Disneyland Characters Coming Back To Meet and Greet

[upritbass]

“As early as April 18th” is strange phrasing. Why are they hedging themselves on the date?

From the Disney Blog page:

Not all locations will be available at first, but Disney says they anticipate reopening in phases throughout the spring and early summer.

Some character locations will be available to reserve with Genie+ and it is believed Disney is looking for ways to add more locations to the ones that previously supported Fastpass.

 

[Version 6]

EMH next, please and thankyou.

 

[TsWade2]

Never mind. I look at Disney Parks Blog, and there isn’t any mention about Genie+ for character locations. Such nonsense!

 

[Steven G]

I doubt that Disneyland will have Genie+ for character meets, at least in the near future. The nearest I can see it happening is when they re-open Toontown, and they might have Genie+ options for the toon town characters.

Disneyworld has a whole bunch of meets that have Genie+ options.

 

[TsWade2]

I doubt that Disneyland will have Genie+ for character meets, at least in the near future. The nearest I can see it happening is when they re-open Toontown, and they might have Genie+ options for the toon town characters.

Disneyworld has a whole bunch of meets that have Genie+ options.

Are we still going to meet them for free even if Genie+ happens?

 

[gelatoni fan]

I hope they put in the announcement if they'll change their policy on CMs handling guest cameras.

 

[Steven G]

Are we still going to meet them for free even if Genie+ happens?

I would expect so, but as always, no one knows for sure. There is nothing to my knowledge that is Genie+ only, in either DL or WDW.

 

[TsWade2]

I would expect so, but as always, no one knows for sure. There is nothing to my knowledge that is Genie+ only, in either DL or WDW.

Well, it’s probably one of Micechat’s silly nonsense about the Genie+ the characters anyway.

 

[Wesley815]

“As early as April 18th” is strange phrasing. Why are they hedging themselves on the date?

My guess (and other vloggers) might be due to Entertainment union rules. Unions have been a major issue for Disney all throughout reopening. First union demanded jobs back and parks to open, so they did, then union said no one should be forced to work, no one wants to work, etc... Don't wear a mask, wear a mask, don't social distance, social distance, on and on.

 

[DodgerGirl]

What Disneyland fans have been longing for has suddenly been brought back by popular demand and I predict once the traditional character meet and greets return fully the park will gain it's old audience back. But I think Disneyland is gonna do some changes to meet and greets and this is what I think some of the changes will be,
A. Guests will have the option of getting a snapshot autographed picture of the character "similar to what celebrities give out to fans when they meet and greet" or a photo with the child and the character
B. Character autographs will no longer be free with admission and will cost a $10,99 fee but will be free with character dining and birthday parties
C. The Chase Visa Meet And Greets will return but will be free to first time Disney Chase Visa Cardholders but will offer special deals at special prices for regular cardholders of Chase cards
D. Disneyland will offer a special app with an alarm that will remind guests of certain meet and greet alerts throughout the park
E. Lines will be improved with new rules for people to meet and greet with characters easily
F. There will be chances to meet characters for guests who use Genie+ in a special meet and greet only open to Genie+ guests
Hopefully this news means that we will start to see a new image for Disneyland. As a character fan myself I think it was unfair for Disneyland to do this to fans when the pandemic first began and now that this news was announced I think it means a whole new ball game for Disneyland to begin improving itself again to make it wonderful

 

[Karin1984]

What Disneyland fans have been longing for has suddenly been brought back by popular demand and I predict once the traditional character meet and greets return fully the park will gain it's old audience back. But I think Disneyland is gonna do some changes to meet and greets and this is what I think some of the changes will be,
A. Guests will have the option of getting a snapshot autographed picture of the character "similar to what celebrities give out to fans when they meet and greet" or a photo with the child and the character
B. Character autographs will no longer be free with admission and will cost a $10,99 fee but will be free with character dining and birthday parties
C. The Chase Visa Meet And Greets will return but will be free to first time Disney Chase Visa Cardholders but will offer special deals at special prices for regular cardholders of Chase cards
D. Disneyland will offer a special app with an alarm that will remind guests of certain meet and greet alerts throughout the park
E. Lines will be improved with new rules for people to meet and greet with characters easily
F. There will be chances to meet characters for guests who use Genie+ in a special meet and greet only open to Genie+ guests
Hopefully this news means that we will start to see a new image for Disneyland. As a character fan myself I think it was unfair for Disneyland to do this to fans when the pandemic first began and now that this news was announced I think it means a whole new ball game for Disneyland to begin improving itself again to make it wonderful

Disney doesn't return this due to popular demand, they do this because the pandemic is basically over.

This was not Disney being unfair, but due to a virus spread via close contact. The corona virus could cause severe illness and death. That is why close contact was discouraged.

A character is an actor who is a human being who could get sick or die. This was not to spite fans.

Character meets are returning because it is possible again now that the virus has mutated into a less lethal variation.

With the character meets and shows returning, it will spread crowds over the parks.

They will not change anything to the procedures of meeting characters, except maybe at Genie + for some, which will exist next to the regular standby lines as with rides.

 

[Mseplover]

Please delete my account

 

[Karin1984]

I believe this has already changed. We had a CM use our phone for pictures at Epcot in December. The policies are typically the same at DL and WDW.

I wouldn't be surprised if this is going to be whatever the CM is comfortable with. In my visit to Disneyland Paris last week, I saw 1 CM not doing it, and another did.

 

[katyringo]

At DisneyWorld in November they used mt
Phones multiple times to take pictures for
Me.

 

[gelatoni fan]

I believe this has already changed. We had a CM use our phone for pictures at Epcot in December. The policies are typically the same at DL and WDW.

The policy at DL last month was that CMs were allowed to but not obligated to take photos for guests. Leads were also allowed to ban handling of guest cameras for their entire team. So some CMs in the Lunar New Year area did handle guest cameras but most character hosts still did not.

 

[Malcon10t]

What Disneyland fans have been longing for has suddenly been brought back by popular demand and I predict once the traditional character meet and greets return fully the park will gain it's old audience back.

I don't know when you were last to the park, but it's "old audience" is back, and has been back for a while. Since the parks reopened we have made numerous trips and have enjoyed them. I enjoyed seeing the distanced characters.

Hopefully this news means that we will start to see a new image for Disneyland. As a character fan myself I think it was unfair for Disneyland to do this to fans when the pandemic first began and now that this news was announced I think it means a whole new ball game for Disneyland to begin improving itself again to make it wonderful

What new image? Being a character fan, I would think you would appreciate that Disneyland was protecting your characters from illness of this pandemic. They are bringing the characters back to being closer to us as the virus has mutated to be less lethal. As someone who lost people close to me (and almost lost me), I appreciate their caring for their CMs.

Disneyland has been "wonderful" since reopening.

I hope you enjoy it when you eventually return.

Disneyland has been "wonderful" since reopening.

 

[DodgerGirl]

I just hope that Disneyland doesn't charge people money to meet the characters when traditional meet and greets return. Because with Disney Parks especially Disneyland experimenting with new solutions to make the park better they better not start trying this. Because character meet and greets are supposed to be free with park admission and if they make certain characters Genie+ only to be paid for. Disneyland will get complaints

 

[GoHorns94]

I just hope that Disneyland doesn't charge people money to meet the characters when traditional meet and greets return. Because with Disney Parks especially Disneyland experimenting with new solutions to make the park better they better not start trying this. Because character meet and greets are supposed to be free with park admission and if they make certain characters Genie+ only to be paid for. Disneyland will get complaints

Not sure where this is coming from, but I don’t see any of your fears happening with the traditional characters meet and greets returning.

The only paid for character meet and greets have been and will remain with character meals, with the regular character meet and greets open to everybody willing to wait in a queue. I could see the possibility of Genie+ Lightening Lane options added for some characters, but they would still have the traditional non Genie+ queue.

Genie+ has no exclusivity at either DLR or WDW - it is a completely optional pay to skip the lines add on. Non Genie+ purchasers can still experience every single aspect of the parks, albeit with typically longer queue wait times.

 

[mdmost]

Meet and greets will not be Lightning Lane selections on Genie+

https://twitter.com/x/status/1514323859188563968

 

[TsWade2]

Meet and greets will not be Lightning Lane selections on Genie+

https://twitter.com/x/status/1514323859188563968

There! You see? There is no way Disneyland will use that silly Lightning Lane for characters. That what happens when you believe in the nonsense Micechat made.

And thanks for the news, mdmost.