I Feel Like Giving Up Hope For Characters To Meet and Greet Again

[TikiTikiFan]

I'm sure they will return eventually but I'm sure a lot hinges on the cast member comfort levels too and what's happening behind the scenes. Remember: there's a real person inside that costume. I don't know much about the inner politics or even how much voice CMs have though when it comes to procedures regarding covid, others could probably say more.

I really miss character autographs, I wish they would at least bring those back! You could easily hand those over the rope separating the character and guests.

 

[Epicnemesis]

I’m on record betting that Disneyland is fully normal on April 22

 

[TsWade2]

If it helps at all, I read yesterday that DL Paris just dropped the social-distancing requirement for character meets. Given that, it seems likely that it’ll return here too. Probably after not too long.

Yeah, I've heard. I guess it's a start.

I’m on record betting that Disneyland is fully normal on April 22

I don't want to get my hopes up, but we'll see.

 

[gelatoni fan]

And let us all remember for a moment, that Disneyland Paris offered its version of Genie+ (i.e. Premier Access) prior to WDW/DL's announcement and implementation of Genie+. So, maybe Disneyland Paris is the leader and the domestic parks are the followers?

To the OP, there's a lotta' ballgame left, so I would would say look up and forward to a return to hugging or high-fiving or standing right next to your favorite character at a meet & greet! Never forget, there is so much money to be made by Disney to charge the guests, say $10 / person via ILL, for a character meet & greet. Monetizing meet and greets will get Disney motivated for its return.

Shanghai and Hong Kong had been selling fastpasses for years before Paris started doing it.

Paris was the first to offer selfie spots in July 2020 and the Asian parks started offering selfie spots around September 2020. I forget when exactly character sightings were introduced in WDW but I recall it being 2021.

Also, monetizing meet & greets doesn't necessarily mean lightning lane. More photopass photographers means more chances to sell Genie+.

 

[StormyCA]

Shanghai and Hong Kong had been selling fastpasses for years before Paris started doing it.

Paris was the first to offer selfie spots in July 2020 and the Asian parks started offering selfie spots around September 2020. I forget when exactly character sightings were introduced in WDW but I recall it being 2021.

Also, monetizing meet & greets doesn't necessarily mean lightning lane. More photopass photographers means more chances to sell Genie+.

But putting M&G on G+ kinda is monetizing them. It's just that G+LL 'itself' wasn't such a shock to DL 'regulars' because we were already used to MP, although the 'rules changes' were. But we were, in essence, already used to 'paying for passes' with MP. Obviously one can still wait in line for an M&G. But parents with squirmy and fractious kidlets, or who just don't want to 'waste time' in line simply to say Hi to a character and get a photo (right now 30 mins for Tiana or Cindy at MK) are paying for that M&G via G+LL. I agree though, that putting M&Gs on the ILL list would be horrible.

 

[starlite_]

Quick note that Disneyland Paris only returned M&G with full costume characters, Goofy, Stitch and the like, no face characters yet.

Shanghai and Hong Kong had been selling fastpasses for years before Paris started doing it.

Paris was the first to offer selfie spots in July 2020 and the Asian parks started offering selfie spots around September 2020. I forget when exactly character sightings were introduced in WDW but I recall it being 2021.

Also, monetizing meet & greets doesn't necessarily mean lightning lane. More photopass photographers means more chances to sell Genie+.

Agree, they already had photopass photographers for M&G tho. You could take your own photos and the photographers would take some too. Unless they prohibit ppl from taking their own photos, it's not anything new.

 

[Steven G]

if you must have it today, try universal studios hollywood. Over Christmas in the Grinchmas section, all the characters were hugging and talking with you face to face (they all had masks on, and so did we, but we got hugs). I assume it's the same or similar now.

 

[Kennywood]

Years ago, LONG before people even knew the word "pandemic", my wife and I went to WDW. My wife's favorite characters are Chip & Dale. Well, we went for a Meet & Greet with them. Both were there, but not standing together. They were something like 10 feet apart and would not get together for a picture. So, my wife stood in the empty space between them to have her picture taken.

I mean, come on! It's Chip AND Dale, not Chip OR Dale!

Thankfully, we were able to get a group picture of Chip & Dale with my wife on one of our DCL cruises.

 

[starlite_]

Years ago, LONG before people even knew the word "pandemic", my wife and I went to WDW. My wife's favorite characters are Chip & Dale. Well, we went for a Meet & Greet with them. Both were there, but not standing together. They were something like 10 feet apart and would not get together for a picture. So, my wife stood in the empty space between them to have her picture taken.

I mean, come on! It's Chip AND Dale, not Chip OR Dale!

Thankfully, we were able to get a group picture of Chip & Dale with my wife on one of our DCL cruises.

That's so strange I have gotten pictures with them as a team before. Did they have separate lines?

 

[Kennywood]

No, all the characters for the Meet & Greet were in the same, large room.

We asked if Chip & Dale could stand together but we were adamantly told no.

Remember, this was years before Covid even existed. There was no such thing a social distancing.

 

[TsWade2]

Never mind.

 

[StormyCA]

If this is from Micechat, don’t believe everything you hear. It just wants clicks and attention. Thank you. Carry on.

Not sure what you mean by that. Certain M&Gs being on G+LL was taken directly from the attractions page on the MDE app. The two I mentioned are right there as LL selections.

 

[upritbass]

We asked if Chip & Dale could stand together but we were adamantly told no.

The same policy applies to Mickey and Minnie.

 

[TsWade2]

Yoo hoo! Look what I found: https://blogmickey.com/2022/03/disney-traditional-meet-and-greets-will-return-soon-to-theme-parks/ Yippee skippy! I feel better now!

 

[felice]

Yep, it's official - https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/b...es-this-spring/?CMP=SOC-TWITTER20220331171834

 

[TsWade2]

Yep, it's official - https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/b...es-this-spring/?CMP=SOC-TWITTER20220331171834

I know. I just post the good news yesterday: https://www.disboards.com/threads/disneyland-characters-coming-back-to-meet-and-greet.3877896/

 

[Jabroniville]

If it helps at all, I read yesterday that DL Paris just dropped the social-distancing requirement for character meets. Given that, it seems likely that it’ll return here too. Probably after not too long.

What's odd is that I don't remember meet & greets being a thing in DLP at all when I was there a few years back. I saw a random "Princess & Princes" show that was like their version of a castle show, but that was it. Where could you meet characters?