Quick Ways to See Disney Characters

Let’s face the facts; no trip to Disney is complete without getting some great photos with the Disney characters. Even for us “older kids”, there’s just something magical when Mickey puts his arm around you, Pluto ruffles your hair, or Stitch tries to pick your nose. The problem is everyone finds that moment special, and pretty soon you might find yourself paying your park entry fee to stand in line to greet the characters. While standing in line can’t be totally avoided when it comes to characters, here are a couple of tips to lessen the time:

1. Book a character meal. I have had the pleasure of eating a few character breakfasts and am pretty impressed with the amount of time each character spends with you and those with you. You can enjoy your meal, and take pictures with the characters when they come to your table. One extra tip for the character meals is to try to book the earliest possible Priority Seating reservation that you can for the meal. In other words, if a character breakfast begins at 7:30AM at a certain restaurant, try to get that time. You’ll have enough time to get your food before the characters show up, and the crowds usually don’t come for an hour or so after opening, so you’ll practically have the characters to yourself. Chip and Dale can make interesting dining companions when they have nobody else to go talk to!
2. Go to a party night at the Magic Kingdom (Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, or Disney’s Pirate and Princess Party). On specially selected nights, the Magic Kingdom stays open for several hours after closing to those with tickets to the party. Characters are in full force on party nights, and are often dressed in special attire. Don’t go see them as soon as they arrive, but wait until about an hour before the night is over. That way, many people have already left, and you will have the characters all to yourself!

So, until we start seeing FastPass machines at the Meet & Greet areas, follow the above suggestions to be able to see the Disney gang without obligatory wait in line.