Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Only face characters speak. Headpiece characters don't make noises of any kind.
Because cast members couldn't possibly imitate the distinctive cinema voice of the
character, Disney has determined that it's more effective to keep them silent. Lack
of speech notwithstanding, headpiece characters are very warm and responsive and
communicate very effectively with gestures. Disney is currently testing new techno-
logy that will allow headpiece characters to speak. It is assumed that the technology
is a portable version of that used in
Turtle Talk with Crush
at Epcot, where an anim-
ated turtle converses in real time with audience members. A less advanced option is
a menu-driven selection of recorded phrases such as, “Hi, I'm Mickey,” or “What's
your name?”
Some character costumes are cumbersome and limit cast members' ability to see
and maneuver. (Eye holes frequently are in the mouth of the costume or even on the
neck or chest.) Children who approach the character from the back or side may not
be noticed, even if the child touches the character. It's possible in this situation for
the character to accidentally step on the child or knock him or her down. It's best for
a child to approach a character from the front, but occasionally not even this works.
Duck characters (such as Donald, Daisy, and Uncle Scrooge), for example, have to
peer around their bills.
BOB
If your child wants to collect character autographs, it's a good idea to
carry a pen the width of a Magic Marker Costumes make it exceedingly dif-
ficult for characters to wield a pen, so the bigger the writing instrument, the
better. Unfortunately, a few characters, such as Buzz Lightyear, can't sign
autographs at all.
