Disneyland adding a Walt Disney impersonator for photos. Good Idea or Bad Idea?

[Micoofy Duck]

He will never be represented, in any form, in any of the Theme Parks or Studios. It's just not allowed!!!

Okay but going off your quote, Walt Disney does have "representation" and he is being treated as a "Character" with costume on a parade filled with nothing but characters and very talented performers.

I wouldn't be surprised if come October 1st, the new parades and characters has a Walt Disney impersonator posing with Mickey Mouse.

[PragmaticIdealist]

ICK!

[PragmaticIdealist]

I'm alright with using an animatronic puppet to visualize in three dimensions Walt Disney's recorded words, but no actor can do justice to the man. The Walt Disney Company already treats him like a caricature.

[almandot]

I don't know if they ever call that character Walt Disney in the parade? Is he listed as such anywhere? He's just a young animator drawing mickey mouse and handing out his drawings to the crowd, like all the others artists they have in that parade :P Yes the inference is rather obvious, but legally speaking it's just a young artist drawing mickey mouse(how else could mickey mouse cartoons have gotten started).

That kind of inference could not be made if there was a meet'n'greet with "Walt Disney" or meeting a host/character in the show called "Walt Disney".

Then again they could've just gotten permission for the parade :P

[Hayley B]

I thought it was cute for the parade and went well for showing a "Man's Dream". But having him as a character all around I think is a bad idea too.

[Gemini Cricket]

NOT as an impersonated character.

NOT as an animatronic.

I agree. Besides, it's kinda creepy.

[Nancywitt]

It looks like the majority of chatters say this would be a bad idea and I have to agree with them. When you walk around DL (not so much WDW) you can really feel Walt's presence and so the need to have someone walking around imitating him is not necessary. As for the parade mentioned above, we have seen that parade a hundred times and for some reason, whenever I see this guy I get kind of chocked up. Crazy, I know. He is an actor in a role telling a story, but he does represent Walt (to me anyway) and how the whole thing started. The parade began during the 100 year celebration of Walt Disney, so this parade is about him and his creations. To have a man imitate Walt for the sake of the story is ok by me. A few years ago, when my oldest was 7, he asked me who that man was suppose to be and I told him Walt Disney. You may laugh, but it was kind of a learning moment for him and a teachable moment for me. We later had lunch and I told him a bit more about who Walt was. You have to take these moments when they come and when they are interested. Luke would never just sit and listen to me tell him about something unless he was interested, and this man on the float got him interested in Walt. (Side note: I have since told him more about our great ruler and he now understands my fascination with all things Disney!)

I have read that Walt liked to walk around his park and greet people. When they would ask for his autograph, he would pull out a stack of papers that he had signed earlier and hand them out. What a great memory for those who experienced it and a great story for those who would never get the chance to meet him. Let the memory of the real Walt remain with us and not some cheep imitation of him walking around the park.

[Gemini Cricket]

I think it would be tough on the CM playing Walt. I mean, imagine the questions and complaints this man would get.


"Hey, Walt, do you like Innoventions?"
"Hey, Walt, what do you think of DCA?"
"Walt, which do you like better: DL or WDW?"
"Hey, Walt, you banned mustaches but you yourself had one. What's up with that?"
"Do you approve of Gay Days, Walt?"
"Did they thaw you out, Walt?"

[merlinjones]

One of the worst mistakes the previous Walt Disney Company strategic planners made was to try so very desperately to forget Walt Disney the MAN while turning him into Walt Disney the brand icon.

He was not Betty Crocker or Aunt Jemima, but a real, live man with a particular point of view on entertainment and life. His idea is the heart of the company still. No walkaround characters portraying a fictional Col. Sanders, please - - but I'd love a chat with an Animatronic Walt ala Lincoln to better understand his view on American life and character and storytelling.

[MandaBella]

Hmmm...I don't know. I think it would depend on how they went about it. However, I kinda have to agree....creepy comes to mind.

ALTHOUGH.....Philadelphia has no problems with their Ben Franklin actor(s) from what I can tell. I've met one of them in the Franklin Institute several times and he's fun to interact with. Then again, Ben was quite an interesting character.

[GrimmGreen]

Aye, but with Elvis, the whole thing tends to come off as a cheesy joke.

Mickey doesn't talk in costume. He can walk around and wave. Hence, he doesn't possibly do something that Mickey wouldn't do.

Imagine if there actually was a Walt character. I can only imagine how many people would come up to the poor actor and ask, "Is it true that you're a Nazi?" >_<

ahh but that is only because Elvis in real life was cheesey , and i disagree there are PLENTY of things that the disneyland mickey could do that the "real" or animated mickey would'nt ,

and the "walt" in those pictures at WDW was terrible , it looked nothing like the guy , if they are going to do it , do it well , and mabye only have him in areas of the park he actually worked on , maybe permanently in NOS

[Speedway]

Bad. Taste. Period.

[Micoofy Duck]

I do understand many of your view points and respect them.

I also understand that times change and the execs might not care too much on what more "devoted" fans think whether its creepy or not because as we all know, they do what they want, hence DCA.

I hope everyone does embrace the Walt Disney impersonator when and yes, IF, he debuts in the new campaign starting Oct. 1st.

[MSEPLightningBug]

Although a funny concept,

can you imagine turning Disney parks into a Vegas Elvis hell?

EVERYONE would be want to be him - there'd be people on every
corner around the parks trying to make money off of pictures!

[speederscout]

This is truly one of the worst ideas I've ever read on MC. I agree with my friend PragmaticIdealist... ICK!!!

The whole concept is tacky, tasteless, and cheap.

And to the OP: how can you say that you "understand many of your viewpoints and respect them" and then follow that with " I hope everyone does embrace the Walt Disney impersonator when and yes, IF, he debuts in the new campaign starting Oct. 1st"??? It sounds like you've got the mindset of the previous WDC execs down pat.... hey... I know who you are... you're MICHAEL EISNER!@!@!!!

This idea is wretched.