Who's your favorite original park character at TDR?

[DuffyDad]

I just thought it would be fun to make a poll. With the opening of Ride & Go Seek, TDR now has exclusive original characters in both parks. Because I love the parks, I love these characters. Keep in mind that you can only vote for one of them.

I hope I got 'em all in the poll. Lemme know if I forgot someone!

[ICe101]

Rocky is from the movie I believe.

EDIT: Nevermind, take that back.

[gurgi]

I voted for Duffy, but I have to admit that Chandu is pretty darn cute! I do like Shiriki Utundu also, but for totally different reasons...in fact, he kind of creeps me out, which is the point, I guess. Rocky...I have no feeling one way or the other. I don't have any sort of attachment to him at this point.

The Tiki Birds in this version of the Enchanted Tiki Room are also now exclusive to TDR, but I don't know if they really count, since they are so similar to previous bird residents.

[DuffyDad]

Originally Posted by gurgi

The Tiki Birds in this version of the Enchanted Tiki Room are also now exclusive to TDR, but I don't know if they really count, since they are so similar to previous bird residents.

I only included characters who have their own merchandising.^^

[TDLFAN]

Originally Posted by gurgi

I voted for Duffy

I did not. Duffy is not an original character. It was sold at WDW long before the OLC adopted it, gave it a silly storyline and sold it like hot cakes to fans that need to get a life.

[Roger55]

Duffy isn't an TDR original IMO so I didn't consider him for my vote.

[ichigopara]

I voted for Duffy because he has impeccable fashion sense! Except for the shirt with his own picture on it which just looks self centered! I want to like Rocky and wanted to buy stuff with him on it but his wild eyes make me uncomfortable haha. I do like him on the attraction though but he would be last on my list. Shiriki Utundu would be my second favorite I think.

[DuffyDad]

Originally Posted by TDLFAN

I did not. Duffy is not an original character. It was sold at WDW long before the OLC adopted it, gave it a silly storyline and sold it like hot cakes to fans that need to get a life.

I'm really beginning to tire of this endless hate-mongering drivel. No one ever says anything and these insipid-but-not-benign comments are always very carefully just shy of violating MiceChat R&R. Still, this constant need to take little shots at other people's posts is unkind, unDisney, far too regular and far too regularly unchallenged. We all have personalities and quirks, but this is just ridiculous. So many of us just let this bile slide; or hide, for fear of the faceless, gutless ire that awaits should we dare become identified as "enemy," since the targeting parameters seem both random and eternally locked-on once in place. As someone who seems to be constantly in your cross-hairs, enough is enough! A know-it-all "fan" of these parks who can't seem to take a breath without insulting other people who share the same pastime unless - and sometimes even if - it's in exactly the same way... Talk about needing to get a life...

Originally Posted by Roger55

Duffy isn't an TDR original IMO so I didn't consider him for my vote.

Yeah, that opinion is absolutely valid. But considering that the character's name, new storyline (and expansions), concept art, widely expanded/deepened merchandising concept, new (and much more accurate/adorable^^) mascot suit and overall park presence were all developed almost exclusively for and mostly by TDS/OLC - I'd have to argue that this point is debatable, at the very least. I think Duffy is so fundamentally different from "the Disney Bear" in concept and execution as to be an original character (albeit not an original product), but I realize that not everyone would make this distinction. Not everyone has to. I think it's a matter of perspective.

[TDLFAN]

Originally Posted by DuffyDad

I'm really beginning to tire of this endless hate-mongering drivel. No one ever says anything and these insipid-but-not-benign comments are always very carefully just shy of violating MiceChat R&R. Still, this constant need to take little shots at other people's posts is unkind, unDisney, far too regular and far too regularly unchallenged. We all have personalities and quirks, but this is just ridiculous.

Yes, I too feel the Duffy craze is ridiculous.

[DuffyDad]

Originally Posted by ichigopara

I voted for Duffy because he has impeccable fashion sense! Except for the shirt with his own picture on it which just looks self centered!

でしょう！ I know, right!　

Originally Posted by ichigopara

I want to like Rocky and wanted to buy stuff with him on it but his wild eyes make me uncomfortable haha.

[gurgi]

Yeah, Rocky is trying to be adorable, but to me he looks like a big orange dust bunny I might find under the sofa. He's cute, but kind of mangy...and his eyes, I hadn't even though of that! He's just not huggable enough...not that it's a requirement, but compared to the other options, he's at the bottom of my list.

I can also see the Duffy/Disney Bear original character thing too. I agree that he's been far more fleshed out and nurtured for TDR, but yes, he technically got his start elsewhere.

[SuperDry]

My vote goes to Duffy. It was only on my most recent visit that I really saw the Duffy craze in full force. Once you know what to look for, it really is astounding just how much of a sensation he's created for himself. And I don't think the term "craze" is too far off the mark. Over and over again, I saw people with their Duffy, and in virtually all instances, they were treating him in a personified manner. That is, if Duffy was in a backpack, purse, or bag, he was always upright with his head facing outward (obviously, so that he could see what was going on around him). If he was being held, he was always being held almost like a child would be, and not like just some piece of merchandise. In the dining room of a counter-service restaurant, I saw a group of three guests sitting at a table eating their meal, but they had a table for four: Duffy was sitting in the fourth seat, upright and looking like he was going to enjoy his meal as well. I saw people who had dressed up their Duffy with homemade costumes, including one on April 15 at TDL, on Opening Day of the Monsters Inc attraction, that was sporting his own tiny costume that exactly matched what the Monsters Inc CMs wore.

I did see one thing that I thought crossed over the line and was disturbing: a male guest, probably about 30-35, had a boy and a girl Duffy. He was holding both of them in his left arm, with of course both of them very deliberately facing forward so that they could see where they were going. I'm told that there's really only one Duffy, and he's male. But this guest had dressed up one of them as if it was the female version of Duffy, complete with a Minnie Mouse style polka dotted bow on top of its head. I passed him just as he entered the park, and he had a backpack on, was walking very quickly, and was talking to himself as well. Very disturbing. But for the grace of God, go I, I thought :-)

[TDLFAN]

Any male who is into Duffy disturbs me, and those duffy girls scare me.

[DuffyDad]

Originally Posted by SuperDry

My vote goes to Duffy. It was only on my most recent visit that I really saw the Duffy craze in full force. Once you know what to look for, it really is astounding just how much of a sensation he's created for himself. And I don't think the term "craze" is too far off the mark. Over and over again, I saw people with their Duffy, and in virtually all instances, they were treating him in a personified manner. That is, if Duffy was in a backpack, purse, or bag, he was always upright with his head facing outward (obviously, so that he could see what was going on around him). If he was being held, he was always being held almost like a child would be, and not like just some piece of merchandise. In the dining room of a counter-service restaurant, I saw a group of three guests sitting at a table eating their meal, but they had a table for four: Duffy was sitting in the fourth seat, upright and looking like he was going to enjoy his meal as well.

There was actually a Japanese blogger I saw one time who had created a series of illustrated instructions about the Do's and Dont's of carrying/handling Duffy - it was so funny! But when you go to the parks, yeah, it does seem like people have been "trained" about how to treat him or something. And yes, my Duffy has an official "Duffy bag." And yes...I always carry him upright. I thought I'd bookmarked that page with the instructions, but can't seem to find it now.

I often wonder if Japanese fans see Duffy the way I do, as the symbol of Japan's take on Disney and OLC's commitment to improvement and excellence? I wonder if that's part of why he's so popular, cared about and supported here? Or maybe they just think he's cute.^^

I do wonder, though, why he's only available in DisneySea? I mean, it's generally considered the "adult" park, the "date" park; while Tokyo Disneyland is the kids and family park, although both get lots of both. It's not like he wouldn't sell in TDL and Bon Voyage (i know they would NEVER sell him at Bon Voyage without the price of admission!^^). Sometimes I think they keep Duffy in TDS because DisneySea is an exclusively Japanese experience and a testament to OLC's vision. 'Course, sometimes I cynically suspect that they don't make Duffy available in TDL so that more families buy 2-Park passes.^^ Really, though, I think they just really wanted a character mascot to fully belong to DisneySea.

Originally Posted by SuperDry

I did see one thing that I thought crossed over the line and was disturbing: a male guest, probably about 30-35, had a boy and a girl Duffy. He was holding both of them in his left arm, with of course both of them very deliberately facing forward so that they could see where they were going. I'm told that there's really only one Duffy, and he's male. But this guest had dressed up one of them as if it was the female version of Duffy, complete with a Minnie Mouse style polka dotted bow on top of its head. I passed him just as he entered the park, and he had a backpack on, was walking very quickly, and was talking to himself as well. Very disturbing. But for the grace of God, go I, I thought :-)

Just out of curiosity, which point or points caused the disturbance that crossed the line? I only ask because in all these details, the one that seems disturbing to me also doesn't seem to have anything to do with Duffy, so I'm not sure I followed your train of thought properly.^^

01. He was male?
02. He was aged 30~35?
03. He made one female?
04. He had two?
05. They were dressed up?
06. They were in his arms?
07. They were facing forward?
08. He had a backpack?
09. He walked quickly?
10. He was talking to himself?

[DuffyDad]

Originally Posted by TDLFAN

Any male who is into Duffy disturbs me...

So strange for a grown gay man (especially one who takes apparent pride in his expertise regarding theme parks celebrating cartoon animals, fairytale castles and princesses; and one who so often corrects others in light of his own apparent "worldliness" and wisdom)...

This statement, and its implicit bend-over-and-take-it defense of passe and damaging hetero/macho stereotypes/bigotry truly disturbs me, and sets us all back years if we follow the twisted logic that leads to this conclusion/attitude/judgment. When will we finally have done enough work with civil/social/human rights that there will genuinely be nothing anyone can't do without being judged/spurned/punished, so long as they hurt no one?

You're really saying there's a "correct" way to be male and any deviation from that is "disturbing?" Seriously? Wow...

Shame on you, TDLFAN/UncleTom. I know we've had our differences; but until now I always still respected you, your intelligence, and your strength. That last statement, though...that's pretty disappointing.