Anyone here remembers that beautiful green parrot?
Disney World is all about Mickey Mouse, Minnie, Donald, Pluto… yeah, we get that. They are the real stars of the show, after all, like Jon Snow is for Game of Thrones and Walter White is for Breaking Bad. But, sometimes, we want to see the supporting cast shining too. I do love me some Saul Goodman in Breaking Bad, after all. In Disney’s case, there is a huge roster of characters to choose from, and some not-so-common names that I wish had more time to shine.
Here is a list of awesome niche characters that I think should appear more at Disney parks.
José Carioca
As a proud Brazilian, I say give me more of that awesome green parrot! José Carioca is hilarious, has an amazing design, and is best friends with Donald and Panchito. Yet, the only place we see him is on The Three Caballeros ride at EPCOT, and that’s just not enough!
He deserves a proper meet & greet. With his vibrant colors and lively personality, he’d be a huge hit with kids. Plus, he’s from my hometown, Rio de Janeiro, so he gets extra points in my book.
Merlin
Merlin is the legendary sorcerer from Disney’s 1963 classic, The Sword in the Stone. While the movie is often considered one of Disney’s best, it doesn’t get nearly enough attention these days.
I’d love to see Merlin roaming the parks, performing fun magic tricks for kids. It could even be a great way for Disney to add a little Harry Potter-style magic to their parks! Plus, it would be refreshing to have an older character as a meet-and-greet, something we rarely see.
Roz
Roz is one of the best things about Monsters, Inc. Her sarcastic wit and grumpy-yet-lovable demeanor make her an unforgettable character. Plus, her design is perfect! She’s the ultimate no-nonsense boss, but there’s so much more to her.
Right now, the only place we really see Roz is in the Monsters, Inc. ride at Disneyland. But why stop there? With a brand-new Monsters Inc. area set to replace Muppets Courtyard at Hollywood Studios, Disney has one job: put Roz front and center!
Anything Zootopia
Uh… hello? Where is basically everyone from Zootopia? The movie is awesome, but I’ve never seen a Zootopia character roaming around Disney World. Maybe that’ll change with the upcoming updates to Animal Kingdom, where a Zootopia ride is set to replace It’s Tough to Be a Bug inside the Tree of Life.
Fingers crossed we’ll finally see Judy and Nick in Florida!
