
This week, a new meet and greet opportunity featuring Max Goof dressed in his Powerline costume from A Goofy Movie (1995) debuted at Disney’s Hollywood Studios to fans’ delight… but not everyone was so happy with the new reveal.
The now cult classic animated musical comedy film came out following the popularity of Goof Troop on Disney Channel’s Disney Afternoon cartoon block in the early 90s and followed Fab Five member Goofy, now a single father, as he tries to take his son Max (Jason Marsden) on a road trip to bond. However, when Max abuses his father’s trust to try and redirect the trip to a Powerline Concert in Los Angeles, hoping to woo Roxanne, the girl of his dreams, wacky hijinks ensue!
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The Walt Disney Television Animation release was successful, leading to a sequel, An Extremely Goofy Movie, in 2000, and cameos for Max and Roxanne in the 2001 ToonDisney series, House of Mouse. Disney Parks had previously debuted a walkaround version of Max’s character in costume for its Disneyland After Dark: 90s Nite after-hours event, and during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, socially distanced Guests could watch Max and his father practice the infamous “perfect cast” at Disney California Adventure’s Pacific Wharf.
Now, Powerline Max and “Vacation Goofy” in his signature Hawaiian shirt are available to meet Walt Disney World Guests daily at Disney’s Hollywood Studios Park. For those interested in experiencing the photo opportunity themselves, you can find the duo near the Grand Avenue entrance to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
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Even so, some key figures in the creation of Max Goof and Powerline have mixed opinions on the new character interaction, such as the original film’s director Kevin Lima. In fact, Kevin reacted to the news on Twitter recently, sharing that he’s harbored conflicting opinions about the Max costumed performer for a while:
https://twitter.com/GoofyMovieDir/status/1620901078182264832?s=20&t=UYTT2HSxijPaoV6yWeeRXA
Says Lima:
The Max walk around has always struck me odd – it’s a combination of Max’s head from GOOF TROOP and his costumes from A GOOFY MOVIE.
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Of course, as Goof Troop is set earlier in the family’s storyline with a childhood-aged Max, utilizing a younger version of his facial features and proportions would look odd for the teenage version of his character. However, as some of the replies have pointed out, it’s likely just an unfortunate coincidence, as this is the standard Max’s costume head across all Disney Parks for the typical version of his character. And it’s making nostalgic fans happy, which is the ultimate goal.
Attractions Magazine put it aptly in its article on the new meet and greet: Max and Goofy’s new character interaction “is a testament to the enduring popularity of “A Goofy Movie” and the impact it’s had had on audiences over the years.”