There have been these two costumed Disney characters of the mouse variety trolling around Times Square at least as long as the weather has been warm. I am sure I saw them in May; they may have been there prior. This may even have been a second or third year. As a New Yorker I can’t say that I spend all that much time in the vicinity of Times Square too often; even less often am I on 42nd Street proper in this “pedestrian plaza” that the mayor is so keen on.
Regardless these two have a pretty good racket made up. It’s a Mickey Mouse and a Minnie Mouse character in the Mickey and Minnie costumes and their whole bit is dependent on tips. Everyone in Times Square has got a digital camera or at the very least a camera phone. And everyone in Times Square who has got a kid has heard the annoying high-pitched wail from this kid and all they want is their Mickey (or Minnie) love.
So the parent whips out their camera or camera phone and snaps a picture of this perpetually smiling costumed character and everyone is happy. The kid turns to the Mickey or Minnie, gets a last hug or pat on the head and as soon as the parent reclaims their kid, the Mickey or Minnie whips out their “tip bag.”
That’s right these people in Times Square are working for money! The parent or guardian; still stoked with the ease of access to the costumed character already has the picture; they feel indebted to this character to shell out a couple of bucks. If you think about it, it’s actually ingenious. Mickey or Minnie spends maybe 20 seconds with each kid and there are an endless supply of kids in Times Square. So maybe in a good hour, these characters will interact with 200 kids. If they get money from half the parents its bound to be at least more than 100 bucks. Some parents probably give five or ten bucks; you know; they know what Mickey and Minnie must go through out in the heat of the day.
If you think about it it’s tough to go anywhere in Times Square that’s not Disney affiliated. Still, I was by Minnie, pictured here, over Labor Day weekend and I had to ask.
“Hey Minnie! How are you affiliated with Disney?”
You know what Minnie did? She pointed to her bag. I’d already taken a picture or two; she thought I was just another schmuck with a kid.
I walked away from this Minnie shyster and was satisfied that everything had come full circle. New York City/Times Square/Rudy/Disney and now Disney was getting it right back from these costumed characters. Sure they were out doing the leg work for Disney; be it inadvertently; but these costumed characters were reaping the spoils of the Disney brand.
Only in America.