Anna & Elsa - current strategy for meet & greet?

[saroncar]

My little girl is obsessed with them right now and she is 8. Our last trip to Disney was 5 years ago. She has her heart set on this one thing...so, 2-3 hours of my time is worth it for us. The next time we get to Disney, she'll probably be 12+ and not in love with princesses anymore...I won't love waiting in line but I think if I am prepared with a book and/or my hubby and I take turns, we'll be okay. If you get to Disney more often than me, I could see where you would rather just wait until next time, though.

We will be there together! Well either my hubby or I will. We are going on the 2nd and I just realized that the meet and greet is in front of the rope drop so I'm changing our plans. I'm not excited to wait 2-3 hours but my 7 year old loves them too!

 

[antree]

On 1/17 my cousins were in line by 10 am and there was a 4 hour wait. They got in to see them around 2 and at that point it was a 5 hr wait. I would plan seeing them at the start of the trip, just in case you have to try again later in the week.

 

[Berlioz70]

Their popularity will remain high for a while, but hopefully they will be moved to a better equipped area that can handle the crowds (buh bye Merida...)

They are trying to keep the ladies in Epcot, there are no plans for MK.

Here is Anna & Elsa's current schedule:

11:00 AM - 11:40 AM
12:00 PM - 12:40 PM
01:00 PM - 01:40 PM
02:00 PM - 02:40 PM
03:00 PM - 03:40 PM
04:50 PM - 05:30 PM
05:50 PM - 06:30 PM
06:50 PM - 07:30 PM

The set schedule is changing on Sunday, they'll still be starting at 11am but will be meeting further into the evening. I suggest waiting for reports next week for planning purposes down the road. The small changes they're making will hopefully shorten the overall wait times.

 

[sigmasal]

Thanks! I have been watching all the Anna and Elsa reports like a hawk. Trying to do it as painlessly as possible but knowing it must be done.

 

[Good Morning Dewdrop]

On 1/17 my cousins were in line by 10 am and there was a 4 hour wait. They got in to see them around 2 and at that point it was a 5 hr wait. I would plan seeing them at the start of the trip, just in case you have to try again later in the week.

ditto this idea - saw multiple people complaining that it was their last day - couldn't stand in line that long etc like the CMs were just magically going to slip them in. This was today around 10:30 - when people were getting in line for the 3 pm meet !!!

I posted a long thread about our experience today with times etc - basically you REALLY want to either have an 8 am ADR at Akershus and eat fast / get in line or walk REALLY REALLY fast at RD and have some luck on your side.

 

[StirlingSilver83]

I hope they are still around when we go in April...my son loves them! His favorite song is let it go...and if they are still there I hope the lines go down. We are hoping to get there at rd so my hubby can go stand in the line and me and kids can walk around. Besides seeing the disney jr characters and tigger, Anna and Elsa are on my sons must meet list lol

 

[Schmeck]

I am hoping that by the time our trip comes in June, they are either in multiple parks, or have FP+ being offered for their greet! I am not waiting more than 30 minutes for a character in that hot, June sun!

I didn't think they were going to be featured for much longer (already been extended a month) - no word if they were still going to be around in the summer, is there?

 

[mesaboy2]

I didn't think they were going to be featured for much longer (already been extended a month) - no word if they were still going to be around in the summer, is there?

No official word. However, pretty much every unofficial word says they'll still be around.

 

[larryz]

No official word. However, pretty much every unofficial word says they'll still be around.

Pretty much every official word says everyone will just LOVE MagicBands and FP+, too...

 

[Good Morning Dewdrop]

Pretty much every official word says everyone will just LOVE MagicBands and FP+, too...

ROFL love you Larry but Mesaboy is right - I'd bet my last Disney Dollar that they aren't going to stop doing meet and greets any time soon as in not for years and years and years....

as for MB and FP+ - we experienced them in November and are down here now. Things are significantly better - more CMs much more on the ball and things are *working* that either didn't work last time or didn't work smoothly (or were much more time consuming). Will everyone love them - doubtful but things are a lot better and I have to say they are smoothly changing over (granted we are down here on a slow week so that is a distinct advantage for them) from legacy to +

 

[Disney_Princess83]

I didn't think they were going to be featured for much longer (already been extended a month) - no word if they were still going to be around in the summer, is there?

Given their waits are consistently 2-5 hours long, I think it's fairly safe to say they'll be around. Most blogs are agreeing they'll be around for sometime. Given that all the other Princesses offer a meet and greet somewhere, I don't think Anna and Elsa (who is a Queen I know) will be any different.

 

[michelle06]

All the other princesses have hung around. Rapunzel and Merida still have long lines, yet never had a 5 hour wait! And they are still greeting. When a character can draw that many people, I'd say that's economically feasible on Disney's part (in other words, no money spent on expensive new rides, technology, etc). I can't see any reason why Disney would not want to keep them greeting.

 

[whitjake]

Ok please help with a strategy we have breakfast ADR in norway for 8:40 should my hubby get in line for A& E then and skip breakfast? I don't really want to wait in line for 4 hrs for the meet and greet. Thanks

 

[mesaboy2]

Ok please help with a strategy we have breakfast ADR in norway for 8:40 should my hubby get in line for A& E then and skip breakfast? I don't really want to wait in line for 4 hrs for the meet and greet. Thanks

Yes. (See other thread for my same answer.)

 

[LoveBWVVBR]

Ok please help with a strategy we have breakfast ADR in norway for 8:40 should my hubby get in line for A& E then and skip breakfast? I don't really want to wait in line for 4 hrs for the meet and greet. Thanks

Yes, without a doubt. He will likely only wait from 8:40-11 when they open which is much better than the 10-2 that I waited last weekend.

 

[whitjake]

Yes, without a doubt. He will likely only wait from 8:40-11 when they open which is much better than the 10-2 that I waited last weekend.

Thanks thought it would be but needed assurance

 

[Berlioz70]

Ok please help with a strategy we have breakfast ADR in norway for 8:40 should my hubby get in line for A& E then and skip breakfast? I don't really want to wait in line for 4 hrs for the meet and greet. Thanks

I would wait a week to see what the lines reports are for this coming week, there will be some changes which will hopefully shorten the overall wait. Based on those reports, you can create your plan.

 

[Good Morning Dewdrop]

we'll be in Epcot again on Monday afternoon (probably lunchtime onwards). I'll stop by Norway to get a few line updates - with time and anticipated meeting time and post an update that night.

My strongest recommendations for folks who want to meet Anna and Elsa are

- if you have ParkHoppers or 2 scheduled days in Epcot - aim to meet them early in your vacation. Then if that first day doesn't work out for some reason you can try again (perhaps with a slightly different gameplan) on another day. If you leave it until the last day and it doesn't work out you are basically out of luck (saw several people in that boat when we were there on Thursday).

- as Berlioz mentioned they're adding later times - someone else posted that they went by at 3 pm to get in line and got into the 5:50 set. Going by later in the day may be a good plan as most people will be hitting them early in the day - that does remain to be seen. I'll post what we find out on Monday - hopefully others will post their intel too.

 

[Mgilroy]

We will be there in May...I am hoping that there will be a few changes by then and the wait won't be that long....however, if it is, I am sure my husband and I will switch on and off so that my 5 year old can meet her newest favorite Disney characters

 

[stephv3]

We Just left them a few hours ago The curtain was wide open from the gift shop so you could get great views and some pics in between groups. Per reports it isn't always open. They also walked through the store for breaks. A way to see them if you just don't have the Time to wait.

We walked out of a 5pm dinner at Ansrhaus. We ended up waiting in line to see them. It was around 6 when we were arrived there and the CM said it was 1.5 hrs. My DH grabbed a beer and got in line while we went into the gift shop and rode Malestrom. the wait ended up being about an hour. She said it was 4 hours this am!!! I am wondering if maybe the evening might be better.

Good luck !!