Sleepless Knight
Jedi Knight Seeking His Jedi Princess
- Joined
- May 15, 2008
- Messages
- 5,014
I think one reason why Disneyland is so popular and beloved is because of the characters. Where else can you meet your childhood heroes and even childhood friends? As you plan your visit to Disneyland, you start checking out websites such as the DIS and reading trip reports and you start to see all these guests having such a great time with the characters. And you think of how much your child (or you) loves a certain character and you would very much like to have that "magical moment" for yourself (or your child). So you wonder what you can do to help make that moment happen.
In all reality those meetings with the characters are very brief. After all, you're not the only person who's been waiting for what seems like ages to meet Mickey or Sleeping Beauty. You have maybe a couple of minutes at best to have that moment you'll never forget. It seems like such a short time, but with a plan you can make the magic happen.
I hope here to share some of what I've learned here on the DIS and from going to the parks. If you have any questions, please ask and don't feel like your question is silly. Asking questions is a great way to find out what to expect and how to maximize those precious character moments. I've learned a lot from here on the DIS, so I would also love to see anyone post their own memories and moments.
1. Who can meet the characters?
I almost wouldn't think of posting this question, but I've read many posts on many different websites from adults and teenagers who really want to meet the characters, but are afraid that they're too old. Nothing could be further from the truth. The characters don't care if you're a single adult all by yourself and that you've come to see them. They understand that you may really enjoy their film or animated shorts. In addition to being for the young, Disneyland (and all her sister parks) are for the young at heart. It's perfectly okay for you to want to meet the characters. Most other guests in line are probably wrapped up in their own vacations to worry about you being there anyways.
2. Who are the characters?
Characters tend to be classified into two groups, furry/fuzzy or face characters. In short, if the CM's face is covered up by a mask of some sort of gigantic head, they're considered a fuzzy. Examples would be Chip and Dale or The Incredibles (because you can't see their face).
Face characters are pretty much self explanatory since you're seeing the face of the CM and they can talk to you. Examples would be princesses, Mary Poppins, Bert, the Mad Hatter, and Alice.
2. Know who the characters are and the story or stories they're in.
Just about every memorable character moment I've had has come about in way or another because I did something to show the character that I knew who they were. There are always going to be people who get in line to meet the characters because that's what you do at Disneyland. But if you give the character an indication that you are there to see them, your chances of having that magical moment increase because you can now interact with them. Ask them a question about a specific aspect of their movie. Ask them how their friends from said movie are doing. Just do something positive that shows they're more than just a CM in a costume.
In short, don't be afraid to play around with the characters. When Disney hires CMs to portray the characters, they have to watch the films and animated shorts extensively so they know who they're supposed to be before going out to meet guests. They are more than just people wearing costumes, so talk to them. Have fun. Be excited to see them and tailor your approach to who they are. For instance, it's a lot of fun for guys to drop to a knee and kiss Minnie's hand, though not a good idea to kiss a princess on the hand. When meeting a princess, you can have some fun with a simple bow or curtsy.
3. Dress for Success
There are two ways to approach this one. For little children under age 10, they can literally dress up like the characters and many parents take their little girls to get the princess makeover. If that's in your budget, that will almost always get a reaction from a princess especially when your little Belle meets the real Belle. Aurora likewise gets excited to see little future Prince Philips wielding their swords and shields.
But what if that's not in your budget? Or what if you're an adult who is not allowed to dress up in costume inside the parks except for the Halloween party? Fortunately there are options for you as well. Wear a shirt with your favorite character on it. If you're a pin trader, show off your favorite characters on your lanyard. It can and will make for fun new experiences meeting the characters.
As many will guess, my favorite movies are Star Wars and Sleeping Beauty, and my lanyard reflects it. Because of this, I've gotten excited (and hungry) reactions about my Star Wars pins from Chip, Dale, and Goofy. Both Minnie and Princess Aurora really like my Mickey and Minnie as Phillip and Aurora pin. Again an outward show that you like a character can help you take advantage of the time you have.
While shirts and pins are easy enough to find, the website zazzle.com features a make your own shirt option that uses a huge variety of Disney characters and allows you to add your own phrase to that shirt (provided that it meets Disney's guidelines).
I hope these tips help and please feel free to add your own or share your own experiences.
In all reality those meetings with the characters are very brief. After all, you're not the only person who's been waiting for what seems like ages to meet Mickey or Sleeping Beauty. You have maybe a couple of minutes at best to have that moment you'll never forget. It seems like such a short time, but with a plan you can make the magic happen.
I hope here to share some of what I've learned here on the DIS and from going to the parks. If you have any questions, please ask and don't feel like your question is silly. Asking questions is a great way to find out what to expect and how to maximize those precious character moments. I've learned a lot from here on the DIS, so I would also love to see anyone post their own memories and moments.
1. Who can meet the characters?
I almost wouldn't think of posting this question, but I've read many posts on many different websites from adults and teenagers who really want to meet the characters, but are afraid that they're too old. Nothing could be further from the truth. The characters don't care if you're a single adult all by yourself and that you've come to see them. They understand that you may really enjoy their film or animated shorts. In addition to being for the young, Disneyland (and all her sister parks) are for the young at heart. It's perfectly okay for you to want to meet the characters. Most other guests in line are probably wrapped up in their own vacations to worry about you being there anyways.
2. Who are the characters?
Characters tend to be classified into two groups, furry/fuzzy or face characters. In short, if the CM's face is covered up by a mask of some sort of gigantic head, they're considered a fuzzy. Examples would be Chip and Dale or The Incredibles (because you can't see their face).
Face characters are pretty much self explanatory since you're seeing the face of the CM and they can talk to you. Examples would be princesses, Mary Poppins, Bert, the Mad Hatter, and Alice.
2. Know who the characters are and the story or stories they're in.
Just about every memorable character moment I've had has come about in way or another because I did something to show the character that I knew who they were. There are always going to be people who get in line to meet the characters because that's what you do at Disneyland. But if you give the character an indication that you are there to see them, your chances of having that magical moment increase because you can now interact with them. Ask them a question about a specific aspect of their movie. Ask them how their friends from said movie are doing. Just do something positive that shows they're more than just a CM in a costume.
In short, don't be afraid to play around with the characters. When Disney hires CMs to portray the characters, they have to watch the films and animated shorts extensively so they know who they're supposed to be before going out to meet guests. They are more than just people wearing costumes, so talk to them. Have fun. Be excited to see them and tailor your approach to who they are. For instance, it's a lot of fun for guys to drop to a knee and kiss Minnie's hand, though not a good idea to kiss a princess on the hand. When meeting a princess, you can have some fun with a simple bow or curtsy.
3. Dress for Success
There are two ways to approach this one. For little children under age 10, they can literally dress up like the characters and many parents take their little girls to get the princess makeover. If that's in your budget, that will almost always get a reaction from a princess especially when your little Belle meets the real Belle. Aurora likewise gets excited to see little future Prince Philips wielding their swords and shields.
But what if that's not in your budget? Or what if you're an adult who is not allowed to dress up in costume inside the parks except for the Halloween party? Fortunately there are options for you as well. Wear a shirt with your favorite character on it. If you're a pin trader, show off your favorite characters on your lanyard. It can and will make for fun new experiences meeting the characters.
As many will guess, my favorite movies are Star Wars and Sleeping Beauty, and my lanyard reflects it. Because of this, I've gotten excited (and hungry) reactions about my Star Wars pins from Chip, Dale, and Goofy. Both Minnie and Princess Aurora really like my Mickey and Minnie as Phillip and Aurora pin. Again an outward show that you like a character can help you take advantage of the time you have.
While shirts and pins are easy enough to find, the website zazzle.com features a make your own shirt option that uses a huge variety of Disney characters and allows you to add your own phrase to that shirt (provided that it meets Disney's guidelines).
I hope these tips help and please feel free to add your own or share your own experiences.
DD4 was wearing a polka dot dress when she met Cruella Deville and Cruella made her pose and behave like a puppy! She was carrying her Pluto plush when she met Pluto (her favourite character) Pluto grabbed the pup and ran off with him, leaving DD4 in a fit of giggles. She got an extra big hug from Snow White after her BBB experience when she was in her Snow White dress and Bert remembered her several days after their first meeting, he said 'I remember you, didn't we see you last week' without any prompting - she must've really made an impression! For DD4, the character meetings were by far the best thing about 
