"Characters and Fruit Loops"
A typical day at Great America's character department is definitely an experience. You may be asking " What is a character department?". well it's a bunch of fruit loops who for some reason get a high putting on funny costumes and actually believing they are Scooby Doo or Papa Smurf. " Why would people do this?" there are a lot of reason. Sure those costumes are hot and they pay sucks, but despite that being a character or just escorting them ( to make sure they aren't killed by the public) and helping them get into and out of their costumes is an experience so different than most of us encounter in a life time. When I began working there as a an escort. You couldn't even pay me enough to get into one of those Smurf costumes and have to actually sweat. No thank you!. I was all "yeah I'm going to be escorting a bunch of animals". Well my attitude quickly changed. They train you to be the character and those people do it so well you believe " Yogi Bear" ( even though you know it's a costume) and working so closely with them makes you feel as if they are your own property. Sure people get to take pictures with them and receive hugs but I got to see them almost everyday. When I cam into the park I'd see my babies ( As I call them) and I got royal treatment. I felt like telling people those people to eat their hearts out and say " He is mine". I also loved getting a bear hug from a gigantic stuff animal. Talk about making a person feel special.
My actual experience of charactering began when I was recruited to be a smurf in our parade. It was definitely harder than I ever imagined. I actually was sweating which was something I vowed I would never do. Here I was in this monkey suit. Why I did it partly because they asked me and mostly because I'd gotten so attached to this animals I wanted to see what they found so fulfilling about it. Well I did, having all those people wanting to see you and hug you. Especially the little ones who truly believed in Smurfs. Now don't get me wrong. It was not all peaches and cream. There are people believe it or not that are mean and non-believers of Smurfs. Since they don't like us they don't mind at all hitting or even trying things worse like setting Captain Caveman on fire!
The character complain all the time( well the people in the costumes) about it being too hot and they want twenty minute walks instead of thirtys ( which is a regular walk,except when the temperature goes above 85). They'll think of almost any stupid reason not to go out on their walk or to go out late. Even though after their half hour walk they have an equal amount of time for break. They tend to be lazy and get away with murder, but over all their decent people, at least I hope so since I am one of those fruit loops.
I loved working there probably the most because of the people I met. We were a large family of 30, but we were very close and we were constantly going out. Even if I never go back to the character family I'll always cherish the memories I have of Great America. So remember the next time you see a character think twice about hitting those characters. That person inside might be me!
