News New Meet and Greet Procedures

[NeverNeverland]

From Orlando Attractions Magazine (apparently)
(and excuse the formatting)

Disney testing new meet-and-greet queueing procedures, may point to upcoming Fantasyland changes

In Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom this week, a few of Disney's
Imagineers and cast members held a test at Pooh's Playful Spot, the
playground located across from The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
dark ride. Pooh characters were made available for meet and
greets, but new queuing rules were attached. Parents were instructed,
via cast members and signs posted around the area, to wait in line to
see the characters while their children were allowed to play nearby in
the playground. When the parents reached a certain point in the line
close to the characters, they were asked to bring over their little
ones so they could enjoy the meeting with Winnie the Pooh and his
friends.

We received reports of this test being run on Monday
and Wednesday, with Tuesday being a day for Disney's staff to review
how the previous day's test went and make changes for the following.
Throughout the tests, Disney has been video recording and surveying
guests to get their opinion on how the queuing system worked out for
them.

Improving wait times for children wanting to meet their favorite characters sounds like a great idea, but I'm guessing that this test may actually be for something greater. When Disney announced the upcoming Fantasyland expansion at the D23 Expo in September, they revealed that there would be a number of permanent princess meet-and-greet areas throughout the expansion. These will each involve an interactive/play area in addition to the actual character meeting area. In the announcement, Disney also emphasized the fact that the enhanced Dumbo attraction will feature a queue-less waiting system of some sort.

[BANANAZ]

Re: New Meet and Greet Procedures

I don't really like the fact that they're adding all these meet and greets, but I guess it's nice that they're trying to avoid making kids wait in line. Kids don't do well in lines. Especially ADHD ones.

[Goover]

Re: New Meet and Greet Procedures

This sounds like a great idea!

Only problem: How easy will it be for the parents to get their kids back to meet the characters? Will this require the parent to leave the actual line and go hunting for his/her child?

Sounds sort of messy to me, but this definately would benefit the child.

[yoyoflamingo]

Re: New Meet and Greet Procedures

This sounds like a great idea!

Only problem: How easy will it be for the parents to get their kids back to meet the characters? Will this require the parent to leave the actual line and go hunting for his/her child?

Sounds sort of messy to me, but this definately would benefit the child.

My guess is there will be a CM at that point in the line to verify the parents finds his or her child, similar to the Fastpass/Standby merge where the CM is present to assist.

I guess we'll see how this goes...

[Semiquaver]

Re: New Meet and Greet Procedures

Great for kids, potentially bad for parents. They don't always hold up in lines too well either. Also, how will the parents be able to supervise their kids?

[Baloo]

Re: New Meet and Greet Procedures

that is the concern i see, who will be supervising the kids to make sure they do not wander off or get into trouble

[Imagineer Scott]

Re: New Meet and Greet Procedures

I LOVE this idea- nice way of thinking about children and how they may not want to wait in a line (I know I sure didn't when I was younger).

I'm interested in seeing all these new techniques the new Fantasyland will bring- and I hope they're successful!

[Thorpeedo]

Re: New Meet and Greet Procedures

I like the idea, if the play area is contained, (one exit, back past the CM/Parents) and small enough for them to hear a call when it's their turn, then it sounds great... too large and it would become more difficult to manage.

[aimster]

Re: New Meet and Greet Procedures

What about us who don't have kids, but like to meet the characters?

[yoyoflamingo]

Re: New Meet and Greet Procedures

that is the concern i see, who will be supervising the kids to make sure they do not wander off or get into trouble

I agree. If I were a parent, I don't know how comfortable I would be letting my child play with me. But, perhaps it will be more supervised...this just seems like they are adding more CMs to this new system. It will be interesting to see how it works.

[kirbilicious]

Re: New Meet and Greet Procedures

What about us who don't have kids, but like to meet the characters?

You can either opt to have someone older than you wait in line while you go play or you can utilize one of Disney's new Rent-A-Kid Kiosk, which is currently going through a soft opening.

[MonkeyDishwasher]

Re: New Meet and Greet Procedures

My only potential gripe with this system is that you don't *actually* know how long your wait will be. For instance, 2 adults waiting may only have one or two kids and no autograph books, but cameras only. Another adult may be representative of 14 children, each with their own books, and wanting individual pictures.

You won't find out until you're almost at the front of the line, and the herd comes a charging!

[drc]

Re: New Meet and Greet Procedures

My only potential gripe with this system is that you don't *actually* know how long your wait will be. For instance, 2 adults waiting may only have one or two kids and no autograph books, but cameras only. Another adult may be representative of 14 children, each with their own books, and wanting individual pictures.

You won't find out until you're almost at the front of the line, and the herd comes a charging!

Yep.

[Starshyne]

Re: New Meet and Greet Procedures

Hmmmm...interesting idea. I would like to hear from those who have seen it in action and see what they think.

And as someone who has no children and likes to meet characters, I hope this doesn't cause more problems with people trying to cut me in line than I already have!

[aimster]

Re: New Meet and Greet Procedures

LOL @ the Rent-A-Kid kiosk. Brilliant.

Even though I'm an adult, I like getting my fair share of time with the characters. I hate feeling like I'm a cow being herded into the slaughterhouse. MOOOO!!!

[Stitchy]

Re: New Meet and Greet Procedures

yeah, I don't like this idea.

Call me overprotective.....but, when I'm in a crowded, large place...I like to keep a close eye on my child. Number 1, for her safety...Number 2, to make sure she's behaving. She can be a little hyperactive sometimes.

Soooo, I can see problems with this.

First, why should I trust some CM who I've never seen before to keep an eye on my child? To make sure that she doesn't run off or get hurt? And I'm supposed to believe that they will be responsible enough to make sure the right kid gets back to the correct parent? Um...no.

Second, when I keep my child by my side...she will complain nonstop that I won't let her go play with the other kids in the playground. This constant stream of complaints will put her in a foul mood and me in one. Not to mention the other parents around me who have to listen to it.

Third....I'm kinda put off by the notion that parents are just place holders. I feel taken advantage of if my husband and kid wander off, leaving me in line to hold their place. I'm on vacation too. Why should I stand there when it's something YOU want to do. I understand that it's my kid in this instance....but, I know alot of you out there are in the same position I am. If it's something for the kid...they want to wander off and play while you stand there. If it's something I want to do...they stick around and complain throughout the ENTIRE LINE. So, I make her stand there with me. I am not her place holder. If it's something she wants to do...then she can stand in line too.

Yeah...I think this is a bad idea.

[Thorpeedo]

Re: New Meet and Greet Procedures

What about us who don't have kids, but like to meet the characters?

Single rider line ?

or

you queue, while wonderpup plays with the kids.

[Semiquaver]

Re: New Meet and Greet Procedures

Third....I'm kinda put off by the notion that parents are just place holders. I feel taken advantage of if my husband and kid wander off, leaving me in line to hold their place. I'm on vacation too. Why should I stand there when it's something YOU want to do. I understand that it's my kid in this instance....but, I know alot of you out there are in the same position I am. If it's something for the kid...they want to wander off and play while you stand there. If it's something I want to do...they stick around and complain throughout the ENTIRE LINE. So, I make her stand there with me. I am not her place holder. If it's something she wants to do...then she can stand in line too.

Yeah...I think this is a bad idea.

Exactly! To me that is just what feels wrong about this idea and the vast majority of the planned expansion. What happened to Walt's vision of a place where adults and kids can play together with no one on the sidelines?

[Casey Jr]

Re: New Meet and Greet Procedures

They are just making this way to complicated i.m.o. Just have a bunch of characters wander around and stop for pictures/ autographs when someone asks, then a mildly lengthed line will form on it's own, instead of some zig-zaged line controlled by castmembers. It all just sounds to coorperate and official to me and less magical.

[tloolgb]

Re: New Meet and Greet Procedures

They are just making this way to complicated i.m.o. Just have a bunch of characters wander around and stop for pictures/ autographs when someone asks, then a mildly lengthed line will form on it's own, instead of some zig-zaged line controlled by castmembers. It all just sounds to coorperate and official to me and less magical.

Ditto.

Meet & Greets are a bit too structured for my taste these days (gone are the days when you stumbled upon lonely characters somewhere)...but now the parents wait in line like placeholders and the kids are sent to play?

If I am in line...shouldn't the one getting the photo be there suffering with me? Maybe I'm just a bad chaperone when I require the kids to stay with me in the parks. And what does this tell the children? It's OK someone else will do the hard part for you? Is that really what we want?

So now what happens when they get to Peter Pan's Flight and now they have to wait in the whole line? OMG! THE HORROR! THE HORROR!

I guess I am just too old these days. As a kid we had to wait in line. Those days are over.

FYI...this is how line-jumping is born. The kids go play, then join mom at the end of the line. Next they try it at Jungle Cruise. Then they try it at Dumbo. They they try it at Splash Mountain before they go in they barn. Each time they bring a few more people with them. Suddenly as MonkeyDishwasher said, you're at the end of the line when the "herd comes a chargin".

And...for simple "Meet & Greets" this sounds like a staffing nightmare. That many extra CMs to find children when the parents reach a certain point in line? Instead of paying people to come up with these "solutions" to the "line problem" and paying all these extra CMs per hour to babysit...why not just throw money from the Ops budget onto the streets and let people steal it? Or better yet...pay the front-line a bit more an hour?

It is amazing...in 10 years society will be able to trace back problems in our schools and streets to Walt Disney World and what they taught (are currently teaching) to children. It is a perfect microcosm to study the degradation of personal responsibility.