The great thing about visiting Disneyland Resort is being able to experience your favorite movies and characters in new and different ways. There’s something that makes your favorite stories come to life in a more “real” way when you see characters on a theme park attraction. One lucky guest had an even more real experience when she met Monsters Inc.’s Mike Wazowski at Disneyland, but apparently had no clue.
Billy Crystal recently appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and told a story about a recent trip to Disneyland with his family. Crystal says he found himself in a line next to a woman who was clearly a fan of Mike Wazowski, with both her and her child decked out in Mike merch, something Crystal laments he doesn't get a share of. Crystal decided to introduce this fan to the actual Mike Wazaowski, unfortunately, it didn't quite go the way he expected. Crystal explained…
My kids were laughing like, 'She has no idea!' So, I go, 'Hi! I'm Mike Wazowski!' She says, 'That's good, but my brother does it better.'
You would think that a Monsters Inc. fan meeting the voice of one of the main characters would be a big deal, but it seems the woman did not recognize Billy Crystal. Maybe he had a cold and didn’t do the greatest version of the voice. Perhaps this woman was on the younger side and doesn’t actually know Billy Crystal. While the comedian is still going strong, he’s not quite as big a name as he was when he hosted the Oscars for multiple years in a row and thus might not be instantly recognizable. Still, I would think that a fan who loves Mike enough to deck out the family in gear would recognize the man.
Of course, Billy Crystal himself has some significant skill at doing impressions, so perhaps he should consider it an honor that other people do impressions of his characters. And in some cases those impressions are good enough to be seen as actually better than the original.
Billy Crystal voiced Mike Wazowski in the two Pixar films Monsters Inc. and Monsters University. He also returned to include the character in the Disney+ series Monsters at Work. His voice can also be heard across the street from Disneyland at Disney California Adventure as part of the Monsters Inc Mike & Sully to the Rescue attraction, a ride that replaced what was maybe the worst Disney ride ever. No word if Billy Crystal and family took a ride on that, but we have to assume they did, right? It's one thing to see the character you voiced on a screen, it's another to see them come to life in front of you, or in line with you.
