I’m just back from a week at WDW. It was an amazing trip, but one thing struck me as missing: the characters. Sure, you see them in the parades and at the various meet and greet spots. But I remember a time when characters were much more readily accessible throughout the parks. You might be walking along and run into a character on a sidewalk or near an attraction, but not in a roped off separate area. Granted the last two times I’ve gone it’s been the Christmas/New Years week, but is this a trend that’s year round now? I understand that the parks are becoming increasingly crowded so having herds of people gather around a character creates traffic flow issues. I also appreciate that cast member safety is critical. However, it feels like some of the joy that comes from a spontaneous character sighting/photo op has been lost from what I remember from trips past. Anyone else noticing this trend or is it just that I’m going at the “wrong” time of year?