Via DisDining.com
Walt Disney World Resort is truly a magical place where dreams come true. Some people may visit The Most Magical Place on Earth to ride exciting attractions like Expedition Everest and Space Mountain. Others like to come down for the food at Disney’s nearly 400 dining options and world-class entertainment. For those Guests who are young (and young at heart), one of the best parts of their trip is meeting their favorite characters, like Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Stitch, and Buzz Lightyear. Character meet and greets are one of the most popular experiences for both adults and kids, and some character interactions will leave families talking about the magical experience for years to come.
Just a few weeks ago, a story went viral about a character at the Sesame Place theme park seemingly ignoring two young black girls while hugging the white children around them. The theme park received such backlash that Sesame Place had to release a statement that said they were retraining their character actors, so something like that didn’t happen again. Disney does not want something so unmagical to happen at its theme parks, and trains its Cast Members on how to be able to interact with as many Guests as possible.
While it is easier for face characters, like Disney princesses, to see Guests around them and speak to them, it is much more difficult for a character who must wear a large outfit. It is even more difficult if they are in a parade and have to keep moving. Recently, a father took his two young daughters on a Walt Disney World vacation. One of his daughters is a huge fan of the character Jessie from the hit Toy Story franchise. She loves the upbeat cowgirl so much that she even dressed like her on their trip to the Magic Kingdom.
During their Magic Kingdom day, the group watched the Festival of Fantasy parade, waiting for Jessie to come. When they finally saw her walking down Main Street, U.S.A., they began waving frantically and yelling her name, trying to get her attention. While they didn’t get Jessie’s attention, they got the attention of Woody, who also tried to get Jessie’s attention. Eventually, Woody went over to Jessie and pointed the young girl out. When Jessie saw her biggest fan, she ran over to her and gave her a giant cowgirl hug, making the girl’s entire day.