Time for a character overhaul

[i'm grumpy]

I agree. One year we saw Radcliffe near the castle and walked to City Hall. He was there too!!! You never see a Prince. I would like to find Kronk and Yzma.

[joanna71985]

Radcliffe is pretty much done meeting, and is very rare.

The princes do meet, but pretty much just come out for the special events now.

Kronk and Yzma do not meet anymore.

[Greenlawler]

I invite everyone to work in entertainment and attempt to create a schedule for all these rare characters they'd like to see out. And a budget.

AnnetteFan....that is my dream job! Please note, no sarcasm here I am serious. I take that job and leave for Orlando yesterday!

[AnnetteFan]

I kinda already addressed that issue in one of my earlier replies. It doesn't make a different cost-wise if Mickey is out opposed to Hades. The pay rate per hour is still the same. The costumes already exist.

But it's going to create quite a guest service issue if Hades is out instead of Mickey Mouse.

I just don't think the average guest is as rare character/autograph obsessed as the Disneyphiles on here are. Most people are more concerned with getting to see their favorite character than they are getting random autographs and I think that's what Disney is trying to cater too.

[alandisney]

I think its time that WDW Mngt start catering to the "disneyphiles". There are a lot of "disneyphiles" that go to the parks and without them there would be a lot less money coming into the company. Yes, I know there are the tourists that spend money at the parks as well. I'm not downplaying them either.

Maybe WDW Mngt should take a cue from how Tokyo DL treats their Disney Fans and how they bring out the special characters because they know their guests love seeing them. In no way am I saying they should get rid of the VIP's at WDW but it would be nice to see some other ones.

The funny thing about this is Disney always says the parks are places where Dreams Come True. If you have a dream of meeting a certain character or characters and they never bring them out then your dream is not coming true. Maybe dreams come true for little girls who want to meet Cinderella, but what about the avid Disney villain fan who wants to see some different villains than the same ones year after year at the Halloween party.

[CaptainJessicaSparrow]

But it's going to create quite a guest service issue if Hades is out instead of Mickey Mouse.

I just don't think the average guest is as rare character/autograph obsessed as the Disneyphiles on here are. Most people are more concerned with getting to see their favorite character than they are getting random autographs and I think that's what Disney is trying to cater too.

Magic spoiler!!!!!













I get what you are saying....but....Mickey is EVERYWHERE. Literally. In every park. Several times a day. In every meal. Several places across property. Everyday.

Losing one of the 20 Mickey's that are out at Studios and putting out Darkwing Duck will not start WWIII at Disney.

[like2workout]

hey captain jessica, i like your thinking - and darkwing duck would be a great one to be out!

[daan8810]

- Wrong Topic - sorry

[Greenlawler]

But it's going to create quite a guest service issue if Hades is out instead of Mickey Mouse.

I just don't think the average guest is as rare character/autograph obsessed as the Disneyphiles on here are. Most people are more concerned with getting to see their favorite character than they are getting random autographs and I think that's what Disney is trying to cater too.

I think your wrong, but everyone is entitled to their opinion

[AnnetteFan]

I guess all these years of working in entertainment at Disney didn't teach me anything since I'm so clearly wrong here.

At the end of the day more people want to see Mickey Mouse than Hades. If Disney sacrificed having Mickey out continously to put random characters that only a handful of people recognized or cared about there would be an issue. Getting to meet Stromboli isn't going to make up for not getting to see Mickey as far as the average guest is concerned and Disney isn't going to sacrifice those guests happiness just to thrill a few people who have been dying to meet Ludwig Von Drake.

[RBrooksC]

Ok, please explain teardrop character? I have never heard that term.

Second, would you all consider Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear rare characters? The last three times I have been to Disney I have gotten photos with them. However, I have NEVER seen Br'er Rabbit and when I inquired if he is ever out and about, I was told he is always moving to keep away from Br'er Fox where Br'er Fox rubbed his stomach like Br'er Rabbit was tasty. So, I am guessing Br'er Rabbit would be one of the training characters since he is rarely seen.

[joanna71985]

Ok, please explain teardrop character? I have never heard that term.

Second, would you all consider Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear rare characters? The last three times I have been to Disney I have gotten photos with them. However, I have NEVER seen Br'er Rabbit and when I inquired if he is ever out and about, I was told he is always moving to keep away from Br'er Fox where Br'er Fox rubbed his stomach like Br'er Rabbit was tasty. So, I am guessing Br'er Rabbit would be one of the training characters since he is rarely seen.

The Teardrop is an area down in Toontown. It's an area for "unusual" characters.

As for Brer Bear and Brer Fox, they are pretty rare. And Brer Rabbit just about never comes out anymore.

[RBrooksC]

The Teardrop is an area down in Toontown. It's an area for "unusual" characters.

As for Brer Bear and Brer Fox, they are pretty rare. And Brer Rabbit just about never comes out anymore.

Ok, I guess I need to look for that next time I am in WDW.

Also, I guess I was lucky then to get my photo with Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear.

[DisneyNut2005]

And Brer Rabbit just about never comes out anymore.

But he still makes EXTREMELY rare random appearances at the Toontown Teardrop and the Oasis, though.

He's VERY hit or miss at the present time.

[RBrooksC]

But he still makes EXTREMELY rare random appearances at the Toontown Teardrop and the Oasis, though.

He's VERY hit or miss at the present time.

I don't go to Disney enough for this to be an actual quest but I am looking for that time where I get lucky and get my photo with Br'er Rabbit. Song of the South is very near and dear to my heart so I need my photo with him to complete my photos. I felt very fortunate to have a photo with Fox and Bear and my son last time we went. That photo is the photo that represents the Character photos in our photo collage we got. It is amazing how in that photo, the personality of Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear are shown. I know they are taught those sort of things but when you look at the photo you can see exactly how those character are portrayed in the movie and on the ride.

[Jason_Broadway]

Hello. Sorry I haven't written, but I'd have to agree with BelleLovesTheBeast about changing the characters sometime. I went to the Magic Kingdom on Tuesday, and I still see the same characters all the time like Pluto, Chip and Dale, Horace Horsecollar, Clarabelle Cow, Snow White(by the Exposition Hall), and they need to change up sometime. It's good they're using Jiminy Cricket since he's been tough to find for awhile so maybe that's a small start. I've started this hobby of getting pictures with the characters for three years now, and my collection is growing, but like everyone else who loves the characters, I'd love to add more. I now have 144 characters on my list now. The latest ones I added were the ones from Star Wars at the Star Wars weekends, and I also have the Little Einsteins, Sorcerer Mickey, all the Power Rangers, and Tow Mater and Lightning McQueen. I also like BelleLovesTheBeast's idea of Disney having a special tour where you can get pictures of the rare characters, and there are some I still need like Rabbit(at the top of my list), Robin Hood, Sheriff of Nottingham, Little John, Big Bad Wolf, hag from Snow White, and many others. Speaking of Robin Hood, I have a question. I went to Epcot on Monday, and I was talking with a nice cast member Casey, who works at the Epcot Character Connection, and I asked him about the Robin Hood characters and Rabbit from Winnie the Pooh. About Rabbit, he claimed he saw Rabbit three months ago, and Robin Hood, Little John, and also Governor Radcliffe, he says he saw at Animal Kingdom park. If anyone knows this to be true let me know, and also he says that the Sheriff of Nottingham was seen at the Disney Hollywood Studios. Let me know if all the info I got is true. If anyone is interested, the characters I have are, and I won't name all of them cause I have to go to work in a little while, but so everyone has an idea: I have the basic five: Mickey, Minnie, Donald Duck, Goofy, Pluto, Chip and Dale, Max, everyone from Snow White except the hag from Snow White, everyone from Pinnochio, Peter Pan, Aladdin, just to name a few. I would also like to see Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather too. I don't know why Disney won't put them out for the meet and greets, I mean they're Disney characters too, and last year when I went to the Magic Kingdom, I was close to getting Rabbit twice, but a lady from overseas was taking her sweet time with her camcorder with her kids, while everyone else and myself were sweating in the hot sun, and that's unfair when others want to get a picture with a special character and this happens. I was sent a survey and I was told to fill out and describe my time at Disney, and I told them what happened that day, and the thing is the cast members let her do her thing while we all sweated and burned up in the sun. Sorry to go on like this, but when I think about that it makes me mad sometime to think people can be that disrespectful. One of these days like everyone else I hope to get all of them this time. Take care. Jason Broadway.

[AnnetteFan]

^I get really annoyed when people complain about other people taking too long with the characters. Of course it seems like a long time to you because you're waiting, it probably doesn't seem like a long time to her. She waited in a long line just like everyone else, should she be rushed out with a quick autograph and picture? Would you want someone rushing you when you're sharing a special moment with a character? Of course attendents are going to try to move people along the best they can but you can't just expect everyone to rush something that could be a once in a lifetime moment for them.

[alandisney]

^I get really annoyed when people complain about other people taking too long with the characters. Of course it seems like a long time to you because you're waiting, it probably doesn't seem like a long time to her. She waited in a long line just like everyone else, should she be rushed out with a quick autograph and picture? Would you want someone rushing you when you're sharing a special moment with a character? Of course attendents are going to try to move people along the best they can but you can't just expect everyone to rush something that could be a once in a lifetime moment for them.

Thank you for saying that! ITA

[like2workout]

jason broadway- i did see the sheriff of nottingham at hollywood studios about a month ago. he was out around 5-6 in front of the hat. I've also now seen governor ratcliff at animal kingdom at the oasis several times. i was told by a cm that he comes out about every other day. i've not seen robin hood in years, and have never seen little john, who i would love to get a picture with. good luck with your hunt!

[Greenlawler]

I guess all these years of working in entertainment at Disney didn't teach me anything since I'm so clearly wrong here.

At the end of the day more people want to see Mickey Mouse than Hades. If Disney sacrificed having Mickey out continously to put random characters that only a handful of people recognized or cared about there would be an issue. Getting to meet Stromboli isn't going to make up for not getting to see Mickey as far as the average guest is concerned and Disney isn't going to sacrifice those guests happiness just to thrill a few people who have been dying to meet Ludwig Von Drake.

Woah leave for a week and see what you miss!
I do not think you have understood my arguement from posts one. I have never, ever said replace Mickey Mouse. I have simply said rotate out some of the obscure characters. I see Gaphetto every year multiple times. I think Ludwig Von Drake would be great instead of Gaphetto everyday.
Annetefan, everyone is entitled to their opinion including yourself. Just because you have worked in entertainment does not make us wrong, or mean that we cannot have this opinion. I found your "Disneyphile" comment more than a little offensive. I enjoy meeting characters with my family, thats our hobby. I am sure people who collect Baseball cards, antiques, or stamps, search for rare items, are they freaks as well? It does not make me sick or odd. I am trying to choose my words carefully here. I have met hundreds of entertainment employees over the years, they are great people. My family has gotten to know some of them well, however I have found that the people on this thread know more about the characters than 75% of the Disney entertainment people. I mean no offense by that it just a fact.
I want more rotation of some of the lesser known characters, you disagree, so be it.
I will be gone for a while. Have a great week guys!