Rare/UnCommon Characters

[mermaidmarian]

Character meet and greets are a very important part of our Disney trips, but at this point, I have noticed that our multiple autograph books are full of many of the same signatures.

Why does Disney not bring out more of the rare characters on a regular basis? I've seen the lists of characters costumes created, and whenever I read them I think over and over how much I would like to meet many of those characters. Granted, quite a few are no longer regular features on the big screen (or in direct to DVD), but surely WDW knows that nostalgia drives much of our love of all things Disney, and that is much more powerful than what is popular du jour.

Is it really so hard to conceive and implement meet and greets or out and abouts with the rare or retired characters, and if so, why? I would think that the prospect of an ever changing cast of characters, new and older, that one might have the chance of meeting at WDW, would be real incentive for many people to continue to return or to make more frequent return trips.

[like2workout]

I totally agree!!! I love finding the different characters as well and getting pictures with them.

[mermaidmarian]

I just wanted to add to my previous comments - I do understand that the logistics of meet and greets are a bit more difficult than the casual observer would expect, so I understand that there is more to it than getting someone to put on the costume.

But to that point - why can't there be more characters just out and about, almost as "streetmousephere". I think of WDW as the place where all of the characters live - why wouldn't you catch glimpses of them going about their "daily lives" at WDW. I don't know whether the original concept for Mickey's Toon Town was related to the Toon Town in WFRR, but bring it on! I think guests would go crazy for it.

I am really saddened to think of characters consigned to a props storage lot, like Jessie collecting dust under the bed.

[CaptainJessicaSparrow]

Because if they were out for 'streetmousephere', they wouldn't be able to stop for autographs. If they stop moving for one autograph/photo, it will result in more people stopping because they were already stopped so then it no loner becomes a roaming, but a queue. They've tried it before and it became a problem, for both the Guest's safety and those of the characters.

Let's say they did stop for one child's autograph/photo...if they only did that one and then started walking again (which is what the whole purpose of streetmosphere really is..other than the Citizens of Hollywood at MGM) another parent might get upset and take it out on the character. And trust me, I've seen it happen a million times like when Timon goes out for 5 minutes to catch a quick bug. The parents go insane that the character is leaving....FOR 5 MINUTES. Hard ticket events and other 'special' days are most likely your best bet for rare-r characters.

As for Toontown, yes it was originally based on WFRR until it got a make-over.

[Greenlawler]

Well I for one have been preaching from this pulpit for a long time.

There is no reason Disney could not switch out the uncommon or rare characters more often. Ofentimes when I post something like this I get blasted by former, current, employees or "know it alls". The logic is, and let me just quote what you will hear... "we should be happy meeting the characters we meet, not everyone gets to go to Disney multiple times. No one really cares about the rare characters except for you character nerds. " Then here comes the best part "They will tell of sometime when some visitor to the park called Horace Horsecollar, Goofy, or had no idea who Friar Tuck was. This is said as proof that rare characters are unwanted.

What a joke! The fact is there are thousands of us out here who just get tired of seeing the same characters out every year. It does not ruin the week we usualy can find a couple we have not found yet, but they could easily replace a Gideon, Gephetto or Brer Bear with some others who appear less often. Sure most fans want the big 5. Give them the big 5 over and over but why Gephetto over and over? I mean another thing why can't they at least switch the characters on every other day shifts. Or the MNSSHP a supposed haven for rare characters, not quite its been about the same every year since 2005 and in fact I think every year less and less characters are out. You would think there would be rare characters everywhere for this premium event. Oh well etc... I still love it and that won't change, you just gave me another chance to vent.

[Brer Robert]

I don't know whether the original concept for Mickey's Toon Town was related to the Toon Town in WFRR, but bring it on! I think guests would go crazy for it.

Funny story about Mickey's Toontown. I heard somewhere it was originally gonna be called "Mickey-Land"(like Adventureland, Tomorrowland, etc.), and somewhere else said that it was just going to be called Toontown. Anyway,It is LOOSELY based on the Toontown from "Roger Rabbit", you can say that when I say "loosely" I mean they only show you the "Disney District" in DL(no Looney Tunes allowed). But the truth is that it was also done so there would be a permenant spot for Mickey to greet guests.