What should guests do to keep the magic alive?

Image: Disney

Preserving character integrity may not seem like something that is fully necessary for guests visiting the parks in the same way that it is for cast members who work there. While guests are not bound to a contract requiring them to follow through with character integrity it can still be in their best interest to do so.

Common courtesy is perhaps the most important reason why all guests should still try their best to preserve the magic of the characters while visiting the parks (and maybe even on social media if it comes down to it!) As mentioned previously, guests bringing children to the parks do not want them to overhear that the character they are about to meet is actually a person in a suit (a lie, of course).

To put this in perspective for adults who may not be so concerned with character integrity-- wouldn’t it be disappointing to purchase expensive tickets to a magic or illusionist show in Las Vegas, only to have the acts ruined by someone in line before you take your seats? Of course this would likely not be as traumatizing as a child discovering the reality behind character meet and greets, but it is a frustrating enough scenario for us to get the idea.

Thankfully, it is very easy for guests to uphold character integrity. Simply using terminology like “friends with” to describe character performers if you need to, especially in front of younger guests can really go a long way in keeping the magic alive. Refraining from discussing the real inner-workings of this role, or asking questions that are obviously inappropriate for other guests to overhear is another really simple way to preserve the magic. Feel free to go back to your hotel room at the end of the day, and discuss the reality of character meet and greets from the privacy of your resort if you must, but be sure to keep these conversations away from other guests.

Another way that the Disney fan community as a whole can work towards a better understanding of character integrity is to educate other fans about it. If you’ve ever seen someone discuss “Spieling Peter” on the internet, their devotion to these characters is evident, and it is safe to say that though they are violating the “rule of one” they do not honestly mean any harm.

So many fans do not intend to ruin the magic for others, they only do so because they are unaware that character integrity exists. By spreading the word about character integrity, and how important it is for guests to be able to go to a Disney park and escape the daily realities they know at home by meeting a favorite character, the concept should only prove to be even more productive in the future.