Is it possible to avoid characters at Disney?

[ChampageTraveller]

My boyfriend loves disney and has been to disney loads - his dad is in the disney vacation club and has been offering us free accommodation and park tickets for a while, we'd only need to pay for flights, but up to now I've refused. However, after three years of my hol picks he has been nagging more than ever this year for me to do disney.Why have I never wanted to go? Because I suffer horrendous masklophobia and coulrophobia, so disney always seemed like my worst nightmare! He and his, dad and several of my friends who have been have rushed to assure me I will be able to avoid all those scary characters as thy say they're only at designated areas at designated times and with careful planning can be avoided. So after much cajoling I am booked to go for two weeks!

Some parts of disney do appeal, for example, were staying one week at the wilderness lodge and one week at animal kingdom and I think the hotels look fab, plus I actually really like rides, especially the fun sort they have at disney, it actually does look like fun. But for every bit I get excited I panic about the characters and how avoidable they will be. We made sure our hotels did not have character dining and I will be sure to avoid park restaurants with character dining. I also plan to either get an app or some kind of park map to work out where characters will e and when to hopefully ensure can either avoid altogether or at least give a very, very, wide berth with maximum distance between me and them.

How realistic is it I will really be able to avoid coming particularly close to a character? I've had this phobia since I was very small, my patents say they can't remember a time I didn't scream at clowns and characters. We thought it was something I'd grow out of it but if anything they freak me out more than ever now I'm in my 20s,I'd literally be screaming to get away from me and lashing out if one came close to me. I'm thinking the trip is either going to be very fun or a living nightmare if I can't give characters wide berth.

Any thoughts on how doable avoidance is, and anyone else out their phobic and going to disney or have been to disney and it hasn't affected the trip - in so many ways I really am looking forward to it, I just want to try and reassure myself im not crazy to have agreed to go

 

[joanna71985]

They don't wander around (so you wouldn't randomly bump into them, unless they are walking by to their location). Just make sure to stay away when the street shows/parades are going on

 

[luv]

They cannot guarantee that you won't see a character. You should avoid Disney.

 

[FettFan]

You should totally avoid the pool over at Boardwalk Resort...

 

[momof1princess]

I'd almost have to agree with @luv. Especially at Magic Kingdom the parades and street shows are happening almost all the time. While about half of the characters meet guests behind closed doors, the rest are out in the open where you cant miss them when you walk by. Maybe watch some on ride videos online to see what's worth trying before you go. Best of luck to you.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I'd almost have to agree with @luv. Especially at Magic Kingdom the parades and street shows are happening almost all the time. While about half of the characters meet guests behind closed doors, the rest are out in the open where you cant miss them when you walk by. Maybe watch some on ride videos online to see what's worth trying before you go. Best of luck to you.

I guess it pretty much depends on the extent of your phobia's. If it just catching sight of a foam head, then I'm afraid Disney is not the place for you. If it's being approached by them, then I can feel confident that you do not have to interact unless you want too. I hate the meet and greets so I avoid them like the plague. I have seen a few in route to their spots but never in a situation where I had to interact if I didn't want too.

You are the only one that truly knows your tolerance levels, so I guess you have to make the choice about what degree you can handle.

 

[Shere_Khan]

Wouldn't seeing one in a picture or on a television commercial compare to seeing one across the way while you are in a park?
The characters would most likely never approach you. They have enough people waiting who actually want to meet them.
You are going to see characters at some point while at Disney, there is no way to avoid that. But you can easily turn and walk the other direction or get around them without getting close.

 

[Tip Top Club]

Magic Kingdom will be the most prominant issue, but like one of the above posters said, just plan to avoid parades and street parties. Other than that they are actually not as prominent as the other posters would seem to believe, especially at night. If you like rides, focus on the rides, there aren't any characters there!

 

[PUSH]

I'm not a big character person, but I'm not scared of them. I find it easy to not be near characters, and I'm not even trying.

There no guarantee that one won't walk by, though.

 

[jedieaston]

There is a place in EPCOT called Character spot, where all the characters are usually. They have places like that in Hollywood Studios too. Those are the two places to stay away from. Also, there is a place right before Spaceship Earth that usually has Stitch or someone standing there. The easiest thing to do is try to get on rides as fast as possible and try to think about which Disney character wouldn't scare you if you saw him or her.

 

[tinkerblonde11]

Just walking around the parks you really won't come close to a character unless you wait in a ten minute line. Avoid parades and shows at all costs as they are the main focus! And avoid specific character spots like the indoor one in Epcot and Camp Minnie Mickey in Animal Kingdom. Have whoever you're with look out for them around you and either distract you or bring you toward another direction. I think you'll have fun! Just don't worry and be anxious walking around or it will ruin the fun. Trust your party to help you out and immerse yourself in the rest of the magic that is Disney!! Good Luck!

 

[Chrononymous]

It's actually pretty easy to avoid characters if you need to. Most of them are generally mobbed by excited people, and you can look at the maps and easily skirt around the designated spots.
Also note that some restaurants have character dining, and you probably don't want to do most shows, parades or Fantasmic either.

 

[unkadug]

I bet you are a lot of fun at Halloween .

What about college football games?

 

[FettFan]

Also, you might want to avoid rope drop at the Magic Kingdom, since the characters will generally be meeting and greeting at the front end of Main Street USA.

The morning character sets are generally by the Fire Station, the Emporium, the Confectionary, the Chapeau, and underneath the flagpole at the center. Granted, the lines are generally long, so it's easy to avoid them.

I'm not sure how bad your phobia is, but if you freak out just by seeing costumes characters at any distance, and your family insists on being there as soon as the park opens, then perhaps you should hi-tail it straight to the WDW railroad and head to Frontierland.


EDIT -- The other parks aren't bad at all. I've never seen any characters at Epcot during rope drop...typically M&G's are either indoors at Innoventions West or stay over in their perspective country at World Showcase. Chip and Dale sometimes pop up over at the Garden Grill at The Land.

DHS's rope drop isn't bad. No cartoon characters as far as I know, so the only M&Gs there are the Citizens of Hollywood. But that should be nothing to worry about...just street comedians dressed in 1930s-40s clothing.

Animal Kingdom just has their uniformed CMs with small creepy-crawlies for greetings at rope drop. Spiders, insects, snakes, lizards all in little terrariums, and the cast member will give you information about that animal.

 

[MickeyPeace]

Take a Xanax and the characters will be your best friend. Or don't take one, vlog yourself interacting, post on YouTube and I will be your first subscriber.

 

[WLBound]

The only time we've ever had a character approach us was during the parades so as the other posters have suggested, avoid those. You might want to have some contingency plans in case the parks prove to be too much. You could always try Downtown Disney, Disney Quest, the water parks, side activities at the resorts. Some of those will cost extra but they might just give you the necessary breather to regroup.

 

[bethymouse]

If you really are afraid of the characters, then I think you might want to avoid MK and perhaps even EPCOT.
AK has pretty "far away" areas to meet characters, not out in the open. DHS is probably your best bet as they are usually inside unless it's parade time.
Good luck and have fun!

 

[Black Pearl]

Probably the best way to handle it is to make custom T-shirts that say:
"Do not talk to, or approach me" and surround yourself with other people from your group while you are in the center.

 

[acishere]

They will not approach you at random, but you are going to see them off on the side somewhere in MK or Epcot. Just standing in line for Splash I could see Toy Story characters off in distance.

You are either going to stress yourself out trying to avoid them or get lazy about it and pass a character spot. Its too easy for it not to happen.

EDIT: My phone has terrible spell check and the heat in the parks broke my brain.

 

[Raven66]

It is completely doable. We were just there and we saw hardly any characters and I was looking for them. Our first full day was spent at MK and we saw 1 character the whole day and that was from the TTA. I was really surprised and sort of upset. Good luck to you!