What are you really thinking?

[mentu]

She is but a legend to me. I have yet to meet her. I missed the Weekends last year.

[DLRFantasmic!Dan]

I almost had to laugh when I was in the wheelhouse of the Mark Twain and Woody and Jesse boarded the boat. They do this a lot, but on this particualr occasion, Jesse showed up int he wheelhouse to take the trip up there.

When she got to the top with her host, I heard a muffled voice inside say, "nice to meet you, my name is..."

One of those things you just don't expect...

A similar thing happened to me long time ago when I was working Fantasmic! It was still early, I was an opener. I was checking out the list to see where I was stationed and with whom backstage behind the green doors. Of course, it is not rare you see characters walking up and down the stairs. On this particular day, Chip and Dale came down the stairs, they wanted to borrow one of our Fantasmic! jackets, so "Chip" borrowed one jacket and one of flashlights and started going, "Stay to your right, please, stay to your right!!!" LOL I found that funny!! It was something that made my day!

[blvinmagic]

You know the best thing about adults that appreciate the characters is the fact they still believe in magic (blvinmagic). That is what WDW is all about isn't it? In light of September 11th and the war in Iraq, sometimes it is nice to know there is some place you can be a kid regardless of your age. We all have to be grown-ups most of the year; fight rush hour traffic, live with the crime on the streets, the rising gas prices, rude behavior all around us, and, some us, having a child in Iraq not knowing if we will see them again. It is nice to know magic still exist somewhere. Especially in WDW. When CM's put on their costumes they may think they are just doing the job they were hired to do but they are not. In that costume they provide joy and peace to children of all ages. You do your part to make this world go around regardless of how you are treated by some of the guests. In other words keep up the good work and don't let the idiots get you down.

[DLRFantasmic!Dan]

That is the thing about Disney!!! It is a alternate universe where we can just forget all of life's little problems and indulge in a world of fantasy from reality where everyone young and old can be young kids at heart. That is what Disney does, it creates a magical atmosphere to run around in.

[Lasolimu]

When I was a kid, don't ask me why, I was afraid of the characters. I find that the older I get the more I love interacting with the characters. They are so much fun. All you CMs need to keep up the good work, and I will keep coming if you do that.

[Belgarion42]

OK, I've been debating on whether to ask this for a while, but I think I will (as it relates more-or-less directly to the OP).

I'm 32-years-old, and am usually pretty reserved. But there are times when I'm at Disneyland and it's been a really rough week (or few weeks ... or months - I don't really get to go that often). When that happens, sometimes I see the characters, and I would like nothing more than to play with Tigger or Goofy, or hug Mickey or Belle.

I understand that often the Characters enjoy the interactions like the playing. Hey, as far as I'm concerned, when I'm at Disneyland you really *are* Snow White, Aladdin, the White Rabbit, or whomever. But what about the hugs? Would that seem odd to you (especially the face characters)? I don't want to end up as an SGT because I needed some cheering up.

And since I'm really pretty reserved, can anyone offer suggestions on how to go about initiating either of these types of interactions for someone who's not very good at just walking up to a character arms open wide or ... however one would start to play.

Thanks for any help. We now return you to your usual SGT's. :D:

[dktc0821]

^Linda Skywalker? We all know her.


Oh yeah I've run into Linda at the Studios before when I was working Star Wars Weekends (extra hours shifts). You pray you don't get stopped by her because if ypu do your be there for a long while. I did get stopped by her last year and she told me she changed her name again. Its now Linda Skywalker Kenobi Jinn Windu Solo.

[xtinkerbell84x]

During PAC last year at the Studios, we all ran from her like the plague *LOL*

[dktc0821]

During PAC last year at the Studios, we all ran from her like the plague *LOL*

Definitely, Fortunately she's usually fairly easy to spot coming in dressed in her SW outfit. I actually had Guests coming up ansd asking me if she was one of the characters we had in the parks. she was a "character" all right but not one of ours.

[Sweetums]

But what about the hugs? Would that seem odd to you (especially the face characters)?

-Never performed a face role...well, at least not on the street. (That's a different story.) Anyways,....
Hugs are fine. We get thousands a day, and we're very used to them. The only thing weird is when the 'standard hug rule' is broken. A regular hug lasts for maybe 3 or 4 seconds. Here's how it goes:
You make eye contact, hold out your arms, embrace, hold, pat or rub the back, and break away.
That shouldn't take longer than a few seconds. If that protocol is broken...we begin to wonder what's wrong.
For example:
You make eye contact, hold out your arms, embrace, hold...hold...hold...try to break away...hold...hold...pat the back...pat some more...break away!!!
Any hug that lasts for 10 seconds or more takes us off 'auto pilot' and we begin to wonder what the motivation behind the hug is.
Is an emotional attatchment being made? is the guest crying? Is it something else?
Even though you are a complete stranger, and the chances of us meeting again are completely remote, we will still treat you and hug you like we've been best friends forever. When we don those costumes, we are those characters. It's a completely different mindset.
Hugs are fine. -Expected and anticipated. It's part of our job, and we love it.