Credit: DisneyAs Disney celebrates their 100th anniversary as a company, it is a daunting thought of how much entertainment they have created in a century. Disney fans all have their favorite creations from Mickey Mouse to Mater to Mushu. The Disney Parks have made Disney character meet-and-greets a staple since 1955. The mainstays of Donald Duck, Woody and Buzz, and Chip ‘n’ Dale are always crowd-pleasers, but their liveliness has always had its limits since none of the non-human Disney characters could actually speak with the Guests. Yet, that would change in 2004 with the introduction of one of Disney’s most popular Guests interactions throughout the Disney Parks.
The Pixar animated film, Finding Nemo (2003), remains a Disney classic due to its groundbreaking computer graphics, powerful storytelling, and heartfelt comedy. The story centered around an overprotective Clownfish, Marlin, who was on a quest to find his abducted son, Nemo. He would team up with a scatter-brained, yet loyal Blue Tang fish, Dory, as they navigated the endless ocean. They would eventually be greeted and rescued by the loveable sea turtle, Crush. This character would quickly become a fan-favorite star of the movie for his laidback positivity and fatherly energy.
Crush’s popularity would prompt Disney Imagineers to create an immersive attraction that would allow Guests to interact with the talking sea turtle. Turtle Talk with Crush, debuted in 2004 at The Living Seas Pavilion at EPCOT. It started as a simple exhibition that garnered so much fanfare, that it became a permanent installation.
This experience was unrivaled with any other non-human Disney character interaction because it gave Guests the opportunity to ask Crush questions and receive non-prerecorded responses. The success of this attraction would spawn another Turtle Talk at Disney California Adventure in 2005, Hong Kong Disneyland in 2008, then Tokyo DisneySea in 2009.
Since then, this attraction has continued to be a big draw for Disney Guests who try to enlighten, baffle, or learn from the loveable sea turtle. However, one recent Guest interaction left listeners engrossed as Crush bestowed some important relationship advice to an unsuspecting Guest. Here was the interaction:
@marygopark They won’t be friends after this #turtletalkwithcrush #disneyland #californiaadventure #disneyworld
The cherished Disney character provided an interestingly thoughtful response. He expressed that the Guest should be confident, but also loveable simultaneously. The easy-going sea turtle finished by advising the lovelorn Guest to welcome the feedback from his lady friends who will provide a deeper perspective from a woman’s point-of-view. Not bad for a sea turtle, but then again, he touted that he has been married for 130 years.
What do you think of Crush’s advice?