Being a cast member at Disneyland does not pay well, and for characters can be a very taxing job. Fully costumed characters must deal with heavy, hot costumes and limited visibility; “face” characters, such as Alice and Princess Tiana, have to remain perpetually smiling and polite while confronted with hordes of excited children. Visitors to Disneyland can show their appreciation by following a few rules of etiquette surrounding character meets.
Tips for Having Characters Sign Autographs
A fat marker pen is easier to handle than a thin one for characters with gloved or padded hands, such as Winnie the Pooh. Characters sign autograph books, clothing, scraps of paper, Disneyland maps, photos and so on. For a fun gift or souvenir, ask the character to sign in indelible marker on the glass or plastic of a photo frame, then slip the photo of the character and your child into the frame later.
Talking to Characters at Disneyland
Characters in full costume (without visible faces) such as Mickey, Minnie and Donald do not speak, but are adept at communicating through sign language. It is fine to ask questions that can easily be answered with gestures (such as “Which is your favourite ride?”), but trying to trick the characters into speaking is poor etiquette.
Face characters at Disney theme parks are expected to remain in character at all times. These cast members tend to be adept at improvisation, and can talk on a variety of subjects as Maleficent or Cinderella. During quieter times when the characters are not in hot demand, it can be fun to engage them in conversation. However, heckling and insulting the characters or their films is rude. Telling Snow White’s evil stepmother “I saw the prettiest girl in the world over there!” will probably elicit a creative response; telling Ariel that she’s a spoiled brat who nearly lost her father’s kingdom will probably cause the character’s handler to step in.
During autograph signing sessions characters have little time to talk. A better time to initiate conversation is during a character meal, when characters are under less pressure and have fewer guests to entertain. It is wise to warn children that a character walking around the park may not have ten minutes to spare for a chat.
Some regular Disneyland visitors like to lurk around the character entrances and exists in Disneyland in order to be sure of catching them. While meeting characters when they are freshly on-shift is a good idea, it is not polite to waylay cast members who are trying to go on a break or finish their shift.
Touching Disneyland Characters
Characters are used to being hugged by children or having someone’s arm around them for photos (although villains may not allow it!). Remind children to be gentle – even padded characters like Baloo are not punching bags, and children have a tendency to run into them at full tilt.
For health and safety reasons, characters may not pick up guests. They will squat down to children’s eye level for photos if possible. Padded characters also tend to have limited visibility with no peripheral vision, so it is polite to approach them from the front. Hanging around them from the side waiting to be noticed will probably not work!
The most important rule of thumb to remember when meeting Disneyland characters is that they are people, not simply attractions. While they may love working at Disneyland and will try to make a visit magical for children, they still have schedules, personal boundaries and a desire to be treated with respect. Encouraging children to smile and say “Thank you” after receiving an autograph will go a long way towards keeping Disney’s characters cheerful and dedicated.
Sarah Tennant - Sarah Tennant is a onetime English major who lives in New Zealand with her husband and two small children. Her interests range from ...
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