As the smell of cinnamon rolls and suntan lotion perfumed the air at Disneyland on Monday morning,Rory Sutherland flung herself on the sidewalk and had what can only be described as a hissy fit.
Disneyland's furry inhabitants have been off limits since the beginning of the Pandemic, and she was ready for a hug from Mickey Mouse. The park was closed for a long time. Mickey and Minnie were kept away from guests when it reopened in April of last year. There were no hugs. There were no autographs. There were no secrets in the little ears. Some families canceled or postponed their trips because of the only waving from afar.
On Monday, the 2 year old trained her eyes on a person in red trousers and white gloves. She ran toward him with her arms outstretched after she picked herself up off the pavement. Her family scrambled to get a photo of their embrace after she ran after them.
Hugs are back.
Cheese! Mickey rubbed noses with her as he knelt and shouted at her. The family had traveled to Southern California, and Mrs. Sutherland wiped away a tear.
Disney's theme parks are extra-syrupy, tightly managed. The character hugging, which has been part of the Disneyland experience since its earliest days, may seem odd. Men are waiting in line for the chance to squeeze a life-size Donald Duck. Adults are eligible with or without children.
A few videos of inappropriate behavior by guests have gone viral, including one from 2015, when a young woman groped the muscled chest of a performer playing Gaston.
When I met the real-life mickey mouse, he tried to hug me in his warm, but I didn't like him.
A lot of American families consider it a ritual to hug a Disney character. According to the Themed Entertainment Association, there were an estimated 151 million visitors to Disney theme parks in 2019.
It is part of what makes Disney so special, according to Bri Petrarca, who brought her two sons to meet characters on Monday. She wore a pink T-shirt with the words "Here for the hugs" on it.
There were about 50 people waiting to hug Minnie Mouse, who appeared in her polka dots near the Main Street U.S.A. magic shop. Three women in their 20s, each wearing mouse-ear headbands, waited their turn, and one of them, Natalie Parks, from Salt Lake City, said hugging Minnie was a chance to connect with her childhood.
Disneyland's general manager of entertainment operations says that the ubiquity of camera phones has made such interactions more sought out. Characters appear without notice in some instances. The company has built environments for the Disney princesses that are heavily themed. Front-of-the-line reservations are offered at Disney World in Florida.
Fur characters do not speak and only appear for about 30 minutes at a time, because it can be exhausting for the performer. There are roughly 50 costumed characters at Disneyland.
Disney's domestic resorts have been almost fully restored after a lengthy period in which social distancing and other coronaviruses safety measures took priority. Most face- covering requirements were dropped in February. Disneyland's Main Street Electrical Parade will return on Friday.
The Disney division that includes theme parks had $16.6 billion in revenue last year, down from $26 billion in the previous year.
Ms. Vossen said that character interactions are a big deal because they provide an emotional touch point.
Disney refers to its behind-the-scenes areas as Mickey Mouse headed offstage.
Ms. Vossen, who has worked at Disneyland for 42 years, frowned and said to grab a quick piece of cheese.
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