Bi-lingual Characters

One interesting aspect of visiting Tokyo Disneyland is that all of the "face characters" (the ones with exposed faces, such as the Disney princesses) are non-Asian, to keep an authentic look. However, they are all fluent in Japanese and probably spend all day speaking it to Tokyo Disneyland guests. When I visited Tokyo Disneyland with some American friends, we waited in line for a photo with Mary Poppins and Burt (wearing their Jolly Holiday attire), and as each Japanese guest approached, Mary and Burt spoke with them beautifully in Japanese. Finally it was our turn, and Mary did a small curtsey and extended her hand, then immediately started to say "Watashi wa…" Suddenly she realized we had American faces, laughed, and broke into "I’m Mary Poppins!" It was a funny moment – perhaps a bit embarrassing for Mary – but a really nice memory for me.