One of the comments I get most frequently after my Disney Vacations is “How did you see so many characters? Were you in line the entire day?” The answer is always, “Absolutely not!” When my children are young, seeing their favorite characters is the highlight of the trip. Now that they are getting older, they still love to see Mickey but jumping on rides is becoming more of a draw so I have to be strategic in our encounters. Here are just a few of my strategies for maxing out character time while visiting Walt Disney World.
Decide which characters are your top priority. My two oldest are boys ages 7 and 4 and visiting princesses is not even remotely on the radar. In fact, we have a deal where they have to get just one photo with mommy and one princess each vacation and then I let them off the hook. My daughter is one so I know I will be joining those Frozen lines soon but for now, Buzz and Woody are top picks.
Once you have your priority list, it’s time to figure out where on earth to find these guys! You can either ask your Disney Travel Professional for advice on where to find your favorites or you can log into the My Disney Experience app. Click on the map at the top of the page, adjust the filters for whichever park you plan to attend and select “characters” from the drop down menu. You can see exactly where your favorite characters are hanging out for the day. You can also select “show list” to the right and view in list form. If you select the character from the list or the Mickey icon on the map, you can also see what times they will be appearing and where.
Many characters are “first come first serve” but there are a few that allow you to use a Fastpass to hop in front. If any of the princesses at Fairytale Hall are a priority, definitely consider it. We’ve used ours to see Mickey and Tinkerbell at the Town Square Theater. Some characters (usually the ones that are inside) also have wait times listed on the My Disney Experience. In the same drop down menu where you selected “characters”, switch to “wait times”. The times are updated consistently throughout the day so you can watch for the time to drop down to a length that you feel comfortable waiting.
Character meals. Thanks to the Disney Dining Plan, we get one sit down meal each day that we focus towards characters. You wait at your table and the characters come around to see you for a photo opportunity and an autograph if you wish. It’s so much more relaxing than standing outside in the sun! Some of our favorites include Crystal Palace, Chef Mickey’s, ‘Ohana, and Tusker House. If princesses are your priority, widen your search from Cinderella’s Royal Table. You can find Cinderella with her Royal Family at 1900 Park Fare and you can eat with a variety of princesses in Epcot at the Akershus Royal Banquet Hall.
Again, your Disney Travel Professional is a great resource when it comes to finding the perfect meal!.
There are several characters that appear in more than one park so be strategic about where you plan to visit them. Epcot is a great place to see characters, especially princesses. They are stationed all around the park and I find Epcot to be overall less busy than Magic Kingdom. Mickey and Minnie appear in all of the parks but in different themed costumes. You might get a shorter line when they are wearing Safari gear at Animal Kingdom compared to waiting at Magic Kingdom for Mickey at the Town Square Theater.
If a cast member tells you that the character you are waiting for is about to “check on (the other toys, their plane, their stash of acorns)”, don’t leave the line! Ask the cast member how long the break will be and evaluate if you want to wait. Chances are that one or two people in front of you won’t want to wait and you will bump up the line. Breaks are anywhere from 5-20 minutes and are usually worth it!
When evaluating the length of a line, don’t count people! Most people travel in a group. It might look like a long wait but there could be only three groups in front of you. Line length can be deceiving! Cast members are also well trained to not rush you but to keep the lines moving.
Lastly, Special Events! After hours events like Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, and the newer Disney After Hours are great opportunities for shorter lines and frequently the appearances of less common characters. These cost extra but can be a fun event for the whole family. If you are staying at a Walt Disney World Resort, you can also take advantage of Extra Magic Hours (which are free) for an hour before the park opens to everyone else.
Bonus tip: If you plan to make character encounters a large part of your vacation, consider purchasing Memory Maker before your trip begins. The cost is $169 prior to the trip and $199 once your trip begins. This allows you to download all of the pictures taken of you in the park, including your character encounters! Just be sure to have the PhotoPass photographer scan your MagicBand or ticket so that you can see them later. You can also purchase your images individually if you would prefer. There are no PhotoPass photographers at meals but they do accompany the characters who are out in the park.
Enjoy your vacation!
For more information on booking a Walt Disney World Vacation, contact How Far I’ll Go Adventures agent, Liz Steimer at hfiglizsteimer@gmail.com or 678-458-1660
