The best characters

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Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Matt Hochberg

If there has been an advantage of the Studios over the years, it’s been that new characters for meet-n-greet are routinely tried out here first before the other parks, if they ever leave at all.  It just makes sense for the Studios to host some characters as opposed to the other parks.  There really has never been any real connection between Epcot and characters, aside from the loose one made between the countries in World Showcase and some characters (Pooh and friends in the UK Pavilion, Belle & Beast in France, et al) but for the most part, it’s not a place to find new characters.  Animal Kingdom has characters that fit into the theme of the park (Tarzan, Lion King and Pocahontas characters name a few) and the Magic Kingdom tends to stick to true and tried classic characters more than anything (although High School Musical did play there for a while much to everyone’s surprise).  The latest characters to come to the Studios (at least at the time of this article’s writing) are the characters from the Meet the Robinsons films. 

To be fair, we've had some duds as well auch as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Dinosaurs! and Atlantis, but even if they are bad (I'm sure some people did enjoy those characters), it makes for something different. Something you can't find in any of the other parks and that sort of diversity really makes for a unique experience. Some people love characters and others can't stand to waste their time with them, but regardless of your opinion, it's when you see one of them making a magical moment for someone else (or perhaps yourself), that it makes you appreciate what they do and how lifelike some of them can really be. So I’ve taken the time to look at all the characters that have come to the Studios and tried to figure out the best ones.

Monster’s Inc.

After the film premiered, guests wanted to meet these characters and Disney has to figure out how to arrange that.  Whenever there are new characters, Disney has to figure out if these characters are going to be “face” or “fur” characters. Face characters are characters where Cast Members act like a character (think any of the princesses or princes you’ve seen) whereas fur characters are any characters where a Cast Member dons a full costume that covers their face.  The characters from Monster’s Inc, Mike and Sully, were different.  Mike is a small, one eyed creature while Sully can best be described as a tie-dyed Bigfoot.  So in the end, Disney came up with a unique meet-n-greet opportunity that created realistic looking characters with the help of some interesting technology.  This allows guests to meet these characters and get a sense of what they really would be like. 

Storm Troopers

At first glance, these characters aren’t terribly interesting.  They walk around and escort other Star Wars characters around and pose.  Not great, right?  That is until a few years ago during Star Wars Weekend when the Storm Troopers were let loose, so to speak.  The Storm Troopers were allowed more freedom than just walking and posing.  They interacted with the guests more, often “harassing” suspected Jedi (aka park guests) around the park and performing very funny stunts.  As I mentioned, during Star Wars Weekend, the Storm Troopers are in far greater numbers and do seem to have a lot of fun, but even during the regular times of the year, the Storm Troopers are a lot of fun to visit with.

Muppets

Many guests today don’t know that you used to be able to meet the Muppets characters on a regular schedule.  Most notably, are Kermit and Ms. Piggy (who are still viewable in the afternoon parade) who would meet guests and pose with the duo, Kermit wearing a blazer and Hawaiian shirt (I must have missed the film that he appeared in that costume) and Ms. Piggy wearing an red evening dress.  The costumes weren’t the most convincing ones you’ve ever seen, but the Muppets have been so popular that the opportunity to meet one of them after seeing their attraction really made for a fun time.

Playhouse Disney Characters

I admit these characters don’t do much for me, but the kids love to meet characters like Jojo or Goliath or any of the kids from Little Einsteins.  I’ve found Jojo and Goliath to be particularly fun, especially in the Hollywood & Vine restaurant breakfast meal.  Jojo and Goliath have some great routines down from the show and seem to have a little more personality than the Little Einstein characters.  Most kids are just amazed that they can meet them and it’s not unusual to find a long line for any of these characters as you walk down Mickey Avenue, with most of the line comprised of strollers full of eager kids who are always trying to peek around the line to catch a glimpse of these characters they practically idolize.  If you don’t know what I mean, stop by and watch the kids who meet any of these characters because these toddlers tend to have a real connection to them, far more than even Mickey or his pals.

Agree with what I said? Disagree? Have a story to share sparked by this column? Share your own idea by posting a comment below.