Do you wait in line for characters??

[Mousemommy1]

We wait in line with our kids all of the time...that's part of the fun for them!

But, I do admit to waiting in line when I was there with my best friend to meet Jack Skellington and Sally.....I mean, come on!!! It's Jack Skellington.

The pictures are hilarious, we look so star struck.

 

[prudence64]

We waited In a few lines when my daughter was 4, but she'll be 8 on our next trip and has lost interest and that's ok by me. She also is the only girl in the U.S. Who didnt care much for frozen, so I'm off the hook there. We'll probably do one character meal at 1900 park fare for fun but it will be a relief not to do any lines or use a fp on it.

 

[Random Ninja]

I visit more characters while traveling solo then when going with family. It's so much fun, especially when the characters are really into playing around. I take my little Stitchy (he's my avatar) and so far he's been stitchnapped over a dozen times, hidden, used in a game of keep away, and made several messes during character meals. It's stepping back and letting the childlike imagination run free again.

 

[daae3]

depends on who I am traveling with-friends who have no patience, I will only get a pic if there is no line. With kids or on my own-depends on the characters. I waited 2 hours for Jack & Sally at the Halloween Party last year. I also got a picture with every villain at the Mix & Mingle and that took a lot of time and dedication. My next visit, I want a picture with Anna & Elsa, so I will wait.

 

[LoveToTravel2001]

DH and I will stop and see characters, but typically late at night or if there is no line. We will be going out of our way to catch Cinderella's step-mother and step-sisters next visit tho

the dinner with them at 1900 Park Fare is a blast. We did it last year and will do it again next month. They truly stay in character. The step mother is a little creepy with the glare she gives.

 

[Hannathy]

Heck NO. on 1 trip when my DD was 4 we got a few autographs but even on that trip if there was more than 4 people in line we didn't wait. Since then and with my son, nope never.

 

[MacClemsons]

Absolutely! With kids and without kids. We have even made last minute trips to see rare characters - Long Lost Friends, Fairy week. Longest I've waited is probably 2 hours - either at SWW or Captain Jack Sparrow. A non-runner, I even ran ToT 10 miler & Donald half marathon to meet characters.

 

[wendybeth75]

No, not often do we wait for them. I think the most we have waited was for about 20 minutes and that was due to my DD13 Pluto addiction!

 

[FirstTimeDisneyVisit]

We (two adults) do wait in line for characters. We just think it is part of the Disney magic. My wife and I are ten years old when we go back to the world and for us that includes meeting the characters.

My fiance and i are the same way !

 

[Bazinga]

It all depends on what you want to get out of your trip. For me, meeting the characters (and yes, getting autographs) is one of the highlights for me.

 

[RAPstar]

I only wait for characters I want to meet, and every year that list gets shorter, lol. This year I only plan on doing the Frozen grills with my FP, Star Wars characters at SWW, and the 2 character meals I have (Garden Grill and Ohana).

 

[Networth]

Nope. We got some pictures last trip just because the line was very short and were just wondering around. We don't have children yet though and I fully plan on having autograph books galore when the kiddos do come. It's one of my own fondest memories as a kid, get the autographs in the Disney books. That was back when the characters wandered and just showed up.

 

[agavegirl1]

Wow, I was out to dinner with DBF when I read this. Answer, even when kids were small, less than 5 minutes. Character M&Gs are not "attractiona" in my family...so we would not wait at all.

 

[AmyB2006]

The only way I would every wait for a character is if it's an obscure one that you don't see ever. Like at the runDisney events, along the course, they have character stops, and it's usually characters you don't get to see all the time. But otherwise no.

 

[chapie1968]

No I wouldn't. I do it for my kids if the line is reasonable and it's a character that we cannot meet at any restaurant.

Personally I think it's a ridiculous waste of highly paid for time. Sure we'll jump in and see a character here or there when the lines aren't that bad, it's always fun, but there is no way we are wasting over an hour waiting to get our photo taken with a character. There are too many opportunities with many other characters to waste time on a specific one. If there is a specific one that my child MUST meet and the line is long, say 60-90 minutes, we would do it during a meal and we would sit and eat while one of us wait in line and then trade places and then grab our child a bite to eat on the go after. But I can tell you straight out, there would be no way, no how, I would be waiting 4+ hours like some people for a character meet like people are doing for Anna and Elsa.

 

[nooneshome]

On our first couple trips we went all out seeing characters. Then it got to be old and for the next several trips we stopped unless we stumbled onto one with a small line. Then on our last trip I made an effort with DD to see several characters. I even got DW to wait in line at the new character location in EPCOT. We had fun and I have most of my photos on my screensaver at work.

 

[chrismb22]

I try to schedule meals so I really don't have too, we did wait for Woody and Buzz more than once last time. We will probably do the same this time. Although, my two year old HAD to stop and see Mickey when we walked into the MK every time. I think this year I am going to try and fp the meet and greet for our first thing at the park when we arrive and our last thing at the park when we leave.

 

[chrismb22]

Personally I think it's a ridiculous waste of highly paid for time. Sure we'll jump in and see a character here or there when the lines aren't that bad, it's always fun, but there is no way we are wasting over an hour waiting to get our photo taken with a character. There are too many opportunities with many other characters to waste time on a specific one. If there is a specific one that my child MUST meet and the line is long, say 60-90 minutes, we would do it during a meal and we would sit and eat while one of us wait in line and then trade places and then grab our child a bite to eat on the go after. But I can tell you straight out, there would be no way, no how, I would be waiting 4+ hours like some people for a character meet like people are doing for Anna and Elsa.

My husband and I were discussing the whole Anna/Elsa thing and he said the same thing. Then I said, what if that was he absolute only way your son could meet Woody and it was all he wanted out of the vacation. I would sit there, bring a book and wait.

Then again. I have slept on concrete numerous times (sometimes for 26 hours) for Bon Jovi tickets so maybe there is something wrong with me. (Insert appropriate smiley face here -- on tablet so it won't work)

 

[khaleesi]

I'm a 40-something child who took a solo trip in February and waited in LOTS of lines to meet characters.

 

[khaleesi]

My favorite memories are almost all character-related and I could write a ten page trip report on the magic of characters alone. They're so great at what they do, and the personalities always shine through! But if that's not your idea of fun, that's cool. Less people ahead of me in line. And I won't be ahead of you in as many ride lines.

Please do!! The Trip Reports board would love to hear your stories and see your pictures