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Excessive Heat Causes Changes to Disney’s Character Meet-And-Greets

One theme park has removed all Disney characters from their meet-and-greet locations as excessive heat makes the encounters unsafe. It’s unclear how long these restrictions will be in place.

At Disney, it’s more than just a costume–character performers bring the magic of the company’s movies and television to life. Whether portraying Mickey Mouse, Peter Pan, or your favorite Disney Princess, entertainment cast members give their all to immerse guests of all ages in their stories.

Winnie the Pooh and Tigger posing together at a character meet and greet
Credit: Disney

Guests can see their favorite characters at meet-and-greets, parades, and shows throughout Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Resort, Disneyland Paris Resort, Shanghai Disney Resort, Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, and Tokyo Disney Resort. This decades-old tradition was halted suddenly in 2020 when the Disney parks closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As the Disney theme parks slowly reopened, character experiences returned. For a few years, characters appeared only from a distance in shows, cavalcades, or on balconies. After two years, meet-and-greets eventually returned to the Disney parks.

tokyo disney resort mickey minnie pluto
Credit: Disney

Unfortunately, one international Disney park has again lost its character meet-and-greets. According to guest reports from Tokyo Disney Resort, the Asian Disney parks have removed close-up encounters with characters following an excessive heat wave.

Reddit user u/TokyoDisney_stuffs shared and translated several social media posts from regular Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea visitors. They broke down each change for international audiences:

☀︎Altered version of character greetings with extreme heat☀︎

 

☀︎Altered version of character greetings with extreme heat☀︎
byu/TokyoDisney_stuffs indisneyparks

“Fur” characters like Minnie Mouse or Donald Duck may appear indoors at restaurants. They’re unlikely to be spotted walking outside at Tokyo Disneyland or Tokyo DisneySea.

“Face” characters, like Elsa or Alice, still appear outside, but in “less-obvious spots with shade…to prevent heat stroke.”

Two women dressed as princesses from a popular animated movie stand outside in a picturesque, rustic village setting. One in a green dress and crown looks back while the other, in a white dress and cape, smiles with her hand on her chest.
Credit: Disney

Mary Poppins and Cinderella were spotted greeting guests in the Mickey’s Philharmagic queue. Others walked around World Bazaar, the covered equivalent of the United States Disney parks’ Main Street, U.S.A.

Tokyo Disney Resort has also brought back a COVID-19 practice, allowing characters to ride attractions. It seems that guests aren’t likely to ride with the performers but can take photos and wave from afar.

Rapunzel and Flynn Rider sing during "Mickey and the Magical Map" at Disneyland
Credit: HarshLight via Flickr

Characters like Rapunzel and Flynn Rider were spotted on the Aladdin (1992) Caravan Carousel, Alice’s Tea Party, “it’s a small world,” and the Castle Carrousel in Fantasyland.

It’s important to note that these reports originate from guests, so character encounters could change at any time. Again, it’s unclear how long these restrictions will stay in place as heat waves continue to impact Tokyo and other parts of Japan.

What’s your favorite Disney character meet-and-greet memory? In the comments, share it with us. 

Jess Colopy

Jess Colopy is a Disney College Program alum and kid-at-heart. When she’s not furiously typing in a coffee shop, you can find her on the hunt for the newest Stitch pin.

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