Flynn Rider leaving Tangled M&G 07/03 ???

[FigmentChick]

I just sent my email to guest services. We'll see how it goes. I stated that our family was really looking forward to meeting the princes this October and that was one of the things we think Disney did great....bringing out the princes with their ladies. UGH!!!! Why do they have to go and change things like this? Especially when it is popular?

 

[tony609]

So Disappointed . This was ONE of the Meet and Greets we were really looking forward to, now we will skip it. Since Rapunzel is becoming a princess i am sure we can just see her later next year. We even had Flynn already printed in our autograph books for Sept. Still holding out hope they (Disney Parks exec.) will change there mind and keep Flynn. The last little hope is that Flynn will be at EVERY MNSSHP with Rapunzel to meet.

 

[Good Morning Dewdrop]

I understand them wanting to speed up the waiting process (who enjoys standing in line?) but I don't understand getting rid of Flynn!!

The saddest thing is he was there for less than a year - if we hadn't invested in APs (we tend to go in Sept) we would have missed him completely!!

I completely agree with other posters - Disney is missing the boat on the whole Prince thing. My dd loves meeting the princes and wishes there were more of them out for meet/greets. Hello Disney are you listening??

 

[txmom0507]

NOOOO!! I've been looking forward to this since we decided to book our trip! My DS's first field trip ever was with his kinder class to see Tangled last year and he loved Flynn! My DD saw it and would walk around singing the song for days saying she was Rapunzel. (she has very long white/blond hair so it fit well) But they both LOVED Flynn!! I was already not sure if we'd be standing in line since they changed the M&G, but now that Flynn will be gone I really don't know that we'll do it!

 

[kennythepirate]

Per an update from WDWmagic:

Rapunzel will now have back to backs. This will be interesting to see how it goes, being that the location is OUTSIDE. The front of the line will now end down the path. Those guests won't be able to see inside the garden while the other guests are meeting Rapunzel.

Admittedly, this sounds great for those who were only interested in meeting Rapunzel!

Don't get too excited. The line for Rapunzel will still be extremely long, even with continuous sets that rotate and the lack of Eugene. Daisy Duck's line at the Flag Pole can be as long as 45 minutes.

 

[Colleen27]

Don't get too excited. The line for Rapunzel will still be extremely long, even with continuous sets that rotate and the lack of Eugene. Daisy Duck's line at the Flag Pole can be as long as 45 minutes.

45 min is a lot shorter than the 2-3 hours it had been running, though. I wish they'd change the format but keep Flynn; the male face characters always seem to be more entertaining and interactive than the princesses (who seem to be a bit too in character sometimes, all quiet and pretty but not very fun!).

 

[asianway]

Don't get too excited. The line for Rapunzel will still be extremely long, even with continuous sets that rotate and the lack of Eugene. Daisy Duck's line at the Flag Pole can be as long as 45 minutes.

So much for character integrity...

 

[mom2rtk]

I see your point asianway...... all they really needed to do was to make them (or her........ ) available at Epcot routinely. However, I doubt this was their resolution to the long line issue. Sounds like more of a cost issue since Naveen appears to be leaving as well.

This really is very disappointing. It's the magic interactive fun that comes with characters like these that keeps us coming back. To be honest, it's and integral part of what sets Disney apart from other amusement parks.

It just won't be the same. Yet they add Pooh for the umpteenth time in the Animation Building at DHS. BOO!

 

[Disneyliscious]

I was blessed with 2 sons and never had a daughter so this decision really doesn't affect me BUT...

I remember when I was a little girl, my mom bought a Snow White book that came with a record (yes, Im that old). I would play it on her console stereo and read along with it while I flipped through the pages in the book. There weren't multiple "princesses" back then.

My favorite part of the entire story was at the end when Prince Charming kissed her (as a kid I called every Prince "Prince Charming". Even as a little girl, I dreamed of "meeting" Prince Charming someday. I didn't get to take my first Disney trip until I was 15 so the magic was gone for something like that.

My heart really does go out to all these little girls who wanted to meet a "Prince". Everything is SO much about the Princesses....but lets face it, in the land of fairy tales....a little girl doesn't become a Princess until she meets a Prince.

I just think this is a bad, bad decision on Disney's part. Raising prices or changing rules is one thing, taking away the magic of a little girl wanting to meet a "real Prince" is just heart breaking.

 

[dissybroad]

Forget the three year olds! I'll miss my hunk character fix! Where's Aladdin when you need him??

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

This is very disappointing to say the least. Our DD absolutely loved her interaction with Flynn.

I see your point asianway...... all they really needed to do was to make them (or her........ ) available at Epcot routinely.

Completely agree. If all they wanted was to reduce the wait times, then they should increase availability by having meet and greets at other parks or have Rapunzel available at some of the princess character meals. Instead, to meet the high demand, they are opting to sacrifice quality - hmmmm, sounds like the same approach they applied to some of the restaurants when the dining plan became more popular.

 

[mom2rtk]

What's odd is seeing this move happen after they made such an effort to de-girl the Fantasyland Expansion project. There want to make it something the entire family can enjoy and clearly don't want it labeled as being "for the girls". The carousel belongs to Prince Charming, they're adding the Beast's castle and Eric's Castle, along with Gaston's Tavern. The blurb about Belle's story time was almost comical in how it tried too hard to be for the boys too. Their effort was almost comical.

So when money gets a little tight, what's the first thing they do? Cut the boys.

Makes no sense to me at all. Seems VERY short-sighted. That Tangled meet & greet was immensely popular. Messing with it now (except to implement my few well-thought out minor revisions to aid in crowd control.......) just seems poorly thought out. I honestly don't want all that expansion if they can't get the little stuff right. Humph.

 

[Finally08]

Per an update from WDWmagic:

Rapunzel will now have back to backs. This will be interesting to see how it goes, being that the location is OUTSIDE. The front of the line will now end down the path. Those guests won't be able to see inside the garden while the other guests are meeting Rapunzel.

Admittedly, this sounds great for those who were only interested in meeting Rapunzel!

What I find most interesting is that they assume the line will wind down the path, leaving guests unable to see the characters switching off...yet as soon as it becomes common knowledge that Flynn isn't there, that line probably won't be very long anyway. Think about a typical princess line...I choose Ariel since she always had the longest lines it seemed. Even her line if stretched out would just fill the fairytale garden area (at least that's all I ever saw anyway). She wouldn't warrant a line leading down the path up to the castle.
I will be shocked if Rapunzel alone can still bring in the crowds that they did as a pair. It will take time though, because for a while unfortunate guests won't know what they're getting till they get there.

 

[tigeramy75]

Flynn was such an integral part of the story line of Tangled. He was not just a prince that swept in to romance the princess. I think the same of Naveen. That's why this is such a disappointment. They were such fully realized characters, and that is why they were so awesome to meet and interact with. I had to DRAG my sons away from Naveen this past trip...they thought he was hilarious, and that's the M&G they seem to remember the most.

I just think this is a terrible decision.

 

[TDC Nala]

It's also another way to cut back. The princesses are the focus. If you remove the prince, that's one less performer they need.

 

[Finally08]

My heart really does go out to all these little girls who wanted to meet a "Prince". Everything is SO much about the Princesses....but lets face it, in the land of fairy tales....a little girl doesn't become a Princess until she meets a Prince.

I just think this is a bad, bad decision on Disney's part. Raising prices or changing rules is one thing, taking away the magic of a little girl wanting to meet a "real Prince" is just heart breaking.

You nailed it right there! Even little girls in grade school have crushes. Look at the popularity of child singers like Justin Bieber. To some little girls, Flynn or Naveen are THEIR Justin Bieber. Does Disney have any idea what it means to a little girl to meet the *boy* of her dreams? Sure meeting the princess is fun, but the little girls want to BE the princess, so they want to meet their prince!!
My dd has drawn photos to give to Flynn, and talked endlessly about the times she met him, and what she wants to say the next time she sees him. When she looks at the photos from the meetings she just gets this coy little smile and giggles and blushes. She has *never* had so much fun meeting any princess.

Kinda like when they removed Dopey from Snow White at Epcot. The first trip there I got the cutest video of her in his lap while he rocked her and made her kiss his cheek. It was the sweetest thing ever...and every time we go to Epcot now she asks why Dopey isn't there anymore. It's another one of those things Disney yanked, and again I hear the "...they keep taking all the fun stuff away!" comment from her.

 

[Finally08]

It's also another way to cut back. The princesses are the focus. If you remove the prince, that's one less performer they need.

And maybe a few less guests who will bother with another return trip because little by little there's not even magic to justify all those multiple trips.

 

[mom2rtk]

Man, this is almost as bad as the great sidekick reduction program of 2009. Remeber? Genie, Mushu, Dopey, and for a time Bert in the MK.

You can't convince me attendance is down in the parks. I didn't pay too much attention when they announced their financials. Anyone want to give me the quick and dirty summary?

 

[mom2rtk]

I wonder if they will be out for MNSSHP and MVMCP. That at least would be some consolation. But no way would I wait that long during a party to see either of them. During a park day is one thing, especially if you have OTHER park days ahead of you still. But there's too much other exclusive stuff to miss at a party.

 

[Djali]

I was really sad to read this today . We are going to Disney in two weeks and I had my strategy all planned out for meeting them but now I am not sure if I am going to take the time. The long wait didn't seem so bad when there were two new characters but with only one I'm not sure it is worth it. I really wish they would bring out more of the princes, I always seem to miss meeting them. My list of must meet characters for this trip is getting really short which I guess will make the rest of my group happy!