For those who grew up going to Disney (DIS) parks, a hug with Minnie or Donald was usually the highlight of the trip — a quintessential childhood experience that was one of the first to go with the implementation of the six-foot rule during the pandemic.
Characters, a huge part of the Disney theme park experience, became a bit scarce in the parks. Parades disappeared (because people could not congregate) and meet and greets were shelved.
Instead, characters popped up in random caravans or in distant ways where interaction was not possible. That may seem minor, but for families with younger kids, getting a picture and an autograph with a favored character was a key part of the Disney experience.
The company could not allow that to happen even though it probably could have legally (at least at Florida's Disney World). Florida's conservative leadership allowed Walt Disney World to reopen a lot sooner than California's Disneyland, but both parks had implemented mandatory six feet of distance between workers and park guests to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
For nearly two years, kids had to wave to their favorite characters instead.
Steven Diaz/Disney Parks via Getty Images
Hugs And Autographs Are Back (Finally)
After almost two years of no hugs, Disney announced that it "will start reintroducing traditional character greetings at Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resorts, as well as aboard Disney Cruise Line and at Aulani Resort in Hawaii" as early as April 18.
Guests will also be able to ask their favorite characters for autographs and selfies. In its Disney Parks blog post, Disney said that it would reintroduce hugs in phases in different locations.
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The announcement was very well received by both parents with kids who love the Frozen characters (the line to photograph with Elsa was, before the pandemic, always one of the longest) and the iconicly obsessed adult Disney fans.
"OMG will I be able to hug Mickey again?!" Camila Will wrote under the Instagram Instagram post. "I will be the 40 year old crying on Mickey’s shirt."
How Did Disney Handle Reopening?
After the pandemic forced them all to close in March 2020, attendance to the 25 biggest parks in the country, which includes Disneyland, Disney World and Universal Studios, fell by 67% between 2019 and 2020,
That said, many were clearly tired of lockdowns and those numbers corrected themselves as soon as Disney parks reopened its doors — average spending at all the Disney parks also increased by 30% compared since 2019.
Visitors to Disneyland and Walt Disney World know that the parks are operating almost like normal — the character-guest interactions, some light shows and some fine dining restaurants that require high numbers of staff were some of the only Disney experiences to remain closed as, one by one, rides and shows restarted.
"Recent trends and guidance have provided opportunities for us to bring back some of our most beloved magic, like character greetings and dining experiences," Shawn Slater, senior communications manager for Disney Live Entertainment, wrote in the blog post. "While not all locations will be available immediately, we anticipate reopening in phases throughout the spring and early summer."
