By Guest Blogger Michele Lindsay
It was a magical Monday indeed. The sun was shining, the sky was blue, and the rope drop crowds were engaged in the Dumbo Dash while my family and I took a turn toward the Enchanted Garden to catch a peek at the new Play and Greet set for Rapunzel and Flynn Rider from the upcoming Disney movie “Tangled”. That day, October 25th, was the first day Rapunzel and Flynn were meeting guests in the Magic Kingdom. Previously, they had been meeting guests in Epcot while their set was being completed.
The Garden, formerly the site of Storytime with Belle, has now been transformed into a stone castle-like setting. Accents of purple and sunbursts abound in the set. The guests are transported back to an almost medieval time. A time when damsels in distress waited for their prince to come.
But not for the Disney incarnation of Rapunzel. Her savior is a new take on the male hero, different from the Prince in the classic Grimm Brothers version of the fairy tale. Flynn Rider comes across as a very Robin Hood-esque figure (his costume looks like it came straight out of Sherwood Forrest). He is not a prince, but more of a scoundrel. More Han Solo than Prince Charming.
As for our heroine, Rapunzel presents herself as a lovely addition to the Princess franchise. She is sweet, with a high-pitched voice and a delicate air about her. Rapunzel has let down her golden hair, adorned with flowers and braids. Dressed in a purple and pink, with trim of lace, she looks the part of a princess. I was anticipating that she would be a bit less proper, as the character appears to be more strong-willed and independent in the movie trailers.
Two cast members are there to assist with the children, helping them color pictures of Rapunzel, as they await her arrival. The kids know that she is coming, so there wasn’t a true surprise (the doors are clearly in the center of the staging area).
Rapunzel and Flynn join hands with the children (or in our case Flynn holds hands with one mom and a young boy as several of the girls didn’t want to hold his hand) and they do a dance around the table. The children were young enough that this entertained them, but it wasn’t a very interactive experience. Playing a game of some sort, or singing a song would be more engaging. The coloring and dance seem to target the under five age group.
While waiting to meet the characters, cast members walk thru the line introducing Pascal, Rapunzel’s faithful companion during her term in the tower. They play a game with the children of “Pass Pascal”, much like Hot Potato. He’s passed down the line as quickly as possible. “Pass Pascal” kept the children entertained for a few minutes.
The next attempt to distract the children in line was the cast members asking the kids to make their scariest faces for the PhotoPass photographer. My younger daughter broke out crying. She is typically a pretty ferocious kid, but someone made a scowl that scared her silly for a few moments. The cast members saw this and toned it down so no other kids would have to meet Rapunzel in tears.
A PhotoPass photographer was on hand during the Greet and took photos of the kids coloring, while in line passing Pascal, and then with the characters. The availability of PhotoPass photographers with character greets is something I wish Disney would do more of. It allows for the parents to enjoy watching their children interact with the characters and not worry about being a shutterbug. My girls had a very animated conversation with Rapunzel about their shoes (my little one had Mickey crocs on, and Rapunzel asked if we had met him and what was he like).
The girls focused their attention on Rapunzel and didn’t give Flynn very much time. I think that many of the children had no idea who Flynn was, but could easily identify Rapunzel. Even if the children were not familiar with the fairy tale, they certainly recognized her as a princess, making her more approachable.
If you plan on meeting Rapunzel and Flynn, arrive 10-15 minutes early to the staging area. The meets are set on the hour, but we found that the cast members let children in earlier than that. Once the area was at capacity, cast members roped it off.
Overall, we were thrilled to have been among the first people to meet Rapunzel and Flynn. The staging area is lovely, the costumes are great, and the characters are wonderful with the children. I think the “play” aspect of this experience could be improved, especially for older children, but that should improve over time. And hopefully once “Tangled” hits the theaters more children will know who Flynn Rider is and someone will dance with him!
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Check out Michele’s first blog – A Special Preview Princess and the Frog – Zeigfeld Theatre
About Michele: Michele Lindsay is a Connecticut Yankee who recently moved to Metro Detroit. A stay-at-home-mom to two active girls, she’s never truly “at home.” This was Michele’s eighth visit to Disney over the last 35 years, and certainly not her last.
We went to this meet & greet on November 11. They did not do any coloring before Rapunzel & Flynn came out. Instead, the helpers had the children go through the motions of the dance which the characters would do with them.
Honestly, I don’t see how they could have colored as there were so many kids they were shoulder to shoulder around the table. They did give each child a coloring booklet after they met the characters.
I would suggest one parent go directly to the ramp to the right of the table as soon as you can to get a place in line for photos after the dance.