Is it possible to stay at DLH and avoid characters?

[LLS]

Is it possible to stay at either DLH (or GC or PP) and not encounter any characters at the hotel? I know to avoid the character meals, but other than that is it common to find characters at the Disney hotels?

My son is terrified of large costumed characters and we avoid them whenever we can. We've never been to DL or WDW and we have an opportunity to visit DL this summer. I'd love to stay at one of the Disney hotels but I don't want to worry about walking to the pool and running into Pluto (or any character).

Also, at the park is it easy to avoid the characters? I know they post a schedule of when and where they will appear. I'm hoping this will be enough to help us AVOID them rather than seek them out like most people. On a Wednesday or Thursday in August, is it very likely to just bump into a character? I've heard they're always surrounded by a crowd, so I think we could just stay away. Am I kidding myself?

Please give me your expert advice! On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being we'll definitely see characters up close), please give me your opinion on our chances of seeing characters at Disney hotels and at the DL park. Also, is there a certain Disney hotel where we'd be more or less likely to have an encounter?

Thank you!

 

[dbanzai]

In the hotel I would say it's possible... However you may want to take the son around the lobby during/after checkin. That's the only place I really saw them, at DLH, having not gone to a character meal.

In the parks it will be more difficult, especially as there always seems to be someone in Town Square in the MK. If you scope out the square, you may be able to get around them... They tend to either be by the edges or in the center of the square.

There are also obvious character areas to avoid, such as in Critter Country and Toontown. Also the Hollywood Backlot at CA.

 

[lilpixie]

When we to DL on our last trip, the characters almost always had very long lines and big crowds around them. If you just keep moving at a quick pace, maybe your child won't really notice the characters because there are usually such large amounts of peple around them.
My daughters are the opposite, they *love* all of the characters. We usually didn't just bump into characters -- we always had to wait in line to get an autograph/photo.
I would just try and distract your son when you can to keep him from noticing any characters he is afraid of.

 

[imjen]

I haven't been to the hotel so I don't know about that, but as far as the parks go, I agree with the previous poster. It's a rare event that we actually come across a character walking towards us and not just stationary, with people around them. And the one time I really remember this happening, it was Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan, who aren't scary at all as they are don't have masks on or anything.

You will most likely see one or two during the day in the esplanade near the entrance. But, when they are standing in their spot, it is usually easy to spot them and avoid them, especially when they are quite a distance away from you. I would just not make a big deal out of it and walk the long way around them if need be. I don't think they are nearly as imposing when they are bent over, talking to the kids around them and posing for photos. As long as you don't go up to them, you should be fine.

 

[hlbtimes2]

We stayed at PP for 5 days in Oct. 05. We did not see a single character at the hotel.

As someone else said, in the parks they will typically be surrounded by large amounts of people. Its easy to get past them without seeing them. The only character I can think of that has came to us, is Peter Pan. He followed me down main street one morning. When I turned to see why someone was so close behind me, in my "space", he went skipping of. Not sure how long he was following me, but people all around were laughing.

 

[XTinabell]

When we to DL on our last trip, the characters almost always had very long lines and big crowds around them. If you just keep moving at a quick pace, maybe your child won't really notice the characters because there are usually such large amounts of peple around them.
My daughters are the opposite, they *love* all of the characters. We usually didn't just bump into characters -- we always had to wait in line to get an autograph/photo.
I would just try and distract your son when you can to keep him from noticing any characters he is afraid of.

I agree with this. I'm also terrified of the characters, not sure why because I know they're just people but I can't help it. I'm fine if they're at a distance, and fortunately at disneyland they almost always are. I've never been chased by a character (like I was a universal studios 3 different times) or waved over by one, they're usually surrounded by people and kids, so if you move on he may not even notice them. I'm not sure about the disney hotels though because I've never stayed at the park hotels.

 

[eargal]

How old is your son? My son who is almost 6 hates costumed characters too. It's not a problem now since he is old enough just to point them out when he sees them from a distance so we can avoid them. When he was younger we would keep him in a stroller. That way if we spotted a character we could just wheel him around so that he was facing away.

My three year old daughter loves all the characters so we do character meals together while Dad and the big scaredy cat hit counter service and go on rides.

 

[Sleeping Becca]

IMHO you can't avoid visually seeing characters all together at the parks, you may be able to walk at a distance around them, but during my trip last week we ran into them several times. Many of the appearances were printed in the guides, but some were not listed. If you make sure you are not around at scheduled greetings, that should cut down the chances of seeing one dramatically but there in no guarantee that you will be able to avoid them completely.

Charaters we ran into at the parks:

Goofy and Pluto in town square
Winnie the Pooh and Tigger at the Winnie the Pooh Ride
Mr. Incredible and Frozone by Animation.
Mickey and Friends in front of the castle.
Lightning and Mater at Paradise Pier
Evil Queen walking by the Matterhorn
Mickey climbing the Matterhorn

We were not looking for characters, we just ran into them.

We stayed at DLH and did not see a single character there except for the character meal at Goofy's kitchen.

Good Luck!

 

[bjsmom]

We stayed at DLH for four days and I did not see one character at the hotel.

 

[victorandbellasmom]

We've stayed at all 3 DLR hotel and have only had one encounter with a character. It was at DLH during 3pm check-in. He was in the lobby greeting new arrivals. We also saw a few characters entering Goofy's from the back entrance. It's between the 2nd pool (not Neverland pool) and their convention rooms. The characters didn't really interact with us. They just waved at the kids as they walked into Goofy's.At PPH & GCH, we've only encountered characters at character meals.

 

[mattmommy]

Is your ds at an age where you can reason with him? When my ds6 was younger he just couldn't be bothered with any characters except Mickey and Minnie (he knows who's the best). Trust me, you get through the parks and get your moneys worth this way.

My friends dd3 hates the characters, but loves the princesses. She just told her dd she doesn't have to take pictures with the characters, stand by or even look at them. She said some kids are afraid of the princesses, but that was ok too.

I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time.

 

[JenDisneylandlver]

The only Character we've ever run in to at the hotels is Goofy, and that's in the lobby of the DLH. Beyond the character meals I've never seen them otherwise.

The park can be a different story. Yes they can have long lines of people around them. But there have been many times we've walked up and there they are. Usually when they've just opened the gates.

 

[LLS]

Thank you so much for sharing all your experiences and insights -- it's so helpful! This may sound ridiculous but my son is 11 and he's probably more afraid of enormous costumed characters now than he was a few years ago. I'd definitely call it a phobia because it's an irrational fear -- he knows those are just people inside of costumes! He's not afraid of any whose face he can see (like Peter Pan) -- just the ones with the giant heads. He won't mind seeing them from a distance and is actually fascinated by them.

I'm glad to hear they're rare at the hotels because we'd really like to stay at a Disney property but I don't want to worry about running into a character at the pool.

Thanks again for all your help. I should have known this would be a happy, helpful group!

 

[abby]

My dd was afraid of the characters also, I bought an autograph book and it heleda lot, she then had a reason to see the character. At first she would not stand near them and instructed me to tell them not to touch her. By the end of out trip she was hugging them. The pictures are funny, at first she is a good five feet in front of the characters, by the end she is next to them.

My advice, don't push it and you can avoid close enounters by keeping an eye out. We didn't see any at DLH the two times we stayed there.

 

[LLS]

For those of you with timid kids, are the DL parades frightening for the character-phobic? Do characters just parade on by or do they tend to come into the audience? Thanks again!

 

[JenDisneylandlver]

For those of you with timid kids, are the DL parades frightening for the character-phobic? Do characters just parade on by or do they tend to come into the audience? Thanks again!

There have been a few times where the characters came up to us. Like the Electric parade we've had a dwarf or two come up to us a few times and dance and shook my son's hand. So yes they can do that. If you have him behind a few people and not be right up front they won't bother him though. They don't go deep in to the audience in other words.

 

[Leash]

You may also just want to keep an eye out as you are walking around the park. I often see characters walking through the park to get to their meet and greet spots. It has happend several times to me though it seems to happen more frequently with face characters than those with headpieces and mostly around Fantasyland.

 

[Sleeping Becca]

For kids with a serious charater phobia, a parade is not a good place. The characters walk on the street and work the crowd, so even if your child is a few people back in the crowd, the character will seem to be approaching them. A better way to sensatize a phobic child is to talk about the characters first and then move up to looking at pictures of characters, then video of characters, then maybe viewing them at a distance at a parade. Phobias are rough, good luck!

For those whose kids are just a little character apprehensive, then a parade is a great opportunity to expose your kids to the characters without them being too close like at a greeting. Just stay a few people back and you can enjoy them from a distance.

 

[Amy&Dan]

OP: I know where you are coming from, my son was very frightened of characters like that for many years. I always will think it stemmed from an incident at a Red Robin Restaurant when he was around 3, he was eating, and suddenly there was this six foot tall red robin right there, no warning! I didn't even know they had that, we had been there several times. It turned him off characters for many years, and was a key reason we didn't do a Disney trip until he was 9. He was worried, he knew they were people but said they were creepy etc. But when we got to the parks he loved them, we had lunch at Goofy's Kitchen our first day and he was hooked. So when your son gets to Disneyland, its possible that the number of them around may help him conquer his fear. In any case, he is not the only child/adult who has this fear!

I will say one way to avoid having charcters just come up to him in the parks is not have him wear any type of Disney shirt, or hat. They sell all sorts of character hats at the parks and if he should have one, its possible that particular character will just come up and hug from nowhere. I know my son has a Goofy hat and a Stitch one and frequently both of those characters have sought him out. Also, any type of lanyard or any other Disney merchandise that gives the impression your son is into the whole thing will make characters think, oh this kid is into this, I'll give him some attention.

I have seen Goofy a few times in the lobby of the DLH but never any characters in the lobbies of the Paradise Pier or Grand Californian.

I agree with another poster, if you have a child who is fearful, a parade is not the thing for them! Let them get used to seeing the characters from afar first.

And I will finish by saying the Disney characters are for the most part great at their jobs. If they approach anyone who is fearful or not into them, they will generally back off quickly. They love to entertain but they also know that brand of fun isn't for everyone. I think its pretty easy to avoid the characters up close and personal. Have a great trip!