your best character interaction?

[t_catt11]

I love these sorts of threads, so I'm starting my own. Share stories of your best character interactions!

I'll start off with one from our last trip.

We were on our way into Animal Kingdom when we came across a couple of characters in the Oasis (the area right outside the park entrance) - Terk and Friar Tuck.

Since the lines were short, and mom wanted pics, my two kids lined up. As it so happens, I'm a big fan of the Robin Hood movie... when I'm doing pin collecting/trading, these are the ones I look out for first.

Well, my son's turn with Friar Tuck came, and he mentioned something about me liking the movie the character was from. Suddenly, I was being prompted to join the picture. I felt a little silly - I'm a grown man, and they wanted me to pose with a character?

Neither the handler nor Friar Tuck would have any of that. They insisted, I got in the picture, Friar Tuck gave me a friendly hug, and I found myself grinning ear to ear, in spite of myself.

Was it anything big? Nope. Just a little of that common Disney magic to make me feel like a kid again.

 

[Pakey]

My best character meet was in 1977. I was 20 years old and at WDW with my boyfriend at the time. The 7 dwarfs were out for a meet and greet, back then there was no lines or CM's organizing everything. Sleepy was standing there and nobody was greeting him. My boyfriend told me to go over there and get a picture and I told him I didn't like that dwarf. Sleepy obviously heard this and began to pester me. Following me around, rubbing his hat on me, etc. This went on for quite some time and I was mortified. This was before digital cameras but my boyfriend did get a few pictures of it that I still have.

 

[bradk]

 

[disneykc9691]

My best character interaction was in about 2004 or 2005 in the Magic Kingdom @ Mickey's Toontown Fair. We were in County Bounty getting pictures printed that were just taken with the characters. It was close to closing and Wishes were about to go off. A cast member told us something special would happen. The store was just about empty olny a few families there. They closed the door and loud Disney music came on. All of the characters from the back, Goofy, Donald, Pluto, Chip and Dale, Cinderella, Perla and Suzie, Tigger and Pooh came out and had a dance party with the guest remaining in the store. It was so magical and something I will never forget.

 

[Jupiter&Wolfe]

Bradk, that is one of the best WDW pictures I have ever seen! Hands down. Any backstory?


In 2007, we were in Magic Kingdom. Wishes was just about to start, so most of the rest of the park was pretty empty. We had just finished meeting Goofy, Pluto, Minnie and Daisy. We went to go meet Mickey at the Judge's Tent...But it had been closed for the night!!! That was going to be our first time meeting Mickey, and we were SO excited...and it was closed. We were crushed.

Well we went back to the barn...gift shop thing where we had met the other characters. We figured we'd just look around and see if there were any short lines for characters. Well. The place was COMPLETELY deserted (suddenly it sounds like bombs are dropping on the store...Wishes! had started). We look to the lines, and all of the character lines were closed...but one. And it had a picture of Mickey Mouse on it! We look to the CM at the line and stuttered, "Is...is that the line for...is he in...?" And he was like, "No, Mickey went to bed. He's sick of all the bratty kids." Our hearts sank again. The CM starts laughing his butt off and says, "I'm just playing! Go on in, he has no one to keep him company!!!"

For all of Wishes we had him completely to ourselves. We had to be in there, 10, 15 minutes? Mickey was a HOOT. He danced with us, proposed to us, joked with us, tried to run away with us. It was like our own private Meet N Greet with Mickey. That being my first time meeting Mickey...it goes without saying that I fell in love with him and all of Disney World.

 

[DisneyGuy758]

Though this wasn't the character I had in mind...this was the best time we had visiting them.

DS1 (at the time) LOVED them all, but, he especially loved Goofy. He nearly pulled one of his whiskers off, and chewed on it a bit too!

I know this isn't Goofy...but it's still a great picture!

Andre

 

[DISNEYNV]

This past December we ate lunch at The Wave in the Contemporary. Our meal was almost over when the restaurant manager came to our table to ask how our food and service was and told us that Mickey and Minnie would be visiting the hotel lobby right outside of the restaurant. We waited about twenty minutes and glad we did because when the characters actually came out there was only like two other families in line! We had M and M all to ourselves. My kids got to interact with them, get pictures that were not rushed, and autographs without the long line. It was awesome

 

[pixiegoose]

The best character interaction I ever had was in September 2007 at AK. DH and I were there with his brother and sister-in-law. Bro and SIL had won dream fastpasses but SIL didn't like Expedition Everest so she gave hers to DH and off the boys went to ride. SIL and I decided to head to Camp Minnie Mickey to see the characters. There was NO ONE with ANY of the characters- we had ALL of them to ourselves! It was great- we have lots of pictures of the 2 of us dancing and hanging out with Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Donald! I'm not sure how we time it like that but we did. It was right before park close to the public (it was pm EMH park) and I think FOTLK had just started. DH was disappointed he missed out.

 

[maroo]

We went on a Make a Wish trip in October of 2008. We had several good character encounters. But our best was at the MNSSHP. Lauren uses a power wheelchair. She was on the outside of the dance floor just watching the other kids dance. Donald came over, took her by the hand, and beckoned her over to join the other kids. Lauren "danced" with Donald, Pluto, Chip and Dale for over an hour. It was completely magical!

And the rest of the family getting into the game!

 

[my3sonsagn]

All the characters were great - esp for my DS9 (who has never met a stranger - very outgoing). There were 2 standouts, though. One was Captain Hook who really took the time to get down on my toddler's level and cut up with him - after that his new fave ride became Peter Pan and it has also become his fave movie since coming home. The other was the Mad Hatter at our character breakfast. My teenaged son, who was slouching in the corner at the "kiddie breakfast" was a perfect "target" for the Mad Hatter - and he took full advantage of it. He really "made" that meal for DS14, who still has the goofy pic of the two of them as his wallpaper on his cell phone.

 

[dawnbu40]

On our trip in April 2008 we were celebrating DD 18th bday and graduation. When we saw Buzz and Woody at DHS the CM told them it was her 18thbdy and they proceeded to "fight" over her. Each grabbed an arm and pulled while she just laughed. Then to settle it they arm wrestled. Despite the long line they had they spent a lot of time playing with a "big kid" and made her day! O and by the way Buzz won

 

[Stitchfans]

I can't tell you how much I love reading these stories. We have so many it is hard to choose which one is my favorite.

 

[Paparazzimama]

On our Sept. '08 trip, Stitch was a RIOT!!!! After signing my DD's autograph book, he wouldn't give her pen back. Then, he sniffed, cleaned his ear, and pretended to eat the pen! My kiddos were cracking up!

 

[t_catt11]

I have the secret to creating active threads that don't involve complaining... invoke the characters!

I'm enjoying these, too... keep them coming.

 

[SCHBR'smom]

On our first trip, my DD was 4 1/2 and my DS was 11mos. DS didn't do much, we say he slept his way thru Disney World. Even when he was asleep, all the characters made a point to see him. He loved Pooh Bear and we have a picture of Pooh kneeling down and holding him. Very cute. And at MK, I took DD to the restroom while DH sat in the shade with DS, who was of course sleeping. Well, I guess not many people were visiting Friar Tuck, because he came over to see sleeping DS. Thankfully, DH remembered how much I love pictures and he got a picture of Friar Tuck kneeling over DS with his finger over his lips saying "Shhhhh." Love that picture

 

[pktbMouse]

Mine was at universal a few years back...yogi and boo boo were standing next to me for a photo..all of a sudden the mc hammer song came on "cant touch this"..yogi and boo boo broke into the mc hammer dance for this song..it was hilarious...obviously the kids in the suits had rehersed this and were extremely good dancers...it was the funniest thing i have seen in ages...every time I hear that song now it makes me smile.

 

[inkkognito]

My favorite character interaction is immortalized in my avatar. I brought my to Bolt to DHS, and as you can see in the pic., he most definitely enjoyed his Mini-Me. That was back when Mittens used to come out too, and Bolt and Rhino were fighting over the doll till Mittens had to intervene. It was a riot!

 

[Joanna71985]

I have a lot (I love meeting the characters). But one stands out from the others. It was back in 2005, when Cinderella's Surprise Celebration was still running. In between shows, the characters would come down for pictures. I was waiting to see Mickey. I don't remember how it came about, but all of a sudden Mickey got down on his knee and proposed! Of course I had to say yes.

 

[MinniesYooHoo]

In 2005 we were at a family wedding in Jupiter Island. My niece was the flower girl in the wedding. (At the time they lived in Arizona) We decided to take her on a surprise, and VERY impromptu trip to Disney as she is a princess freak and knew it would be a very long time before my brother and sister-in-law would be able to take her. To make a long story short we had 2 wonderful character interactions.1. While leaving through the store at the judges tent after meeting Mickey and pals, out of nowhere about 6 princesses came into the store. We were just about the only ones there so we got some very special pictures of her with every one of those princesses crouched around her, one big happy group. 2. Somehow we lucked out and got ressies at Crystal Palace for dinner. Our ressie was for 8:55. The park closed at 9:00 that night. Needless to say we again had all of the characters to ourselves as we were 1 of 3 tables seated in the entire restaurant. Big group photos again. One last surprise was when we were leaving for the night, we were the only people walking down Main Street!! Do you have any idea how eerie it is to look upon Cinderella's Castle without a single person in your line of site? It was amazing. (Although kind of like something out of the Twilight Zone!) I hope we have a couple of magical expierences on our upcoming trip.

 

[IndyColts]

Back in the summer of 1993, my wife, 2 1/2 year old daughter, and I attended a character breakfast at the Living Seas in EPCOT (not sure if this is still offered). It was surprisingly uncrowded, and as we made our way down the deserted hallway, we met Chip 'n Dale. The next 5-10 minutes were awesome, as they played ring around the rosy, wrestled around, hugged, and generally treated our daughter like their best friend. It was so amazing to see the pure happiness on our girl's face, and hear her innocent, little kid laughter, that my wife actually had tears of joy watching the scene. I even admitted to a slight lump in my throat.

My daughter still remembers and talks about it 15 years later.