Why Am I Crying?!? — Fans Have Mixed Feelings About NEW Way to Meet Mickey Mouse

We got to experience some pretty amazing new Disney technology at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event.

Not only did we have a fun conversation with an interactive Rocket Raccoon from Guardians of the Galaxy in real-time, but we also had a chance to chat with an interactive version of Mickey Mouse where we got to ask him questions — AND HE ANSWERED THEM. Now, we were pretty blown away by this experience, but when we showed our interaction to readers, the feelings were a bit more mixed.

In case you haven’t seen our interaction with Mickey, Quincy got some one-on-one time to ask Mickey some questions. His answers made the whole team tear up, especially as he talked about working with Walt. The technology here is similar to what we see in the Turtle Talk with Crush attraction, but with Mickey? Well, it was even MORE special. Check it out here:

@allearsnet

this was truly, truly such a magical & special experience for me. I truly felt like a kid again getting the chance to talk to Mickey HIMSELF. and honestly, there wasn’t a dry eye in the room ?❤️ #disney #d23 #d23expo #disneyparks #mickey #mickeymouse #disneymagic #disneynostalgia #disneynews #disneytips #disneyplanning #disneyfan #disneyadult #disneycreator #disneytiktok #disneyprincess @Disney D23

♬ When You Wish Upon a Star – Studio 77 Orchestra And Singers

We thought the interaction was sweet, but the comments on the video were mixed. “I’m probably the only one that thinks this is weird” — commented @melanson.m. Another follower, @thenarwhalgasper, said “nah it’s disturbing me greatly lol??.”

Well, turns out that isn’t the case. Other folks weren’t so sure about it either. One follower, @suited_penguins said, “I think this is kinda weird and dystopian. I hope they don’t replace character meet and greets with this.”

There were folks over on Twitter that just did not like it AT ALL. @RGA_CRX said, “Looks bad, sounds horrible and feels like 2010 animated avatar.”

@wrexreed just said, “This is truly horrifying.”

However, a lot of you had the same visceral reaction we had. Follower @
magical.adventures.with.cass said, “Why am I crying?!? This is so sweet. And such a beautiful thought that I needed to hear right now ❤️” Same. SAME.

@jenbach shared a similar sentiment: “That’s so incredible! I would totally tear up getting to talk to him and have him talk back ?”

Let’s just say we saw the ? a lot in the comments.

Here’s the thing, though: This is a NEW thing Imagineers have come up with, so if we ever see it elsewhere — say at Disney Parks — it’s likely the whole thing will look and sound even better. We also don’t expect a virtual chat with Mickey will ever replace actual character interactions in the parks, so we don’t think anyone should worry about that. It’s just cool to see what Imagineers are thinking about and working on.

So, of course, we now have to mention the talking Mickey that once met visitors in Disney World. That was something ELSE, but that experience didn’t last very long. Now imagine combining that with this kind of technology (instead of the pre-programmed phrases the talking Mickey used), and you’ve got a character interaction that would surely bring every Disney fan to tears. We have no idea how something like that might work, but Imagineers bring the impossible to life every day, right?

Check back with AllEars again soon for more.