Fantasyland Expansion

[mindflipper]

Kinda gives that "Olive Garden on a Saturday Night" feel to the queue...

[Wizzard419]

I didn't know giving everyone food poisoning was part of the package.

[rphillips14]

Thanks for the introduction to "Micechat" which is an awesome site.

[MadEye]

UPDATE: The new Pooh meet and greet has been open a few days. It takes the place of the former bounce portion of the new queue. Also, the second Dumbo had it's walls taken down as well but not open. Sorry, no pics.

[Wyntuck]

Dateline Disney World
Fantasyland Getting Lush, Farewell to a Classic, Lots of Epcot news, and MORE!!!

http://micechat.com/blogs/dateline-disn ... -more.html

TOTALLY agree with the writer - too many "meet and greets" !!!!! These are super-cheap for Disney to operate but IMHO it's just a long line to stand in and wait, rather than enjoy the original purpose of DLR and WDW. The more I read, the more it seems that WDW is becoming more focused on being a cash cow and less focused on what Walt intended - a way for families to leave the everyday world and be immersed in Disney fantasy. That saddens me.

Yeah and what happened with just main characters being out and about like Mickey, Pluto, etc? I remember our kids earlier trips we would just run into the characters like Pluto outside Magic Kingdom and Mickey right at the front of Animal Kingdom. This last time it didn't seem this way. I know they had meet and greets back then too but I'm just wondering if they are doing away with the more casual Disney characters experiences.

I used to be a character, and 26 years ago, you COULD just walk out the door onstage and meet with children. But soon autograph books became more and more popular, and then it became a contest to see how many autographs you could collect. I literally had kids rip the book out of my hands (paws) before I could finish my autograph in order to rush off to another character. No photo, just the autograph. Later, as a character greeter, parents would beseech me to go backstage and try to get an autograph their child had missed. So many times I would just disappear around the corner, sign "Love, Daisy Duck" and return to their eternally grateful and relieved faces. I could never figure out how an anonymous autograph meant so much, and why the parents and the kids couldn't just be happy with a photo.
Any character at MK today who just "out and about" would quickly be mobbed, followed by chaos, shoving, crying, parents arguing, then fighting.... Disney created the demand by making autographs so appealing, but I often wonder if an "autograph ban" would allow things to return to a more relaxed greeting experience.[/color]

[mjmcsl4me]

I used to be a character, and 26 years ago, you COULD just walk out the door onstage and meet with children. But soon autograph books became more and more popular, and then it became a contest to see how many autographs you could collect. I literally had kids rip the book out of my hands (paws) before I could finish my autograph in order to rush off to another character. No photo, just the autograph. Later, as a character greeter, parents would beseech me to go backstage and try to get an autograph their child had missed. So many times I would just disappear around the corner, sign "Love, Daisy Duck" and return to their eternally grateful and relieved faces. I could never figure out how an anonymous autograph meant so much, and why the parents and the kids couldn't just be happy with a photo.
Any character at MK today who just "out and about" would quickly be mobbed, followed by chaos, shoving, crying, parents arguing, then fighting.... Disney created the demand by making autographs so appealing, but I often wonder if an "autograph ban" would allow things to return to a more relaxed greeting experience.[/color]

Hey I guess I should clarify the "out and about" part. I didn't mean they were just walking around. What I meant was they were out there with a helper to meet and greet and you would get in line to meet them but now they seem to be more in a designated meet and greet area like the old Judge's Tent, Innoventions area inside in Epcot, etc. I still saw some of the minor characters out and about but none of the main ones like before Pluto, Mickey, Daisy, etc. and it very well could have been that we just happened to not stumble upon them when and if they were out there. And I know they still had the designated meet and greets back on previous trips but just seems to me they are leaning more towards the designated areas. I can't believe that autograph part, that is just crazy!

[Amy]

I used to be a character, and 26 years ago, you COULD just walk out the door onstage and meet with children. But soon autograph books became more and more popular, and then it became a contest to see how many autographs you could collect. I literally had kids rip the book out of my hands (paws) before I could finish my autograph in order to rush off to another character. No photo, just the autograph. Later, as a character greeter, parents would beseech me to go backstage and try to get an autograph their child had missed. So many times I would just disappear around the corner, sign "Love, Daisy Duck" and return to their eternally grateful and relieved faces. I could never figure out how an anonymous autograph meant so much, and why the parents and the kids couldn't just be happy with a photo.
Any character at MK today who just "out and about" would quickly be mobbed, followed by chaos, shoving, crying, parents arguing, then fighting.... Disney created the demand by making autographs so appealing, but I often wonder if an "autograph ban" would allow things to return to a more relaxed greeting experience.[/color]

That's amazing! Everything has become such a competition
I don't remember the days when you could go up to a character without waiting in a huge line, but my Mother remembers those days and is sad you can longer experience the joy of your child seeing a character and running up to them - sort of like the commercials they show on tv all the time
I won't wait for hours to meet and greet any of the characters so I pretty much have no photos of them. Occasionally I will try to snap a photo from outside the line, in between the people that are meeting the characters, but the attendants shoo you away from trying that. I realize they are not wanting people to be taking photos of other people and their kids, but I'm very careful as well as very obvious about waiting for the character to be alone. It's just sad that some aspects of the park have to be so regulated that you can't have a chance greeting, or a candid photo of a character anymore.
Much respect to you Wyntuck for having been a character. I certainly couldn't withstand the conditions inside those costumes and the pawing of children's grubby hands would drive me bonkers!

[cy1229]

I totally understand the need for a controlled environment with characters. I just don't like that attractions are being sacrificed to make more room for this. It's just the easy route to go. My kids love Disney but have no interest in characters, primarily owing to their ages (17 and 13). I know some adults love the character experience, but most don't, and many older kids do not either. So, it's taking space away from the majority of park guests, reducing overhead costs (the energy to run an attraction must be enormous, not to mention the maintenance), and decreasing the value of the park visit. </end soap box>

[Amy]

My silly phone won't let me fix my post I'll do that later...regardless, I meant to say "candid" photos of the characters!
I agree cy1229, it seems Disney is cheating out a bit with all the meet and greets. Sort of like what happened to the Disney stores. They're still ok if you have young children, and don't mind the smell of Chinese plastic goods, but there is little to no reason for me to go to a Disney store anymore. Turn the parks into one big character meet and there won't be a reason for me to go there either

[Wizzard419]

I think part of the reason they don't have the characters walking about is that they want to have some control over the people and don't want the staff getting mobbed or tripping over someone. Also, it allows them to not have to all stand in the hot sun in their costumes.

[Amy]

I think part of the reason they don't have the characters walking about is that they want to have some control over the people and don't want the staff getting mobbed or tripping over someone. Also, it allows them to not have to all stand in the hot sun in their costumes.

The characters do walk to their meet and greets though. That's why they have attendants with them, so they don't fall or trip over things.

[Wyntuck]

Here's a little more "backstory" on character decisions.
During the summer, or anytime the weather gets above 90, (with humidity factored in) 5 minutes are shaved off an outdoor character's set. Above 95, and it's another 5 minutes off. So pretty much from May through September, it's 20 minutes on 40 minutes off. And of course, rain and/or lightning can cancel a set completely. To fill an hour with an un-interupted character meet and greet, you have to have three performers. Using an air-conditioned venue, you can get by with 30 minute (or longer) appearances while providing constant coverage with less employees and costume wear+tear. That's why the indoor meet and greets are increasing. They're economical, and can't be shortened or cancelled due to weather.
And I wouldn't get too worked up over replacing attractions with meet and greets, that's simply a way to utililze the "real estate" until they determine the highest and best use of the location. Once they decided what they're putting in Snow White's space, it's adios characters. For example, It's was better to have a M&G inside the old 20k queue area rather than it being walled off with no explanation.

[mjmcsl4me]

Here's a little more "backstory" on character decisions.
During the summer, or anytime the weather gets above 90, (with humidity factored in) 5 minutes are shaved off an outdoor character's set. Above 95, and it's another 5 minutes off. So pretty much from May through September, it's 20 minutes on 40 minutes off. And of course, rain and/or lightning can cancel a set completely. To fill an hour with an un-interupted character meet and greet, you have to have three performers. Using an air-conditioned venue, you can get by with 30 minute (or longer) appearances while providing constant coverage with less employees and costume wear+tear. That's why the indoor meet and greets are increasing. They're economical, and can't be shortened or cancelled due to weather.
And I wouldn't get too worked up over replacing attractions with meet and greets, that's simply a way to utililze the "real estate" until they determine the highest and best use of the location. Once they decided what they're putting in Snow White's space, it's adios characters. For example, It's was better to have a M&G inside the old 20k queue area rather than it being walled off with no explanation.

Wow thanks for the info! It makes a lot of sense out of all of it.

[Amy]

Here's a little more "backstory" on character decisions.
During the summer, or anytime the weather gets above 90, (with humidity factored in) 5 minutes are shaved off an outdoor character's set. Above 95, and it's another 5 minutes off. So pretty much from May through September, it's 20 minutes on 40 minutes off. And of course, rain and/or lightning can cancel a set completely. To fill an hour with an un-interupted character meet and greet, you have to have three performers. Using an air-conditioned venue, you can get by with 30 minute (or longer) appearances while providing constant coverage with less employees and costume wear+tear. That's why the indoor meet and greets are increasing. They're economical, and can't be shortened or cancelled due to weather.
And I wouldn't get too worked up over replacing attractions with meet and greets, that's simply a way to utililze the "real estate" until they determine the highest and best use of the location. Once they decided what they're putting in Snow White's space, it's adios characters. For example, It's was better to have a M&G inside the old 20k queue area rather than it being walled off with no explanation.

Wow thanks for the info! It makes a lot of sense out of all of it.

Agreed. It helps to know a little more

[Thumper1]

Here's a little more "backstory" on character decisions.
During the summer, or anytime the weather gets above 90, (with humidity factored in) 5 minutes are shaved off an outdoor character's set. Above 95, and it's another 5 minutes off. So pretty much from May through September, it's 20 minutes on 40 minutes off. And of course, rain and/or lightning can cancel a set completely. To fill an hour with an un-interupted character meet and greet, you have to have three performers. Using an air-conditioned venue, you can get by with 30 minute (or longer) appearances while providing constant coverage with less employees and costume wear+tear. That's why the indoor meet and greets are increasing. They're economical, and can't be shortened or cancelled due to weather.
And I wouldn't get too worked up over replacing attractions with meet and greets, that's simply a way to utililze the "real estate" until they determine the highest and best use of the location. Once they decided what they're putting in Snow White's space, it's adios characters. For example, It's was better to have a M&G inside the old 20k queue area rather than it being walled off with no explanation.

I always wondered if there was some set way they do this.I know it's got to get hot, when it's so humid and hot,being inside those costumes! So the venues do make sense!