Character Interactions

[eeyore70]

Hello,
My child adores the disney parks but she is afraid of the characters. We usually avoid this by not waiting in character meet and greets and not doing any character dining. But we are strongly thinking of going to Disneyland this year (first time) and we keep hearing that the characters are everywhere and just roaming around. Is this true? Please give me any details you can!! Thanks so much.

 

[maltdizzy]

Because of the more temperate California climate, most character M&G are outdoors in plain sight. They will be scattered around both parks in certain areas...for instance, most of the day, you'll spot the all fab five in corners of town square, Pooh in friends in the center of ritter Country and Pixar characters at the entrance of Bugs Land. Most have regular M&G areas, but because DL has fewer backstage entries/areas, characters do walk through the park waving before and after shifts. They may also walk around the park entrance or Main Street with the Disneyland Band or Dapper Dans barbershop quartet, etc.

But it's still pretty easy to just walk wide around them and go on your way since they usually are fenced in by a line of guests waiting for them.

 

[Winnowill]

They are out and about, but they are easily avoided if you don't want to meet them, and it's not as though they're EVERYWHERE. There are a few places they appear, and you may see a bunch of them at once, particularly in Town Square, but it's quite easy to steer clear of them.

 

[Elima2015]

Very easy to steer clear of them. There seem to almost always be queues, even if they are short ones; they aren't just walking up to people or strollers. Easy to find characters if you want to, but I would for sure not describe it as lots of characters roaming. In my two visits this year the only one I really saw "on the move" was Mary Poppins and she was really just very calmly strolling until someone approached her and once that happened, a small queue formed. The characters waive as they walk from a backstage area to their M&G area, but they aren't stopping along the way to unsuspecting guests. The CMs accompanying them direct people who try to stop them to their queue. Your child will be fine to avoid them without issue!

 

[ADLFAN]

Haha, they won't deliberately spook her, don't worry! Although I have seen them sneak up on people during a character meal...

Maybe with the characters out in plain sight, it'll be easier to explain that they "live" in Disneyland and she can shed some fear when she sees all the other kids enjoying the experience? They do usually have several characters right out in Town Square to see when you first wander in.

Have a fun trip!

 

[SMD]

It's pretty common to see characters entering and exiting the public areas of the park. For example, the characters that meet at the wishing well or by the castle restrooms have to cross the entrance to TL to enter/exit next to Plaza Inn. But they will just wave and not stop for guests as they go on and off stage. They move pretty quickly.

 

[eeyore70]

Thanks so much everyone!!! This is wonderful news

 

[Angel Ariel]

Hello,
My child adores the disney parks but she is afraid of the characters. We usually avoid this by not waiting in character meet and greets and not doing any character dining. But we are strongly thinking of going to Disneyland this year (first time) and we keep hearing that the characters are everywhere and just roaming around. Is this true? Please give me any details you can!! Thanks so much.

If you download the app, go to the part that's the park map and scroll across the top to click on characters. It'll give you a good idea where character meet and greets are happening if you want to avoid them.

 

[PHXscuba]

My daughter was very fearful of furry characters at age 4 when we first went to Disneyland. She was happy to wave to them from a distance as we walked by the character meets but we never got any closer. The characters and their handlers are very respectful and won't try to "get" your child. The good/bad news is most kids eventually grow out of their fear and then you spend loads of time waiting for them! Face characters like princesses or non-human characters like Lightning McQueen seem to freak kids out less.

PHXscuba

 

[Angel Ariel]

My daughter was very fearful of furry characters at age 4 when we first went to Disneyland. She was happy to wave to them from a distance as we walked by the character meets but we never got any closer. The characters and their handlers are very respectful and won't try to "get" your child. The good/bad news is most kids eventually grow out of their fear and then you spend loads of time waiting for them! Face characters like princesses or non-human characters like Lightning McQueen seem to freak kids out less.

PHXscuba

This was true for my DD,. At 3 y/o last year, she was afraid of all characters. Less so of face characters, but still afraid. This year, though, she wasn't nearly as afraid. She was still a bit hesitant with some fur characters (like Chewie...he's gigantic!), but others she gladly hugged, or walked hand in hand with. The face characters she was totally great with this year, and gave many of them multiple hugs as well.

 

[LuckiestMom]

I have to say that Disney is excellent at coaxing kids out of their fears. My daughter's interaction with Mickey was on a Disney Cruise and she was absolutely scared to death to go near him. However, Mickey (without words even) was able to ease her mind and she gave him the biggest hug. No fear for any other character thereafter.

 

[Malcon10t]

A few characters do roam the areas, such as Peter Pan and Captain Hook. I've been on a bench waiting on my kids to get off Matterhorn when Peter just plopped down beside me. He was very sweet. Then Hook showed up and they played around a bit.

Mad Hatter and Alice also roam a little.

 

[eeyore70]

I guess I should have said my child is older..12. So the fear(anxiety) hasn't gone away yet. Yes she is fine with characters such as princesses where you see their actual face..but once you put a mask on her anxiety starts...not sure how she got this. She tends to get better every year but still gets anxious at this age. But I am very hopefull with everyone's responses that we will be able to dodge them when needed Now I just need to know what the character presence is like at the Disneyland hotel??

 

[TinkLoverSam]

I guess I should have said my child is older..12. So the fear(anxiety) hasn't gone away yet. Yes she is fine with characters such as princesses where you see their actual face..but once you put a mask on her anxiety starts...not sure how she got this. She tends to get better every year but still gets anxious at this age. But I am very hopefull with everyone's responses that we will be able to dodge them when needed Now I just need to know what the character presence is like at the Disneyland hotel??

I was afraid of characters until I was an adult! Donald helped me get over my fear at an unexpected character breakfast at WDW. He was great and made me feel so comfortable that I love them now, somewhat to my husband's dismay!

 

[Nevada Jen]

Your daughter is smart. Characters are the creepiest thing ever if you think about it. A grown adult who is nuts enough to dress in a costume that is NEVER weather appropriate for the sole purpose of getting hugs and getting in people's personal space. That is full on psychotic. I'm not sure why so many people act just accept it as perfectly normal.