
A Walt Disney World Resort guest was saddened this week when a character performer ignored her request for a high-five. She shared a video of the incident on social media.
Disney character performers bring on-screen characters to life at Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom. “Face” characters can speak to guests and must look like their respective characters, like a Disney Princess or Peter Pan. “Fur” characters, like Minnie Mouse and Donald Duck, are fully costumed and can’t speak.
Entertainment cast members make magic for guests, but it’s not all pixie dust and rainbows on the inside. According to a recent unionization campaign, character performers often suffer harassment and physical assault from Disney Park guests. Some bulky, heavy “fur” costumes reportedly cause long-term injuries.
“Fur” characters also deal with low visibility, making the presence of a character attendant integral to a meet-and-greet with Mickey Mouse. They can direct guests away from characters’ blind spots and interpret discreet “emergency signals” from performers. These help cast members efficiently address inappropriate guest behavior, costume malfunctions, medical issues, and more.
The low visibility impacts guests, too. A Disneyland Resort guest recently sued the theme park and two cast members (a character performer and character attendant) for an incident that she claimed caused permanent disability. The woman alleged that Goofy “walked directly” into her as she was bent over to tie her daughter’s shoelaces. Though she didn’t specify her injuries, the guest said the weight of the cast member and the bulky costume caused emotional and physical suffering.
It seems like Goofy’s costume might be one of the worst offenders. Days ago, a Disneyland Paris guest shared a video of Goofy tripping over his bulky shoes and falling during a meet-and-greet. Now, a Walt Disney World Resort guest claims the character ignored her.
Jess Jobson (@beourjess_ on TikTok) posted this video of herself going for a high-five with Goofy as he and Max walked down Grand Avenue at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. She approached him from the side as he waved at passing guests.
https://www.tiktok.com/@beourjess_/video/7358617067370712362?_r=1&_t=8lkrfdQCxwM
Goofy didn’t acknowledge Jobson, as if he had not seen her, and he probably didn’t. Goofy’s “friend” sees out of his mouth, which is almost completely closed on the sides, obstructing his peripheral vision.
Most commenters joked about the incident with quips like “a villain was born that day” and “Goofy wasn’t feeling goofy that day.” But some took it more seriously and shared how they would react.
“I’d never recover,” said @ssosa1981.
“This is why every time I see any character I avoid them I couldn’t live with this,” @edhrnd commented.
Though she was a little disappointed, the incident didn’t break Jobson’s heart.
“Haha it really wasn’t that big of a deal,” she replied. “I laughed about it.”
Has a Walt Disney World Resort or Disneyland Resort character interaction ever gone wrong for your family?
This post Guest Disheartened as Disney Character Ignores Them: ‘I Couldn’t Live with This appeared first on Inside the Magic.
Goofy falling over sounds typical for him