Rumor Is Indiana Jones Planning an Adventure to Disney's Animal Kingdom?

meyeet

Well-Known Member
The meet and greet show building that you are referring to would make a nice ride building.;)
However, it has been a meet and greet for some time now. Is this location still popular with the guests? Do they still warrant a permanent location? I remember waiting times being up to two hours to meet the princesses at one point.
Our best hope is that attendance for these attractions has fallen off big time and Disney rethinks the strategy for this space.

Also I wonder how this attraction handles crowds vs. Snow White. I know they have 3 princesses in this location which means three lines. Does Disney consider this a more efficient use of space vs. Snow White?
The location has 4 princess meet and greets. 4 lines (2 FP and 2 Standby) with each set to meet 2 of the princesses. If you want to meet all 4 you have to stand in the other line after meeting the first 2.
 

Pi on my Cake

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
Yes
The meet and greet show building that you are referring to would make a nice ride building.;)
However, it has been a meet and greet for some time now. Is this location still popular with the guests? Do they still warrant a permanent location? I remember waiting times being up to two hours to meet the princesses at one point.
Our best hope is that attendance for these attractions has fallen off big time and Disney rethinks the strategy for this space.

Also I wonder how this attraction handles crowds vs. Snow White. I know they have 3 princesses in this location which means three lines. Does Disney consider this a more efficient use of space vs. Snow White?
Depending on crowds, each side still has lines of 30-60 minutes on a pretty regular basis. Even right now in the middle of the super slowness, both of them are about 20-30 minute waits.

Sadly, M&G spaces like the princess fairy tale hall are kind of needed now a days to make meeting popular characters a good experience. At least in a park as busy as Magic.

That being said, few things would please me more than the fairytale hall being replaced with an attraction again.
 

WDWTank

Well-Known Member
Depending on crowds, each side still has lines of 30-60 minutes on a pretty regular basis. Even right now in the middle of the super slowness, both of them are about 20-30 minute waits.

Sadly, M&G spaces like the princess fairy tale hall are kind of needed now a days to make meeting popular characters a good experience. At least in a park as busy as Magic.

That being said, few things would please me more than the fairytale hall being replaced with an attraction again.
I remember when characters used to walk around and not become stationary like they are now. I’ve always thought walk-around characters were more immersive and magical. :)
 

brb1006

Well-Known Member
I remember when characters used to walk around and not become stationary like they are now. I’ve always thought walk-around characters were more immersive and magical. :)

Here are examples of the days when characters we're once more interactive and spent more time with guests. Courtesy @wdwms for these two videos


This footage of the Magic Kingdom circa 1972 shows Mickey Mouse walking by himself on Main Street while holding an umbrella since it was rainy that day.


Scat Cat and the gang from The Aristocats at Fantasyland sometime in the 1970's.
vQOshPw.png


Pinocchio signing a girl's autograph at Epcot sometime in the 1990's. (Complete with a mask since it was Halloween at the time this photo was taken)
bgKDqAm.jpg


Not to mention a period when characters used to be seen on water skiing on the Seven Seas Lagoon. Guests used to be able to see either Pinocchio, or Goofy as they were heading to Magic Kingdom back in the day.




Stuff like this is what used to make Walt Disney World extra special.
 

Pi on my Cake

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
Yes
I remember when characters used to walk around and not become stationary like they are now. I’ve always thought walk-around characters were more immersive and magical. :)
They were immersive and magical when they weren't mobbed by crowds trying to make it a M&G. I like that style of character better too. And I wish we had more things like that. But there's a reason they aren't done like that anymore. Characters can barely do things like parades and dance parties without people trying to make it into a standstill M&G.

Nowadays, in WDW at least, the roaming characters really only work with less popular ones that won't draw a crowd like Cinderella's Stepsisters. Could you imagine the riot that would break out if Elsa and Anna just wandered through Norway and walked up to ride the Frozen ride? It would be like something from World War Z.
 

brb1006

Well-Known Member
They were immersive and magical when they weren't mobbed by crowds trying to make it a M&G. I like that style of character better too. And I wish we had more things like that. But there's a reason they aren't done like that anymore. Characters can barely do things like parades and dance parties without people trying to make it into a standstill M&G.

Nowadays, in WDW at least, the roaming characters really only work with less popular ones that won't draw a crowd like Cinderella's Stepsisters. Could you imagine the riot that would break out if Elsa and Anna just wandered through Norway and walked up to ride the Frozen ride? It would be like something from World War Z.
Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland are the only parks left that still allows Wandering characters. But at Disneyland it's only limited to characters from Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella, Beauty and The Beast, Aladdin, Pinocchio, and Mary Poppins and that's only at certain areas at Disneyland.
 

WDWTank

Well-Known Member
Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland are the only parks left that still allows Wandering characters. But at Disneyland it's only limited to characters from Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella, Beauty and The Beast, Aladdin, Pinocchio, and Mary Poppins and that's only at certain areas at Disneyland.
I don’t understand why some of the other parks would still have walk-around characters?
 

Rich Brownn

Well-Known Member
Here are examples of the days when characters we're once more interactive and spent more time with guests. Courtesy @wdwms for these two videos


This footage of the Magic Kingdom circa 1972 shows Mickey Mouse walking by himself on Main Street while holding an umbrella since it was rainy that day.


Scat Cat and the gang from The Aristocats at Fantasyland sometime in the 1970's.
vQOshPw.png


Pinocchio signing a girl's autograph at Epcot sometime in the 1990's. (Complete with a mask since it was Halloween at the time this photo was taken)
bgKDqAm.jpg


Not to mention a period when characters used to be seen on water skiing on the Seven Seas Lagoon. Guests used to be able to see either Pinocchio, or Goofy as they were heading to Magic Kingdom back in the day.




Stuff like this is what used to make Walt Disney World extra special.

For a brief period they even had a Waterski show you could watch from a "beach" near the MK entrance
 

MisterPenguin

President of Animal Kingdom
Premium Member
I don’t understand why some of the other parks would still have walk-around characters?

Back when the parks weren't so crowded, walk-around characters could walk around without being mobbed.

Also, even without a big crowd crowding the character, all it takes is one or two guests to misbehave or be totally clueless and monopolize the character or cut in front of others waiting there chance to interact and get a picture. And that leads to guest-on-guest disputes. Having a structured line monitored by a CM avoids that.

It enables Disney to sell PhotoPass.

In Florida, it gets stupid hot. Right now at the end of August it's been in the low 90s every day. That is dangerously hot for a CM in a suit. That's why only the 'face' characters like Peter Pan and Alice will occasionally be walking around.

An outdoor lineup is easier to control circulating the characters in and out of the heat, and even better, an indoor M&G can be air conditioned for the comfort of the character and the guests.

At DisneyLand, the locals may be 'more polite', but also, they've had their fill of M&Gs and don't mob the characters.
 

brb1006

Well-Known Member
Back when the parks weren't so crowded, walk-around characters could walk around without being mobbed.

Also, even without a big crowd crowding the character, all it takes is one or two guests to misbehave or be totally clueless and monopolize the character or cut in front of others waiting there chance to interact and get a picture. And that leads to guest-on-guest disputes. Having a structured line monitored by a CM avoids that.

It enables Disney to sell PhotoPass.

In Florida, it gets stupid hot. Right now at the end of August it's been in the low 90s every day. That is dangerously hot for a CM in a suit. That's why only the 'face' characters like Peter Pan and Alice will occasionally be walking around.

An outdoor lineup is easier to control circulating the characters in and out of the heat, and even better, an indoor M&G can be air conditioned for the comfort of the character and the guests.

At DisneyLand, the locals may be 'more polite', but also, they've had their fill of M&Gs and don't mob the characters.
Japanese guests are also very respectful with the characters at Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disneysea. Every once in a while guests might be able to see characters playing around and dancing with each other like this video taken near the park entrance back in 2011.
 

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