If you have ever met a succession of princesses in the Fantasy Faire or watched Mary Poppins ride the King Arthur Carrousel, you know that characters are such an important piece of Disneyland’s storytelling. The special moments characters create often become some of visitors’ best trip memories.
But characters weren’t always so seamless to interact with – and some took a bit of trial and error to get right.
THE BEGINNING: PARK PROPS
When Disneyland opened on July 17, 1955, Walt Disney wanted guests to feel like they had stepped right into their favorite stories. So of course, characters were an important piece of that storytelling. But for today’s standards, 50s characters seemed a little…off.
 Source: House of the Mouse
Mickey, for example, had a paper mache head, and Snow White’s dress looked more like a pageant gown than her wardrobe from the 1937 movie.
Source: OC Register
At this time, there were no lines to meet characters. They simply wandered through certain lands, chatting with guests as they explored the park.
POPULARITY CHANGES THE GAME
By the 1960s, characters were a well known highlight in the park. New characters appeared in the park as new movies debuted, and the increased attention pushed Imagineers to create more stylized and detailed costumes.
 Source: Flickr
This era also introduced a little more structure to meet and greets. While there still weren’t too many traditional lines like we see them today, characters would appear at scheduled times in specific meet and greet locations to meet guest demand.
 Source: Gorillas Don’t Blog
DINING AND DETAILS
In the 1980s, Disneyland introduced a concept that remains an absolute fan favorite: character dining. For the first time, restaurant diners could really spend quality time up close with characters, from the comfort of their table rather than standing in a crowd. And by this time, it was more and more common for characters to have designated meet and greet areas with marked lines.
 Source: u/NekoFever via Reddit
These up-close experiences also came alongside costume improvements. By the 90s, Mickey could blink, smile, and more easily move. “Face characters” like the princesses had immersive conversations with guests, and the interactions shifted from stiff greetings to the feeling that you were talking to a genuine resident of Disneyland – which tracks for a Disney character.
 Source: The Independent
AT HOME, WE ROAM
Today, Disneyland has the kind of meet and greets you’d expect from a busy theme park: lines with cast members guiding you to meet characters. There are some ways Disneyland tries to make this easier for guests, including options like the Fantasy Faire where you wait in line once to meet a bunch of characters one after another. But generally speaking, characters remain in HIGH demand.
Source: Rick Law
Disneyland does have something that’s a bit special about its characters, though. Unlike many Disney parks around the world, you will always find characters who roam around, outside of designated meet and greet areas. Cruella de Vil heckles guests on Main Street. Captain Jack Sparrow wanders New Orleans Square, in search of rum. And Storm Troopers are constantly surveying guests in Galaxy’s Edge, looking for rebel spies.
This spirit of characters just existing among park guests really makes the stories within the park feel alive, and for me, creates so much of the magic inside Disneyland.
Source: MouseInfo