Disney PhotoPass Day with special character appearances

[IanDLBZF]

YMMV

Yes, it sure does. I believe some characters may very well be signing!

Also,...

that PhotoPass Day is tomorrow!

 

[IanDLBZF]

Reports say that the lines for Villains at HWS is insane with Maleficent having the longest.

Lines for villains at DHS for #DisneyPhotoPassDay are already insane. This is just inside. Maleficent is by far the longest. - @CA_Corneille

Also hearing reports that Meeko and Pocahontas aren't signing autographs despite being to do so any other time, they are handing out autograph cards with both Pocahontas' and Meeko's signature. Not sure about any characters who are doing this....
Also Timon and Rafiki are signing autographs! There could be others signing as well.

 

[IanDLBZF]

Also Clopin from Hunchback of Notre Dame was out at DLRP for their PhotoPass Day! As was Mulan in her warrior outfit!

 

[Ryan H. Serowinski]

Done already.

Thanks, I knew the lines will be crazy as heck anyways.

 

[IanDLBZF]

Thanks, I knew the lines will be crazy as heck anyways.

Hence why some of them aren't signing autographs, despite being able to do so any other time.

 

[Ryan H. Serowinski]

Hence why some of them aren't signing autographs, despite being able to do so any other time.

Atta, Genie, Mushu, Meeko, Timon, Captain Hook, Dopey, and the Villains are pretty popular and are super rare(even though some of these guys were at Palooza, which I almost did in May, spoiler: it didn't end well sadly)

 

[IanDLBZF]

Atta, Genie, Mushu, Meeko, Timon, Captain Hook, Dopey, and the Villains are pretty popular and are super rare

Actually, Captain Hook, Meeko, Mushu, and Genie are pop-up characters (Genie also being in MISIDPI, MNSSHP, and MVMCP). Atta, Timon, and the Villains are rare.

 

[friendofafriend]

Reports say that the lines for Villains at HWS is insane with Maleficent having the longest.

Also hearing reports that Meeko and Pocahontas aren't signing autographs despite being to do so any other time, they are handing out autograph cards with both Pocahontas' and Meeko's signature. Not sure about any characters who are doing this....
Also Timon and Rafiki are signing autographs! There could be others signing as well.

Rafiki and Timon are regularly appearing characters. I would expect that the special appearances for today will be handing out signature cards due to high demand, just like long lost friends day. Meeko will occasionally make an appearance with Pocahantas but is not a regularly scheduled character.

 

[IanDLBZF]

Meeko will occasionally make an appearance with Pocahantas but is not a regularly scheduled character.

Meeko also appears randomly at the entrance of AK with Ratcliffe. Thumper, Ms. Bunny, and the Br'er's same way.

 

[IanDLBZF]

Rafiki and Timon are regularly appearing characters. I would expect that the special appearances for today will be handing out signature cards due to high demand, just like long lost friends day.

Timon hasn't done M&Gs at WDW since (I think) 2013-2014?

 

[IanDLBZF]

Thoughts and observations from this year's event....
Positives:

• The day was spread out across all 4 WDW Parks, Disneyland Paris, Hong Kong Disneyland, and Shanghai Disney Resort
• They did expand the character lineup somewhat (i.e. Maleficent, Cruella, Atta, Timon, Meeko, etc)
• They did make a good effort to speed up the lines somewhat by using autograph cards

Negatives:

• We did see a repeat of what happened during Villains Unleashed and last year's PhotoPass Day event, wait time wise.
• Longest Wait Time was for the Villains, followed closely by Mulan and Mushu.
• How could the above be prevented? Simple:
  • Just know when to start cutting off the line, rather than let the lines grow and grow.
  • I'd do this event Friday/Saturday/Sunday/Monday rather than just one day only.

Other Things I Would Love to see (wishful thinking)

• I'd like to see more of a variety of characters. Examples:
  • MK: Princes with their Princesses at PFTH and Ariel's Grotto, Stitch & Angel in Tomorrowland, Br'er's in Frontierland
  • Epcot: Donald with Jose & Panchito, Hunchback characters in France Pavilion, Hiro with Baymax
  • HWS: Clarice with Chip'n'Dale, Kristoff with Olaf
  • AK: Nick Wilde & Judy Hopps (they may be at MVMCP this year), Pocahontas with John Smith and Meeko, Tarzan with Jane & Terk, Don Karnage with Baloo & King Louie
• The special characters all need to sign autographs.

Overall:
With the Villians in play, it seems Disney stepped up their game, despite the 3-4 hour wait times with some characters. Lesson that needs to be learned by TDO here is the 5 P's, Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance.

 

[Kman101]

More variety on a regular basis would help the demand. I don't count pop-ups. So many of those characters shouldn't even be considered 'rare'.

 

[asianway]

More variety on a regular basis would help the demand. I don't count pop-ups. So many of those characters shouldn't even be considered 'rare'.

Pop ups are all you have. Nothing will be changing and I'd plan on it getting worse

 

[brb1006]

More variety on a regular basis would help the demand. I don't count pop-ups. So many of those characters shouldn't even be considered 'rare'.

That what's I miss from the current way MNSSHP has it's meet and greets. Years ago most of the meet and greets were villains including the lesser known ones. These days, you only get to see the old hag if your lucky while a few years ago Stromboli was at MK.

 

[brb1006]

Atta, Genie, Mushu, Meeko, Timon, Captain Hook, Dopey, and the Villains are pretty popular and are super rare(even though some of these guys were at Palooza, which I almost did in May, spoiler: it didn't end well sadly)

I still ain't putting Hook,Dopey,Genie or Timon as rare characters though.

 

[brb1006]

Pop ups are all you have. Nothing will be changing and I'd plan on it getting worse

Which is also unfortunate for WDW.

 

[IanDLBZF]

I still ain't putting Hook,Dopey,Genie or Timon as rare characters though.

I'd rather put them down as semi-rare. By semi-rare I mean they're seen on occasion as pop-ups, or as characters at hard-ticket events. I would consider Cruella, Maleficent, The Evil Queen, and Atta as rare. Mushu is seen every now and then at Palooza.

 

[IanDLBZF]

That what's I miss from the current way MNSSHP has it's meet and greets. Years ago most of the meet and greets were villains including the lesser known ones. These days, you only get to see the old hag if your lucky while a few years ago Stromboli was at MK.

Cruella, the Queen of Hearts, Gaston, and Lotso were at last year's MNSSHP.

 

[asianway]

I'd rather put them down as semi-rare. By semi-rare I mean they're seen on occasion as pop-ups, or as characters at hard-ticket events. I would consider Cruella, Maleficent, The Evil Queen, and Atta as rare. Mushu is seen every now and then at Palooza.

Evil Queen is at Fant! Sets more often than she's not

 

[Thumper 32]

Thoughts and observations from this year's event....

Negatives:

• How could the above be prevented? Simple:
  • Just know when to start cutting off the line, rather than let the lines grow and grow.

This comment doesn't really make sense. If the number of people hasn't exceeded how much time they have left to greet, why should any lines be cut off? If people are willing to wait in such a line, that is their choice. Cutting off the line prematurely would be far worse.

As long and hot as everything was, at least they were all fair and well organized lines. Kudos to them for doing as much as they could to keep things moving. Short of having these characters out more often (which seems to be a losing battle), there's not much else they could have done differently for this event itself.