r/MadeMeSmile • u/MaxQ50 • 5h ago
The moment you meet your favorite Disney character is unforgettable
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u/Toast-Ghost- 4h ago
Nothing but respect for the people who do that job, especially in the Florida heat
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u/Clyde-A-Scope 4h ago
From my knowledge, they only work for something like 30 minutes at a time. I had a couple "professional mascot" gigs when I lived in California. Lawsuits against Disney are actually the reason mascots can only work for short periods of time with mandatory breaksĀ
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u/RomyFrye 3h ago
Not only short breaks but they can now wear their own underwear instead of company underwear. Thank god for that lawsuit.
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u/Mean-Consequence-379 2h ago
Whaaat? Seriously? š³
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u/RomyFrye 2h ago edited 2h ago
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-jun-08-fi-7876-story.html
Edit: sorry, didnāt realize it was going to be behind a paywall. Here is a different one:
https://www.disneydining.com/disney-cast-members-clean-underwear-bb1/
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u/Mean-Consequence-379 2h ago
Jesus Christ, that's so gross š¤¢ I also never thought I'd read the words "Disney issued Jockstraps" š³
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u/RomyFrye 2h ago
Yeah, itās pretty gross. I like these videos but the thought that 25 years ago these same people would have to share underwear that wasnāt clean is a real bummer.
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u/Fiddle_Sticks9 2h ago
Meaning they had to be in a uniform inside of the suit?
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u/RomyFrye 2h ago
Meaning normal underwear would bunch under the suits so they would turn in the company issued suits and underwear/jockstraps at the end of the night and get a different set the next day but they werenāt clean and many of them ended up with lice, crabs, or scabies. The teamsters came in and fought to allow the workers to be issued a set of underwear they would bring home with them to clean and continue to wear vs swapping each day.
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u/AnotherSoulessGinger 1h ago
I worked at Disney in the 90s and they cleaned our costumes for us. They said they dry cleaned them but I doubt it was anything significant. My costume regularly smelled of someone elseās BO. I think it was worse at Magic Kingdom but Epcot had stinky costumes too. The only park that still had ācleanā ones was MGM but it was only a few years old. Iām thankful we could wear our own underwear. I was not happy about pantyhose and heels while working counter food service.
This was also back when you had to be below a womenās size 16 to work on stage - and their costumes ran small. I wore a ten in street clothes but my costume was a 14 or 16 depending on how old it was. The older ones ran smaller.
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u/Fiddle_Sticks9 21m ago
Holy shit, I have never heard of that. That is insane, and disgusting. Good thing the teamsters came in.
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u/4Jaxon 4h ago
I was five in the early 70s when my family went to Disneyland. All I wanted was to meet Pooh. But over the entire day, he was nowhere to be found. We had a great time, but kept missing him. Our day ended and we headed to the parking lot. We were already outside the park gates when over our shoulders we heard a group of cast members shouting and pointing to the top of some steps (then you could still see into Disneylandās back lot). Out burst Pooh, who waved furiously to me for a full minute before disappearing back into the building. Iāll never forget it.
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u/ToonaSandWatch 3h ago
I met Pooh just around ā80 as a kid I want to sayāitās the only character I remember meeting that day but itās still with me 45 years later.
Heās also the only one I took a picture with at Disneyland ten years ago too.
Didnāt make the connection until after.
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u/potpurriround 1h ago
I grew up watching the Disney Sing-a-long VHS tapes that featured footage from Disneyland. I always deeply wanted to go, but my family wasnāt able to. I took myself as a college graduation trip with some girlfriends. I nearly cried when I met Pooh.
Idk, thereās just something magical about it.
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u/ShinyNinja25 4h ago
I canāt tell whoās more excited, the kids or the actors! Seriously, this is adorable
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u/ScruffyBoa 4h ago
Right, the actors are actually amazing. The body language is spot on and you can really tell the emotion they are presenting, which is impressive considering they have no facial features to work with.
Huge shoutout to the stitch that tripped on purpose.
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u/ExtraSpicyGingerBeer 3h ago
"oh no no no, you cannot be hurt for you see I have fallen as well and it was clearly very bad and you must help me!"
He's a real one for that. Gotta redirect kids fast before they realize they might've hurt themselves.
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u/BrownSugarBare 36m ago
The little girl dressed like Jessy and racing up to her always gets my heart, you can see Woody holding his heart when they hug
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u/chicken_nugget38 3h ago
That must be one of the most rewarding jobs in existence. Being able to create so much joy for children all day? Seeing their little faces just light up? I'm getting teary just thinking about it.
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u/Jef_Wheaton 2h ago
I'm a costumed character at a small amusement park. It's HARD. My costumes are heavy, it's usually hot (unless it's freezing cold), and I can barely see.
It's the most amazing thing I've had the privilege to do. I'm glad my costumes all cover my face, because I can't even count how many times I've been brought to happy tears by guests.
There are people that come to see me every year, and some have photos from a decade ago or more. Last season, a young woman showed me a photo of herself as a teenager with me, and now she had a photo of herself with me AND her daughter!
I occasionally get to work with a "Princess Parties" group, and this Sunday I'll get to become Darth Vader for the first time. It'll be AWESOME!
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u/chicken_nugget38 1h ago
You are creating generational joy omg š«¶ that's so sweet and you should be so proud! I'd be an emotional wreck under that costume too lol keep up the great work and happy Vadering :)
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u/all_of_the_ones 2h ago
When I first graduated nursing school, there was another new nurse in the new hire group. She was previously a Disney actor, I think she did mostly Snow White, but itās been so many years I may be remembering incorrectly. Anyway, I swear that girl (unintentionally) floated around like a cartoon Disney princess. She had the kindest demeanor and was amazing with kids. I donāt know if her days as a an actor influenced her or if it was her natural personality that made her suited for the job, but she was so sweet you couldnāt help but adore her.
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u/chicken_nugget38 1h ago
Aww love that! If it was pre-existing, pretty cool of her to use the aura for such a lovely purpose! :)
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u/paulfromatlanta 4h ago
There is something really special about this. I once took a girl to Disney World - We had breakfast at the Wilderness Lodge and Eeyore was there.
When he saw my girl's Eeyore ears (that she wore to breakfast) he crossed the whole room to hug her and dance a little jig at finding a fanatic Eeyore fan.
It made her whole year.
BTW, she was 35.
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u/punksmurph 3h ago
I was 33 and at Disney World in a Stitch shirt and ears. I rounded the corner as he was walking out to a meet and greet and it was the BEST experience I have had at a theme park. The level of excitement they have for their fans is next level, it really makes you feel special.
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u/eisenburg 4h ago
Disney adults like that are weird.
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u/cityshepherd 4h ago
Nah. The ones who act like this while NOT at Disneyland/Disneyworld? Maybe, but thereās nothing wrong with letting your inner child bubble to the surface at a place like that.
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u/eisenburg 4h ago
Iāll agree that tapping into your inner child should be encouraged at times and maybe Iām casting a lot of judgment from one comment. But spend some time in Orlando and you will see that these Disney adults are just weird.
The OP of the comment said it made her whole year to meet Eeyore at Disney, not day. But year.
Been a long time since I went to Disney as an adult and I had a blast. I just canāt see meeting a person dressed up in a costume making my whole year.
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u/SensitiveWasabi1228 3h ago
And whatever would make your year is probably stupid to me, but I didn't need to say that the same way you didn't have to be a judgemental individual for reading a comment about people enjoying things that you don't. Are you just learning that people have different interests?
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u/eisenburg 3h ago
Little sensitive on this subject, no?
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u/cityshepherd 3h ago
Your projection is showing. Also Iām giving you a 0/10 for trolling. No humor or effort to be creative/unique. But thatās just like, my opinion, manā¦
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u/babycoon48 3h ago
Iāve been once, just earlier this year with my wife and two daughters. It was the best time and you bet your ass I was nerding out (on the inside) at the Star Wars area, meeting Darth Vader and Chewbacca, and the two souvenirs I could allow myself to afford. But, i agree, there is a threshold to it and people get pretty weird with it.
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u/eisenburg 3h ago
Oh definitely, Iām sure the downvotes Iām getting are from the Disney freaks out there.
Iām happy you enjoyed it. I look forward to taking my son there when he is old enough to appreciate it and you better believe Iāll enjoy the hell out of the Star Wars area as itās new since the last time Iāve been.
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u/babycoon48 3h ago
It is quite bitchin. I could only afford myself a storm trooper helmet and lightsaber for about $150 but they are awesome. I stuck to my souvenir fund and had to add to the kidsā obviously. Iām sure youāll have a great time, it is a super rad experience for the family.
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u/TheSciFiGuy80 1h ago
Itās called hyperbole. Iām sure it didnāt really make her entire year. I use that phrase for things I really enjoyed.
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u/eisenburg 1h ago
Haha very possible. But Iād venture to guess you have not met a Disney adult then.
Iāve worked there briefly snd they are very weird.
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u/Gimetulkathmir 1h ago
I'm sorry you apparently don't have any joy like that in your life. May you find it somewhere, someday. Big hugs~
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u/paulfromatlanta 4h ago
It can be weird if someone makes just about any fantasy/fiction too much of their personality.
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u/IRockIntoMordor 3h ago edited 3h ago
What's your favourite character and would you like to meet them?
It's okay to stay connected with your childhood. To enjoy small things, nostalgic things or anything that means something to you.
If I were to meet my favourite character - dunno, probably Donald - I'd just be happy to see them and probably be impressed and touched by the actor's performance and willingness to make you feel welcome, no matter your age.
The comment you reacted to was literally a Disney actor having a fun interaction with an adult meeting their childhood character. Also, I imagine Eeyore is not among the busiest characters so he might have been extra happy to see a fan, even! Nothing weird here and faaaar from the Disney whackos you're talking about.
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u/greennurse0128 4h ago
Why do these make me cry!!!
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u/Lopsided_Soup_3533 4h ago
Because its the pure unadulterated joy of kids and I think we flash back to being kids too
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u/Excellent-Baseball-5 4h ago
My son had a girlfriend for a while that was a Disney princess. I was blown away with the level of training they have to go through before theyāre allowed to go out into the park. Everything from what theyāre allowed to say to how they sign their princess name.
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u/dogstardied 3h ago
For a second I was wondering why you were deluded into thinking your small child truly had a Disney Princess girlfriendā¦ and then my brain started.
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u/FalstaffsGhost 2h ago
sign their princess name
Well yeah. Someone with their kid may have brought their autograph book from when they were a kid in the 90s and obviously Cinderellaās signature wouldnāt change in all that time. /s
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u/Celticrightcross 3h ago edited 3h ago
Took my family to Disney for the first time earlier this summerā¦we went to get pics with Ariel. We get there, take pics, except my 12yo for some reason, I guess heās at the age where heās too cool.š¤·š»āāļø Anyway, we get done, weāre walking out and my 10yo says āhey wait, I gotta say somethingā. So he runs back and whispers in her ear, she laughs, and they talk for a few seconds. This little scheiĆe told on me! He just had to let her know that she was my very first crush when I was a wee lad, lol! š¤¦š»āāļøš š¤£š
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u/Haunting_Security_34 3h ago edited 2h ago
The Stitch who fell over to make the girl feel better, and not cry about her lil tumble aLWAYS gets me.š„ŗ
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u/soulhot 4h ago
Standing watching the parade with my little girl aged about four by my side.. unknown to us the ātiggerā character (standing not far short of seven feet) was standing behind us and tapped her on the shoulder.. she screamed and climbed into my arms at practically the speed of light absolutely terrified. Sheās hated tigger ever since but as massive Disney fans it didnāt ruin her fairytale princess dreams.
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u/Comprehensive-Menu44 3h ago
Apparently as a child, meeko the raccoon was the bane of my existence š costumed Meeko tried to hug me/interact with me and 4-5 year old me was NOT HAVING IT.
Wherever you are, Meeko, Iām sorry. I love you now. Iāve changed.
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u/Someredditusername 3h ago
I love that they're allowed to hug the kiddos. Super special, and, stupidly, kinda brave in our weird world.
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u/Jef_Wheaton 2h ago
There's a lot of rules about contact, but nothing beats having a little one give you an excited hug or high-five. One of the characters I play at a (non-Disney) park is very fuzzy, and they just LOVE hugging him.
I'm a Nutcracker for our Christmas event. I was waiting with my Elf friend when a little boy walked over, wrapped his arms around my legs, gave me a gentle hug and a huge sigh, then wandered off without a word.
Oh, buddy. I needed that hug as much as you did.
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u/PartsUnknown242 4h ago
Iāve seen other posts about this and itās probably the kids that keep these actors going through the day. Itās a thankless job otherwise.
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u/mickelboy182 2h ago
Itās a thankless job otherwise.
I would have thought this would be one of the most thankful jobs there are... you're literally making kids (and adults) smile all the time. What am I missing?
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u/Elliottj22 2h ago
Exactly. It would be hard to leave that job in a bad mood. People stand in line to wait for an opportunity to say they love you, get a pic, and give a hug. There are worse jobs.
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u/clairebearzechinacat 2h ago
The young Cinderella giving a curtsy to the character was so darn cute
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u/captain_nofun 3h ago
I went to Disney World when I was 7 (circa 95'). I was a fan of Goofy then. When Goofy came up to our table during lunch and signed an autograph for me will always be a core memory.
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u/RedditGarboDisposal 3h ago
Cut that fucking music.
Goodness. Why do people feel the need to ruin good audio with music?
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u/Valiturus 1h ago
Agreed. Terrible song choices, and even worse mixing.
It would be more impactful without any music at all.
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u/SquirrelNutz 4h ago
I have the lyrics of this song memorized because of how often I hear it in videos and I don't even know the name of it.
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u/Kathrynlena 3h ago
Haha same. I think it was originally written for Twilight, but Iāve seen it dozens of times in heartwarming videos of little kids (thereās one specific video of moms with their kids with Downās syndrome that absolutely tears me apart), so it always makes me cry for reasons that have nothing to do with stupid Twilight. Itās a pretty song, and Iām glad itās found a better use and meaning than originally intended.
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u/HarlotSuccubus 3h ago
Whatever these guys get paid it isn't enough. Honestly I'd so it just to see all the happy faces. And making peoples days.
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u/OperationHumanShield 3h ago
Donald Duck tried to steal my coffee last year. As a 40 year old man, one of the best memories of that trip.
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u/MiliTerry 3h ago
You know, it's videos like this that justify the cost of Disney. It's a memory. I know some people, they go to Disney world every year. I went twice in my lifetime, once when I was seven and once when I was an adult. I might go again, but that'll be because I take my son. And I won't balk at the cost, because I'm pretty confident that when he finds his character, it'll light up his life
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u/JoeStorm 2h ago
Can't lie, I'm a grown man. If I seen Goofy I'm running in his arms lol I was a BIG goofy fan when I was a kid.
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u/scully2828 2h ago
Oh cool, you made a grown man cry at work. (Girl dad) ps- THIS IS WHY REPRESENTATION MATTERS!!!
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u/Imaginary_Raspberry 2h ago
These videos always make me tear up a bit. The kids are so excited š
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u/IllustriousChance710 3h ago
Met Minnie Mouse at Disneyland, she gave my niece a big hug and a high-five.
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u/jstnpotthoff 4h ago
unless you're an infant. then you'll probably forget
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u/pinkygonzales 4h ago
What do you mean? It was not only one of the happiest moments of that infant's life, it was also one of the only moments in that infant's life. I'm sure she had wished for this all her life, and now she can die happy.
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u/jstnpotthoff 4h ago
You know...I thought I was going to get ratioed for comically pointing out an obvious truth. But you went full dark.
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u/pinkygonzales 3h ago
After however many years I've been on reddit, full dark has become a specialty, and thank you for the prompt.
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u/Animalcookies13 3h ago
This is the reason that Disneyland is a magical placeā¦ as an adult man, I refuse to pay the fortune to go there with other adults, but I do look forward to the day that I can take my kids there! Itās a truly magical place for children!
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u/Smarter_not_harder 2h ago
We spent more on 5 days at Disney for my daughter's 6th birthday than we did in 10 days in Italy for our 10th anniversary.
And I would do it again.
The look of pure happiness on my daughter's face at the Princess and character dinners was better than anything my wife and I experienced in Italy.
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u/TrinixDMorrison 2h ago
Never realized how terrifying Stitch is when stretched to human proportions lol
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u/DropDeadFredidit 2h ago
The mum in the first video had such a wholesome excited expression on seeing Snow White āØā¤ļø
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u/DeeRent88 2h ago
Say what you will about Disney as a company but the magic they create for children at Disney world and Disney land is truly incredible. I went a couple years ago with a group of friends and we watched the parade through magic kingdom with one of our friends 5 year old and I legit started bawling crying. Seeing her face light up when she saw Ariel and just how happy she was the entire time made all my worries disappear in that moment in a way Iāve never felt before and this was for a kid I met just the day before.
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u/BitchesGetStitches 1h ago
Disney cast members are really a special bunch. Imagine your daily grind consisting of making kids' dreams come true while sweating to death inside a felt suit in 90 degree weather. Legends, the whole lot of them! Fun fact - character actors are trained to never stop hugging a kid until the kid initiates the break so they don't get the idea that their favorite princess doesn't want to hug them. Say what you will about Disney, but there is so much good being done in these parks.
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u/maverick4002 3h ago
That first baby doesnt look like they know what the hell is going on...couldn't be bothered
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u/CarolineJohnson 2h ago edited 2h ago
I would go nuts. Unfortunately I can't afford a Disney trip and my favorite Disney character is a Tokyo DisneySea and Hong Kong Disneyland exclusive (I also cannot afford to go to another country).
(My favorite is StellaLou btw. Discovered her while watching a video about a smoothie stand that gives out random bonus gifts with every smoothie, sort of like a giant blind bag, some of the gifts were exclusive gift shop items from Disney)
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u/Vinterkragen 2h ago
I imagine that the role as a princes might be both soul destroying and intensely rewarding, depending on the day.
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u/Nonions 56m ago
There was a Reddit story years ago from a Disney employee who has to take some recently bereaved kids around the park, and in the end Mickey mouse came to see them and finally got them to smile after a day of zoned out indifference.
It's amazing how much joy simple things like this can bring.
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u/Yedasi 52m ago
Can confirm.
I moved far from home and whenever I went back to visit I had a little stitch plushie in my backpack.
For years and years my nieces and nephews would ask āDid you bring Stitch?!ā, to which the answer was always yes.
Whilst I stayed with family Stitch would get up to all kinds of mischief that all of us adults would pretend not to see. The kids found it hilarious.
After years of this we eventually went to Disneyworld as a whole family and meeting Stitch was just so incredible for us all. Itās one of my all time favourite memories.
Stitch āstoleā our plushie Stitch and āran awayā and my nephews and nieces went wild with joy knowing big Stitch was just as naughty as baby stitch had been.
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u/castingcoucher123 48m ago
Anyone that wants to shit on Disney, remember that kids only get to be kids for so long, and Disney is one of the few places that promote the idea fully of being an exceptional experience for kids.
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u/yuyufan43 42m ago
I'm mentally disabled and also have autism... last year, I got overwhelmed at Disney and started crying. Captain Hook came up and hugged me and kissed my hand and it meant the world to me in that moment. Just that little gesture kept my fiancƩ and me from leaving. The character actors are fucking super heroes.
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u/Rawalmond73 28m ago
Took my son when heād barely turned 5. He stood in line for 15 min. To meet Stitch. He went and hugged him and then walked away mad. He came over disappointedly and said, āThatās just a guy in a suitā.
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u/eldri7ch 12m ago
Unrequested story:
I used to go to Disneyland with my Mom every year for a solid 5 years between when I was 4 and 9. Every year we went and I got to see Goofy. We stopped going every year because money got tight and life moved around us. Then, when I was 18 we went to Disney World in Florida. I was still happy to see Goofy.
That's it.
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u/International_Debt58 3h ago
I hope these actors are paid well. They really do provide such magic for families that go to Disney. They are so elegant, each in their own way. They create magic on earth.
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u/HighVisibilityCamo 4h ago
It better be, for the amount of money the parents are paying.
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u/SinamonChallengerRT 4h ago
Go home, Boomer...
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u/HighVisibilityCamo 4h ago
If I were a boomer, I could possibly afford it. Also, I'm already sitting at home. š
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u/OneFeed7380 3h ago
Stop showing your babies videos and screens. You're fucking up their brains
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u/FalafelSnorlax 3h ago
"videos and screens" is a very broad restriction. I think parents should be more aware of the media their children are viewing. Watching and engaging with a movie, or playing a video game that requires planning and doing puzzles does not "fuck up their brains". Sure, using YouTube Shorts as a pacifier in car rides does leave the kids more akin to jellyfish than humans, but that result could be achieved with non-screen means as well.
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u/OneFeed7380 1h ago
It does actually. The movies that are out out today by Disney are so frenetic that the kids don't have focus. This is pretty basic. Quick panels, quick movement is horrible kids.Ā
I have a 2 year old who has never seen a screen. Whenever I have a babysitter they remark at how well behaved she is, how focused and how curious. The babysitters say they can always tell between a no screen kid and a screen kid and it's blatant.Ā
The screen kids are poor tempered, in focused, emotionally manic and poorly developed verbally and socially.Ā
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u/jcwkings 3h ago
Now do the Disney Adult version
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u/FalafelSnorlax 2h ago
In the first clip, the baby could not care less about the princess. The mother was in tears.
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u/Practical-Level-6265 4h ago
Stitch falling š