The only thing I know FOR SURE is that Pluto NEVER should have been running like that with people all around. NEVER. Certainly not in anger, or to scare a child, but not even in fun. Maybe it's because I am a shorter person and have a toddler, but I know all too well what can happen when someone's vision is obstructed and he flies around full-speed in a crowded area. There is no way anyone could convince me he could see the ground and everyone around him clearly. Heck, I wouldn't let my child run around like that in an UNcrowded park or area, and he only weighs 35 lbs. PLUTO COULD HAVE SERIOUSLY HURT SOMEONE, and thank god he didn't! Disney would have been sued for sure, and rightly so. If the child ran first, he shouldn't have chased him. If the child did something to him, he should have handled it like a grown-up and sought some CM assistance without giving chase. If he thought it was funny, then he's probably not the guy you want in a huge, unwieldy character costume, dealing with the public in a busy theme park.
I think Pluto acted very unprofessionally throughout the entire thing. I don't think the woman who "shoved" him was in the right, either, but she may have felt (as many on this thread do) that her grandson (or even just a little boy she didn't know) was being attacked. Pluto's behavior from beginning to end was bizarre and, to my mind, unacceptable. But she definitely shouldn't have pushed him. (I do think he fell over due to the curb/visibility issue and not just the shove, though.)
Just my two cents. I agree with a PP that Disney and its CMs are not always right. I also think BradK's assessment is a reasonable one...this incident got way out of hand due to some poor judgment on the part of Pluto and a less-than-optimal response from the mystery woman.
