Where can you find the best character experiences at Walt Disney World?
Your son wants to meet Winnie the Pooh. Your daughter wants to meet Belle. But the line is horrendously long. There has GOT to be a better way.
And there is.
Make the characters come to you!
Our daughter has the patience of a saint. Our sons? Not so much. While our daughter would happily wait and wait and wait and wait to meet Cinderella, Belle, Mulan or Mickey. Our sons would hop impatiently, dart out of line or just resort to a classic toddler meltdown. And then? Whine and complain all the way home that they didn’t get to meet Donald Duck.
It was then that we discovered a few tricks to meeting the characters on OUR schedule.
Know the Queues
- On your My Disney Experience App, the Times Guide located in each park or on the park map you’ll find locations of character interaction spots. The trick is timing. When you see that a character is “taking a break,” politely ask the Cast Member when they might be back. Then, grab a quick snack or take your child for a potty break. Hop in line – you’ll most likely be first because you have secret intel – and voila! A short wait.
- Traditional Meet & Greets. I rarely recommend wasting a FastPass on traditional meet and greets. If you absolutely must meet Elsa or you have nothing to use your FastPass on, by all means. Do it. Or, you could make a beeline to area as soon as the park opens. On your way out of the park may work, as well. But make sure you know the hours your favorite character will be there.
- Find the hidden gems. Ariel’s Grotto, to the right of the Mexico pavilion (for Donald Duck), Belle’s Village Courtyard for Gaston, between Liberty Square & the Castle for Tiana. and we’ve had good luck in Dinoland at Animal Kingdom.
- Need autograph tips? Click here!
Take A Cruise
Okay. I’ll admit. This is a very expensive way to meet your favorite characters. But some of the best character experiences have been on a cruise. And while you CAN schedule time with your favorite characters by finding when and where they’ll appear we’ve had incredible luck bumping into them. With no one around. After running the 5K on Castaway Cay. We caught Goofy sleepwalking on evening. Chip and Dale chatted with us while we waited for the Aquaduck water slide. Yes, the lines were sometimes horrendous for the traditional meet and greets posted on the schedule. But we’ve never had to wait. Our unexpected encounters were plentiful and entertaining.
Have Them Come To You
This is by far my favorite character tip. Schedule a character dining experience and have the characters come to you. It’s that simple. Check the Disney website for a current character list.
You’re going to have to stop and eat anyway, right? Why not make the most of it!
Our favorite character interaction dining experiences:
Resorts
- Cape May Cafe- Beach Club
- Artist Point – Wilderness Lodge
- 1900 Park Fare – Grand Floridian
- Ohana – Polynesian Resort
Magic Kindom
- Be Our Guest
- Crystal Palace
EPCOT
- Garden Grill Restaurant
- Akershus Royal Banquet Hall
Hollywood Studios
- Hollywood and Vine
Animal Kingdom
- Tusker House
Note: I didn’t mention two fan favorites: Cinderella’s Royal Table and Chef Mickey’s. If you have never been and want to try, by all means. Don’t let me stop you. But you can meet Cinderella at 1900 Park Fare and Mickey at Garden Grill – easier reservations to get, not as crowded – so more time with the characters.
Where is YOUR favorite place to meet characters?
