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View Full Version : Characters in the parks Sunday (May) 31st



murdock23
06-01-2009, 07:37 AM
As a frequent visitor to both Disneyland and California Adventure and an occasional visitor to the Disney World Resort I have to say that Disney World blows the Disneyland Resort away in regards to the variety and quantity of characters you will find in their parks. However I must give kudos where it is due. On May 31st the Disneyland Resort had mass quantities of characters out and a wide variety all available for interaction and pictures. The following were all available on Main Street or in the Backlot of California Adventure: The Fab 5 of course along with Chip and Dale. Also, Sulley, Mr. Incredible, Brer Bear, Captain Hook, Max, Meeko, Rafiki, Baloo, Peter Pan, Alice, Mad Hatter, Pinocchio, Jesse, Woody, The Evil Queen from Snow White, Stitch, Penguins, Mary Poppins, Burt, Cinderella's Mouse, the White Rabbit, Tweedle Dee and Dum, Pooh, Tigger, and the best one of all.. a very rare sighting of Daisy Duck..

so thank you very much Disney for finally giving us a lot of characters and for bringing out some that haven't been seen in a while.

AVP
06-01-2009, 08:45 AM
On May 31st the Disneyland Resort had mass quantities of characters out and a wide variety all available for interaction and pictures.Someone else mentioned this yesterday, and it's something I see every once in a while. When I asked a CM friend about it a few years ago, they told me that unusual character activity like this is a training session for some cast members. He said that some managers have (or get) to do a character training shift, and that's why you'll see really unusual characters - they have to find costumes to fit the people being trained.

Another person told me that this is a cross-training day for new CMs in the character department, and people spend the day rotating through all of the costumes in their "size."

I bet Chipmunk Star could shed some light on what yesterday's activity was about.

AVP

murdock23
06-01-2009, 08:54 AM
well that would seem to make sense.. it was like a large batch would all come out at once.. sometimes 10 at a time.. never seen that many out all at the same time before.. i forgot, Kenai from Brother Bear was also out. I have seen him in his Brother Bear show but never out in the park.

Well whatever the reason, training or otherwise as a character hunter it gets frustrating to only see Goofy and Pluto running around. I know that people that don't visit the parks often want to see those characters but why not mix in some lesser known characters every once in awhile?

when i asked a cast member later if Daisy would be returning they said no.. she was only out the one time and went back to PCH to prepare for a character dinner.. which would seem to support your theory that it was a training exercise. They needed more smaller "costumes" and borrowed the Daisy from the PCH grill to use in the park.

Tisha
06-01-2009, 07:16 PM
Someone else mentioned this yesterday, and it's something I see every once in a while. When I asked a CM friend about it a few years ago, they told me that unusual character activity like this is a training session for some cast members. He said that some managers have (or get) to do a character training shift, and that's why you'll see really unusual characters - they have to find costumes to fit the people being trained.

Another person told me that this is a cross-training day for new CMs in the character department, and people spend the day rotating through all of the costumes in their "size."

I bet Chipmunk Star could shed some light on what yesterday's activity was about.

AVP

This sounds likely. I was there on Friday and saw a large group of people with sticky name tags and mickey heads on them. I figured they were new employees being trained. Maybe I'm way off.
:rolleyes:

potzbie
06-02-2009, 01:46 PM
Say!
Is this cross-training a one-day thing?
Or should I make a special trip this week to see a dozen (!) characters all out at once?

Hannahbelle
06-02-2009, 01:50 PM
I'm so jealous! I have this on going thing with character pictures that I started with my kids over 15 years ago (scrapbook) and many of those characters you mentioned are VERY rare to find. Wow, wish I could of been there. I have to bribe my 12 year old now to take pictures with them.....oh but I love having those pictures! The best one is of my daughter at 5 months old literally sucking on Tigger's nose as my husband held her up to see him! It was rubber back than not cloth like it is now a days! PRICELESS! (She of course was going through that stage where everything got put to the mouth!

ChipmunkStar
06-02-2009, 03:48 PM
I bet Chipmunk Star could shed some light on what yesterday's activity was about.

Why,I have no idea what you could possibly mean! ;)

Anyways, every once in a while, the characters decide to make a grand (and notably random) appearance in the parks. When it happens, it happens. It's an unpredictable occurance, but I wouldn't expect to see it again in the very near future.

murdock23
06-03-2009, 10:47 AM
hey chipmunk star...

what happens to the costumes from movies that were released years ago.. do they just collect dust in the back because no one uses them? or do they send them to other parks, or destroy them? for instance when the Hunchback of Notre Dame came out you could find the entire cast in the parks. Quasimodo, Frollo, Clopin, Esmerelda, Phoebus, and all 3 Gargoyles. Same with Hercules. I remember seeing Phil in the park. So what happens to those costumes? and if they do still exist why don't we see them out and about every so often. It would be great to see more unusual character out and about every so often.