www.parkworld-online.com
Park Hoppin’ In association with Park Hoppin’with Susan Storey A
career with character – and
characters’ – that is how I often describe my history working in the attractions industry. Over the years, whether for work or while on vacation, I have
taken many photos with mascots and costumed characters. The pictures are a visual history documenting times in my life, places visited, and parks I worked with. A park’s characters are just as important to its guests as the rides and attractions. Just as marking a child’s height to highlight what they may finally be tall enough to ride, meeting characters – the tangible representation of a favourite comic, cartoon, or story – is a core memory that lasts a lifetime. Disney’s “Fab 5” are globally among the most
recognizable. Each day, at its parks around the world, guests line up to meet Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Pluto and Goofy. The characters have elaborate photo ops and colourful wardrobes. Loyal park fans capture special moments with them, often to highlight a first park visit or to document a milestone birthday, anniversary, wedding, family reunion and more. Our family photo album is filled with characters, and I don’t just mean my relatives. My son’s first photo with Mickey Mouse was taken when he was just six weeks old. Later photos track park visits and special occasions with Mickey and many other Disney characters, as well as other park mascots and friends. We have captured his physical growth, too, today comparing photos with characters he once looked so tiny standing next to, and now towers over as a still-growing teen. We’ve also attended park holiday events to meet and pose with “rarely seen” characters. One of my favourite character encounters took place during a Disney Parks media event that included photo opportunities with Anna and Queen Elsa, dressed in their new attire from the animated film, Frozen 2. I had long suspected Elsa was my son’s first crush and watching him approach and shyly speak with her confirmed it.
Face characters are a special part of the theme
park character cast. You can have a conversation with them as, for just a few moments, they pull into their world. The DC Comics Super Heroes save the day at Six Flags. At Universal Epic Universe, in the Isle of Berk themed land, guests chat about dragons with Ruffnut and Tuffnut, while over at Islands of Adventure, the X-Men, Spider-Man and other heroes meet and greet guests. I’ll never forget meeting Kylo Ren for the first time and watching as he refused to hug my son, because as the character lead so kindly told us, “Villains don’t hug.” The moment was not ruined, though. Instead, Kylo Ren fully embraced the Dark Side, and he taught us how to properly pose to “Force choke” someone. That interaction meant more to my kiddo than a hug. What the characters wear matters too, and they often have special costumes, to extend a moment or story. This spring, ahead of the debut of its new nighttime parade, Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away, Disney released a video dedicated to the new outfits Mickey, Minnie and Goofy would wear exclusively during the parade. Disney understood what the characters were going to wear would mean almost as much to its guests as having an all-new parade. The park built excitement and anticipation as the characters modelled the royal blue and silver sequined costumes that even featured light- up elements. (Minnie’s shiny blue heels – well who wouldn’t want to own such a pair – woman or mouse!) Regional parks have their own beloved characters. Knoebels Amusement Resort has Kozmo and Kenny Kangaroo live at Kennywood. Both are examples of characters who have grown with their park, and generations of guests. Last month, during the Golden Ticket Awards, Carowinds not only rolled out the red carpet for attendees, they also made sure the Peanuts characters were on hand to pose for photos. Snoopy is one of my favourites.
OCTOBER 2025
He’s soft, and cuddly and for the Awards event
was decked out in a glittery sports coat. He allowed us to pet his ears and dealt with ‘Here’s the real Snoop Dog’ jokes all night. Even at an industry event, made up exclusively of adults, the characters created a queue as everyone took a moment to smile with an oversized beagle. Characters are the heart and personality of our parks. They are beloved friends who know us. They inspire nostalgia, joy and magical memories. This summer I got to see Mickey and Minnie meet special guests and create moments that truly matter. Since 1989, Mickey and Minnie have been a part of Give Kids The World Village in Kissimmee, Florida. Twice a week they visit the whimsical Village for special, unrushed visits with children with critical illnesses and their families. While these Wish families visit the Disney Parks during their week-long vacation, the Mickey and Minnie visits that take place at Give Kids The World guarantee personal interaction and priceless moments that matter. My son volunteered at the Village twice a week, and I would often watch the families as I waited for him. Those visits are important in so many ways and are an incredible gift from Walt Disney World to the children and their families who visit Give Kids The World. Universal Orlando also sends characters for such visits. Shrek and Gru visit weekly, too, to provide similar moments for the Wish families, showing they too understand the power of a hug from a childhood character. This industry is filled with characters – fictional and real – who bring joy to others. Along with those colourful mascots, are people who have character. They lead by example, and they care for those around them, setting the tone and guiding the next generation of professionals. So, yes, you could we are an industry filled with characters, and character. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
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