^Yup, now-a-days Disney is pure marketing. That's no secret. A lot of things in DCA that are character based have nothing to do with the theme.
I would also like to add that characters have very, very little to do with my Disney experience. Attractions? Yes. Characters? No. I have no emotional attachments to any Disney character, not even Mickey. The only character that I care about is Indiana Jones, who isn't really a Disney character. If they never had another character walk around the park in costume I would even care, or probably notice.
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