Have I lost my mind or isn't that Mickey Mouse just to the right of Figment. Isn't Mickey one of the evil characters that everyone is all messed up about? Seems like that has been the norm for a long time. The button is dated 1982. That would be pretty much right at the beginning of EPCOT.Besides he was prominently shown to be the Ambassador of Epcot before Eisner's reign of shoving the other characters in was a thing...
Point to the Mickey Mouse ride that existed or really any character driven ride that was based on a movie. Then you'll have a point.
No, the point is that all we have heard from all the fan/experts is that EPCOT was never going to have any representation in the parks of cartoon characters. This has been an ongoing argument for a long time. Over and over it has been shown that this was not the case in the beginning and it isn't now. The change now is that they are using those characters in attractions (not that Figment wasn't as much a cartoon character as Mickey, just more recent). That said, they have been used whenever it was to their benefit to do so. That is the current policy of Disney. We can quote what used to be until the cows come home, that situation no longer exists regardless of our personal opinion about it. So why not just, pardon the expression, let it go. Accept that this is the new Disney, like it or not, and the only way we can control it is by no longer spending our money to support it. If the majority are not willing to do that (which I suspect is the case) then what it is, is what it is. Let's see if we can get over this hurdle and try to find a way to see something positive in it or just don't go to Epcot anymore... you don't like what it has become so stop torturing yourselves and stay away.
The whole cast used to ride in on the double decker bus and have a M & G right at the entrance to World Showcase from Future World.
The only time they could be considered harmful would be the infamous "cowboy walking through tomorrowland."Meet and greet characters are a mostly harmless garnish to a theme park experience. And Mickey and the gang were introduced because they realized that these things were "Scary beyond all reason"
https://eatingwdw.com/2011/07/27/world-showcase-characters-1982/
Not to mention these characters blinked at guests!Meet and greet characters are a mostly harmless garnish to a theme park experience. And Mickey and the gang were introduced because they realized that these things were "Scary beyond all reason"
https://eatingwdw.com/2011/07/27/world-showcase-characters-1982/
I wish there was photos of that event.
It was Bob himself acknowledging the book's high sales at a Shareholder meeting a few years back when being asked the annual "When's Dreamfinder coming back" question.
"Tonight's nightmares sponsored by:"Meet and greet characters are a mostly harmless garnish to a theme park experience. And Mickey and the gang were introduced because they realized that these things were "Scary beyond all reason"
https://eatingwdw.com/2011/07/27/world-showcase-characters-1982/
This is a common thing that unfortunately we need to accept. Disney has tried on multiple occasions to create parks without a large character influence. Epcot had very little, DCA had very little, even DisneySea didn't have much (although Lost River Delta and Mermaid Lagoon were IP based). Inevitably though, these parks "evolve" to add more characters.
The Twilight Zone"
They had quite a bit of original characters before the IP's were shoehorned in...
Chandu the tiger from Sinbad? What are the others? Disney Sea Tower Of Terror? I agree the special characters created for the park are a better souvenir...makes it more unique and more memorable...You can buy fab 5 Disney plush in any store or WalMart...
