Mystic wrote:I have a question for all the friends of the characters and any one who works with the photographers who take the character photos. I'm actually posting this on behalf of my mother and myself since she doesn't have an account here. The two of us travel to the World quite regularly and we like to visit the characters and get our pictures taken with them, just like all the other families out there. The only difference is, we don't have any children with us, it's just us. Her and me, and I'm far from being under the age of 12. We wait in line just like all the other families with kids out there and then get our pictures taken when it's our turn with the characters. The thing is, we get nothing but odd and funny looks from all the families in line around us, like we shouldn't be there in line, like we have no right to get our pictures taken with the characters, like we're committing a major faux pas or something because only little kids or families with little children are allowed to visit with the characters.
We were just wondering what the cast members thought about having two adults visit with the characters?
The best and most delightful are the old couples - they're as comfortable together as they were on their 30th wedding anniversary. Isn't that the point here where the young at heart are "reliving fond memories of youth." CM's pay it no mind.
You think that's bad, try going it alone. One out of every three times I hand the camera off to the handler or photo pass the folks behind me in line will jump in on my turn, three out of ten of those won't back off and wait their turn. It's even worse if you just want a photo of the Character/characters alone - without anyone else in the shot - EVERY time I tried that it's been walked on.
During the Summer of Indiana Jones here at Disneyland there was a Rolling Boulder Standee unattended in Adventureland. I got in line behind three groups and patiently waited my turn as a guest (off the clock, street clothes) no one queued behind me. Just as the last group was leaving I was ready to take my shot of the unoccupied standee and SG and her kids jump into, onto and all around the photo op. So, I'm patient. I don't mind much, I figure I have time and just wait it out. Then SG decides she wants to be in the picture and asks ME to snap it. Sure, and when I hand her back her camera, I mention she's out of turn, while her six year old boy sits on the standee, and sits... and sits. When I gently request him to stand clear SG gives me an earfull, starts a scene about not telling her kids what to do, and has her one-sided argument for three minutes. A half hour later I am approached by security regarding the 'incident'. I suggested that line-jumpers be escorted from the park. Security suggested only pedophiles take pictures of other peoples kids.
Infuriating SG - and yet I remained polite to the impolite.
Her prejudice was that single adult older males are third class theme park guests who should have no rights to enjoy a park 'for kids'. I had trouble paying attention to her because she kept tripping on moral and philosophical incorrectness, like telling me how I should feel and projecting her frustration. I just figure that ten percent of United States citizens are addicted to smoking meth, more than half are dehydrated alcoholics and 95% of people having a miserable day will try to take someone down with them.
One quarter of the world's population is suffering from mental illness - gather three friends, look around, if they seem normal it's you.
My wife pointed out two things before she died.
1. Like Jimmy Stewart characters, I'm always an ordinary person thrown into extraordinary circumstances.
2. I attract far more than my fair share of nutcases.
It has been my experience that most CMs opinion regarding adults are: "Go, have fun, and don't let the misperceived prejudices and derogatory opinions of SGs spoil it." :p:
p.s. I never did get a clear photo of the rolling boulder.