Charcters Meets WITHOUT lining up!

[Vallie]

Hi all!

Just wondering where in the Magic Kingdom I can find charcters without having to wait in line?

I want charcter pictures but dont want to wait in line seeing I only have one day at Disney!

Any tips? We are going Jan 7th so I know its a slower time of year!

I really want pictures with...
Mickey Mouse
Minnie Mouse
Beauty and the Beast
The Pooh Chacters (going to the Pooh Dinner at CP so this one is covered)
Jack Sparrow (does he pose for pictures after his Pirate Tutorial Show?)
and Any other Chacters that are easy to find!

And also I want to see PUSH! what time/where exactly is he around?!

Any tips/websites you can share!?!

 

[DisneyDadof3]

Unless you get lucky - keep this in mind. If there is a character, there is a line!

Mickey and Minnie can be found in Toontown. The earlier in the day you can get there, the shorter the lines.

Belle can be found (regularly anyway) in the princess room in Toontown. Beast however is only at Epcot (or only place I've ever seen him or heard of him being).

I have seen push over in Tomorrowland between the Indy raceway and the Astro-orbiter.

Good luck. Your line waits in the morning should only be minimal. If you wait until later, the lines will definitely be longer. Keep in mind you might find Mickey or Minnie as you walk in or in Town Square also.

 

[Vallie]

I just have another quick question.... are most of the charcters like in some kind of room are do they wander around the parks? I dont mind waiting in line if they are around in the park somewhere but I know there are places like the princess room.. although I may just drag my DBF in the princess room b/c thats what EVERYONE calls me.. Princess! LoL including him

 

[Fairy_Tale_Bride]

Back in 1978, you could have walked right up to the characters and they wandered around, which caused many problems for the characters and guests. Also, horrible photos because other people and kids were always in your photos. This is 2006, WDW is more packed than ever and the characters stand in one spot for crowd control, so be prepared to wait in line. Lines are part of WDW.

 

[Cdn Friends of Pooh]

There are usually character greeting spots throughout the parks. Character greeting locations and times vary daily - you can check on your park map/guide when entering the parks, or stop at Guest Services and they may be able to help you find a particular character.

Unfortunately you will most definitely need to wait in a line for pictures with any of the characters. One tip is that if you are in a line and they are announcing the characters will only be there for so many minutes then leaving, don't leave the line. Usually other characters will take their place. That is what happened with us this past visit - we were in line for pictures with Pooh and Piglet when they announced they would be leaving, then about 5 minutes later Tigger and Eeyore returned to take their place. It's been our experience that because of the heat, the characters have a limited time to be out (20 min max) then their "handler" will take them away.

 

[Vallie]

o alright I remember when I went a long time ago with my mom (in 1998) I dont remember line ups to meet chacters.. maybe a few people already taking pictures nothing too busy! I just want a couple cute character pics for scrapbook when I get home!

I am super excited for my CP dinner with winnie the pooh! hes my fave so at least I'm garunteed a picture with him! hehe

 

[DisneyDadof3]

The Crystal Palace is a great place to meet characters and have a good meal! We eat there on every trip and find one other character dinner to mix in as well for the week.

 

[Vallie]

one more question... Meeting characters in full costumes (ie: mickey, stitch, pluto etc) is no problem... but do you think it's weird for a 22 year old couple to go and take a picture with say.. ariel? I love disney princesses but I dont want to look like a freak LoL

 

[DisneyDadof3]

Knock yourself out - I've got pictures with many of the face characters including Cinderella when she was with Prince Charming - I think he was getting jealous!

 

[Vallie]

Knock yourself out - I've got pictures with many of the face characters including Cinderella when she was with Prince Charming - I think he was getting jealous!

heheh thats to funny! thanks for all your help!!!

 

[Shells9]

We have always had good luck with characters with little wait right after Epcot opens...seems most people focus more on characters at MK, not Epcot. If MK is the only park you will be going to, there are lots of characters in Town Sqaure right after the park opens. Many people will take off towards and attraction and skip the characters first thing in the morning.

Good luck -- have fun!

 

[cindy_k]

Go to Guest Services when you get to MK and ask for a Character Greeting Schedule for the ones you want. Try to be at the spot before the character comes out.

You may have to wait in line but at least they will be short lines.

Have a good time!
Cindy

 

[mrmagicmph]

one more question... Meeting characters in full costumes (ie: mickey, stitch, pluto etc) is no problem... but do you think it's weird for a 22 year old couple to go and take a picture with say.. ariel? I love disney princesses but I dont want to look like a freak LoL

Weird? Well, lets put it this way....

On our much-too-belated hunnymoon at the beginning of October, we got pictures with several face characters, as well as fur characters. Included in the list of all characters we got pictures with were:
Winnie the Pooh
Piglet
Eeyore
Tigger
Pluto
Minnie
Chip
Dale
Goofy
Mulan
Mushu
Buzz Lightyear
Penguin (from Mary Poppins)
Mary Poppins
Bert (from Mary Poppins)
Cinderella & Prince Charming
Snow White & Dopey
Jessie
Woody
Jasmine & Aladdin
Baloo
Rafiki
Art the Greeter from the Beach Club (he might not be a "character" but he's truly a Disney Icon!)
Herbie the Love Bug
The Queen (from Snow White)
Belle
Ariel
& of course Mickey Mouse himself

& mind you, I'm 38, my wife is 24. So at 22 would you be weird? Not hardly!

Enjoy the Magic!

 

[AdamsPrincess]

Although it is a slower time of year, keep in mind that January 7th is the day of the Walt Disney World Marathon. All characters might now be available, depending on where and when you want to see them.

 

[meeko_33785]

Typically, most of the time at MK you will have to wait in a line unless you find a character at just the right time. In my experiences, the characters in hidden locations like the back of the Expo Hall or very obscure characters such as the Country Bears are the most likely to have little to no lines, but sometimes you may get lucky. if you really want to see the Princesses with a short wait, I would recommend either trying to get a reservation at a Princess meal if they are still available. Cinderella's Royal Table at MK has Princesses at breakfast and lunch. If not, be sure to hit the Princess room at Toontown as soon as it opens. The line for it tends to be the longest in the park, so 10am when it usually opens is your best bet on getting a shorter wait.

As for websites, here's a few that I bet would be helpful:

WDW Live Entertainment: Includes the current times and locations for many of the meet-and-greets as well as shows, parades, fireworks, etc.

WdisneyW.co.uk Character Guide: Includes a list of locations and what characters have been regular, occasional and rare there.

Both of these guides are updated pretty regularly (the first one weekly) so you'll probably want to check them closer to your trip as well since times and locations can change a little every so often.

 

[Torontogal]

Arrive early to character line ups - the lines are not as bad as you think.
Keep your eyes peeled as you never know where you will see a character. We always bump into Goofy in the most quiet places.
Book a character meal like Chef Mickey's - you are guaranteed to get some nice shots!

 

[Mumbling Jumba]

There is nothing wrong with taking adult pictures with the characters. As a matter of fact they encourage it. We once waited in Ariel’s grotto so my DD could get a picture with Ariel. When we got up there Ariel pointed out that her and my DD had the same color hair. She then asked me to come over and pointed to my red hair and the white streaks in my beard and announced "This is my Dad" The looks from the little kids in line were precious and I am sure that a number of people took my picture home with them.

 

[Evil Genius]

On our last adult only trip, I stood in line for Mulan and Brother Bear. I am way past your tender age of 22. The picture of me and Brother Bear is one of my favorites.

 

[mrsmagic]

Last January we went into the big store in Toontown during Spectromagic, and TONS of characters were in there, dancing around! We had a blast! There was maybe 1 other family in there, and we took tons of pictures with Goofy, Mickey, Minnie, Donald...

 

[jnjusoioa]

I am way past 22 myself and my main reason for going to Disney is to see the characters. So no it isn't crazy, I think the characters enjoy the adults as well as the children. Just wanted to mention another good place, I know when Epcot first opens in the morning is the Character Connection, when I was down in June, I went through twice with no waiting, you get, Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, Donald and Chip and Dale, maybe some others too but this are usually always there, and like I said if you get there early, no wait. It is awesome, if you are character hunting and don't want to wait in line.