Please help me understand this!

[Riverbird]

I've just returned from my first trip to Disney World. It was absolutely incredible, but there's something that I keep thinking about that I don't understand.

On one of our first days there we went to a character breakfast with Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy. When Mickey came to our table, I hugged him, and then went to stand behind him for a picture. (I thought it'd be fun to peek between his ears for a picture). I put a hand on his head right next to his ear as I moved behind him, similar to how I would put a hand on a friend's shoulder before stepping behind them...so they'd know I was there and I'd have a guide for distance. As I did this Mickey suddenly waved his arms and ran away out the door next to us. He came right back out, but went on to the next table and didn't greet anyone else at our table.

My friend said that she's been in a mascot costume before (not disney related), and that it's very uncomfortable for someone to mess with the ears. That was her theory as to why Mickey had left, and it makes as much sense as anything I can think of. I didn't grab, pull, yank, etc., or anything else that is obviously forbidden.

Later we were at a meet and greet with Doug (the dog from Up). We saw a woman reach up and scratch his ears, and she was immediately removed from the meet and greet area. The poor woman looked devastated, as was I with the Mickey incident. Yes I'm an adult, but this trip was many many years in the making, and meeting Mickey is a big part of the Disney experience!

The incident with Doug seems to fit with my friend's don't touch the ears theory, but if that is the case why is it not announced anywhere? Why aren't there signs up, or warnings when you get your tickets? I've looked at a bunch of different websites, and all I can find is the obvious don't hit or otherwise assault the characters. But both of these incidents were not that at all. In hindsight I do see that going behind Mickey could've been scary for him...but I can't imagine that that lady was the first to scratch Doug's ears. So is the ears really the issue here or is there something else I'm missing? We asked for an explanation from the other cast members around and didn't get anything...though Mickey did come back out and hang out at our table for a while.

 

[Riverbird]

He came back to our table WAY later towards the end of the meal, after we asked the non-costumed cast members about it. After running out and coming back in, he went to all the other tables around us but not ours. It left plenty of time in the middle to feel pretty upset about it.

 

[Notes from Neverland]

Touching the character's head in general seems like a no-no.

 

[epcotisbest]

Could you imagine the chaos, as well as the resulting lifelong trauma that would ensue, should a character lose its head in public?

 

[TwilightZone]

Could you imagine the chaos, as well as the resulting lifelong trauma that would ensue, should a character lose its head in public?

There was an entire game theory about this, not kidding you.

 

[Walt Disney1955]

Back in 2009 my wife and I met Stitch, yeah, I know, but we took a picture with him anyways. I was jokingly going to do some "bunny ears" behind his head but the cast member taking our picture told me not to do this. I just assumed it was based on a disrespect type of thing and he didn't like it. Maybe he was just nervous if I was coming close to touching his head, perhaps?

 

[donaldtoo]

None of them can talk, but, they have very sensitive ears...?

 

[macefamily]

My daughter worked in the Disney CP, and she confirmed that any 'head-touching' is not acceptable. Pretty much for the reasons everyone has stated. A head malfunction would be devastating.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

This could be something due to the Tigger punch incident from a few years ago...Pehaps there is a protocol if the performer feels that something isn't right they need to leave or get a CM's attention immediatly to not cause a conflict...

 

[SirWillow]

There are a couple of reasons for the no head touching.

One, as some have mentioned, is the worry about a costume malfunction. Not something they want.
The other issue is the comfort and safety of the cast member. Those outfits are not comfortable to wear and putting unexpected weight or pressure on them can cause an injury.

Keep in mind, they can't see you when you are behind or to the side of them, and they can't tell what you are doing, and don't know what your intention is, whether it is just to "rest a hand" or to hit or strike them in the head, try to twist it off, or something like that. I've also seen people, well intentioned, meaning to pet or feel a character and grab a hold of their head and move in a manner that is not comfortable to the character without realizing or thinking about it.

So that's why it's a hands off the head rule. About the only exceptions I've seen made is if someone very politely asked and explained first what they were going to do. But even then that's often declined.

After all, would you want someone sticking their fingers in your ear or rubbing the back of your head in public?

 

[Chef Mickey]

I think you're overreacting and you shouldn't ever touch a character's head.

 

[SirWillow]

Back in 2009 my wife and I met Stitch, yeah, I know, but we took a picture with him anyways. I was jokingly going to do some "bunny ears" behind his head but the cast member taking our picture told me not to do this. I just assumed it was based on a disrespect type of thing and he didn't like it. Maybe he was just nervous if I was coming close to touching his head, perhaps?

In this case it's making fun of the character. No bunny ears, no making gestures behind them, no doing anything that could make the character look bad. That's not allowed. From the character integrity stand point as well as the safety issue (making sure you aren't going to slap them in the back of the head for example)

However, they are allowed to make bunny ears behind your head.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Why, of all the things that one could do, would you decide that grabbing his ears would be fine with anyone. It would never occur to me to touch anyone anywhere if I didn't know them personally. The simple alternative would have been to use your words and state that you are moving behind him.

 

[J_Carioca]

Why, of all the things that one could do, would you decide that grabbing his ears would be fine with anyone. It would never occur to me to touch anyone anywhere if I didn't know them personally. The simple alternative would have been to use your words and state that you are moving behind him.

He didn't grab his ears. He stated in his first post that he put his hands on Mickey's head, near his ears. That's not the same thing as "grabbing".

My question is - how would the cast member inside even feel this through a thick costume? I would be inclined to think that his departure had nothing to do with you.

 

[LaughingGravy]

Keep in mind the size of these items. I wouldn't be surprised if possible neck damage could happen, depending. That could mess with someone for life.

 

[Goofyernmost]

He didn't grab his ears. He stated in his first post that he put his hands on Mickey's head, near his ears. That's not the same thing as "grabbing".

My question is - how would the cast member inside even feel this through a thick costume? I would be inclined to think that his departure had nothing to do with you.

So, you think it's ok to put your hands on his head. Ears or head the same thing applies. I fail to see the difference!

 

[KBLovedDisney]

Probably thought you were about to yank the costume portion of his head off...

When you go to get a picture with a costumed or any character for that matter, just stand next to them and smile.

 

[J_Carioca]

So, you think it's ok to put your hands on his head. Ears or head the same thing applies. I fail to see the difference!

Well if you fail to see the difference between head and ears I hope you're not a doctor.

The OP said he/she lightly placed a hand on Mickey's head. That is clearly not the same thing as "grabbing his ears".

Not everyone is born with an innate knowledge of what to do and what not to do when meeting a character at WDW. It's entirely possible that a guest might touch a character's (extremely large) head without malice, or perhaps without really thinking much at all. I can see how WDW would be concerned about possible "costume malfunctions" but that doesn't mean that anyone touching a character's head is committing some kind of capital crime, as you seem to suggest.

I've seen men wrap their arms around the waists of various princesses but no one seems to think that's a problem.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Well if you fail to see the difference between head and ears I hope you're not a doctor.

The OP said he/she lightly placed a hand on Mickey's head. That is clearly not the same thing as "grabbing his ears".

Not everyone is born with an innate knowledge of what to do and what not to do when meeting a character at WDW. It's entirely possible that a guest might touch a character's (extremely large) head without malice, or perhaps without really thinking much at all. I can see how WDW would be concerned about possible "costume malfunctions" but that doesn't mean that anyone touching a character's head is committing some kind of capital crime, as you seem to suggest.

I've seen men wrap their arms around the waists of various princesses but no one seems to think that's a problem.

I never once said it was a crime... but, there is such a thing as personal space even if it was a character. Would it lack common sense to say, walk up behind a blind person and touch his/her head with no warning? That is what this is about be it head, ears or any other body part. You seem to think that doing that is OK as long as it isn't the ears. I see no difference in the two because socially that is something that, yes, we should know is not what a thinking person would do.

Crime... don't be absurd, of course not. Massive social and physical error... you bet. If you were in a situation where you had no peripheral vision and were vulnerable to people that want to see what is under that foam head you would move quickly out of the way. There is no way to defend that action. It is OK to say that it was just a small lapse in judgement with no harm intended, that would be OK, but, that doesn't mean that the action was OK and the person asked if we could help them understand why Mickey had that reaction... that is why. They were wrong to do it and there is no justification for the action. There is an innocent excuse because there was no harm intended, but, it is something that just should not be done, ever. If they didn't know before.. now they do.23

 

[ninjaprincesst]

I have a relative who has been Dale for a while and they said not only do you have the possibility of a head falling off that pretty much touching or pushing on the head can choke the castember, mess up the line of sight, throw them off balance, or a host of other things depending on character and costume. I you want photos stan beside or kneel in front of the characters, don't touch the head of costume and don't get behind the character.