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Credit: DisneyBoth Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World have maintained character meet and greet interactions socially distanced since the parks reopened in April 2021 and July 2020, respectively. These interactions have also followed social distance measures in Aulani and the Disney Cruise Line ships.
Disneyland Paris was the first Disney Park to officially bring back character meet and greet interactions as we know them, and, with things slowly going back to normal in America, many Guests were eager to hug their favorite characters again.
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Sooner than some may have thought, Disney Parks (@disneyparks) shared a video on their TikTok account announcing the news for Guests in America. Viewers can see the rope that separated Guests from Mickey Mouse at Magic Kingdom being removed and the iconic mouse performing a big hugging motion. By the hashtags used in the video, we can assume up-close character meet and greet experiences will return to Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Resort, the Disney Cruise Line, Aulani soon.
You can watch the video down below!
The moment we’ve been waiting for #Disney #DisneyParks #Disneyland #DisneyWorld #DisneyCruiseLine #Aulani #Magic #MickeyMouse
@disneyparks The moment we’ve been waiting for ✨ #Disney #DisneyParks #Disneyland #DisneyWorld #DisneyCruiseLine #Aulani #Magic #MickeyMouse
Related: Disney Completely Drops Distancing, Character Meet and Greets Return to Normal
The announcement quickly had Guests over the moon, excited to be able to hug their favorite characters and experience Disney magic up close once more.
However, some are not as excited over the news, as they consider distanced meet and greets to be better for a number of reasons.
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Twitter user Hastin (@hastin) was quick to voice his opinions, saying that distanced meet and greets were “neat” and that he hopes there will be a mixture of distanced and up-close interactions at the Parks.
I do think the distanced Meet and Greets were neat and I hope there’s a mixture of them.
Jack and Sally on HMH when you were in the queue was awesome. Way better than a 60+ minute line to meet them.
I do think the distanced Meet and Greets were neat and I hope there's a mixture of them.
Jack and Sally on HMH when you were in the queue was awesome. Way better than a 60+ minute line to meet them.
— Hastin (@hastin) March 30, 2022
Hastin makes a fair point mentioning that being able to wave at characters, even if from a distance, was better than having to wait 60 minutes or more in line to meet them. Some responses to his tweet, like the one from Lesley (@lesley_dis), added that being able to see Disney characters out in the open instead of closed up in a room is more enjoyable.
I’m not a M&G person so I liked being able to see them out in the open, not closed up in a room or blocked from photos from passerbys. I wish they did stuff like DLP with a spot to just take a photo and paused guests coming up for a moment or two.
I’m not a M&G person so I liked being able to see them out in the open, not closed up in a room or blocked from photos from passerbys. I wish they did stuff like DLP with a spot to just take a photo and paused guests coming up for a moment or two.
— Lesley (@lesley_dis) March 30, 2022
At the same time, Sammyland (@Sammyyland6) commented that it gives the Disney characters more freedom to perform and interact with Guests, adding life to the environment and making good use of dead spaces at the Parks.
I love the one with Goofy and Max at the Pacific Wharf in DCA. Adds life to the environment and makes use of dead space!
I love the one with Goofy and Max at the Pacific Wharf in DCA. Adds life to the environment and makes use of dead space!
— Sammyland (@Sammyland6) March 31, 2022
On a different thread on Twitter, Faye (@FayeH321) commented that with everything that’s been going on with the Walt Disney Company, she wouldn’t want her kids near Disney employees, a rather strong statement.
I don’t know, after the past few weeks of what we’ve heard from @Disney, I sort of think I don’t want their employees within touching distance of kids in my family.
I don’t know, after the past few weeks of what we’ve heard from @Disney, I sort of think I don’t want their employees within touching distance of kids in my family.
— Faye Hausendorff (@FayeH321) March 30, 2022
While Guests may have mixed opinions, only Disney will be able to decide how character interactions will be carried out in the future. Not many details were released yesterday, but we will continue to report on the return of character meet and greets as more information is released.
Are you excited to see meet and greets return to normal? Or do you like distanced interactions better? Let us know in the comments below!
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