Whether you’re a personality hunter or journey diehard who has by no means completed a devoted meet & greet, I feel all of us can agree that seeing Minnie & Mickey Mouse or different beloved furry mates at Walt Disney World is thrilling. That’s doubly true after they’re uncommon characters who seldom make appearances.
Ever since Disney introduced that Figment can be returning to EPCOT in 2023, I’ve been fascinated about how different uncommon characters might make a comeback to Walt Disney World. Even although I’m not a hardcore character particular person, I do get pleasure from seeing and assembly the distinctive ones, and suppose they add loads to the parks.
Seeing uncommon characters at Walt Disney World is one thing particular–no joke. I’m going to cease in need of calling it “magical” as that’s cliche and overused, however recognizing a uncommon character looks like capturing a coveted Charizard from a pack of Pokemon playing cards. It’s a bit of victory value savoring, even when you’ve got 0 attachment to the character in query. It’s addictive, and makes me perceive how folks get into character looking.
One of the difficulties with bringing again uncommon characters is logistics. Character looking has been “a thing” for many years, nevertheless it’s actually been dialed up a number of notches within the web period. Now, every part is on-line immediately and there are guides for locating uncommon characters. The possibilities of stumbling on all of them alone in random spots throughout coaching periods (as used to occur on a regular basis) looks like a factor of the distant previous.
Quite merely, demand is larger for uncommon characters and fan favorites. A superb instance of that is on the Halloween and Christmas events, the place Jack Skellington continues to satisfy (and different uncommon characters just like the Seven Dwarfs have beforehand appeared). His line is routinely a number of hours lengthy throughout that tough ticket occasion…which means friends are paying ~$25 an hour simply to face in line to satisfy him.
We’ve seen this play out in even worse methods up to now. The notorious Villains Unleashed particular occasion largely centered round uncommon characters, most of which ended up having multi-hour lengthy strains. As did Guest Relations on the finish of the evening, with folks requesting refunds as a result of the celebration went so badly. (For what it’s value, I really loved Villains Unleashed, however I acknowledge what a spectacular failure it was for many followers.)
Honestly, I don’t have a fantastic resolution for all of this. Villains Unleashed was virtually a decade in the past, at a time when social media was nonetheless in its nascent years. The parks are way more standard now and character appearances regularly go viral, fueling much more demand.
Perhaps the answer is extra spontaneous appearances of free-roaming characters. This is how Disneyland does issues, with far much less regimented character appearances than at Walt Disney World. Not solely does this eradicate predictability and people multi-hour strains, nevertheless it permits character interactions to unfold organically in memorable and enjoyable methods.
Another different can be having uncommon characters seem not at devoted meet & greets, however within the ‘greeting’ places (a la Winnie the Pooh within the grass over by Journey into Imagination) which can be distanced from friends and thus, usually, extra environment friendly (and in addition a number of enjoyable).
But I digress. The level right here isn’t sensible options for the way uncommon character appearances might work, operationally, at Walt Disney World. It’s itemizing those we need to return probably the most!
Roger Rabbit – Who doesn’t love Roger Rabbit? Well, it looks like lots of people. His film is on par with the Rocketeer relating to forgotten Disney masterpieces and his darkish journey is criminally underrated.
Despite being a morass of rights points, I’m nonetheless hopeful {that a} sequel–or one thing of substance utilizing Roger Rabbit–will finally reduce by means of the egos and purple tape. Roger Rabbit looks like the right property for a revival in at the moment’s popular culture panorama that loves nostalgia, popular culture influences, sharp humor, and meta-references. Perhaps I’m biased, however I additionally suppose Roger Rabbit can be the right mascot for Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Prince Eric & Max – When it first got here out, I cherished The Little Mermaid. I didn’t care a lot concerning the precise plot or the primary characters–I cherished the songs, undersea setting, and the aquatic creatures and above-water critters. Sebastian, Flounder, Scuttle, and Max had been my favorites; once I reenacted the film as a child, it was actually nearly them.
It’d be cool to see any of them as meet & greets, however Max is admittedly the one one that may have a enjoyable character as a fur character who interacts with friends. (To be sincere, I’ve no want to satisfy Prince Eric. However, this record is a “we” factor and I’m guessing Sarah would possibly disagree barely. Plus, I’ve solely ever seen Max with Prince Eric, so that they is likely to be a package deal deal.)
Ludwig von Drake – If anybody ever made the unwise choice of permitting me to instruct a course in something, I might enlist the erudite, eccentric, and egotistical professor Ludwig Von Drake to help. (Meaning I’d play outdated episodes of Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color for the category as an alternative of doing any precise instructing.) The solely main animated character Walt created for tv, Professor Von Drake is Donald Duck’s father’s brother.
I first turned a fan of Ludwig von Drake because of D23 occasions again within the day, his theme tune, and “An Adventure in Color/Mathmagic Land,” the primary Wonderful World of Color episode. He’s one of many wittiest and most satirical characters, Ludwig looks like certainly one of a bygone period. I’d like to see him within the parks extra–and would an academic Disney+ collection be an excessive amount of to ask for? I’d want it sometime.
Aristocats – One of my greatest regrets is just not naming our cat, “Thomas.” Sarah and I had been big followers of the Aristocats on the time he determined to dwell with us, he seems to be much like Thomas O’Malley, and a cat with the identical identify as me would’ve been the right crime.
Around that point, we additionally observed that Marie from the Aristocats appeared a ton at Walt Disney World. When I requested a Character Attendant about this, they stated she was one of many high character requests they acquired. It’s a kind of issues I didn’t imagine then and don’t imagine now, nevertheless it nonetheless caught with me all these years as one thing that I need to be true. As I end penning this, I’m probably not certain why I’ve shared these two random anecdotes. I don’t suppose they’ve added something of worth to this put up, and I ought to in all probability delete them. Yet, I would not have something higher to say apart from, “I like cats.”
Mickey’s Christmas Carol Characters – During the inaugural (and solely) Merriest Nites at Disneyland, one of many highlights was the meet & greet with Mickey’s Christmas Carol characters. Minnie and Mickey Mouse had been sporting new costumes as Emily and Bob Cratchit, they usually rotated with Ebenezer Scrooge and Goofy Marley (certainly one of my all-time favourite character costumes, ever).
While I’d favor Muppet Christmas Carol characters (think about Statler and Waldorf as Marley & Marley–or higher but, a human-size Rizzo the Rat as Charles Dickens!), these had been fairly superior. That was just one yr in the past, so we all know these costumes nonetheless exist someplace. It’d be superior to see them reappear at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party in Magic Kingdom!
Jedi Mickey & Darth Goofy – Star Wars Weekends looks like a fever dream lower than a decade after the final one was held. Just take into consideration Hyperspace Hoopla, Legends of the Force Parade, the seminars, the loopy merchandise, or character meet & greets. Can you think about any of that occuring now? It looks like the traditional previous, despite the fact that it wasn’t that way back.
The celebration began to finish when Disney acquired LucasFilm, and determined that Star Wars characters wanted to be handled with extra “integrity.” Almost instantly, all the wilder character crossovers had been nixed and Hyperspace Hoopla was cancelled. Over time, we additionally misplaced the tamer character costumes, like Jedi Mickey, Darth Goofy, and Stormtrooper Donald Duck.
As somebody who is simply an off-the-cuff curiosity in Star Wars, I miss this. I feel the franchise is inherently absurd, however takes itself method too severely. Star Wars Weekends had been a time when it might lean into the sillier aspect of Star Wars, and the occasion was flat out enjoyable. I nonetheless maintain out hope that sometime Disney will loosen up about Star Wars and this occasion will return. I’d additionally like to see a Cars Land overlay, if solely so I can meet Darth Mater.
Scuba Mickey Mouse – This one really isn’t tremendous uncommon or lengthy misplaced. On World Oceans Day, Scuba Mickey Mouse has made appearances within the Living Seas aquarium to commemorate the event once in a while. Seeing him a few years in the past was lifelong want success. The promotional VHS tapes of my childhood all contained footage of two characters in Future World: Figment and Scuba Mickey. Between the Boy Meets World proposal at Coral Reef and pictures of Scuba Mickey, seeing this character would’ve been on my WDW bucket record as a toddler.
Judging by the reactions of each single particular person–children and adults–within the Living Seas pavilion who noticed Scuba Mickey, he was the spotlight of everybody’s day at Epcot. Mickey Mouse scuba diving in one of many largest man-made ocean environments on the planet is the form of unforgettable “little thing” that completely defines (or ought to outline) Walt Disney World.
It’s seemingly insignificant, nevertheless it leaves an enduring impression–an indelible reminiscence that friends will cherish lengthy after they’ve forgotten which rides they rode or reveals they noticed. Seeing Scuba Mickey Mouse is the form of factor that made so many people Disney followers within the first place, and is the kind of expertise that retains us coming again. More friends ought to have that have–it’s completely value no matter price there may be in paying Mickey Mouse a bonus to go scuba diving each day.
Disney Afternoon – Like all kids of the Nineties, I used to be principally raised by the Disney Afternoon. (Hey, it’s higher than being raised by YouTube!) I cherished Darkwing Duck, TaleSpin, and DuckTales. However, I used to be completely obsessed with Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers as a child. Not solely did I watch the present religiously, however I had a surplus of their toys, and even constructed Rescue Rangers “scenes” out of LEGO. Regrettably, I even had a Rescue Rangers jumpsuit that I wore on a regular basis to high school. It was the Nineties, man, type was wild!
In any case, it has introduced me far more pleasure than I ever would’ve imagined progressively assembly Disney Afternoon characters as an grownup. We used to make journeys to “The Teardrop” in Mickey’s Toontown Fair at Magic Kingdom simply to see in the event that they had been there. (They by no means had been.) The first one I ever noticed was Launchpad at EPCOT on one of many random coaching days and I used to be completely overjoyed. Since then, we’ve met just about all the characters at random Disneyland occasions. I’d like to see all of them at Walt Disney World once more–and I can’t be the one millennial who would overpay for a 90s nite at Magic Kingdom.
Cheshire Cat – I like cats.
Orange Bird – Created particularly for Walt Disney World the place he was the consultant of Magic Kingdom’s Sunshine Pavilion, the Orange Bird was an initiative to advertise the Florida Citrus Commission. The character was a staple of Adventureland through the Nineteen Seventies and 80s, however pale away by the Nineties.
Walt Disney World, Imagineering, and the Disney Archives introduced again Orange Bird and the Citrus Swirl throughout Walt Disney World’s fortieth Anniversary. This got here after years of on-line fascination with the Orange Bird, and restricted merchandise releases to check the waters. It was an enormous deal for followers on the time, because it felt like Magic Kingdom administration was listening and making an attempt to repair a number of the little issues and restore the “Disney Details” that made the parks particular.
Orange Bird might “only” have been a personality created to advertise the Florida Citrus Commission, however he transcended his position as a easy promoting car in his years up within the Sunshine Tree. For me, Orange Bird is symbolically important and that’s precisely why I’d like to see the meet & greet character return. It’d be a welcome sign that Walt Disney World administration cares.
Lagoona Gator – Here is a personality who was born out of a want to promote plushes, however one which failed spectacularly. This might be why I really like him a lot. When Blizzard Beach opened, it had a enjoyable mascot in Ice Gator. Accordingly, Walt Disney World made enhancements to Typhoon Lagoon to offer it associated a mascot: Lagoona Gator, the resident surf ace of Typhoon Lagoon…and he’s additionally a film star, rock star, artist, and extra. He had an entire line of merchandise and a meet & greet character…all of which is now gone. You would possibly say Lagoona Gator did the entire home parks Duffy factor first.
Apparently, water park friends circa the early aughts weren’t within the temper to pose of their swimsuits subsequent to an inflatable alligator (that’s what his presumably waterproof costume seemed like). Well, the occasions have modified, and now I’m sure that friends need to meet an alligator whereas sporting swimsuits. When it involves character meet & greets, Lagoona Gator is my white whale (or alligator, because the case could also be) and I’d actually in all probability be as excited to satisfy him as I might be to see Figment and Dreamfinder once more.
BONUS: Creepy World Showcase Dolls – If you ask me, Walt Disney World doesn’t do practically sufficient to terrify kids. Sure, Haunted Mansion could be scary, however there’s nothing actually traumatic. That’s why Walt Disney World ought to carry again the “EPCOT Pageant Dolls” or “People of the World” walk-around characters.
Not a ton is understood about these walk-around characters from the early days of EPCOT Center, besides that they had been recycled from America on Parade, a bicentennial parade that ran in Magic Kingdom. For causes unknown, somebody thought it’d be a good suggestion to re-outfit these characters for World Showcase, and have some ‘it’s a small world’ characters in actual life. It’s fairly straightforward to see why this experiment was short-lived. Still, Walt Disney World ought to carry them again for the comedic/worry issue. As Calvin’s dad would say, it could construct character.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Do you hunt characters when visiting the parks? Which uncommon characters are your favorites? Any that we missed? Which ones would you prefer to see reappear (or seem for the primary time) at Walt Disney world? Do you agree or disagree with our picks? Hearing your suggestions about your experiences is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas or questions beneath within the feedback!