Best Places to see a Princess without having to pay $?

[Mom of a *Princess*]

We are going to Disneyland in the middle of April. I've been twice before but never with my 2 year old daughter who expects to see some princesses.

Where is the best place to go see a Princess(es) without having to buy tickets for a character meal? Are there any specific times?

Also my son is into dinosaurs. Are there any dinosaurs in the California Adventure Park? I don't think there are in Disneyland, but I could be wrong.

Thanks from a newbie!

 

[bluegrizzlies1]

Princess fantasy fair but the lines can be very long.

If you take the train around disneyland there are dinosaurs in one of the sections.

 

[Armadillo4]

Princess fantasy fair but the lines can be very long.

If you take the train around disneyland there are dinosaurs in one of the sections.

Ditto what bluegrizzlies1 wrote above. I think the general advice for Princess Fantasy Faire is get there first thing in the morning in hopes of finding a shorter line, but even this isn't guaranteed. You can sometimes find Jasmine (and Aladdin) doing meet n greets in Aladdin's Oasis. And Cinderella does a very short meet n greet after the Drawn to the Magic show in DCA--she appears at the very end of the show.

For dinosaurs, the Primeval World Diorama can be viewed in the section of the Disneyland Railroad between Tomorrowland and Main Street Station. Get on the train at Tomorrowland (or any of the earlier stops) to view the Diorama.

At California Adventure, there's a giant dinosaur rising above the Sunglass Shop (next to Mulholland Madness), but it's not really an attraction.

 

[Kayla's Mom]

When we were there a couple of weeks ago, 4 of the princesses were out in front of the Mickey floral (right after you enter the turnstiles). Not sure how often they do that -- it was a Sunday afternoon about 3:00.

 

[Mom of a *Princess*]

Thanks for the great advice. Seeing Princesses and Dinosaurs will be the highlight of the trip for the kids.

I'll definitely try to get everyone to the Princess Faire first thing in the morning.

 

[mechurchlady]

Since she is 2 year old you could split up the family. You do Ariel's Grotto with your daughter while dad and son go on lots of rides and eat manly things like chili dogs and onion rings. There are discounts available if someone in the family is a passholder. It would cost for the two of you about $40 becaust the child would be free, they changed the prices on everything with summer coming.

 

[YellowMickeyPonchos]

I also second the entry plaza Princess meet - 3-4 every day. They put 5 or so princesses out and the lines are really short. Your photo also has the floral Micky in the background. How nice is that. It takes us about 30 minutes to do the entire circuit.

 

[Armadillo4]

I also second the entry plaza Princess meet - 3-4 every day. They put 5 or so princesses out and the lines are really short. Your photo also has the floral Micky in the background. How nice is that. It takes us about 30 minutes to do the entire circuit.

If the Princesses are out at the entry plaza, then yes, this is the BEST way to see them without having to pay for a character meal.

However, during my last two trips to the park, the Princesses never came out to the entry plaza at the usual time. This was on Sunday 3/22 and Saturday 3/28. I did see them last at the entry plaza during a trip on Sun. 2/22. So, they may have stopped doing this just recently. I'd ask at City Hall in the morning of your trip to see if they can find out.

 

[MichaelColey]

I took my DD3 to the Princess Fantasy Faire about 15 minutes before they opened (park opened at 8am, PFF opened at 9am, I got there about 8:45am and my wife dropped DD off a few minutes later after they finished a ride) and we were the first ones in line. She got to meet three princesses and get her pictures with them. This is probably the best bet for several good pictures because of the backdrops, lighting and number of princesses.

In DCA, we were in the Disney Animation building (where they do Turtle Talk, Animation Academy, etc.) while they were doing the Drawn to the Magic show out front. When they came in, we were in prime locations to get pictures with Cinderella, Mickey, and Woody. It's pretty dark, so it's challenging to get good pictures in there, though.

We were able to meet Jasmine at Aladdin's Oasis.

If your daughter is into fairies, don't forget Pixie Hollow.

Being a princess at Disney must be about the best job in the world. Just about every little girl I see with the princesses is beaming with joy.

 

[perlster]

If you had time for a side trip, Discovery Science Center has an outdoor dinosaur exhibit.

(Too bad time travel isn't possible. Your son would have loved Kingdom of the Dinosaurs)

 

[Mom of a *Princess*]

Thanks for all the great tips. I'll definitely find out when the princesses will be out in the entry plaza.

mechurchlady- I like you idea of seperating the group and me taking my DD to a character meal. If I'd only need to pay for my meal, that isn't too bad. Gets a bit expensive when its the family.

Perlster- Thanks for posting the link to the Kingdom of Dinosaurs. My son loved watching the video. We'll have to make it out to Knotts Berry farm on our next trip.

 

[MichaelColey]

There's also the Jurassic Park ride at Universal. Make sure to note the height restriction, though. My 43" 3-year old daughter was able to go in Orlando last September (and loved it) but wasn't tall enough in Hollywood. Also, I should point out that it's a water ride and some kids might be scared by a surprise near the end of the ride. You usually only get a little wet, especially if you can sit in the middle of one of the middle rows.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

Here are princesses we saw on March 8th when we went into Disneyland. You can always check at City Hall to find out where they will be that day.

 

[tink2dw]

Parades!! their free when watching them in the parades!!