I always wondered if in the future Walt Disney World would develop talking masked characters someday

[DodgerGirl]

After seeing how Talking Mickey was a strong winner at Magic Kingdom I often wondered if Walt Disney World could develop masked characters that could really talk and know your name and interesting facts about you and what your day at the parks is going to be when people meet them during meet and greets? Because I always have found it odd that Disney Parks doesn't let the masked characters talk and the only characters that talk are the face characters like the princesses and talking masked characters would be interesting with mouths that move in sync with the authentic character voices and have eyes that blink and move and it would be a wonderful idea. Because I always thought it's odd that all the masked characters do is move their hands like the Marvel character Black Bolt and talking masked characters would be neat to see because it makes the characters look "real"

 

[Karin1984]

They might, but technology isn't that far yet. Robots cannot mimick movement as fluently yet. And those who can are probably insanely expensive. Too expensive for letting it daily be touched by people.

If they do get that far, you will be having an interaction with a robot not a human in a costume.

But I think it is more likely they will develop an interactive hologram, with AI. But they won't be able to sign autographs or hug you.

That is downside with the talking Mickey for me, there is always that delay and the mechanical sound it makes. Talking Mickey creeps me out. It feels like talking to a robot. The sound never fully matches the movement.

 

[DodgerGirl]

I think it would be cool to see talking masked characters at Walt Disney World make an appearance someday. Because whenever I see Walt Disney World commercials they always show Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse with blinking eyes when people meet and greet with them. But I can't figure out why at the parades and shows Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse Goofy and Donald always talk but you never see those versions out for meet and greets and autographs? I remember seeing a Youtube video of the Talking Mickey Meet And Greet at Magic Kingdom and thought it was awesome but kind of creepy and my mother didn't even know that a Talking Mickey existed because she had never seen him before. But it would be a great idea for Walt Disney World to have talking masked characters and if the idea was successful they might do it in Disneyland too

 

[DodgerGirl]

If Walt Disney World were to have talking masked characters someday I bet people would go wild and crazy over them like people are doing with Figment at Epcot. Because I think talking masked Disney characters would be cool for Walt Disney World to have and people would be impressed with them

 

[FastPasser.]

Don’t they already have talking characters at Galaxies Edge? Talking SW characters interact with Guests regularly. They could have other talking masked characters if they wanted.

 

[AprilsZoo]

The reason they have talking characters in the parades, like on the floats, is because those are pre-recorded lines that are played like from an mp3 audio file. The character is actually just pantomiming along to the pre-recorded lines.

They don’t have talking costumed characters at the meet and greets in the parks because if the character had a different voice each time you met them, the magic would be broken. What if one of the times you met him, Goofy had a Boston accent? Or what if Mickey sounded vaguely British?

It is really hard to do voices/ imitations. It’s even harder to hire people who can actually fit into the costumes (Mickey can’t be a 6’2” heavy-set man ), and who can act the part. To then try to find someone who is also a voice actor? That’s nigh on impossible. It’s tough enough to get them to learn how to sign the Autographs in a standardized manner.

There’s just no way Casting is going to find more than one person to play Mickey (for example) who can sign Mickey’s autograph, fit in the costume, act the part appropriately, and also be able to do the standardized voice.

 

[kanerf]

One of the reasons that they don't talk is that sometimes a male character is being portrayed by a female CM and visa versa.