OP here, and I’m reading the discussion with interest.
There was no indication Tiana was sick, and my DD was not either. She did not have a runny nose or any other indication of illness. Someone asked if there was an element of the story left out, and the answer is no. We waited in line, got up there, and Tiana signed my DDs book but refused all physical interaction or touch with her. She was the only character to do so. Tiana said she had her hands and fingers in her mouth - that was her explanation.
My point is that the behavior of my DD is typical toddler behavior. To refuse contact because my kid acted like a kid bothers me. Think about all the things kids touch at Disney! If it was a germ issue, they could offer hand sanitizer (though I personally think that shouldn’t be necessary).
I don’t know Disney’s policy on touching, but I think the PP over generalizes a touching liability issue. The expectation of that role is there would be some physical contact, so no, Disney wouldn’t be liable for every single person walking in. I’m watching Disney videos now that clearly show face characters hugging. Belle’s meet and greet has a ton of interaction. It’s silly to suggest characters have a no contact rule from Disney due to liability. And for those that are curious, yes, I AM a lawyer.
We had an awesome trip, so this event didn’t prevent me from enjoying it. But would I meet her again? Nope. I vividly remember the look of disgust on her face, so no, I don’t want a re-do. And I was bothered enough to complain, mainly because, as I said above, she was upset about my kid being a kid. The cast member needs to be reassigned.
Rapunzel rocked, though. Got on her knees to be at DDs height. Tiana should take a few lessons from her!