When did WDW start making meeting characters so organised?

[zero creativity]

Same still goes for the Magic Kingdom.
Assuming you're not making a beeline for an E-ticket after rope drop, this is the most common time to see characters do a little free roaming.


That would have had to be a very, very long time ago, then. My parents bought me a little yellow Disney World autograph book when I was a little kid, around 1986.
I want to say the books were available for several years before then, too.

I can't remember much about character interactions back then. There might have been lines, but I think they formed organically, without queue ropes or anything like that.

We had breakfast, I think at the Poly, in 1988 and they had character themed menus that the characters signed.

 

[WondersOfLife]

I see the logic but when did this come into play?

I remember characters walking around the parks and you just walked up to them (which I understand was chaotic at times). It was kinda nice though that you never knew who you may find round the next corner. Now you seem to have set places where set characters stand and you just queue (and queue and queue and queue!)

Doesn't particularly affect our family as we don't do character photos unless the line is mega low but how do you guys with kids feel about this? Is it better now or before?

I personally found that the characters walking freely around the parks at Disneyland was a lot more magical than walking directly to assigned spaces.. But like somebody else said.. It must be a lot harder to put up with.

 

[Californian Elitist]

It must be a lot harder to put up with.

It's not, actually. The guests at Disneyland know not to mob the characters, so it works out.

 

[AllyInWonderland]

During MNSSHP in October, I went up to the balcony by the Main Street train station to get my picture made with the Tremaines, but it was almost time for them to go to their "music lessons". I followed them down from the balcony, and as soon as those Stepsisters touched the ground, they started running around causing chaos. Little kids kept following Anastasia around, so she kept trying to run away from them and she hid behind her mother

Then the girls kept doing cartwheels. During all of this, I asked the CM who was with them if this was a normal thing for them to roam around because I have heard of DL's characters being allowed to walk around the park. She said no and that this was a one and that it wasn't normal for them.

Then Drizella got distracted by some glowy merchandise. In her words "It's so pretty..."

During that time, families kept coming up to them asking them for pictures. They were allowed to, as long as it was quick. I wanted my picture with them, so I kept calling Anastasia's name but people just kept coming up to them. I kept calling her name until she turned around yelling "WHAAAAAAT?!" and I took the opportunity to get my picture with them.

It was pretty neat getting to see them run around.

 

[MOXOMUMD]

@AllyBaker3 I remember dining at GF with my niece for her BD and Anastasia stole the birthday crown my niece was given because "she deserved to be the princess not Cinderella" and went into this small dialogue about how we should forget the shoe, the crown fit. Then she proceeded to wear it for the next ten minutes (greeting other families) until her mother reprimanded her for playing with things that weren't hers and brought the crown back to my niece.

 

[ToyStorygirl]

Thanks for all your replies.

I'm just glad nobody I holiday with is bothered too much by character poses. Must double the hours you need to spend in the parks with all that queuing up

 

[minniemickeyfan]

I do remember our first trip in Aug 2003 when we saw all the dwarfs roaming freely in Mickeys Toontown.
Star Wars weekends even today has some roaming characters.

 

[The Magical Genie 123]

Characters have had organized lines for a while. The only thing that doesn't really have lines is Character Palooza, which is total chaos.

 

[Marc Gil]

I just vistited Magic Kingdom yesterday and saw the Tremaines roaming around Fantasyland. It was hilarious. They stopped for pictures later at the Fantasyland castle wall, but with no character helper/photographer.

 

[Jim Chandler]

Character queues probably started around the same time that character autograph books debuted.

No books were available long before queues

 

[Fable McCloud]

I think it's safer this way. People won't get run over trying to stampede to catch Mickey. It also can make it more exciting depending on the kids personality.

The only sad part is all those commercials where kids just run up and meet Mickey....those are lies now.

 

[Uncle Remus]

It's not, actually. The guests at Disneyland know not to mob the characters, so it works out.

My family and I went to the Magic Kingdom on Saturday. In Frontierland (around 5:45 I think) Brer Rabbit, Brer Bear, 3 Country Bears, Horace and Clarabelle were all walking around freely. It was awesome. People patiently waited, allowed others to take pictures. Nobody mobbed them. I was pleasantly surprised.

 

[Mousey21]

I went to Paris when I was 11, and all of the pictures with characters are the charcter, in front of them a crowd of people, in front of that me. because I was too polite to push anyone, and am very prone to panic attacks in crowds, it was HORRIBLE. We went to Florida in October and I much prefered it, the majority of times we only had to wait between 5 and 15 minutes, we managed to meet 31 characters altogether and our DD loved it, she got to spend time just her and them and we have some gorgeous photos, without other children shoving in. I didn't mind waiting, it's all part of it.

 

[Bairstow]

For those who prefer te Florida method to the Disneyland or Paris chaos, is the "point" of having characters in the park to produce orderly, one-on-one photographs, or for the experience and interaction in general?

 

[ToyStorygirl]

As I said in my OP it doesn't really matter to me as we don't as a family do character meets. When I did though (many, many years ago *sigh*) I loved the excitement of finding a random character round each corner. I remember in MGM (told you I'm old) getting a photo with Roger Rabbit and The Genie whilst waiting in line for the Backlot Tour (they actually just walked up to the queue).

That to me is more exciting than finding a map and planning "right we're meeting Snow White here then Jasmin here"

I do understand you get to have better photos though so can understand the benefits definitely.

FYI when I was in Disney Land, California I walked straight up to Minnie and Mickey and got a photo no problem. People weren't pushing or shoving despite it being the big M's!

Disney Land Paris - well. Least said about the manners there the better (and that's just the staff)

 

[Communicore]

Characters walking freely is great. Things like that Character Spot at Epcot Theme Park seem weird in my opinion.

 

[Mousey21]

For those who prefer te Florida method to the Disneyland or Paris chaos, is the "point" of having characters in the park to produce orderly, one-on-one photographs, or for the experience and interaction in general?

I personally love the idea of them being around and bumping into them, but to me, from my experience and friends experiences from Paris, it doesn't work, If you're getting shoved out of the way or can't get to them, then there's no experience of interacting with them, it's just chaotic. I'd rather there be a spot where maybe yes you have to plan, but surely having that interaction is better than none at all, or getting hurt in the process of trying to have an interaction?
People are just too rude and selfish these days, I had a woman shove my three year old out of the way for the monorail and she was politely waiting in line with us, never mind wandering characters haha.

 

[psukardi]

Prefer it this way. Now I can see a character without some precious little snowflake bum-rushing the character and their helicopter parent trying to push me out of the way. Not that I go out of my way to see characters mind you - except for Star Wars Weekends and Mexican Donald

 

[ToyStorygirl]

I personally love the idea of them being around and bumping into them, but to me, from my experience and friends experiences from Paris, it doesn't work, If you're getting shoved out of the way or can't get to them, then there's no experience of interacting with them, it's just chaotic. I'd rather there be a spot where maybe yes you have to plan, but surely having that interaction is better than none at all, or getting hurt in the process of trying to have an interaction?
People are just too rude and selfish these days, I had a woman shove my three year old out of the way for the monorail and she was politely waiting in line with us, never mind wandering characters haha.

Yeah fair enough. If I'm having a coffee nearby or wandering past looking at the character lines I always feel for the kids waiting as some people take too long. It's fine having interaction if you're say under 9 or 10 but some teens or worse adults seem to spend ages chatting away and taking way too many photos. You shouldn't feel rushed but in a way you should. Am I going to waste time with a character beyond a quick photo when there's a child beside themselves waiting to meet their hero behind me?

I also think anybody over the age of 12 with an autograph book needs to be slapped.

 

[Mousey21]

Yeah fair enough. If I'm having a coffee nearby or wandering past looking at the character lines I always feel for the kids waiting as some people take too long. It's fine having interaction if you're say under 9 or 10 but some teens or worse adults seem to spend ages chatting away and taking way too many photos. You shouldn't feel rushed but in a way you should. Am I going to waste time with a character beyond a quick photo when there's a child beside themselves waiting to meet their hero behind me?

I also think anybody over the age of 12 with an autograph book needs to be slapped.

Yeah I was always very aware that we didn't take too long because of the other children behind us, but also made sure we didn't rush so she got the most out of it, it feels like a lot longer than it is, and we always went for the short lines, which surprisingly were most of them. I think it depends on the trip aswell, do you go several times a year, once every few years, or will this be the ONLY time you ever go.

I think if the kid really wants to do it, then do it, but if they're forced they wont enjoy it, and it'll be a huge waste of time, Our DD waited over an hour perfectly to see Tink because she REALLY wanted to meet her, but if it was someone she said she didn't, we know that wait would of been pure hell.