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Walt Disney World reduces time spent waiting in line with Tangled Meet and Greet
The construction on Walt Disney World's Fantasyland expansion is well underway, and apparently so is the testing for some Disney innovations expected to be seen when the new attractions open in 2013.
This spring, Walt Disney World tested a new way to wait for a ride on the Rock n' Roller Coaster without lines.
Now a meet and greet with the characters from the new movie "Tangled" appears to be a further experiment in delivering an experience to go with kids' souvenir photos and autographs.Instead of just waiting in a line to see Rapunzel and Flynn Rider, Walt Disney World has set aside an area called Fairytale Garden for the new characters' appearances. About 10-15 minutes before the characters are due to come out (the "set time" in Disney parlance), children are welcomed into the Fairytale Garden and given a coloring activity to do while they wait.
(The parents are not so lucky; they are expected to line up to hold a place for their child.)
When Rapunzel and Flynn Rider make their entrance, they come down to the coloring table to dance with the children before starting to take photos and sign autographs.
Music from the movie's soundtrack plays while they join hands and dance around the table.
Of course, when the dancing is done, the kids go join their parents in - you guessed it - a line.
But I suppose the whole thing adds up to more "quality time" with the characters and an opportunity to make a memory ("I danced with Rapunzel!"), rather than just a picture ("I waited in line for 30 minutes to take this picture with Rapunzel!").
Here's a video look at the festivities:
The plans for Fantasyland include similar experience-based meet and greets. Park guests will be able to watch Cinderella transform from servant clothing to her ball gown, and boys will be trained to be part of her royal guard. And Aurora (Sleeping Beauty) will be having a birthday, and children will be asked to make birthday cards and help her fairy godmothers prepare for the party.
Here's a video look at the festivities:
The plans for Fantasyland include similar experience-based meet and greets. Park guests will be able to watch Cinderella transform from servant clothing to her ball gown, and boys will be trained to be part of her royal guard. And Aurora (Sleeping Beauty) will be having a birthday, and children will be asked to make birthday cards and help her fairy godmothers prepare for the party.
Filed under: North America, United States, Theme Parks
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Go, Wolf-Spider! Nov 16th 2010 2:52PM
Interesting. Looks like another way for kids to really get hyped up.
Wolf-Spider
bearboysnc Nov 16th 2010 3:16PM
The Princess Aurora Birthday Celebration was axed 6 months ago.
Holly Craig Nov 16th 2010 5:09PM
We recently were at Disney World and meet Rapunzel and Flynn RIder and were able to experience this first hand. It was great and the kids didn't get irritable with the wait.
pnichypor Nov 27th 2010 4:23PM
Why not take the little ones to "Reality World" instead of filling their heads with this marketing crap? Just a thought. Got the big "Holiday" coming up where a lot of parents get to lie to the kids about where all that loot under the tree they killed comes from... Nice work...Next thing is probably trying to convince them there's an invisible guy up in the sky to protect them all. Well maybe not everyone. Some people seem to be exempt from divine protection and still get to die in wars or suffer with dread sicknesses. Take the family out some night to the city. Have them experience real joy with no lines to wait in. Have them see the face of another less fortunate soul when they are handed a warm coat or a pair of gloves. The closest these folks get to a line is at the soup kitchen. No Princesses and no make believe cartoon animals handing out the food there. Now who can say "Goofy"?
realitycheck Nov 16th 2010 8:49PM
Yes kids need to experience "reality world" and see the hardships of real life. However Disney isn't just about "marketing crap". I have taken my kids there almost every year and even though they are teenagers, that is the only place they want to go on vacation. We have built some wonderful memories that we will have with us forever. The "invisible" guy in the sky cannot protect us because of free will - we make our choices. And Christmas is a wonderful holiday if you focus on the giving not the receiving.
Jose Nov 19th 2010 10:14AM
This looked cute, except for the families that were left outside the ropes. if you werent one of the first 20 people to arrive you were stuck on the outside looking in at the kids dancing and playing with the characters. and then when the dancing was done the lucky ones then went and joined there parents in line for another photo op while we waited. and then were able to join the line. This would be much better served in a closed off room like Pixie Hallow. So when you are waiting in line you dont having to see other people enjoy the expierence while you continue to wait behind a rope.