It's a Dangerous World for Disney Characters

[snopes]

Forget a small world. It can be a dangerous world for Disney characters dressed in costume.

According to an analysis of injury reports by the Orlando Sentinel, performers at Walt Disney World's four Orlando theme parks reported enough injuries in 2005 to affect more than a third of the workers that portray characters.

http://www.nbc6.net/news/11169076/detail.html

[Mickey is a gyrl]

People always seem shocked when I mention that characters get beaten up. I guess this puts things in a whole new light.

[Jay Tea]

Originally Posted by Mickey is a gyrl

People always seem shocked when I mention that characters get beaten up. I guess this puts things in a whole new light.

How so? The (admittedly threadbare) article doesn't mention anything about people getting beaten up on the job? I can easily imagine a trip or a shove resulting in an injury in one of those huge mouse costumes or whatever but how much light is being shed here on deliberate malicious attacks?

[Mickey is a gyrl]

Originally Posted by Jay Tea

How so? The (admittedly threadbare) article doesn't mention anything about people getting beaten up on the job? I can easily imagine a trip or a shove resulting in an injury in one of those huge mouse costumes or whatever but how much light is being shed here on deliberate malicious attacks?

People just tend to be surprised that characters get injured by guests purposefully.

[Algae]

Originally Posted by Jay Tea

How so? The (admittedly threadbare) article doesn't mention anything about people getting beaten up on the job? I can easily imagine a trip or a shove resulting in an injury in one of those huge mouse costumes or whatever but how much light is being shed here on deliberate malicious attacks?

Heck, when I wasn't doing anything as glamorous as Disney mascots, one of our people got a concussion from the hooligans kids beating him up, another got chased by flyswatters and there were always kids that were just too exuberant and could hurt you as they launched themselves toward you. The lack of peripheral vision, the strange weight distribution, and the desire of some people to have to be "cool" in front of their "friends" and you end up with a surprisingly dangerous job.

Add the belovedness and loathedness of Disney and I'm not surprised they get hurt far more often.

[Mickey is a gyrl]

Jay, if you want a couple of examples...

I was put in a choke hold by a father (I was Mickey) because he thought it would be funny to have a picture of Mickey and him like that. I had a bruise across my neck because he went UNDER Mickey's chin and onto my neck.

Just this past summer, my hand was almost crushed because a teenager (a tall, muscular teenager) thought it would be funny to see how hard he could squeeze Mickey's hand. I was lucky I got away with just bruising on a couple of the bones in my hand.

Kids also like to punch characters.

Oh, and don't get me started about that day over last summer when people jumped Mickey, Pluto and Stitch to try to take off their heads. The characters were livid, and one of them actually had to go to the health center because of her neck injuries.

[Troberg]

Jay, if you want a couple of examples... (snip)

You should be packing one of those cartoon bang-flag guns!

[Mickey is a gyrl]

What's really ridiculous are the adults that go and do something that could injure a character performer, and then use the defense of "There's got to be a lot of padding in that," "they're a character, they don't feel pain," or "C'mon...it was just a joke!"

Oh, the rants I could go on about other kinds of assault...

[Floater]

Originally Posted by Mickey is a gyrl

Oh, the rants I could go on about other kinds of assault...

Something like this, perchance?

[Mickey is a gyrl]

Originally Posted by Floater

Something like this, perchance?

something like that...