Originally Posted By willthisbetheone We know that there are quite a few face characters in the parks for those characters who are humans, but there's something I've wondered... Captain Hook, Smee and the Queen Of Hearts were all humans, but at the parks, they're represented by costumed characters. How come these characters aren't face characters? Is the animation of these characters too exaggerated to find live-action counterparts, or is it just something that Disney never thought to do? I think that it would be great to see Captain Hook and Jack Sparrow trading words as well as jousts with each other. That's just my view, though. Sincerely, John Kilduff
Originally Posted By TDLFAN Good question. I don't have an answer for you but, some of the characters you mention DO appear in human form on some shows... But seems to me, Disney wants to preserve the integrity of the animated character for meet and greet purposes or upclose appearances..such as the case with parade performances, where guests could actually have physical contact with such characters.
Originally Posted By christiemarsh88 I kind of prefer the full-costumed characters. It feels a lot more like getting my picture taken with Captain Hook. (Because, of course, I still take lots of those pictures at the parks!) When I get a picture with a face character, it feels like I'm just taking a picture with some crazy stranger who stole Princess Aurora's clothes.
Originally Posted By AuroraRose ^^^^LOL, i often find myself sayig: she looks NOTHING like alice, or Belle, etc...
Originally Posted By MPierce Just my opinion, but I think some characters just would not be as presentable if they were played as face characters. Capt. Hook is portrayed as an over the top type person that I just don't think would work as well in a meet and greet setting if he were a face character. Hoever I think the Princess characters work fine, even though they don't always look like who they are portraying. What I think those little girls want is to interact with the Princess. I think if they went to a costumed Princess it would be a flop.
Originally Posted By christiemarsh88 ^^Yeah, I agree with what you're saying. The princesses wouldn't work very well if they had masks. And of course I like to get my picture taken with the hunky guys dressed as Aladdin and Hercules. I still just like the masked characters better.
Originally Posted By gurgitoy2 Also, I think it has to do with makeup. The princesses are not too hard, because it's just normal makeup. The more cartoonish characters would require prosthetics and makeup to make them resemble the character they are portraying, and that takes time to do. The only one that seems easy enough is the Mad Hatter, who has a big nose, and some teeth. The Queen of Hearts would require a lot, and Captain Hook needs his big chin, and nose. They have done it for stage shows, but personally, I think it would be too time-consuming to put on those prosthetics for meet-n-greets, which is why they are "rubberheads" most of the time.
Originally Posted By Mr X The Mad Hatter is a face character in Tokyo. Not in America? Interestingly, some of the face characters in America (the fairly godmother, the wicked stepsisters, a couple of others I think) are actually costumed characters in Tokyo...I assume because it would be too much money and trouble to import ladies that would fit those roles (the princesses, being young and hot, are more versitile I guess ).
Originally Posted By tonyanton I've seen Flora, Fauna, and Merriweather as masked characters in WDW (specifically Spectromagic), but as face characters at parades in DL. The Fairy Godmother was a masked character years ago, I've only seen her as a face character the last ten years or so at both parks.
Originally Posted By SpectroWishes321 To answer your question Mr X, the Mad Hatter is a face character at WDW.
Originally Posted By gurgitoy2 Yeah, the Mad Hatter seems to be the only face character that is consistent everywhere. He used to be a rubberhead back in the day, but I think sometime in the 80's he turned into a face character full time. Others are more random. I've also seen Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather as face and rubberhead depending on the parks. I guess it just depends on your talent pool too, like Mr. X said above. It's just easier to work with masks if you can't find a reasonable facsimile of the character.
Originally Posted By Megara I find myself always noting that during one trip, the same face character dressed up at different times as both Belle & Snow White.. and I had my photo taken with both of them, I mean the one of them ! So confusing.
Originally Posted By Liberty Belle ^^^^ Yeah, I had breakfast at Ariel's Grotto one day when I had flame-red hair, and the Ariel there commented that I looked just like her. The next day I saw Cinderella at Sleeping Beauty's Castle, and it was the same girl! She just smiled at me and said "you look just like my friend Ariel" - I took it that she remembered me and it was a 'nod' to our coversation the day before.
Originally Posted By Liberty Belle Oh, and regarding the actual thread, I think Captain Hook, etc work better with masks.
Originally Posted By eticketfan I like Captain Hook with a mask, but I am glad they revised it in the last couple years. That big face he used to have really freaked me out.
Originally Posted By mickeyboy43 Mad Hatter!!! we had just gotten on the tea cups at WDW. Me and my other 2 sisters were in one and our parents in the other. Then, the mad hatter came out of nowhere and asked to ride with my mom and dad! IT WAS AWESOME!!!
Originally Posted By christiemarsh88 ^^^ Wow! That's just like the commercials! lol. I remember being so disappointed the first time I went to WDW because I didn't get to ride with any characters
Originally Posted By gusgoose I feel like I never see any characters walking around anymore, but one character I always seem to see is the Mad Hatter, and he almost reminds me of that old, creepy Tom Petty video. The last time I was at Magic Kingdom, I saw maybe 3 characters the whole day, and the only worth taking a picture with was Brer Bear (a personal favorite). We swung by Toontown, or whatever it's called, to check out Donald Duck and all the other big names, and it was a 20-minute wait at minimum to see any of them. At that point, as a group of adults, you have to take stock of your life and wonder if you're truly at a point where it's worth waiting 20 minutes to have your picture taken with a college kid in a giant duck costume. Of course, when you're at Disney World, beliefs like that just have to be suspended. Needless to say, we waited the 20 minutes and saw Donald. I can understand that policy of not having big-name characters just walking around. But it still sucks.
Originally Posted By Labuda ^^^ I saw Mickey & Minnie out a couple of times at the American Adventure over in Epcot this week. Dressed in colonial American finery, but still the same old mice underneath.
Originally Posted By bobbelee9 The meet 'n greet areas maybe aren't a bad idea. Keeps the characters out of the heat, and people(grummpy adults) who don't want to see them walking around are content.
