Just who IS in those costumes? AND are they coached how to act?

[Howwonderfullifeis]

Hi everyone, obviously I'm new here.
This thread made me want to make an account, and here's why:
I am a former character performer (CP). Just under 5 ft, I'm a petite female, so you can pretty much guess who I was friends with.

I don't mean to be condescending, but please keep in mind that there is something very important for all CP's and former CP's. It is called character integrity. Almost all CP's pride themselves on their work. They are some of the most patient, kind and selfless people you could meet. One has to be to deal with the general ups and downs of the job. Character Integrity is important because it helps preserve the magic for everyone. Disney is truly magical for some folks, and CP's are trained to interact with people and make their day that much more memorable.
Most people here are kind and honest, but there is always a bad apple trying to spoil things for everyone (X character groped me, Y character yanked my hair on purpose.) Character Integrity helps preserve the image of the CP's, who are quite frankly underpaid for all the work they do. It also helps to remind us that there is only oneMickey Mouse. And one Cinderella and one Buzz, and they are the real ones. This is important because not everyone is tactful out there, (and one can nickname performers or say that that friend is different from the one yesterday) and this can harm all the young ones, (and the young at heart) out there if a comment like that falls on their ears.

Who is in the costumes? No one, the characters do not wear costumes, they are the REAL characters. You might think this is a silly idea to fixate on, but CP is a very real job, which people take very seriously and are proud of. Characters are there to help you get immersed in the magic that all the cast members at the resorts work so hard towards, and that you folks pay so much money for. Please help preserve the magic and I promise you all those characters will thank you by giving you extra long hugs, big autographs and pretty smiles.
Cheers!

 

[jkl2000]

It bothers me to think that the person inside the Wreck-It Ralph costume might actually have gigantic hands.

 

[Howwonderfullifeis]

It bothers me to think that the person inside the Wreck-It Ralph costume might actually have gigantic hands.

Oh, by person do you mean Ralph? He's no wearing a costume silly, his overalls are just too small for him!

And well, he DOES need those gigantic hands to smash Felix's building, so I don't know why that would bother you!

 

[FettFan]

http://www.snopes.com/disney/parks/molest.asp

Everything from Pooh delivering a bruising beatdown to the Three Little Gropes.

 

[Howwonderfullifeis]

http://www.snopes.com/disney/parks/molest.asp

Everything from Pooh delivering a bruising beatdown to the Three Little Gropes.

As far as I understand (and the Snopes states this^^^), all those incidents were dismissed and the ones that made it to court had a "not guilty" verdict. It honestly sounds like a lot of get-rich-quick schemes.

It sounds like there are a couple of sour grapes out there that feel the need to discredit CP's. I wonder why?
Sending good vibes your way!

 

[FettFan]

As far as I understand (and the Snopes states this^^^), all those incidents were dismissed and the ones that made it to court had a "not guilty" verdict. It honestly sounds like a lot of get-rich-quick schemes.

Yah. That's why it's on Snopes. They are the urban legend people.



As for the latest Tigger incident....it's obvious from the video that Tigger didn't punch the kid.

But I sure as hell want to. And I'd also beat his father to death with a wiffle bat.

 

[Howwonderfullifeis]

Yah. That's why it's on Snopes. They are the urban legend people.



As for the latest Tigger incident....it's obvious from the video that Tigger didn't punch the kid.

But I sure as hell want to. And I'd also beat his father to death with a wiffle bat.

Yeah, I love Snopes! I guess I misunderstood your tone, sorry!
Hmm, it looks to me that the boy pulled Tigger somehow (I'm sorry, but that arm is very suspicious) Tigger lost his balance, and ended up hitting the boy.
Unfortunately, that is a common occurrence. I wish I could tell you how many times friends of characters got rushed to health services because some guests are very brash and careless. Some guests push, and hit them, and some go as far as lifting them.
Hope those people learn some manners!

 

[DJMoore2011]

Yah. That's why it's on Snopes. They are the urban legend people.



As for the latest Tigger incident....it's obvious from the video that Tigger didn't punch the kid.

But I sure as hell want to. And I'd also beat his father to death with a wiffle bat.

Something is not right, to me it looked like Tigger had something done to him on his back and was trying to protect himself. How old is this clip? I couldn't find a date

 

[Howwonderfullifeis]

Something is not right, to me it looked like Tigger had something done to him on his back and was trying to protect himself. How old is this clip? I couldn't find a date

It was uploaded in 2007, thankfully most of the comments are on Tigger's side. I'm not dismissing ALL cases like this, but from my personal experience as a cast member I never, ever met a malicious CP or one that had ever purposefully hit a guest.
I have, however, met many money-hungry people that will claim almost anything to get some quick cash. (White Rabbit case anyone?)
The unfortunate thing is that the more this happens, the closer we're getting to a future where we might not even be able to greet the characters, but have to settle with waving to them from afar because people couldn't keep their hands (and lawsuits) to themselves.

 

[Gabe1]

How? Unless you truly believe you're hugging a 5 foot tall mouse, the illusion has already been spoiled.

Awe. That is kinda sad as a CM you think that way now. I try to loose myself in my imagination while at Disney.

 

[Bairstow]

Anybody know the circumstances of this video?

 

[Howwonderfullifeis]

Anybody know the circumstances of this video?

Oh boy! This is why we shouldn't act/speak when we lose our temper!
My best guess is that something happened before that really upset Pluto. If that is the case, I wonder what it took for him to lose his temper, since he is usually such a nice dog.
Unfortunately, the video cuts out what happened before Pluto chased the kid, so we could speculate all we want, but we might never know the truth.

 

[FettFan]

Something is not right, to me it looked like Tigger had something done to him on his back and was trying to protect himself. How old is this clip? I couldn't find a date

Bingo. The case was dismissed in 2008 when the character performer was interviewed by law enforcement.The kid was pulling on the back of the suit, both choking him and causing him to fall backwards.

Anybody know the circumstances of this video?

Supposedly, the kid in question had been harassing the performer for some time and he/she had brushed it off. The chase started when the kid hauled off and kicked Pluto in the crotch.
Or at least that's what I got from the comments coming from people claiming to be Disney CMs.


EDIT -- Found it.

For what it's worth, here is what I heard.

A few years ago when this video was originally posted, several people started posting on a message board who were witnesses to this event.

It happened at Disneyland. Pluto was taking a picture with a group of people. The young boy was told by an adult in his group to pull Pluto's tail to see if he barks. The boy does as he is told. Pluto nearly looses his balance. He turns and shakes his finger at the boy. The boy not liking what Pluto just did then proceeded to kick him. This is what the video failed to capture. What we see on the video is right after the boy kicked him. I always thought that characters had cast members with them to prevent things like this from happening. The character apparently thought he was going to be terminated, so he resigned that day.

Anyhow, Pluto may have taken it a bit too far by chasing him, but I can say from experience (I have worked as a character before, not for Disney but as another famous black duck) that these people dressed as characters put up with a lot. Many, many times I was grabbed, punched and kicked not just by children, but by idiotic adults as well. I saw a character at USF, picked up and dropped on a bench by a group of gangy teenagers. A friend of mine who worked at Six Flags had his nose broken while working as a troll at their Fright Fest. Pluto just might have had it with people that day and just lost it. People need to realize, even though they may be at the happiest place on Earth, these characters are only human.

 

[FettFan]

Yeah, I love Snopes! I guess I misunderstood your tone, sorry!

No harm, no foul.

 

[Sped2424]

Not in the least. It just spoils the illusion for me a little.

Being a man in the costume spoils the illusion? Not the fact that inside the mouse suit is a human lol not a real non talking mouse not to mention the permanent facial expression they always wear?

 

[Sped2424]

I understand what you're saying. It's just sad people are trying to offend themselves using your comment. You said nothing wrong, and I totally understand and agree with what you're saying.

Its not that he said something offensive, he said something that simply doesn't make sense if you can't tell who is behind the mask then the "illusion" is never broken, chances are you interacted with a male being a female fur character. Did you notice? nope, should you care? Nope. Why you may ask, because if you didn't know any of this before why should it matter? I suppose people feel that's offensive because it feels like the female being a man "Shatters" an illusion when most on here don't question or care if a female plays stitch, or goofy, or tigger etc etc. The minute you knew a human was in that costume you technically had a "shattered" illusion. But like many stated they don't care and still believe its the character, so continue to do just that.

 

[englanddg]

I've spent a lot of time "behind a mask". Until you've done costume work, you can't understand costume work.

 

[HDS]

As a friend of a friend of Micky (regular, sorcerer and talking head) and a few other big heads. They have the patience of a saint. My hats off them any CM who who is a friend of any of the big heads. More so with talking head being your own team is messing with you in ear.

 

[ddrongowski]

WARNING MAY NOT BE BEST TO LET YOUNG CHILDREN (under 13) SEE THIS POST!!!!!!!!!

Who is in the costumes? No one, the characters do not wear costumes, they are the REAL characters.

Welllll...... this is very very disturbing..... So was the alien from alien encounter real also?/looks around carefully/ If so then WDW is a very unsafe place, and should be avoided if you do not wish to be ripped apart. I am sorry I am a realist, and as so, there is an age (as far as I am concerned that is 13) that you have to no longer believe that the characters are real./flaming comments inbound/ That includes the tooth fairy, santa claus, easter bunny, the great pumpkin, etc...
"When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways."
Now that all being said, I go to WDW to enjoy myself and be with my wife and son. Why in the world would I want to do that? Well if you think about it:
There are 24 hours in a day and 7 days in a week, this is only 168 hours.
168 hours minus work and travel to ands fro work takes away 55 hours to leave a balance of 113 hours.
Of that 113 hours 56 hours of that is sleeping taking us to 57 hours.
That is not a lot of time together in 7 days.
So for about 9 days each year we hang out together and have a wonderful "together time" at WDW. When my son was young yes he enjoyed the characters, and mom and I enjoyed "him and his excitement". But he stopped wanting to do the characters around age 8 as he figured out on his own that they are not what they "appear"/wink wink/ to be, and that creeps him out. That is the word he used, yes "creeps", as "No mom and dad, I do not want to see fill in the blank character, as they are just a nosrep in a emutsoc, and that creeps me out".

No offense to those out there that enjoy hugging etc... the characters, have at it, as it does not harm us or anyone else in anyway, that we know of.

NOW FOR THE EMOTICONS!!!!!


That should cover it and feel free to use them where needed.

 

[Howwonderfullifeis]

Welllll...... this is very very disturbing..... So was the alien from alien encounter real also?/looks around carefully/ If so then WDW is a very unsafe place, and should be avoided if you do not wish to be ripped apart. I am sorry I am a realist, and as so, there is an age (as far as I am concerned that is 13) that you have to no longer believe that the characters are real./flaming comments inbound/ That includes the tooth fairy, santa claus, easter bunny, the great pumpkin, etc...
"When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways."
Now that all being said, I go to WDW to enjoy myself and be with my wife and son. Why in the world would I want to do that? Well if you think about it:
There are 24 hours in a day and 7 days in a week, this is only 168 hours.
168 hours minus work and travel to ands fro work takes away 55 hours to leave a balance of 113 hours.
Of that 113 hours 56 hours of that is sleeping taking us to 57 hours.
That is not a lot of time together in 7 days.
So for about 9 days each year we hang out together and have a wonderful "together time" at WDW. When my son was young yes he enjoyed the characters, and mom and I enjoyed "him and his excitement". But he stopped wanting to do the characters around age 8 as he figured out on his own that they are not what they "appear"/wink wink/ to be, and that creeps him out. That is the word he used, yes "creeps", as "No mom and dad, I do not want to see fill in the blank character, as they are just a nosrep in a emutsoc, and that creeps me out".

No offense to those out there that enjoy hugging etc... the characters, have at it, as it does not harm us or anyone else in anyway, that we know of.

No one is asking anyone to BELIEVE anything. I'm just asking for people to watch what they say in public. For many people the magic is real, and cast members do everything they can to preserve this. My post was about character integrity and why it is important. Anyone can take a quote out of context and make an argument around it.
People can be realists all they want, I just wish they wouldn't go around raining on other people's parade.