I really don't want to ask this question

[Ingrid0382]

My hair is really long and I've had at least six different characters come up behind me and start playing with it or pretending to braid it. Of course, I'm always the one with the camera, so I don't have any pictures.

I would see if you could be seated at a table where your wife's chair is up against a wall or window. That way she can see characters coming and won't be caught off guard. If her hair is done up nicely, I think characters will be less inclined to touch her head.

FWIW, I can't stand people touching my head/hair. It's a sensory thing and I totally get where she's coming from. For whatever reason it doesn't bother me when I'm in the parks and the characters are messing with me. My sons think it's hilarious.

 

[indygirl99]

DH and I were sitting in the lobby of DLR this week waiting for the shuttle to take us to the airport. I was reading a book, a good one, and really involved in it. I wasn't paying much attention to what was going on in the lobby until I saw this gynormous nose come over my head and heard a really loud smoooooch.

It was Goofy playing with me. He took me by the hand and lead me through the lobby like he does the little kids. And I am a 50 year old grandmother. It was hillarious and I really did love it.

I like Mary Jo's suggestion to have your DW sit with her back to the wall then she will have total control.

 

[SplashMo]

This happened twice on our last visit. But only to the kids sitting on the outside of the table. There should be a seat where she could set where characters could not catch her by suprize. One was captain hook and he was playing with DS9 after sneeking up on him...

 

[bumbershoot]

Definitely have her sit with her back against the wall or just untouchable.

I might be remembering wrong, but I think my head was messed with at Goofy's last December. If Sherry or Laurie stops by maybe they can say if I'm telling the truth or not. It wasn't awesomely fun for me because I really am NOT into characters and didn't want to be in pictures at the time (now, 42 lbs later, bring the pictures ON!).

 

[CrazyDuck]

One rainy day we were sitting in the lobby of the GCH and Chip & Dale were in there playing with people.... Chip (or Dale not sure) snuck up behind me and took my hat and covered my eyes. I knew they were coming so I was expecting them to do something.... But it probably coulda freaked some people out!

 

[ronandannette]

That is a good question, especially if someone dining has issues with touching. Sometimes the characters do touch, so I would ask to speak to a restaurant manager (maybe when your wife isn't looking) and ask them to let the characters know not to touch.

Typically, the characters are very good at gauging how people want to interact or not, but sometimes you get a playful character who will surprise you.

It's impossible to predict what might happen during a character interaction. At Goofy's Kitchen last year Pluto came up behind and over top of my little nephew and "swallowed" his enire head!! It happened so quickly we wouldn't have been able to prevent it if we had wanted to. All in good fun to be sure, but if DN had been a kid with issues it would have caused a problem. You should also expect that they may take even more liberty with an adult than if she were a child. I think the suggestion about a chat with management before you are seated is a good one.

BTW, you'll need to be aware that the characters (other than the princesses) are VERY silly wherever you meet them; not just during dining. Not sure if you'd be able to brief every handler on your needs as the incidents are usually quite spontaneous.

 

[larina]

It's impossible to predict what might happen during a character interaction. At Goofy's Kitchen last year Pluto came up behind and over top of my little nephew and "swallowed" his enire head!! It happened so quickly we wouldn't have been able to prevent it if we had wanted to. All in good fun to be sure, but if DN had been a kid with issues it would have caused a problem...

Pluto did this with the infant's head at the table next to us (I have pics) and I remember thinking, "I'm so glad he didn't do that to my son, who would have freaked out!" but it was so cute!!!!

 

[PinkBudgie]

DH and I were sitting in Aladdin's Oasis eating our Bengal BBQ when suddenly I felt someone touch my head. DH was smiling and so I thought it was maybe someone I knew. Well, sort of... it was Genie. We were up in the back near the door the characters come out and I was facing away from it so he snuck up behind me. I thought it was a fun surprise, but there is an example when I wasn't even in line for characters and it happened.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

We went to the Minnie & Friends breakfast last year. Captain Hook was big on sneaking up behind people (mostly adults and teens) and putting his hook to their necks, kind of like a headlock. My son, who has Asperger's and doesn't like to be touched, was very upfront with the characters. He would say, "Don't touch me or I'll have to freak out on you!" Most characters jumped back and pretended they were surprised, then gave him a high five.

My dad is, shall we say, lacking hair on the top of his head. Chip and Dale came up behind him and started pointing at his head, then scratching theirs like they were puzzled. Then they started rubbing his head untiil my dad realized they were behind him. He thought it was funny, but I can see how some people wouldn't like it.

I think your best bet it to ask for a table that backs up to a wall so your wife can see the characters coming.

 

[jdb in AZ]

When our kids were young we wanted to take pictures for Christmas cards with Donald. We explained what we wanted but he wouldn't stand still, just kept playing with DD's hair. DD loved it but it just wasn't the "look" we wanted. We ended up doing something else for cards that year.

Another time when DS was not quite 3 we got a cute pic of him with his face peering up into Donald'd beak -- that was really cute.

The characters can be cutesy, or unpredicatably frustrating.

 

[Sherry E]

Definitely have her sit with her back against the wall or just untouchable.

I might be remembering wrong, but I think my head was messed with at Goofy's last December. If Sherry or Laurie stops by maybe they can say if I'm telling the truth or not. It wasn't awesomely fun for me because I really am NOT into characters and didn't want to be in pictures at the time (now, 42 lbs later, bring the pictures ON!).

Molly -

I think Pluto did touch your head or hair at some point in the course of bear hugging you (or whatever he was doing), as you hunched over and squinted your eyes together tightly in horror. But, to be honest, I was recovering from my own 'invading my personal space' encounter with him - which had me leaning back in my chair to try escape him as his huge nose smashed against my face - and didn't notice exactly what he was doing to you until I saw the picture later.

I love getting in character pictures - I'm not shy about it at all! But that particular Pluto on duty at Goofy's was a little more hands-on (or should I say paws-on) than others I've dealt with! He was very into his whole 'role.' Maybe he was a Method actor! I didn't mind in the long run - I think he was a fun Pluto. After years of eating at Goofy's Kitchen, though, I was surprised that a character was so aggressive.

 

[Mary09]

Chip and Dale took out my daughter's ponytail, horsing around with her on Castaway Cay when she was about 7.

 

[MissMichigan]

All the time. Everything from a little pat on top of my had to full out ruffling my hair or stealing a hat. During Halloween last year was the worst, as I was dressed as a crayon for the MHP, and almost every character I took a pic with tried to or did take off the hat part. The Storm Troopers were the worst, they not only took it off, but then kept handing it back and forth to each other to "inspect" it. That said, don't have any issues with this, so to me it's always been funny.

The CM's do seem to "stay in character" though, and I would think you would need to look out for this type of thing more from the mischievous, goofy type characters. Like Tigger, the Chipmunks, Peter Pan, etc.

 

[infinity.and.beyond]

I went for the first time a couple of weeks ago and Captain Hook was there. He messed with our Mickey hats and stroked our hair. Nothing too rough though. Hope this helps!