will hugging characters return ?

[WB1971]

There’s also sadly the possibility that the Disney liability lawyers are at work again here. Covid aside, there is more risk now than ever to the company with cast touching guests. Anything that presents risk seems to disappear.

 

[AnnaKristoff2013]

There’s also sadly the possibility that the Disney liability lawyers are at work again here. Covid aside, there is more risk now than ever to the company with cast touching guests. Anything that presents risk seems to disappear.

Having a face character right now give something like 500 hugs a day seems like insanity right now. Forget about the dangers to the guest. What about to that actor? Costumed characters seems fine for the person in the suit, especially if disney modifies the costumes to filter the airway (maybe put an n95 filter in the airway or whatever), but I still totally understand why Disney hasn't brought that back yet from a guest safety perspective.

 

[MonkeyKnifeFight]

Having a face character right now give something like 500 hugs a day seems like insanity right now. Forget about the dangers to the guest. What about to that actor? Costumed characters seems fine for the person in the suit, especially if disney modifies the costumes to filter the airway (maybe put an n95 filter in the airway or whatever), but I still totally understand why Disney hasn't brought that back yet from a guest safety perspective.

Disney employees are required to be vaccinated. So they have nothing to worry about. I would he pissed off if my employer required me the wear a n95 mask on top of being vaccinated. That’s ridiculous.

 

[SirDuff]

Seeing characters is a huge draw for families with kids. Without the characters Disney is a very average theme park. There are really only 2 great rides out of the 4 parks. The rest are just okay or liked due to nostalgia.

It’s not just the meet and greets, but the lack of character dining. I would think Character dining does bring in a ton of money. A $59 per adult meal instead of $39 adds up fast especially with how they pack in the character meals. And I bet a lot of people just find stuff even cheaper instead of sit down dining when characters aren’t around. I do know the last trip we spent 1/3 or 1/2 we previously did on dining due to lack of character meals

Oh sure, definitely a draw. And, yes, I can see that families (or well, anyone really) may spend less on dining when no character dining is available. However, even if we add in character dining (which I didn't think was really part of the initial conversation, but maybe the PP was including it), I still think it is crazy to suggest that they are the biggest money maker for Disney parks. I might be believe that character dining is the biggest money maker for dining (though I'd still have my doubts, I think).

 

[goofy4prez]

Disney employees are required to be vaccinated. So they have nothing to worry about. I would he pissed off if my employer required me the wear a n95 mask on top of being vaccinated. That’s ridiculous.

I'm not trying to stir anything up here, and I hope it's not against the DIS rules, but I am fully vaccinated and at home at this very minute, isolated and recovering from Covid. Fortunately, other than a couple of rough days, I'm now doing fine with little complications.

As for the question of hugging characters is coming back? Like the song goes, Gone like a freight train, gone like yesterday.

 

[cgattis]

Having a face character right now give something like 500 hugs a day seems like insanity right now. Forget about the dangers to the guest. What about to that actor? Costumed characters seems fine for the person in the suit, especially if disney modifies the costumes to filter the airway (maybe put an n95 filter in the airway or whatever), but I still totally understand why Disney hasn't brought that back yet from a guest safety perspective.

I thought that too, so now I’m wondering if they’re concerned about one CM catching it from the previous costume-wearer. IDK how cleanable those heads are. I’m not saying I think that’s particularly likely; I’m just wondering if someone (maybe someone in the union) does.

 

[luv2cheer92]

I thought that too, so now I’m wondering if they’re concerned about one CM catching it from the previous costume-wearer. IDK how cleanable those heads are. I’m not saying I think that’s particularly likely; I’m just wondering if someone (maybe someone in the union) does.

I don't think that's it. They have been having plenty of costumed characters in the parks.

 

[cgattis]

I don't think that's it. They have been having plenty of costumed characters in the parks.

Ahh, that’s an excellent point. I do hope it returns at some point though.

 

[SirDuff]

I don't think that's it. They have been having plenty of costumed characters in the parks.

Could it be a union thing? I think that there are some thing that the union (is there more than one?) are not allowing. Or, at least, I think I know this (I remember reading about it).

 

[luv2cheer92]

Could it be a union thing? I think that there are some thing that the union (is there more than one?) are not allowing. Or, at least, I think I know this (I remember reading about it).

Definitely could be. I'm not sure what all they are or have been limiting.

 

[mom2rtk]

Disney is big enough to have some sort of electronic disinfecting system for those costumes. At least I hope. This would have been an issue (to a much lesser degree of course) even before Covid.

 

[tony67]

Disney employees are required to be vaccinated. So they have nothing to worry about. I would he pissed off if my employer required me the wear a n95 mask on top of being vaccinated. That’s ridiculous.

Yeah but this is what is going on in many places so . . .

I'm not trying to stir anything up here, and I hope it's not against the DIS rules, but I am fully vaccinated and at home at this very minute, isolated and recovering from Covid. Fortunately, other than a couple of rough days, I'm now doing fine with little complications.

If you cant just provide a comment on your personal experience then we are in trouble

 

[CampbellzSoup]

Keep making up scenarios in your head as the sea of shoulder to shoulder people are watching fireworks without masks.

If you don’t want to hug a character don’t…if you don’t want to wear a mask don’t…but don’t limit others decisions.

 

[happybear025]

Disney has been steadily getting business with services and experiences cut to the bone or non-existent. Interestingly, they were even getting raves as feedback in customer satisfaction surveys at first. Those were due to a "I'm finally out of isolation!" bounce

Disney would be making a grave mistake to not understand they need to return to a quality product as soon as possible. The honeymoon-post-COVID phase is over and I'm sure they are starting to see that in their surveys and feedback and limited bookings now; however, I believe things are still artificially high due to the 50th and the Holidays. It will be a bloodbath for them in 2022 if they don't fix things starting now.

The magical moment of meeting and hugging the characters is almost the emotional cornerstone of a Disney vacation.

I'm guessing it is staffing holding it back; they need to reach into their pockets and get the parks fully staffed again. I think it was a mistake they didn't execute that before the 50th Anniversary launch. It will be interesting to see if what I predict (a delayed drag on bookings, spending etc) comes to fruition.

 

[halogrl90]

Disney employees are required to be vaccinated. So they have nothing to worry about. I would he pissed off if my employer required me the wear a n95 mask on top of being vaccinated. That’s ridiculous.

Except for the tiny detail that you can still get COVID while vaccinated....so ya know. There is that. Also HOW DARE your employer want to keep its work force from being sick and missing work?!? The AUDACITY

 

[OhBother1984]

Disney has been steadily getting business with services and experiences cut to the bone or non-existent. Interestingly, they were even getting raves as feedback in customer satisfaction surveys at first. Those were due to a "I'm finally out of isolation!" bounce

Disney would be making a grave mistake to not understand they need to return to a quality product as soon as possible. The honeymoon-post-COVID phase is over and I'm sure they are starting to see that in their surveys and feedback and limited bookings now; however, I believe things are still artificially high due to the 50th and the Holidays. It will be a bloodbath for them in 2022 if they don't fix things starting now.

The magical moment of meeting and hugging the characters is almost the emotional cornerstone of a Disney vacation.

I'm guessing it is staffing holding it back; they need to reach into their pockets and get the parks fully staffed again. I think it was a mistake they didn't execute that before the 50th Anniversary launch. It will be interesting to see if what I predict (a delayed drag on bookings, spending etc) comes to fruition.

I agree with all this, they have worn out of using covid as an excuse. Also right now is the high of international travel being back. What Disney has not gained back is alot of the first time visitors who just won't pay the money to not get things they were planning on, those that know they won't go more than once maybe twice.

Except for the tiny detail that you can still get COVID while vaccinated....so ya know. There is that. Also HOW DARE your employer want to keep its work force from being sick and missing work?!? The AUDACITY

You can't stop all illness, never could never will and really life will move on. There are already CM that spend their day under 6ft from many guests as is. Not everyone is terrified of getting sick, and those that are maybe jobs that work near others won't be the best.

Spas are open across the country, smaller parks are hugging characters again, even smaller organizations are planning normal santa meet and greets. As people realize that they are going to expect Disney to do the same.

But also the biggest issue is staffing, they simply don't have enough and in areas it shows.

 

[charmed59]

I wouldn’t be that surprised if close contact with face characters never comes back. The staffing required to have enough back up for “friends” getting colds or the flu, not to mention Covid, is pretty significant. Recent times have made that very clear to those in charge of hiring and scheduling how many extra CMs they needed to make that work. Add on the liability issues they have with grabby guests and there you go. They can blame it on Covid, and just let it morph to nearby pictures and call it a day.

 

[HopperFan]

There are likely lots of things at play here.

Thoughts?
- COVID is still a player in some of their thoughts.
- Unions are involved in many of their CM decisions.
- Face Characters obviously probably don't want to be close to unvaccinated children.
- Fur Characters, while they might be safe, child after child hugging the same fabric could be an issue.
- Heavy cleaning needed on outside of the characters.
- Which leads to children hugging chemicals, liability there?
- Without steady meet & greets - they need to pay less CMs to act & handle.
- Without normal meet & greets - they need to pay less photographers.
- Staffing. Often a face character that was rare was due to staffing.
- Just like other industries, folks aren't willing to work for basic pay and have to be up close to people, especially this situation (I repeat, unvaccinated children).
- Without hugs and autographs, lines move faster.
- Less CMs, less benefits paid, less cost.
- With a more than brief meeting, risk rises especially since most the huggers are not vaccinated yet.
- Perhaps masks are still required because they are bringing back indoor meets.
- Perhaps as mask requirements are reduced you will still be required at indoor meets.

Characters used to wander freely, even when my kids were small. Guests ruined that. So they went to ugly queues in awkward places like the old 20K structure. It was still a bit messy but worked to keep characters safe. Then they began to build permanent setups and that has worked just fine, presenting itself as another attraction (and it raised capacity). The new from afar due to COVID has been working. We actually enjoy it. It's faster, the characters improv more and pictures were so much better than posed. Reality is that up close may not come back in the near future or at all for lots of reasons. Covid has triggered cost cutting, optimal time.

Note last week we met Micky in Town Square. While not touching he was very close to us and pictures turned out fine. I see no problem with continuing it this way.

And since all like to compare, Universal is not allowing up close meets. We also had to stand in front of a rope while their characters stood about 8 feet back from it.

Keep making up scenarios in your head as the sea of shoulder to shoulder people are watching fireworks without masks.

If you don’t want to hug a character don’t…if you don’t want to wear a mask don’t…but don’t limit others decisions.

This is Disney's decision on all fronts. Our decision only involves going since it's optional.

 

[gharter]

I suspect it will be at least another year or more before that happens

 

[1lilspark]

They had photopass at some of the on course character sightings at wine & dine so hopefully that will at least return sooner rather than later