where proceedings are so much more civilised with my US friends.

 

[kimsuenew]

We just returned from our first trip to WDW and had a wonderful time. We never had more than a 10 min wait for any ride at all 4 parks. The character greetings were a different story. In many of the character lines it seemed to be more adults than kids waiting to meet the characters . Some of the adults did not even take pictures . They just wanted to meet the characters. I heard adults say to the characters "I have always wanted to meet you" in every line and then proceed to chat with the character. Two ladies spoke with Alice in Epcot for 20 min. I am just wondering if anyone else thinks this is crazy. The characters are made up of college interns and actors. My DD5 is of course nuts about meeting the characters but could someone please explain why an adult who knows they are not really the characters would be so interested in just meeting the characters?

We did not stand in line for any character meets, however, you need to keep in mind that those adults actually paid more for their entry than you paid for for your childrens entry! Everyone is entitled to the benifits found inside the parks, even though others find it odd!

 

[meeko_33785]

I'm an adult and I enjoy meeting characters. It's just another part of the fantasy at WDW like the rides or settings. I find that it's fun and entertaining to interact with them and to get photos. I do admit, I think that adults need to be extremely considerate of everyone else in line when they are interactive with the characters. 20 minutes with one character seems absolutely ridiculous to me.

 

[bradk]

in all fairness, while i usually complain that princesses just love to yap all day, alice is one of the most talkative girls i've ever run into. she can literally talk a mile a minute and i can't figure out where she even gets most of it, but she can be a very interesting person to chat with.

ironically, the longest conversation i've ever probably had with a character was donald at one of the P&PP parties. stitch is probably a good second.. nothing beats suggesting to stitch that we replace him with my little stitch and try to convince other guests the little one is the real one. stitch even once attempted to camouflage himself with a tiny leaf he plucked off one of the trees.

i'm sorry, but you can't buy that kind of entertainment (just the tickets to get access to it).

if you can talk with one of your friends for 20 minutes at a time, anyone should be able to talk with a disney character for a substantial period of time (while i believe 20 mins to be strongly exaggerated in this case, i would have to advocate being mindful of others waiting), just maybe not about the latest IPO and the cost of oil.

but if you ask me, if peter pan tries to engage two people in conversation about pirates in neverland and one person responds in kind and a lively discussion about it develops and another person simply waves it off as just some nonsese from a 'college intern or actor,' it's not the former i'd want to concern myself most with.

not that i try to concern myself with other guests of course. i'm there for my enjoyment. waiting is a part of life sometimes and you just hope the person behind you can show you the same courtesy that you show the person in front of you.

 

[Torgue]

it's because these are the people who understand what it's all about. the magic. not somebody preoccupied with labels outside world. When you see Alice it's alice and nobody else. suspend your disbelief.

This was our first trip to WDW . So I am new to all this. I did grow up watching all the movies and reading the books. I have heard "it's all about the magic" several times and have never actually understood what it means. Could someone explain this to me ?

 

[Stitchfans]

As I said in another thread. I am a 50 year old woman who loves to meet the characters. Don't be surprised if you hear a woman screaming, MICKEY!!! Then run over to give him a big hug. Even when I am 100 I will still want to see and hug Mickey.

Now chatting to one for 20 minutes IMO is rude when there is a line of people waiting to meet them.

 

[fizz13]

OMG, the "magic" is so hard to describe, but it is a disney feeling where your inner child comes back to play, you are in a disney bubble and everything around you becomes real somehow, you are allowed to enjoy this fantasy world and for me I enjoy right on my children's level with them. You get this rush of emotion when you see Mickey, its not a costume, it really is him, when you hear the music for Wishes and the characters voices you wish right along with them, all your childhood fantasies that magic is real, that you can really fly with Tink and Peter. That all the cast members are right there to promote this magic feeling, that you are sharing in this disney immersion, Cinderella really lives in the castle, when you take the safari you are in Africa.....
I think the magic is allowing yourself to accept the fantasy as your temporary reality and getting sucked right in, because once you do you just feel pixiedusted all the time, and it truly becomes your happy place. its not just rides and elaborate shows, its not just cleverly designed scenery, it is a whole sensory experience. Everything smells better, feels happier, and you escape from that real world and all my stresses and home crises are gone. Ulitmately it is allowing yourself to believe in it all.

I'm so sorry if that all sounded crazy to you and I assure you I am of sound mind and am a responsible hard working mum of 3, but that is really how Disney World affects me, and I can't wait to get my next fix I'm sure more people will be along to tell you what it means to them.

 

[MisunderstoodLilo]

Grown adult. Always see the characters. The magic is something you can't describe...you just have to feel it.