Characters: Meet & Greet or Mingle?

[Escapay]

Back in the day, characters used to just walk around a specified area for 40 minutes or so, then go back backstage, allowing for more freedom in which they could be their character. But these days, you've got scheduled appearances, lines, and 20-30 minutes onstage before taking 40 minutes offstage.

Given the fact that children can be vicious and mob characters, regular Mingling is hardly ever done, it's almost always a scheduled Meet & Greet.

So my question is: Which would you prefer seeing characters do? Mingle or Meet & Greet?

I personally prefer mingling. I remember as late as 1999, we saw Peter Pan mingling around in Adventureland, and it wasn't too crowded, so we actually were able to stop him (or her) and had a nice chat before he went and mingled some more. But at the same time you've got Mickey who can't exactly mingle, so sometimes Meet & Greet would be better. But characters seem more fun when they actually walk around the land, have fun with the kids, etc. Nowadays they walk out, sign some papers, take a picture, then walk back in.

Escapay

[memnv]

When I was at DisneyLand in November we saw both mingling and meet and greets, We saw people like Evil Queen, Goofy, Dale, Ugly Duckling, Belle, and a few others wandering around the park and we got pictures and autographs in the boys scrapbooks. We also saw Characters like Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofey, Chip and Dale plus more on Main Street for meet and Greets, We also went to a meet and Greet at Ariels Grotto. Buzz Lightyear comes out on a schedule in Frontierland by the resturant and dances at the stage. Another great place was going to a character breakfest to meet them

[Fidget1234]

I would say there is more "mingling" at the character meals w/ the face characters. But I've mingled w/ the characters before & watched them on shift- its good to see more mingling-wish they could do it more-but between crowds & stuff- its gotta be harder for everyone.

[Disney Princess Ariellen]

I miss mingling too...I like that Meet and Greets at WDW make it easy for you to know where and when you can find that favorite character of yours and the people with them, whatever they call them now (I believe the term 'character attendant' has replaced 'character greeter' at last check) can take a picture of your whole group and also cut off the line so you don't get in line, stand there forever, and then watch as Mickey goes on his cheese break feeling sad that you didn't get a hug. I guess I just think that putting EVERYTHING down on a schedule and having an attendant come announcing characters' arrival kills some of the magic and spontaneity.

When I went to Disneyland a few weeks ago, though, mingling seemed to be alive and well! Not every character that I saw even had an attendant and several of them were just walking through, or in a specific area but without people in a line. This really reminded me of how much I missed the fun of happening to stop upon a character or characters and really getting some time with him/her/them before the crowd realized what was going on. I got to mingle with Prince Phillip and Snow White (not together, though...Aurora and...um...THE Prince wouldn't have liked that!) in Fantasyland, Wendy on Main Street, USA, and Mulan at DCA. My mom and I also saw Aurora, Belle, Cinderella, and Prince Charming heading in for a break, but they were unaccompanied by any attendants or anything, so it seemed they'd been mingling too...lots of people were saying "We didn't even know they were AROUND today!" And on Valentine's Day...Mickey and Minnie were sitting on a park bench together, and people were just watching them. It was awesome. Mingling seems to be the popular thing there...the meet and greet at Mickey's House in Toontown was really, really well-organized, but not all the meet-and-greets were that way. We tried to get in line to meet Cinderella and Prince Charming but decided to leave when the attendant told the still-growing line that they only had 5 minutes left. I know it's tough to turn people away from the line, but I think it's worse to stand there and stand there and not get to see Cinderella. We met Goofy at DCA, and his attendant seemed unsure of how/where the crowd standing around him should form a line...it was more like a semi-organized blob that groaned together when someone ran past all of us to get a picture and said "OH...I didn't realize I had to WAIT..." It just seemed like the characters had a little more freedom and no entourage of attendants surrounding them, and the Guests were able to work out a system so that everyone around who wanted to meet people got a chance, and no one griped and whined when Aurora said she was on her way in, but did take notice of a little kid gazing at her with starry-eyes and stopped to give the kid a hug and walk around with her hand in hand before going in.

So...it seems mingling is more popular at DL and meet and greet at WDW, and while meet and greets are nice and efficient, mingling makes a character encounter more special and I wish that it still existed more at WDW. Those are my thoughts.

[jwa1107]

it's nice to have some meet & greets, where you can definitely see certain charcaters by waiting in line, etc.

but the surprise that can come with a mingling is a unique thrill when you happen upon a character out and about in the park

[Kram Nebuer]

"Mingle! Go mingle!"

lol, fun high school memory!

But, yeah, I'd prefer mingling, so long as there aren't too many guests in the park. When there's a lot of people, I think you really don't have a choice for the safety of the character. I guess if autograph books and cameras weren't too popular, mingling with large crowds would work. It would be nice to see the face characters mingle since they can acutally talk back to you. Main Street could have Mary Poppins and Bert and Anthony Biddle, Cordelia Drexel Biddle, that'd be cool. Maybe even Pollyanna and others. Except for Poppins and Bert, since the others are not as well known, they'd be good minglers and promotors for their movies, hehehe.

[Fidget1234]

AAA is now running a new exclusive when u book through them & upgrade to meal plans where you get a voucher for a "story-telling" w/ a face character.

I went for story-telling the other day when I was in FL & there was a small group of like no more then 15-20 in the AAA lounge in MK.

Alice was the story-teller & she was amazing! VERY good w/ kids of ALL ages- even the young teens who didnt want their pic taken w/ her-she managed to get them off their feet & take a pic.

Characters also seen in story-telling so far have been: Fairy Godmother, and Aladdin. There have been 3 so far & more to come.

The stories all revolve around the same thing: choices.

In Aladdins story it is after Jafar is turned into a genie & he is given a choice: to be turned back into human form to help others or to remain a genie and turn peoples wishes into 'bad choices' where the term- be careful what u wish for comes into play.
Naturally-Jafar makes the bad choice & Aladdin talks about the choices we make may resolve in a the life we lead.

Fairy Godmothers story starts off before the cinderella story. She is an outcast younger fairy who attends a fairy ball where everything goes wrong and is ridiculed by her fellow fairygodmothers. the queen of the Fairygodpeople points out she can make a choice: a good fairy to help others or a bad to spoil others, and she obviously goes w/ the good and then she talks about the choices we make speech.


The characters get alot of mingle time w/ the guests here- it is way better then a meal & way more personal.
kids can get their autographs/pictures/conversation.

Alice was REALLY good w/ the guests-especially the kids and my mom (who is one of the 3 aaa reps for the storytelling) said that aladdin & fairygodmother were exceptional too- especially Fairy GM.

If u get a chance on your next vaca to attend this- it shouldnt be missed. memories for life. but u can only do it thro aaa- it is not just for regular guests.

[Robin Hood]

Given the fact that children can be vicious and mob characters

I have run into some crazy mothers at Disneyland.

[JiminyCrick91]

I personally prefer mingling. I remember as late as 1999, we saw Peter Pan mingling around in Adventureland, and it wasn't too crowded, so we actually were able to stop him (or her) and had a nice chat before he went and mingled some more. But at the same time you've got Mickey who can't exactly mingle, so sometimes Meet & Greet would be better. But characters seem more fun when they actually walk around the land, have fun with the kids, etc. Nowadays they walk out, sign some papers, take a picture, then walk back in.

Escapay

I saw in the summer of 2003 it was a rainy and just plan blah day but then we saw good Ol' Peter jumping in puddles with a a trail of about 8 kids behind doing the same everybody in the lines of rides and shows just all had a great big laugh and smile.

Also I Also prefer mingling like when Cruella De Vil in 199-something (the last time I did belive that characters were really real-- I mean I was young but borderline for that at that time.) I put my book up hoping she whould sign it. Her face was so incredibly funny and the way she said "oh alright!" grabed it out of my hands, signed it, gave it back, stormed off and jumped off the train. Some mother looked very angry about the way I was treated but I just laughed and was happy because I knew that was the way of the character.Its just so much more fun.

[Escapay]

I personally prefer mingling. I remember as late as 1999, we saw Peter Pan mingling around in Adventureland, and it wasn't too crowded, so we actually were able to stop him (or her) and had a nice chat before he went and mingled some more. But at the same time you've got Mickey who can't exactly mingle, so sometimes Meet & Greet would be better. But characters seem more fun when they actually walk around the land, have fun with the kids, etc. Nowadays they walk out, sign some papers, take a picture, then walk back in.

Escapay

I saw in the summer of 2003 it was a rainy and just plan blah day but then we saw good Ol' Peter jumping in puddles with a a trail of about 8 kids behind doing the same everybody in the lines of rides and shows just all had a great big laugh and smile.

That sounds so cool! I wish I could have seen that!

Escapay

[skyler888]

peter pan seems to be one of teh best caracters for mingling, i remember one time at disney land my little brother got to have a sword fight with peter pan and captain hook.

also i think disney land is more into mingling then WDW