Do all characters have waits?

[kugelette]

Want to get as many autographs as possible during our trip, but don't want to spend all day in line for meet and greets, and don't want to pay the outrageous prices for meals. Are there any characters in the four parks that are essentially walk-ups or short waits?

 

[ghtx]

It depends on when you go. I have been lucky and have literally walked in with no wait for all four characters at Pete's Silly Sideshow (this was when it was in "soft open" so not a lot of people knew it was there) and Pooh and Tigger at AK (they were flagging people walking along the path to come in to meet them). But most of the characters are going to have a wait of at least 10-15 minutes.

 

[Itinkso]

Minnie in the Animation building in DHS. Most guests don't know she is there and you can easily walk-in to meet her.

Pete's Silly Side Show in MK is usually empty towards the evening... it no longer stays open until park closing due to lack of guests.

 

[asmit4]

You mean it's not like the commercials where the characters just walk around all day and the beautiful 4yo blonde girl in pig tails runs to give mickey a hug RIGHT on main street?

 

[DisneyHardin]

We waited just a few minutes for the characters at Pete's Silly Slideshow too. Also in Epcot, we had short waits for Aurora, Snow White, Mary Poppins and Alice.

 

[Crl1817]

When we went in 2010, we went to the character spot in Epcot at rope drop and there was almost no wait--under five minutes. That was during the race for paper fast pass days though so things may have changed now--most people seemed to be racing for a Soarin or test track past pass so they went by without stopping. We also just happened upon chip and dale in the MK as they were setting up and had virtually no wait. Someone has a list of the characters and their meet times and locations--maybe Kenny the pirate?

 

[wareagle57]

When we went in 2010, we went to the character spot in Epcot at rope drop and there was almost no wait--under five minutes. That was during the race for paper fast pass days though so things may have changed now--most people seemed to be racing for a Soarin or test track past pass so they went by without stopping. We also just happened upon chip and dale in the MK as they were setting up and had virtually no wait. Someone has a list of the characters and their meet times and locations--maybe Kenny the pirate?

I never do characters but I walked past the Character Spot on May 31 and it said 5 minutes. Since it was Mickie I decided to wait. We were literally the onlhy people in line, until the opened the rope to let us into that area.

 

[dramadrew]

Daisy Duck at AK would probably be a very short wait - I think most people don't know she's down there. Also you could always ask a character attendant when a character will come back from break and come back a little before that to be one of the first in line. I'm sure for some characters who are popular there will already be a line, but for characters like the Tremaine family, people won't know until they see them. However, they are bit tricky as they pick different spots or form the line in an area you're not located.

 

[jco_direwolf]

Want to get as many autographs as possible during our trip, but don't want to spend all day in line for meet and greets, and don't want to pay the outrageous prices for meals. Are there any characters in the four parks that are essentially walk-ups or short waits?

As others have said, only if you time it right. Most characters now meet at a fixed location, many in doors. You can look at Kenny the pirate's website to get the locations and times. But I can't think of a single character that is a constant walk-up/short wait.

I mean there is A&E which is just crazy, but even Mary Poppins at Town Square can get a 10-15 minute line.

You might want to burn some of your FPs on getting M&Gs. If the meeting the characters is important.

 

[Narawen]

The outdoor characters at MK tend to have shorter waits, especially if you time it right for their first set, or when they're coming back from break. I've met Peter Pan and Wendy, The Tremaines, Fairy Godmother, Snow White, and Mary Poppins all with <5 minute waits (maybe 1-5 families in front of us). They do move the characters around some, and it can depend on where they're standing and how visible they are. We've walked up to Mary Poppins standing alone under the awning by the Main St confectionary, but when she's out in the street a bit further she may have a wait.

Gaston is the longest I've waited for a character outside, we were waiting about 10 minutes before he was scheduled to come out, with 5 groups already in front of us last October. I think he came out a couple minutes late as well, and by that time there were at least 5 more groups behind us.

 

[PinkBudgie]

We had a 10 minute wait at DAK for Mickey and Minnie in their cute safari outfits at park opening. In fact, those were the only characters we stopped to see on our trip.

 

[jco_direwolf]

Gaston is the longest I've waited for a character outside,

Well it is Gaston. People would wait a life time to meet someone as humble and generous as he.

 

[mom2rtk]

Well it is Gaston. People would wait a life time to meet someone as humble and generous as he.

And after all, no one spits like Gaston. Who wouldn't line up to see that?

 

[kugelette]

And after all, no one spits like Gaston. Who wouldn't line up to see that?

I'd wait an hour to see him actually do it.

 

[mom2rtk]

I'd wait an hour to see him actually do it.

I'm sure someone must have asked by now. I wonder what his response is?

 

[JTBE]

We felt that the character meet and greets at AK had generally shorter lines (around 5-10 people) compared to other parks. We have been to AK twice and both times the lines have not been that long for the Safari Mickey/Donald/Minnie/Daisy/Goofy, Pocohontas and that raccoon?? can't remember her sidekick's name, Rafiki (name? from Lion King), Thumper, Chip/Dale, etc.

 

[purple figment]

You mean it's not like the commercials where the characters just walk around all day and the beautiful 4yo blonde girl in pig tails runs to give mickey a hug RIGHT on main street?

Maybe this was at Disneyland where there are many characters out and about throughout the day that are not listed on the daily schedule so it really is a case of being in the right place at the right time when someone shows up. Frequently there are characters around Town Square and the entrance plaza greeting guests as they come in. We've seen little kids go through the turnstile and the first one they see is Ariel or Belle or Alice. And then they'll walk through the archway to Town Square and Mickey, Minnie, Chip and Dale are there. What a great way to start a visit.

 

[auntyjenn]

What about Mickey in Town Square? How long is that wait usually (on a 9 day)? Is it the talking Mickey?

 

[Bay Lake]

Donald is now stationed near Dinosaur in AK. a few pathways through the trees and there he is, no lines at all.

 

[Momoftwins+1]

We had no wait at all for Tink in the building right at the front of MK, and 5 minutes for the talking Mickey Mouse beginning of June around 10 am. No wait at Character spot in the afternoon at Epcot end of May. 15 min wait for Buzz Lightyear (and he had a potty break in that time as well), 5 mins for Daisy outside the front of HS before opening. Now the princesses were a different story but since I have three boys I was lucky to drag them to meet Tink!