Every time I see anyone going on any sort of Disney trip, one of the most exciting things to me is when people meet characters! I love seeing the pictures people take with all sorts of characters whether they be completely popular characters or very rare characters. However, having not been on a trip to any sort of Disney park for nearly 15 years when the time came to go myself I was completely nervous at the thought of it.
I know that is probably a stupid thing to be nervous of but I was, I know I shouldn't be worried about what other people think but I definitely was. I was worried that the people in the queue would be annoyed with me for taking time with the characters when they were waiting with their children, I was worried that I'd look stupid in the photos and I spent my whole first day putting off meeting all sorts of characters for these reasons. I know all of these things sound pretty trivial and something I'd even myself say are irrational but they were still what I was thinking about. However, that all soon changed after I actually took the time to meet the characters! Obviously, having not met characters since I was around 6 years old meant I didn't really know what to do, so I just made it up as I went along. I don't know if other people worry about things like this but thought I'd put tips for adults (sort of) like me who are maybe nervous about meeting characters or worried about what to say!
1. Open your arms for a hug (If you want a hug that is) - I think that going up to the characters as if you're excited to meet them will 100% affect the sort of meet you have with them! The first characters I met were Tigger and Eeyore, I didn't know what else to go so I just opened my arms excitedly and Tigger was really happy to reciprocate the hug!
2. Ask questions! - With almost every character I met I asked them something, like how their day has been, if they're enjoying the day, saying its cold (or hot) depending on the weather obviously. This works better if you ask questions with a yes or no answer as characters like Mickey won't answer you with words but with gestures! Face characters will definitely be up for a full on question so make sure you ask them about their specific movies!
3. Wear something interesting! - Almost every character I met gestured toward my ears, they loved seeing them and interacting with them! Dale stole my ears from me and played with them which was so funny and Minnie absolutely loved them! Donald even tried to steal the daisy off of mine for Daisy. Donald wasn't pleased with my Mickey Mouse jumper however but I soon won him around by showing him my Donald pin on my lanyard.
4. Take an Autograph book (or something to sign) - This may seem obvious but not many adults I saw had autograph books however the characters were more than happy to sign mine, Mickey and Minnie even loved my ears so much they made sure to sign my autograph book in an extra special way. I'd say if you have a specific character that is your favourite to definitely make the effort when meeting them as you'll be rewarded with a great signature. Make sure you have your book and pen ready for the characters to use however as It can be difficult for them to see small biro like pens, I'd suggest buying the larger pens sold at Disney to make it easier for them.
5. Be specific - When meeting a character I think it's always great to address them by their name and say things that they will know are specific to them. If you're meeting Donald, mention Daisy. If you're meeting Alice ask her about wonderland etc. When I met Chip and Dale I started by saying 'Good Morning Chip!' enthusiastically to him and he responded by giving me a massive hug and spinning in circles with me. Often people find it hard to differentiate the two, Chip has a black nose, Dales is reddish/brown.
Although, it is not essential to do all of these things they're thing I found useful doing when meeting characters as it made it easier for them to react to me and made our meet a lot more special. The characters are fantastic if you like chatting to them or not! I saw a couple meet Chip and Dale who literally said nothing to them but Chip and Dale still managed to make them laugh and they took great photos with them. The characters will adapt to how you meet them, whether you chat to them or are quiet and shy. In my opinion, the characters were absolutely fantastic and made me feel at ease no matter how nervous I was initially. In the end I even plucked up the courage to meet Mary Poppins, a face character, which I didn't think I would and I'm so glad I did! My next mission is to meet some Princess'!
Here are some other photos I took I'd like to share! P.S - The people in my photos are my parents in case you were wondering!
I am by no means an expert in meeting characters at all! I had probably 7/8 meets in my whole trip but I thought it could be useful to those who are nervous like me to have some things in mind before they actually make their trip! I hope these tips are helpful to you, or if they're not that you enjoyed looking at some of my photos, I really enjoyed meeting characters a lot more than I thought I would!
I've got a whole list of Disneyland Paris posts to write so if you have any suggestions please drop me a message/comment on here or on my instagram/ twitter!
My twitter is @Adreamisawish96 and my instagram is @shereallyisafunnygirl
TTFN
Lauren
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