A couple days ago, I had talked with a Disney representative through online chat on the website. I was afraid they weren't the right person to talk to about it, but I had to just ask somebody. You see, it's getting kind of old seeing the same few mascots every corner in WDW. Same couple princesses, Mickey, and a couple others. One character I have not seen in person at WDW but others have in the past is Claude Frollo. (Man, I could write a book on why this man is by far Disney's most underrated villain; Not to mention HoND is a criminally underrated movie overall.) Anyways, I started thinking about all the underrated characters and movies that would be nice to see in the parks. Others from HoND, Hercules, Jafar, Meg, and much more. So I had asked the representative if bringing these characters and mascots, who no longer make appearances, back to the parks would be something do-able. While he wasn't the person who could make it happen himself, what he did do what he recorded my request and sent it in to the people in charge of all the mascots/character related stuff. He also told me that one request wouldn't do much but if multiple people had the same idea and let their voices be heard, it may actually happen. He also gave me an email to contact to further discuss the return of the old favorites with a few Disney officials, however I need to find that address again. Wouldn't it be nice to see some forgotten faces back in the parks? What do you guys think?
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Possible return of old/favorite mascots at the parks.
- Thread starter twili_zora
- Start date
JIMINYCR
Well-Known Member
Sorry he got your hopes up. Writing or calling in and campaigning for more characters wont change a thing. Disney knows guests are already wanting more but its costly to have CM's and their helpers appearing onstage and they arent willing to add to the budgets. Its too bad because theres soooo many characters that guests would love to see and only a minor percentage of them ever make it out into the parks each day. So it comes down to staffing and costs.
OliveMcFly
Well-Known Member
Best thing to do is keep an eye out in Epcot near the second gate. During training you'll find some random and rarely seen characters. For example, back in 2007 the Sheriff of Nottingham was out near the Judge's Tent in Toontown.
Ah well, that's a darn shame. You'd think that the Disney reps would actually take things into consideration when their customers are paying an arm and a leg just to go to the parks.
That makes sense, to be honest. Despite the parks making millions in a matter of days, when you think about it, there are so many cast members that go into making that "Disney magic" that they'd probably make a good buck or two. Not to mention the costs for the firework shows, ride refurbishments, etc.
You mean over by the entry/exit where the Epcot resorts come through? I heard things about rare characters sometimes appearing over there. Also, is Toontown the little-kid area in Fantasyland? Where Barnstormers is? I've never actually been over there, and sometimes I even forget it exists.
Chef Mickey
Well-Known Member
The people on the phone and online chat literally have no control or input into what happens at WDW. They are literally paid to listen to you, tell you you’re right, and say they’ll pass along the information.
Maeryk
Well-Known Member
Gate between england and canada. Sometimes opens up, and trainee masks appear, earning their ears. Used to happen behind ToT at DHS as well, not sure if it still does, since they moved the smoking area there.
Cmdr_Crimson
Well-Known Member
Squigglove
Active Member
Now I'm legitimately sad. When JIMINYCR speaks on a matter you know it's valid.
I was 13 on my first trip and met Prince John and the Sheriff from Robin Hood and cherished that moment and the photos forever. However, the photos were lost in a move. And I know that even though those costumes were already invested in, they won't bother with the true, authentic, classic Walt Disney characters anymore because they're too busy dumping money into their digital cartoons - Cars, Toy Story, Nemo, etc... none of which I plan to ever see. The overflow and push for these new movies actually makes Disney World a slight disappointment for me. What about it being for "children of all ages?" What about what I grew up on? My son doesn't even know who these characters are because they never play the classics on any of the Disney channels!
OliveMcFly
Well-Known Member
Yes, the name escapes me right now. I want to say International Gateway. I'm not sure where to find them in the new area where Toontown was but I'm sure they have a location now as they did 10 years ago. Also, in Epcot random characters can appear in the hallway near Character Spot and near the Future World fountain facing World Showcase outside of Innoventions.
Yeah, I get it now.
JIMINYCR
Well-Known Member
I still have my treasure trove of Disney VHS's that I can pop into the VCR... it's still working!! So some of the favorites still play in my house when I have a need to watch some real Disney. Others like the classic cartoon shorts I find them on Youtube. Same as you ... its been years since I saw Robin Hood, Prince John or the Sheriff last, they no longer matter to the new generation of kids.
Ah, how I wish both of my old VCR's still work. I have tons of great movies I love on VHS tapes in my basement but they've been untouched for so long. It's not like you can walk into Best Buy or something and get a new one nowadays. I sometimes wonder if my younger cousins even know what a VCR is.
Mander
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- No
To be fair, those "digital cartoons" are pretty high quality (maybe minus Cars 2) and have wonderful characters.
It's okay for younger generations to love the newer characters more. I grew up watching Disney movies of all sorts- the classics included. My favorite? The Lion King. I believe I would have been six when it came out and I remember how much merchandise and promotion there was at the time. Sometimes I wish there was more Lion King stuff now (seriously, it's my absolute favorite) but it's 2017 and kids love Frozen, Cars, and more. I love Disney. I love the parks and have a fantastic time when I am there. Sure it would be nice if they rolled out older characters more often. But I feel like more so than anything else, the characters are for kids (not that adults can't enjoy them) and I understand using the characters they love most more often.
Also, Disney Movie Club has a great stock of the classic films on bluray. I just joined to bulk up our Disney movie collection and Robin Hood was one of my selections. I was pretty excited as I hadn't seen it on bluray anywhere else and it is a great film!
Amidala
Well-Known Member
Exactly. Obviously you're going to love the characters you grew up with and bemoan the fact that they're not as popular anymore...That's a fact of life. Personally I think it's a shame that it's next to impossible to find Mulan and Esmeralda merchandise. Some Disney renaissance movies stuck in the public consciousness (and still sell merchandise) but others were forgotten. The same goes for Disney movies from every era, and I'm sure some recent movies will fade into obscurity thirty years from now. The quality of movies is going to range from low to high in literally every decade. There are still plenty of meet and greets with classic characters (Alice in Wonderland characters, Peter Pan characters, Pooh Bear characters, Pinocchio, Dumbo, classic princesses, Marie, Baloo, Mary Poppins, etc.) There are relatively "obscure" classic characters like the Three Caballeros and Mr. Toad still represented in attractions at the parks.
That being said, I would love to see some more variety in the characters you can meet...I would love to meet characters that seem to have been buried through the years, either because their movies weren't very successful or didn't find an audience with the current generation. But it really all does come down to money vs. guest satisfaction. If a CM is on your payroll, it makes more sense to hire her as Elsa than it does to hire her as Eilonwy...Why spend money on a wardrobe and multiple employee salaries for a character that most guests won't recognize?
Unrelated: Frollo is literally the last character I would want to meet in the parks. He's an incredible, complex villain, but he's also genuinely evil in a way that goes beyond the cartoonish villainy of your average Disney antagonist. On top of his lack of popularity, not sure I would want my kids snapping pictures with him.
Mander
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- No
Frollo, seriously. I rewatched Hunchback of Notre Dame for the first time a few years ago and finally realized how creepy, terrible, and evil he is. Hands down the most terrifying Disney villain. I would not want to meet him. Hellfire is a great song though!
SteamboatJoe
Well-Known Member
They have 90 years worth of characters so I can't necessarily blame them for not getting more out than they do. Especially the ones from films that are not as popular with the general population.