Someone please save Pooh at EPCOT

[TrainsOfDisney]

The hours they’re open is a lot longer compared to other parks too.

I feel like you are just making statements. Disneyland park is usually open longer than any other USA parks (8-12 vs. 9-10 today, for example). It’s very rare to not see multiple characters out in town square from park open to close. (They are not out during parades and fireworks obviously).

I know for the way that I visit, it seems like Disneyland and DCA are filled with characters and the magic kingdom is empty. But I don’t wait 30+ minutes to greet characters in a small room, I just wave to them as I walk by.

Certainly the variety of characters is more at Disneyland that’s for sure

 

[drizgirl]

Princess meet is 4 rooms with 2 Princesses per room. Ariel is 2 rooms. The hours they’re open is a lot longer compared to other parks too. Pete’s Sideshow also has relatively long hours too compared to other parks meet and greets


Enchanted Tales with Belle is also very labor intensive

It's that way because the demand is there. When people are standing in those lines, they aren't in line for headline attractions. And people are actually buying G+ to utilize those lines. They get away with fewer attractions in the MK because people are off standing in line for characters.

 

[wdrive]

I feel like you are just making statements. Disneyland park is usually open longer than any other USA parks (8-12 vs. 9-10 today, for example). It’s very rare to not see multiple characters out in town square from park open to close. (They are not out during parades and fireworks obviously).

I know for the way that I visit, it seems like Disneyland and DCA are filled with characters and the magic kingdom is empty. But I don’t wait 30+ minutes to greet characters in a small room, I just wave to them as I walk by.

Certainly the variety of characters is more at Disneyland that’s for sure

I’m really not just making statements. You’re correct in that the variety of characters is vastly bigger at Disneyland. But in terms of numbers there’s way more people working each day at WDW than Disneyland.

It shows how well Disneyland does it though that they make it appear otherwise

 

[wdrive]

It's that way because the demand is there. When people are standing in those lines, they aren't in line for headline attractions. And people are actually buying G+ to utilize those lines. They get away with fewer attractions in the MK because people are off standing in line for characters.

I’ve never said otherwise

Although a character meet and greet capacity is dwarfed by any real attractions capacity

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

But in terms of numbers there’s way more people working each day at WDW than Disneyland.

I’m not sure that’s a true statement.

 

[wdrive]

I’m not sure that’s a true statement.

Ok

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Ok

do you work in the character department or have access to character schedules at both MK and DL? Like I’m trying to figure out if you are just guessing or not.

Cause any math I do Disneyland comes out way ahead.

 

[wdrive]

do you work in the character department or have access to character schedules at both MK and DL? Like I’m trying to figure out if you are just guessing or not.

Cause any math I do Disneyland comes out way ahead.

If I was guessing I’d say I was guessing

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

If I was guessing I’d say I was guessing

Well we know the variety of characters you can meet is way higher at Disneyland park.

I’m not sure how having 3 mickeys in rooms beats out all the characters out in town square at Disneyland but maybe if you count the hours in a weird way.

 

[wdrive]

Well we know the variety of characters you can meet is way higher at Disneyland park.

I’m not sure how having 3 mickeys in rooms beats out all the characters out in town square at Disneyland but maybe if you count the hours in a weird way.

By itself no it doesn’t. Disneyland also has three rooms for
Mickey.

‘All the characters out in Town Square’ isn’t actually that many relative to other locations.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

All the characters out in Town Square’ isn’t actually that many relative to other locations.

Throughout the day I always see Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Pluto, goofy, chip, dale out and about - plus Cruella by the fire station during the daytime. Princesses often are around town square in the afternoon as well.

Mad hatter and Alice are usually out plus Mary and Burt, Pinocchio, gipetto, and the evil queen roaming by the castle and fantasyland.

Tiana rides the riverboat, encanto and coco are by the Mexican restaurant, tink has her meet in fantasyland, Pooh and friends meet in critter country, then there are all the storm troopers and chewie, and kylo, and mandolorian in galaxies edge.

Live action mermaid in fantasyland (if that’s still a thing? It was on my last visit).

Stitch is usually in Tomorrowland along with some other pals - I even saw that female chipmunk once! Darth Vader meets in Tomorrowland too.

red and captain jack roam New Orleans.

And of course toontown has the dedicated meets for Mickey and Minnie and then you see other characters like Pete roaming around as well.

I don’t even try to look for characters!

 

[wdrive]

Throughout the day I always see Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Pluto, goofy, chip, dale out and about - plus Cruella by the fire station during the daytime. Princesses often are around town square in the afternoon as well.

Mad hatter and Alice are usually out plus Mary and Burt, Pinocchio, gipetto, and the evil queen roaming by the castle and fantasyland.

Tiana rides the riverboat, encanto and coco are by the Mexican restaurant, tink has her meet in fantasyland, Pooh and friends meet in critter country, then there are all the storm troopers and chewie, and kylo, and mandolorian in galaxies edge.

Live action mermaid in fantasyland (if that’s still a thing? It was on my last visit).

Stitch is usually in Tomorrowland along with some other pals - I even saw that female chipmunk once!

red and captain jack roam New Orleans.

And of course toontown has the dedicated meets for Mickey and Minnie and then you see other characters like Pete roaming around as well.

I don’t even try to look for characters!

Oh I know.
I’m not sure you grasp how many people it takes to make these multi room meet and greets work

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Oh I know.
I’m not sure you grasp how many people it takes to make these multi room meet and greets work

I guess more than there should be if Disneyland has more characters out for less money! Lol.

 

[wdrive]

I guess more than there should be if Disneyland has more characters out for less money! Lol.

As someone in here was saying earlier, it’s the different demographics of guests that dictate it really. For example plenty of WDW guests simply must meet Cinderella or their day is ruined. Most Disneyland guests have met Cinderella before and will be back next week anyway if they don’t see her today.

 

[Bocabear]

Well...perhaps Disney should have been investing in attractions for all of those years instead of shoving character meet and greets down our throats... then they could have saved on labor....while creating a lasting improvement to the park.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

As someone in here was saying earlier, it’s the different demographics of guests that dictate it really. For example plenty of WDW guests simply must meet Cinderella or their day is ruined. Most Disneyland guests have met Cinderella before and will be back next week anyway if they don’t see her today.

I’m not loyal to one coast, I grew up with WDW and there are things about WDW that I will always love.

But I’ve never bought this “oh it’s different demographics” excuse. It’s the same thing I hear for all the extra live entertainment at Disneyland, and more Main Street vehicles, more restaurants, etc,

 

[wdrive]

I’m not loyal to one coast, I grew up with WDW and there are things about WDW that I will always love.

But I’ve never bought this “oh it’s different demographics” excuse. It’s the same thing I hear for all the extra live entertainment at Disneyland, and more Main Street vehicles, more restaurants, etc,

Out of interest what would be your reasoning be for the differences? A sweeping generalisation by me but I do think a lot of it is the once in a lifetime tourists at WDW vs the regular locals at Disneyland

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

What would your reasoning be for the differences? A sweeping generalisation by me but I do think a lot of it is the once in a lifetime tourists at WDW vs the regular locals at Disneyland

A mix of Cost cutting and management trying to control every move WDW guests make. You can’t reserve a genie+ to meet Mary Poppins at Disneyland…. It just happens. It’s a much more impromptu and magical experience.

Of course the control of every move is to help maximize profits.

At Disneyland - I feel like there are more long term CM’s from attraction on up to management that care about the magic more than at WDW. (Of course some WDW CM’s care…. But there are more short term WDW workers who are just there for CP and / or resume building).

I think there are more once in a lifetime guests at Disneyland than most think and I think there are more regular visitors to WDW than most people think as well.

 

[JMcMahonEsq]

I’m not loyal to one coast, I grew up with WDW and there are things about WDW that I will always love.

But I’ve never bought this “oh it’s different demographics” excuse. It’s the same thing I hear for all the extra live entertainment at Disneyland, and more Main Street vehicles, more restaurants, etc,

Of course its the same, because that's what you gear your sales towards, your individual customer base. Why would Disney the company do anything besides gearing its offerings towards the difference customer bases of the different parks. What makes more sense to you, that Disneyland has different types of guests, than WDW, so the companies base their offerings accordingly, or that the company just does one thing at one location, and something else at a different location just because? That that the know one type of offering would work just as good as both locations, but they purposefully choose to do a different, less marketable offering...for no reason?

 

[Bocabear]

The "Visitors who only come once in a lifetime" is such a lame excuse...So because the visitors to WDW are paying more for every part of their (in general) multi day vacation to Walt Disney World, they should get less entertainment, less attention to detail, less maintenance and cleanliness and more overcrowding, more restrictions, more necessary planning.... Doesn't seem to make sense.
WDW is my home park and I always thought that I was so lucky to live not far from it...but after my first trip to Disneyland I did a 180...Sure Disneyland is smaller...but every detail feels more genuine and charming... I am a bit envious of those that have Disneyland in their weekly drop by plans... you certainly can't do that at WDW...