Scooby-Doo (character)

''This article is about the character. For the franchise of the same name, see Scooby-Doo (franchise).''

Scooby-Doo is a meet-and-greet character at Universal Studios Florida, usually found in the Hollywood section of the park. He is one of five main protagonists from the Hanna-Barbera franchise of the same name, consisting of numerous television shows and films, usually animated. At Universal Orlando Resort, he can be found as a meet-and-greet character, and formerly as a guest character in The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera.

Background
Scooby-Doo is a Great Dane dog with the ability to speak like a human, though all of his words begin with an "R" sound. He is the pet dog of Norville "Shaggy" Rogers. Both are members of Mystery Inc, a group that investigates supposedly haunted locations, in order to debunk the paranormal phenomena as a cover-up for crime. The other members of the group are Velma Dinkley, Fred Jones, and Daphne Blake. The group also has a brightly colored van that they travel in, known as the Mystery Machine. Despite having realized many of the monsters are not real, Scooby continuously gets scared, along with Shaggy, at various events while investigating. Sometimes, the group has encountered real monsters, much to Scooby's dismay. Despite his fears, Scooby-Doo never abandons his friends, and will do anything to keep them safe when such measures are needed to be taken. Scooby also has a nephew named Scrappy-Doo, that has accompanied him on some occasions.

Park Appearances
Scooby-Doo makes meet-and-greet appearances in the Hollywood section of Universal Studios Florida, along with other members of Mystery Inc, usually his owner and best friend, Shaggy. On some occasions, other members of Mystery Inc. will be present with Scooby. Scooby and friends usually arrive at the meet-and-greet area driving the Mystery Machine.

Formerly, Scooby-Doo made a guest appearance in The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera, along with Shaggy. Both are seen multiple times in a haunted house environment, trying to avoid being hit by Yogi Bear and the riders as they chase after Dick Dastardly and Muttley, who had kidnapped Elroy Jetson. The ride was removed in 2002 to make way for Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast, which has also been closed, with Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem currently operating in the space. Scooby and the other members of Mystery Inc. are the only Hanna-Barbera characters that still have meet-and-greets at Universal Studios Florida.

Trivia
For additional and more detailed information about the character of Scooby-Doo from the franchise of the same name, please refer to the Scoobypedia Article.
 * Despite usually walking on all four legs, Scooby-Doo does meet-and-greats standing on two legs.
 * Universal Parks is one of four theme park chains that have featured Scooby-Doo in some form throughout the years. The others are the former Paramount Parks now owned by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, the Six Flags theme parks, and Warner Bros. Movie World in Australia.
 * Scooby-Doo is the only member of Mystery Inc. that does not speak when meeting guests.