Tag: meet and greet

character meet and greets, lists! what NOT to have or do on your trip, Uncategorized

FIVE THINGS NOT TO ASK ALADDIN AND JASMINE.. AND A FEW LITTLE KNOWN FACTS ABOUT THE COUPLE

If you are lucky enough, you will catch Jasmine and Aladdin together one day, after they get off of their own Magic Carpet Ride (in the Magic Kingdom) or Epcot’ World Showcase in Morocco (and please do try the food when you go there). 

When you finally meet them, and hopefully there won’t be a long line to do it, here are some things you probably shouldn’t say. 

  1.  DON”T ask Aladdin what it feels like to be a street rat. He might get insulted and have flashbacks to being called “a worthless street rat, with only fleas to mourn him”.  Granted, being a “street rat” may not necessarily be a bad thing. “Street Rats” are usually comfortable on their own in any given city.  A rat is also usually intelligent, agile, and knows how to survive on other people’s scraps.  Does that sound like a bit like Aladdin to you?  gray mice in the middle of walls
  2. Photo by David Bartus on Pexels.com
  3.  DON’T ask Jasmine what it would take to win her. She will tell you she is not a PRIZE to be won – and she probably will stop talking to you.woman wearing green shirt
  4. Photo by Brett Sayles on Pexels.com

3.  DON’T ask if you can take a look at their magic lamp. You might rub it by mistake after all, and let Jafar out!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

4.  DON’T ASK Jasmine what it is like to have a pet tiger and if you can meet her tiger. That is, unless you really, truly want to meet a tiger. Just look at those teeth!

nature summer yellow animal
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

5. DON’T ask Aladdin if you can have one of his wishes. First, I believe he used them all up. But if he didn’t, do you really want to take on that headache? “Excuse me. Are you looking at me? Did you rub my lamp? Did you wake me up? Did you bring me here? & all of a sudden you’re gonna walk out on me? I don’t think so. Not right now! You’re getting your wishes, so SIT DOWN!”

6.  DO Ask if you can go for a ride on their magic carpet, “CARPET”. It will be an experience of a lifetime.  – And for those who want to try the Magic Carpet Ride, which is right next to Aladdin and Jasmine’s storefront meet and greet, go for it! it is amazing! and kid friendly!

 
character meet and greets, disney themed fun

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH ELSA AND ANNA

If you think that you are seeing double when you visit Elsa (age 21) and Anna (age 18) at the Royal Sommerhus in Epcot’s Norway pavilion, you probably are. Due to the immense popularity of our favorite Norwegian sisters, there are multiple Elsas and Annas at the meet and greet, in separate rooms, of course.  Even though there may not be a long visible line, be aware that the line at the cottage moves somewhat slowly. The hut has a cute interior but there is not much to see. – they keep the back visiting rooms hidden because of the multiple pairs of sisters.

Wait times to see the pair of are statistically much better than they were at the Magic Kingdom. The Frozen Ever After Ride has taken the wait time trophy – with wait times totaling almost two hours. (Take a look at my Royal Akershus Review, here, for a tip on getting into the Frozen Ever After Ride and avoiding the wait.)  As much as I recommend dining here, don’t expect to see Anna and Elsa at Akershus. For reasons I can’t fathom they are not one of the princesses who visit while you eat!!

Speaking of sisters, have you noticed that these sisters are always together?  Even though Elsa is the first ever Disney princess to be crowned on screen, given her strong bond with her sister, she hardly separates from Anna when at the Disney Parks.  Elsa and Anna’s creator actually held a sisterly summit to understand what sisterly relationships were like. That bond is apparent when you meet them.

The movie Frozen is based on the Hans Christian Anderson Tale, The Snow Queen. (Say “Hans”, “Kristoff”, “Anna”, and “Sven” really fast). We highly recommend reading the original. It can be found here:
Hans Christian Andersen: The Complete Fairy Tales and Stories (Anchor Folktale Library)

In their new home at the Royal Sommerhus, both sisters stay true to character. Anna is spunky and friendly, while Elsa is kind but extremely reserved. If you just want to give the sisters a wave, you can find them at the Festival of Fantasy parade in the magic kingdom – I suggest standing by the Harmony Barber Shop for a good view. There is absolutely no way to meet the characters in the parade.

When you do see Elsa, ask her how she maintains her 420,000 strands of hair so beautifully!! I know I couldn’t do it so well! Ask Anna to tell you about the crocus, Arendelle’s royal crest.

Before this Elsa had just asked for water.. characters, they’re just like us!!

 
character meet and greets, theme parks

SNOW WHITE UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL: PURE PROTAGONIST OR NAIVE CLEANING LADY???

Snow White, the heroine of Disney’s FIRST animated feature film, projects innocence. Originally depicted as a blonde in German Romantic fairy tales, she is the first and youngest of Disney’s princesses.  The Brothers Grimm gave birth to her in 1812.  She started off so beautiful that the gods Apollo and Mercury both fell in love with her. …. I’ll encourage the adults here to read the original story to see how that turned out. Again, as in modern times, she was taken advantage of.  Be wary of strangers with apples or men with big egos.

 Snow White (First Edition): The Original Brothers Grimm Fairytale

Where do the dwarfs or “short miners” come in to play? Originally modeled after seven mountains filled with mines that only short people could walk through, did their love for Snow White stem from the fact that they essentially got a free cleaning lady?
Despite this claim to fame, she’s somewhat overlooked at Disney. Snow White can sometimes be found in Munich at Epcot, at Main Street, or by the Wishing Well at Cinderella’s castle.Yes, she’s in the parade, dining with other princesses at Akershus and Cinderella’s Royal Table, but she has no official home of her own. Tinkerbell, Elsa & Anna, Cinderella, Belle, and Tiana have all reigned on her parade, literally.

You might say she slowly sunk to the bottom of the princess pool – or well –  because she isn’t popular. Her prince came and went. She, like many, deserves better. Is it because Disney has since made princesses slightly stronger in personality? Is Snow White weak? Not a role model?

She’s still a part of Disney history

Does she hold the keys to the kingdom? My bet is that she has to knock very hard to get in.

snow white hits main street

 
character meet and greets, theme parks

TINKER BELL UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL: SASSY & HOT TEMPERED FAIRY

Tinker Bell was first crowned as a Disney Princess, but later became the leader of the Disney Fairies. On September 21, 2010, she became the 13th fictional character to receive her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, an accolade her mentor Peter Pan never quite succeeded in getting.

She was never actually really in love with Peter, she was an adventure groupie and jealous that Wendy was starting to have all of the fun. Be prepared to embark on an awesome adventure of your own when visiting her pixie cave, located to the right of the entrance of Town Square, in the building with Tony’s Restaurant. Visiting Tinker bell is definitely worth it if you can pop in when there isn’t much of a line or grab a fast pass to enter her magical nook.

While Tinker bell may have felt slightly overlooked when she was living in Never Never Land, she has one of the best homes at the Magic Kingdom. Prepare yourselves for a magical waiting room that opens up into a fairy wonderland. Although Tinker Bell has been pretty much silent since the 1953 debut of Peter Pan, a baby’s laughter in the 2008 movie Tinker Bell gave her the power of words, words that she doesn’t hesitate using to welcome you.

Try and avoid the gift shop at all costs,  unless you want to be forced to squeeze a giant pair of green wings into a suitcase on the way home.

 

 
character meet and greets, disney themed fun, theme parks

MOANA: UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL. If you don’t know where and who you came from, you don’t know who you are. So who is she?

Strolling through Hollywood Studios, right around opening time, we walked past the movie theater on the way to the Toy Story Land and noticed a cast member putting out a sign inviting us in to meet MOANA. So, of course we strolled right in.

Moana’s waiting area is extremely confusing, it’s almost as if Disney threw something together as her popularity grew. There are a bunch of circles on the ground, presumably to keep the crowd controlled. All the circles succeeded in doing was confusing me and the crowd around me. None of us knew what was going on and several people expressed their frustration. Once at the front of the line, we were guided by a friendly cast member as we watched Moana interact with the guests ahead of us in some sort of man made island.

Disney could definitely have done much better creating Moana’s lair.  It was terrible. She deserves better.

Moana herself, however, was spot on. She was bold. She was courageous. She told jokes. Her infectious personality spread throughout the room – smiles unfolded.  For photopass holders, her magic necklace even creates a magical video. It’s really pretty cool .

So what makes Moana, Moana? Moana is a fearless and courageous woman. A Polynesian teenager with a sense of humor. At 16 years old, she sets out on a daring mission to save all of her people. She is not a romantic. Her focus is embarking on a dangerous voyage filled with self-discovery.  Like most teenagers and some adults, she can’t figure out who she is.

Because the movie is only two hours long, she uses her courage and swims down to find her heart, which leads her to learn her true self.

Even though the ending is slightly unrealistic, she is a strong female role model with a sense of humor. So, please Disney, give her a better place to relax than a strange room in a movie theater somewhere in Hollywood Studios.

All she got from Disney is the backdrop. But she makes the best of it.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.